Elkhart County Courthouse Stormwater Study

In an effort to consolidate two county courthouses Elkhart County commissioned JPR, as part of the PSI project team, to deliver a new courthouse. JPR served as the project lead for civil and site design.  

As part of the design process, JPR developed an in-depth stormwater analysis of existing site conditions and effects of the proposed improvements. The existing site presented several challenges including a shallow water table and existing contours that had to be considered when planning the site for proposed improvements as well as any future development.

To keep all stormwater on site, a series of filtration and retention basins were proposed throughout the area to allow for as much storage as possible. Passive filtration basins were creatively placed within the parking lot to allow for filtration of sediments and excess stormwater storage. Larger basins were also placed along the edge of the site to capture stormwater runoff from the proposed impervious areas. The basins were connected through the storm sewer and designed to act as a single functioning system.

A study was performed for different rain events to ensure flooding would not occur near the proposed courthouse and plaza. Rainfall data was analyzed and elevations were determined, finding where the limit of flooding would potentially occur during a rare flood event. An emergency release and overflow route were also designed to provide an additional level of safety. This overflow was then evaluated further to ensure flooding would not occur off-site and would not have any negative impacts to the surrounding areas.

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