Learn about the
Big Darby Accord

The ability to provide desirable drainage depends upon several factors but one of the most important is the ability or willingness to pay the necessary costs. Because of the extreme flatness of the area and difficult drainage problems north of I-70 near Hilliard, it is recommended that the area not be residentially, commercially, or industrially developed.

"Because of the extreme flatness of the headwaters of Hellbranch Run, in the vicinity of Hilliard north of I-70, drainage improvements of the nature described in the preceding would be of extremely questionable value. Severe ponding may be expected regardless of the drainage facilities provided, with distressing consequences attendant on those who build there. It is recommended that this area not be residentially, commercially, or industrially developed, but that it be reserved for uses more compatible with the characteristics of the land, specifically open-space for recreational development…"

Simply stated, much of the area within the Big Darby corridor will not tolerate future development. The nature of the corridor presents major physical constraints …the corridor is a unique and fragile area. Local and regional agencies must exercise care in determining land use plans and zoning that could cause development in the study area. …Those portions of the flat uplands having Crosby-Brookston (Crosby-Kokomo) soils are poorly drained and have a high seasonal water table, resulting in problems of ponding, basement flooding, and septic tank failure.

The Study Area is predominantly rural, with agriculture the dominate use and occupying a large percentage of land. …The greatest obstacle to any future growth is the land itself. The land is very flat. The soils drain poorly, and ponding is common throughout the area. The drainage courses in the area, except for Big Darby Creek, are unable to accept current surface runoff, let alone the increased amounts of runoff that would result from suburban development. …Urban development should not be considered until adequate central sanitary and storm sewer services are available.

The Hellbranch Creek watercourse north of Hall Road will be significantly affected by the increased storm water runoff [associated with development] and the 100-year floodplain will broaden out substantially and create more severe problems of flooding in this area of the drainage basis. This drainage problem will retard the growth of this area.

Of the approximately 14,046 acres in Brown Township, approximately 11,481 acres have a slop of less than 2%. …As a result, water often collects and saturates the landscape. Approximately 5,343 acres (37 percent of the total land area) are frequently flooded due to storm water ponding. The level topography also creates problems for drainage systems and streams. Hellbranch Creek and Hamilton Ditch, which function as eventual storm water outlets for approximately one-third of Brown Township, are shallow and generally ineffective in removing excess storm water. …The upper watershed of Hamilton Ditch [is] a tributary of Hellbranch Creek. From Scioto and Darby Creek Road to I-70, the ditch has an average slope of approximately 0.11%. The entire long and narrow Hamilton Ditch watershed is a "drainage sensitive area" with an inadequate storm water outlet. …A ditch improvement project would upgrade the flow characteristics of the channel itself and hopefully provide a better outlet for the subsurface tile connections, but would not address the site or area conditions of the undrained depressions and float surface grades. Such a project would only be effective in helping the high water table in the immediate vicinity of the ditch. Due to the extremely flat ditch grade and, therefore, very low flow velocities, sedimentation would be expected to cause maintenance "problems" in that frequent service would be required to remove accumulated deposits. Based on sever drainage problems in areas B and C and the environmental sensitivity of area A, all land in Brown Township should be zoned under the new agricultural district.

Of the approximately 14,046 acres in Brown Township, approximately 11,481 acres have a slop of less than 2%. …As a result, water often collects and saturates the landscape. Approximately 5,343 acres (37 percent of the total land area) are frequently flooded due to storm water ponding. The level topography also creates problems for drainage systems and streams. Hellbranch Creek and Hamilton Ditch, which function as eventual storm water outlets for approximately one-third of Brown Township, are shallow and generally ineffective in removing excess storm water. …The upper watershed of Hamilton Ditch [is] a tributary of Hellbranch Creek. From Scioto and Darby Creek Road to I-70, the ditch has an average slope of approximately 0.11%. The entire long and narrow Hamilton Ditch watershed is a "drainage sensitive area" with an inadequate storm water outlet. …A ditch improvement project would upgrade the flow characteristics of the channel itself and hopefully provide a better outlet for the subsurface tile connections, but would not address the site or area conditions of the undrained depressions and float surface grades. Such a project would only be effective in helping the high water table in the immediate vicinity of the ditch. Due to the extremely flat ditch grade and, therefore, very low flow velocities, sedimentation would be expected to cause maintenance "problems" in that frequent service would be required to remove accumulated deposits. Based on sever drainage problems in areas B and C and the environmental sensitivity of area A, all land in Brown Township should be zoned under the new agricultural district.

The storm water drainage problems are generally a result of the flat terrain, the relatively slow permeability of the soil types found in the area, and the heavy vegetation and silt deposits of the Hellbranch watercourses. The concern is that Hellbranch Creek is not deemed to be an adequate outlet for storm water generated by intensive development. Flooding has increased as new development has taken place. There is concern that additional development will further aggravate the area's storm water drainage difficulties. It is a city of Columbus policy to require developers to provide adequate storm water drainage for new development. However, after the drainage system is constructed, there is currently little funding available for maintenance. …Another area of concern in west Columbus is the impact of development in Big Darby Creek, a designated scenic river, and its tributaries. Accelerated erosion, sedimentation and storm- water runoff have the potential of creating serious water pollution problems as the watershed becomes developed with impermeable surfaces. …It should be recognized that the Hellbranch Run drainage system has severe limitations as an outlet for urban runoff. …Consequently, this area should be reserved for very low density land uses, agriculture and open space.

The primary alternative for the storm water management strategy is regional retention basis located along Hellbranch Run and its two main tributaries, Clover Groff Ditch and Hamilton Ditch. Implementation of a regional storm water management strategy in the Hellbranch Run watershed will require large capital costs. The Columbus Development Department's Planning Office has also recently completed the Columbus Comprehensive Plan. The plan's guidelines call for a public facilities ordinance to limit development in an area until public utilities are sufficient to meet proposed needs. …The estimated cost for retention basis…would be seven million dollars.