FAQs
Why does Hopkinsville need the South Fork Little River Flood Control Project?
To save lives, homes and businesses. In 1997 alone, Hopkinsville suffered $75 million in overall flood damage, 450 flood-damaged homes and 150 flood-damaged businesses. Currently, more than 1,100 properties in Hopkinsville have a significant chance of being severely affected by flooding, according to FEMA. Our city has a moderate-to-high risk of flooding over the next 30 years, impacting all of us in our community. In the past 100 years, there have been 18 major flood events.
How is the weir labyrinth spillway different from the other options that the HSSU attempted in past projects?
The new project design is the result of years of study by engineers and the University of Kentucky; great feedback and input from the community; and the cumulative effect of successful projects that the HSSU has already completed. The structure design of the South Fork Little River Flood Control Project will be easier to maintain and keep clear in addition to being substantially smaller than previously proposed designs. Even though it’s a smaller structure, it can provide MORE water relief.
What are the overall benefits of the South Fork Little River Flood Control Project?
We hope to stop the flooding in Hopkinsville that has taken lives, destroyed homes and businesses and threatened this community for far too long. Through this project, the HSSU is able to find a solution to the damaging flooding that occurs in the City of Hopkinsville. We are able to save lives, homes, and businesses. We are also able to preserve the safety, health, and welfare of Hopkinsville Citizens for years to come.
What is the investment of this project?
After completing 27 successful projects to prevent flooding in Hopkinsville, HSSU will be able to further protect the city from flooding with a budget of $6 million for this project.
Who is paying for the South Fork Little River Flood Control Project?
The HSSU is funding the project with some assistance from outside grants and funding from those that believe in our mission to prevent flooding while saving lives, homes, and businesses.
How does the HSSU receive funding?
A modest fee on the water bills of Hopkinsville residents and businesses funds the operations of the HSSU. HSSU has applied for and received additional grant money through the years to stretch taxpayer dollars even further.
Where will the South Fork Little River Flood Control Project be located?
The South Fork Little River Flood Control Project will be located on the South Fork of the Little River directly south of the Hopkinsville Christian County Airport on land owned or controlled by the HSSU and the City of Hopkinsville.
Who will benefit from the South Fork Little River Flood Control Project?
Everyone who lives in or near Hopkinsville or who does business in or with anyone in Hopkinsville. Flooding in Hopkinsville is a scourge on the community that has claimed far too many lives, homes and businesses over the years.
Who will be impacted negatively by the South Fork Little River Flood Control Project?
We’ve worked hard over the years to listen to the concerns of property owners that had questions about the South Fork FCP. As a result, we’ve made major design changes to the project including shrinking the size of the FCP. We consulted with experts at the University of Kentucky and had our engineers study the issue extensively. As a result, we’re confident that our plan won’t negatively impact any property owners.
You said you reduced the size of the FCP. Are you concerned that it won’t be big enough to do the job during a big storm?
We’ve completed more than 25 flood control projects throughout Hopkinsville over the last 16 years and we’ve made significant progress. Because of that work, we were able to engineer more precisely the South Fork project and still be confident of its ability to do the job we need it to do.
We’ve heard concerns in the past from property owners in Christian County that this structure will back water up onto valuable farmland and possibly wipe our crops. What are the chances of that happening?
We’ve heard those concerns as well, and we listened and made substantial changes to the design of the South Fork FCP to respond to those concerns. We also asked the experts at the University of Kentucky to study the question and give us their thoughts. (You can see their study results on our website.) The new project design is the result of years of study by engineers and the University of Kentucky; great feedback and input from the community; and the cumulative effect of successful projects that the HSSU has already completed.
Here is a video explaining how the weir labyrinth spillway will work to protect the City of Hopkinsville: https://youtu.be/i5dwsY0jSwg
When will construction begin?
The HSSU plans to begin construction in 2024 in hopes of completing construction as soon as possible to protect the city, and residents, from additional flooding.
When will construction be completed?
The South Fork Little River Flood Control Project is expected to be completed by 2024.
If the South Fork Little River Flood Control Project is complete and my land is still flooded, will I be reimbursed for damages by the HSSU?
We’re confident that is not going to be an issue because of the work of our engineering firm and the studies conducted by the University of Kentucky.