Beavercreek receives citywide drainage master plan estimating $15 million in repairs and prioritizing 61 culverts

Wolpert Consultants presented a citywide drainage master plan to Beavercreek City Council, describing an inventory of the city’s culverts and streams, condition ratings and preliminary cost estimates for repairs and replacements.

The plan, delivered by Wolpert project manager Dave DeCesar, covers 26.5 square miles of city limits, inspected 120 culverts and walked more than 15 miles of stream channel. Wolpert assigned field condition ratings on a 1–3 scale (1 = good, 2 = fair, 3 = poor), produced unique asset IDs and cut sheets for each culvert and stream segment, and ran hydraulic modeling to evaluate performance against a 25‑year design storm.

The study found 61 culverts recommended for replacement, estimated at about $10.4 million (engineering and construction). It identified 44 stream segments needing stabilization work (about $3.9 million) and 63 stream segments requiring immediate maintenance (about $500,000). Wolpert estimated maintenance work on prioritized culverts at about $136,000. Taken together — culvert replacement, culvert maintenance, stream stabilization and stream maintenance — the preliminary total was approximately $15 million.

Why it matters: the study is the city’s first comprehensive drainage assessment since 1983. It gives staff a prioritized asset list and a geodatabase to manage inspections and schedule work, while also clarifying that available local funding is limited and long‑term funding strategies will be needed.

Key findings and details

- Inventory and condition: Wolpert recorded 120 culverts (about 1.75 miles of pipe) and more than 15 miles of stream channel. Inspectors collected more than 1,000 field data points and produced 438 200‑foot stream segments for condition scoring. - Condition patterns: 13 of 120 culverts (≈11%) received a poor structural rating; 31 culverts received a poor maintenance rating. Thirty‑three culverts inspected were corrugated metal pipe; Wolpert recommended replacing corrugated metal with concrete where structurally warranted. - Hydraulic performance: 47 stream segments were not hydraulically sufficient to meet the consultant’s 25‑year design storm criteria; 54 stream segments had a “threat” (utility pole, private structure, manhole, etc.) within 25 feet of the bank. - Prioritization: Wolpert scored projects using structural and maintenance condition, trouble‑area designations, ownership (public vs. private) and existing threats. The consultant recommended further easement and right‑of‑way review because stream ownership records are sometimes inconsistent in the GIS. - Cost estimates: $10.4 million for replacement of 61 culverts (engineering, survey and construction estimate); $136,000 estimated for prioritized culvert maintenance; $3.9 million for 44 stream stabilization projects; $500,000+ for stream maintenance items. Wolpert cautioned estimates assume worst‑case lengths and include contingencies and that costs will escalate over time.

Council discussion and next steps

Council members and staff pressed Wolpert on inspection cycles for assets rated “2” (fair). DeCesar said twos should be put on an inspection cycle and that many twos can be re‑checked annually; the time needed for an annual re‑inspection of twos would be modest because the city now has the geodatabase and field photos. DeCesar recommended annual re‑inspections for priority twos and an inspection cadence driven by risk (e.g., traffic loading, proximity to downstream confluences).

Funding was a central concern. City staff and council noted the city lacks a dedicated stormwater revenue source; street levies cannot be used for all stormwater work. Staff said the 2025 budget included $200,000 for stormwater repairs but that the scale of recommended work would require additional funding sources, grants, or multi‑year planning.

Wolpert delivered the geodatabase and a 293‑page full report; staff said the consultant’s executive summary (two pages) was distributed and the full report is available through city planning staff.

What the city said it would do next

City staff will integrate Wolpert’s geodatabase into the city GIS, use the prioritized project list to guide near‑term maintenance, and examine easements/right‑of‑way records to clarify public vs. private responsibilities along stream reaches before advancing construction phases. Council and staff discussed pursuing external funding for large replacements and noted that some projects could be advanced if external grants or ARPA/general fund resources were identified.