INDIANAPOLIS – Recently, city officials and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers celebrated the accreditation of the Indianapolis North Levee System.
The construction and accreditation allows for new Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), that went into effect on March 20, which reflect the reduced flooding risk resulting from levee construction, and allowing for development/redevelopment on properties previously listed in the floodplain.
The origins of the project date back to 1991, when city officials engaged the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The floodwall, which stretches over 3.85 miles, was completed in phases between 2004 and 2019.
Overall, this levee protects 2,134 buildings (including a fire station and three schools), 5,494 people and $1 billion in property value, according to the 2023 USACE National Structure Inventory.
The levee follows the White River through Rocky Ripple through Broad Ripple.