Levee System
The East Hartford Flood Control (Levee) System is owned and operated by the Town of East Hartford. The levee associated with the flood control system consists of an embankment with a clean sand core and waterside clay blanket. The levee is located on the left bank of the Connecticut River (looking downstream) and the north bank of the Hockanum River. The northern limit of the levee is near Main Street (U.S. Route 5) north of Green Terrace. The levee continues for about 4 miles along the banks of the Connecticut River past the Connecticut Southern Railroad Bridge, Bulkeley Bridge, Founders Bridge, along East River Drive and south of Hartland Street where the levee proceeds east along the floodplain on the north side of the Hockanum River, past Interstate 84, and terminating at Brewer Lane. The flood protection system also includes two (2) concrete floodwalls and three (3) pump stations.
The levee protects a land side area of 1.14 sq. miles from potential flood waters originating from the Connecticut River and Hockanum River. The crest elevation of the levee varies from a maximum of about El. 47.0 at the northern end of the system to a minimum elevation of about El. 35.9 North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88). The land area protected by the levee includes residential, commercial, and insitutional land uses as well as roads and highways.
The East Hartford Levee is rated as a Class C dam (high hazard potential dam) which, if it were to fail, would result in probable loss of life, major damage to property, utilities, and roadways, and great economic loss. An analysis of estimated flooding damage from a 500-year flood calculated that the avoided damages were approximately $364,200,000.
The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) maintains a National Levee Database (NLD) with detailed information on the nation's levees. Specific information on the East Hartford Levee can be found at in the NLD at https://levees.sec.usace.army.mil/#/levees/system/4305000010/summary.
Maintenance and operation of the levee system is the responsibiltiy of the Department of Public Works, Flood Protection Division. Activities include vegetation control, animal burrow repairs, system testing, pump maintenance, pump station building maintenance, and general repairs necessary for the system to function as intended. Major construction, engineering design and permitting is managed by the Engineering Division of the Department of Public Works.
Recently completed projects include: