It was standing room only at the March 10, 2015, Town Council meeting for the Town of Rocky Ripple at 930 W 54th Street. Mike Massonne, levee project manager for the Indianapolis Department of Public Works, explained the status of the levee wall project. Massonne said that the Army Corps of Engineers selected the Westfield alignment of the levee wall, but the City of Indianapolis stopped this project in favor of the west bank alignment.

The Department of Public Works is conducting a feasibility study the west bank alignment. This includes surveying and taking boring samples along the west bank of the canal in the yards of residents of the Town of Rocky Ripple. It is expected to be completed in August, 2015. The boring depths are between 30 to 60 feet.

If the feasibility study shows that the west canal bank will support a levee wall, then Corps headquarters would first need to authorize the Corps to start the locally-preferred project (the west bank alignment) over the Corps-preferred project (the Westfield alignment). Then the Corps would negotiate a contract with the City of Indianapolis for the project. The City of Indianapolis would pay the project costs over and above the Westfield alignment costs. If that plan progresses, it has been stated that as many as 26 homes in the Town of Rocky Ripple along the west bank of the canal could be removed for the construction of the levee designed to protect the City of Indianapolis.

A question was then asked, "Locally-preferred. Are we saying the City (of Indianapolis) prefers the wall to be on the Rocky Ripple side? Because Rocky Ripple doesn't prefer it to be on our side." This question was not answered. It was stated later in the meeting that the City of Indianapolis and Citizens Water prefer the west bank alignment because it protects the canal.

Another answered question was, "Since we are an incorporated town, and we are not going to give up voluntarily, how can the City of Indianapolis take (someone's property) that is not in the City of Indianapolis? We (Rocky Ripple) are not Indianapolis."

Another question was, "The Army Corps says they recommend putting the levee on the east side of the canal, and the City (of Indianapolis) said, 'no, we want to put it on the west side', which is the side that affects Rocky Ripple. Why does the City think the solution is better to bulldoze 44 houses in Rocky Ripple than to put the wall on the other side?" Massonne answered, "It was 20 or fewer (homes to be removed) along the canal. That is why we want to complete the analysis to determine what kind of (levee) structure could be built there and what (Rocky Ripple) properties would be affected." Massonne added that the city is concerned about the gates across the canal, and therefore city water supply, and that is why they want the west bank alignment.

Butler University's Ben Hunter, Chief of Staff and Executive Director of Public Safety Office of the President, spoke to the residents. Hunter stated that the Butler board of trustees voted against the Westfield alignment. The west bank alignment was not an option in 2010 when the board of trustees made that declaration. The board of trustees (26 unanimous votes) stated that "we wanted an option to save Rocky Ripple. Right now that still stands."

The only levee alignment to "save Rocky Ripple" is to put the wall along the White River and not along either side of the canal. This alignment has been rejected by the Corps and by the City of Indianapolis due to the cost.

This is a very complicated issue. So much so that very little was resolved at this March 10 meeting.

Here are links: Army Corps documents: 1.usa.gov/1FwT8PV

Rocky Ripple documents: rockyripple.com/category/flood-wall-project