Trying to tame the floods - Stormwater Staircase; Tiber branch, Hudson branch, New Cut

The Hudson and Tiber 'branches' (more like streams in dry weather) join in parking lot D behind the visitor's center (old post office).  The Tiber branch enters from the pipe on the left, and the Hudson branch flows under Main St. then under the building in the upper right. They become the Tiber branch as it proceeds east, joined by New Cut stream, then flows into the Patapsco River.

The Tiber and Hudson joined by New Cut (from the left), flow under buildings, by the 1831 C&O railroad station (oldest in the US, info and many pictures HERE), under the train tracks and into the Patapsco River in this 1894 map.  click to enlarge

New Cut (from right) joins the Tiber (left, behind Main St buildings)

The Tiber flows under some of the buildings held up by metal trusses over the water.  When flooded the higher water tore through some of the buildings - as seen in the side of the Easton Funeral Home (Bean Hollow coffee shop).

Finally, the Tiber flows under Oliver Viaduct (more HERE ) into the Patapsco River.

View from the Patapsco River side looking into town.

Stormwater Staircase directs water runoff from the top of the hill, next to the pedestrian stairs, into Lot E.  click to enlarge

View of the green 'stormwater staircase' from parking lot E below the Court House (upper right)

Drain for the water running down the road next to the courthouse to go under the top stairs.

The water from the drain under the stairs goes into this section, the top of the storm water staircase.

Concrete river bed on Frederick Rd (west Main Street) and Rogers Avenue below the Ellicott City Colored School House Museum (more HERE ).

More posts on Ellicott City floods HERE

©2018 Patricia Bixler Reber
Forgotten history of Ellicott City & Howard County MD