Day 6: The great Dayton Flood
When the flood was over, Ohioans began to assess the damage. At least 428 people died during the Flood of 1913, and more than twenty thousand homes were totally destroyed. Property damage was extensive, as many other homes were seriously damaged. Factories, railroads, and other structures also faced major losses.
After the floodwaters receded, Dayton residents were determined to prevent a future disaster of this magnitude. They hired hydrological engineer Arthur Morgan to come up with an extensive plan to protect Dayton from floods. Morgan recommended the construction of a series of earthen dams on the Great Miami River, as well as modifications to the river channel in Dayton. Governor James M. Cox supported the plan, helping to gain passage of the Vonderheide Act in 1914. The law gave the state the authority to establish watershed districts and to raise funds for improvements through taxes.
In 1915, the Miami Conservancy District was created in response to the Vonderheide Act. It became the first major watershed district in the nation. Over the next seven years, the district completed approximately thirty-nine million dollars in improvements. The Miami Conservancy District became the model for the Muskingum Conservancy District and eventually the development of the Tennessee Valley Authority, a New Deal project, during the Great Depression.
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