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As extreme weather events become more frequent, communities must adopt proactive flood mitigation strategies to minimize damage and disruption. This case study highlights how Salt Lake County, Utah, implemented an innovative flood control system using Garrison Flood Control’s Mayim Flood Barriers. By deploying a reliable and rapidly deployable flood protection solution, the county enhanced its resilience against seasonal flooding, protecting infrastructure and reducing emergency response costs. This case study underscores the importance of strategic planning, adaptive solutions, and community preparedness in effective flood risk management.

Client

Salt Lake County - Utah

Challenge

Salt Lake County is located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the most populous county in the state, with a population of over 1.1 million people as of 2020. The county covers an area of approximately 807 square miles which is home to several major institutions, including the University of Utah, and the headquarters of the Latter Day Saints Church.

Salt Lake County was facing a significant threat of flooding due to overflowing creeks caused by rapid snowmelt and heavy rain. With neighborhoods at risk there was a growing sense of urgency to put in preventative measures that would protect homes and infrastructure. Because of the sudden timing of the situation, the county needed to find a flood protection solution that was quick to deploy, flexible, and able to adjust to constantly changing circumstances. While expecting flood events, county professionals did not exactly know where the overflow and breeches would occur further highlighting the need for a system that could be rapidly deployed and able to adjust to the specific area and changing flood scenarios.

Goal

had several goals in mind for Salt Lake County when it came to flood protection. One of our main goals was to provide a modular and flexible flood protection solution that could be easily deployed and adjusted to fit a wide range of environments and configurations. We recognized the importance of having a system in place that was easy to use and could give Salt Lake County the ability to have a rapid response plan in place for whenever a potential flood event arose. Overall, our goal was to provide Salt Lake County with a flood protection solution that was not only effective but also flexible and easy to use.

Solution

Garrison Flood Control recommended the as a potential solution for Salt Lake County's flood protection needs. The Mayimâ„¢ Flood Barrier is a lightweight and easy-to-deploy system that can be quickly assembled and adjusted to fit a variety of environments and flood scenarios. One of the main benefits of the Mayimâ„¢ Flood Barrier is its ease of use and rapid deployment. With the urgency of impending flood threats, Garrison Flood Control was able to rush deliver 1,000ft of Mayim Flood Barriers to Salt Lake County, 1,000ft of Mayim to Salt Lake City and 1,700ft to the University of Utah Hospital, allowing the city, county and hospital to rapidly coordinate their response to potential flood events with an effective, flexible, and easy-to-use system for rapid deployment. The Mayimâ„¢ modular flood barrier system can be easily assembled by a small team of people and requires no tools or equipment, making it an ideal solution for emergency situations.

Summary

Facing a significant flooding threat due to rapid snowmelt and heavy rain, Salt Lake County needed a quick-to-deploy, flexible flood protection solution. Salt Lake County has many vulnerable residential neighborhoods and is the home of critical infrastructure and organizations pertaining to the entire state such as the University of Utah. On April 13th, 2023 a state of emergency was declared for Salt Lake County over the start of the spring runoff flooding. The overwhelming response from the community in support provided a boost of support (). However, Salt Lake County needed durable flood protection solutions that could serve as a rapid response to impending flood threats, one that could be deployed more quickly than traditional sandbags.

Collaborating with the Flood Control Operations Manager as well as Public Works Engineers, Garrison Flood Control was consulted for a potential flood protection solution that checked all of the county's boxes. Garrison Flood Control aimed to provide a modular system that could be easily deployed and adjusted for various environments. We recommended the system, a lightweight, easy-to-assemble solution ideal for emergency situations. With the simple insert and lock connection system, Mayimâ„¢ Barriers easily connect to provide significant protection length with the ability to make configurations to fit the desired protection area. Garrison supplied 1,000ft of Mayim Flood Barriers to Salt Lake County, 1,000ft of Mayim to Salt Lake City and 1,700ft to the University of Utah Hospital, allowing the county and University of Utah Hospital to rapidly respond to potential flood events with an effective, flexible, and easy-to-use system. Garrison was fully stocked and able to quickly deliver the Mayimâ„¢ Flood Barriers to Salt Lake County in time to help their protection efforts. Facing an imminent threat, Salt Lake County was able to trust and rely on Garrison as experts in delivering durable and rapid flood protection to help mitigate potentially devastating flood damage.

As water rises, Mayim is kept in place due to the weight of water, providing ballast and increasing the seal and enhancing grip. provide full flood control flexibility.

Takeaway

• Salt Lake County used Mayimâ„¢ MB2 Barriers which have a protection height of 30 inches
• Garrison was able to rush deliver a full 1,000ft of Mayimâ„¢ Barriers to Salt Lake City and 1,000 Mayimâ„¢ Barriers to Salt Lake County without issue to help with the urgency of the matter
• Garrison was also able to rush 1,700ft of Mayimâ„¢ Barriers to University of Utah Hospital to protect their critical hospital data center
• Salt Lake County, Salt Lake City and the University of Utah Hospital are in coordination on the material to help coordinate a joint response for future flood events
• The melting of snow and heavy rainfall posed a significant and constant threat of overflow flooding occurring all throughout Salt Lake County
• Salt Lake County now has Mayimâ„¢ Barriers that can be reused for future flood events due to their durable material and ease of storage