Poorly designed development projects can contribute to increased severity of flooding due to more impervious surfaces, greater quantities of sediment entering our streams,  increased soil erosion, and increased concentrations of toxic chemicals in our aquatic habitats.  We at Paragon have a commitment to preserve water quality.  We help our clients develop stormwater management practices and comply with federal, state and local regulations, and serve to protect water quality.

Stormwater management and erosion control are elements of practically every project we undertake. We have on staff a professional engineer who is dedicated to the field of stormwater management and erosion control solutions.  Chief considerations of every project include compliance with DNR regulations - NR 151; runoff management, NR 216 - stormwater discharge management, and local requirements and regulations.

This study of the Wedgewood Valley drainage area, located in the Town of Shelby, Wisconsin, was conducted to determine the future runoff amounts and culvert sizes in the main drainage way along Valley Road.  The study included computation of peak run-off volumes for a 25-year frequency storm and the sizing of culverts for peak flows. 

An expanded phase of this project consisted of the re-construction of a main drainage-way outfall, due to the failure of an outfall structure at Wedgewood Drive East.  Maintaining a stable channel and adjacent steep embankments were of prime importance to the Township because of adjacent homes.

Paragon was commissioned to conduct a flood study of a portion of the Kickapoo River near Viola, Wisconsin.  The task was to determine the 100-year flood elevation at a certain location upstream of the Highway 131 bridge over the Kickapoo River.   We used three methods to estimate the 100-year flood flow:

• The USGS National Flood Frequency Program, often referred to as the "Conger" method.

• Wisconsin Department of Transportation bridge design data.

• Data collected during the 1978 flood.

We estimated the flood elevation based on a field survey to obtain cross sectional data, backwater computations and field observations from the 1978 flood

Paragon was commissioned to design a culvert crossing over a tributary of Mormon Creek, near Coon Valley, Wisconsin.  The solution was a 12-foot diameter, 100-foot corrugated metal culvert.   We designed the culvert for the 100-year flood condition as indicated in a floodway study conducted by FEMA.  One constraint was that at flood condition, Mormon Creek backed up into the tributary to the site of the culvert, creating a high water level at the outlet of the culvert.  Another constraint was the need to prevent the backwater upstream of the culvert from encroaching onto another land owner's property.  We used the HEC-RAS computer model in connection with the FEMA study to establish the elevation of the road crossing over the culvert and to ensure that that upstream encroachment did not take place.