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The St. Joseph River, like many waterways in large cities, is a popular summer spot for South Bend residents. Parks and hiking trails line the river banks, along with boating and fishing facilities. With this level of activity, it is vital to ensure sewer overflow doesn't become a health and safety issue after storms or snow melt. To address this issue, the City needed to map not only where the sewer overflow points fed into the river, but what was around those points.

With the help of a consulting company and three summer interns, South Bend performed an 11.5-mile survey of the St. Joseph River. Each overflow point was located and marked using GPS equipment. In addition, the survey team took photographs, video and detailed notes describing the surrounding areas.

The information about each overflow location was added to a Geographic Information System. Then it was combined with other data, including aerial photography, property types, and nearby amenities like parks and boat docks.

Results

GIS allowed the City to successfully present a huge amount of information - river bank slopes, stormwater overflow points, land use, fences, existing warning signs, etc. - to the public in an easy-to-understand format. By layering the information on maps, the public could clearly visualize the ease of river access, the recreational uses of the river, and the importance of addressing sewer overflow issues. Aided by a GIS presentation of the river survey, the public and city planners can now knowledgeably set priorities for overflow control.


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