The official website of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
is www.floodsmart.gov.  

 Please call if you would like a copy of the map depicting the options for the Blanchard Watershed Flood Mitigation Plan.
The maps are also available to view at the Army Corps website listed below.  

The Army Corps. of Engineers, Buffalo District 
1776 Niagara Street, Buffalo, NY 14207-3199
Telephone:  800-833-6390, Option #3  Fax: 716-879-4225

email: Blanchard.NEPA@usace.army.mil
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Blanchard.Watershed

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers webpage: click here
To view the slides from the Flood Mitigation presentation click on the blue oval"additional study information"
then scroll down to "Alternative Plans Meeting Presentation"

June 2012 - USGS WaterAlert allows you to receive updates at any of the sites where the USGS collects real-time water information.  Daily or hourly updates are sent via email or text message when the current conditions meet or surpass a thresholdof concern that you set.  Go to http://water.usgs.gov/wateralert and choose a State, data type, and site of interest.  If you need assistance, please contact the Village offices.

November 2011 -  From Michael D. Pniewski, PE, PS, PMP - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  The Buffalo District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has established a site on Facebook to enable the public to get information regarding the Blanchard River Watershed Study including, but not limited to, updates on river information, study progress and educational information.  If you "Like" the page, you will get updates as they are posted. 
 
March 11, 2010 - The committees established to address flooding issues related to the Blanchard River have been working diligently to come up with a plan to mitigate flooding in Ottawa.  To view the "Community Preferred" preliminary conceptual drawing designed by the architechtural firm of KKG, click here.  To view this drawing 3' x 6', stop by the Municipal Building at 136 North Oak Street between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. 

To view a list of addresses in the Village of Ottawa to determine if your property lies in the Special Flood Hazard Area [SFHA], click here.  Note:  Blue addresses are in zone A [SFHA], Green addresses in zone B and Yellow addresses have letters of map amendment on file at the Village.  This information is provided as a courtesy only, for actual elevations of a property please seek the services of a professional surveyor, engineer, or architect.

Click here to view elevation certificates on file at the Village.   For detailed information contact the Village at 419.523.5020.
 

 
 
  
  
To view the Blanchard River levels including the predicted levels provided by the National Weather Service, click here. 

 
To view the Blanchard River levels provided by the USGS which are updated at 20 minutes before each hour, click here.

The 2011 Flood Information Brochure
 
Informational Brochures:
When Considering a Home in the Flood Plain
Saving on Flood Insurance
Cheaper Flood Insurance
 
 Emergency information may be available at the Putnam County Office of Public Safety website:  http://www.pcops.org/


bondpics 013.jpg     The Blanchard River is a tributary of the Auglaize River, approximately 95 mi (153 km) long, in northwestern Ohio. 
It drains a primarily rural farming area in the Lake Erie watershed.
          It rises northwest of Kenton in Hardin County and flows generally north for its first 25 mi (40 km) into eastern Hancock County, where it turns sharply to the west. The river continues west through Findlay and past Ottawa. It joins the Auglaize from the east in western Putnam County approximately 2 mi (3.2 km) north of Cloverdale. The river is named for a French tailor, Jean Jacques Blanchard who settled among the Shawnee Indians along the river in 1769. 
          The Blanchard River is a valuable resource for the Village of Ottawa and serves as a source of water for the Villages of Ottawa, Glandorf, Bluffton, Miller City and portions of Ottawa Township.