CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – With dozens of homes damaged by weekend flooding in Farmington, Montgomery County Highway Department officials acknowledged Thursday that they pumped water into the subdivision’s basins, but they were overwhelmed by additional basin failures on one end and blocked drainage on the other.
MCHD said in a news release that their crews worked for days to move stormwater across multiple basins to protect as many homes as possible, but they were then faced with a rush of water equivalent to an Olympic-sized swimming pool every two to three minutes.
Crews have now deployed a series of high-capacity pumps—brought in from outside the local area—to remove excess water and increase stormwater capacity in the affected basins, which are outside the Clarksville city limits on the east side of Montgomery County.
“We are hopeful these efforts will help lower water levels and allow residents to return to their homes as soon as possible,” said a representative in the news release. “We will continue to provide updates as roads reopen and conditions improve.”
Already saturated ground
Before the April rain event, the ground across Montgomery County was already heavily saturated due to significant rainfall earlier in February, the release said. At that time, injection wells in the area were operating at 70%–80% capacity, and the Dunlop Basin was still holding stormwater, indicating drainage issues prior to this week’s storm.
An injection well is a large vertical pipe placed over a sinkhole down to the bedrock to allow water to drain in without the sinkhole opening the earth around it.
MCHD took early action ahead of the storm by lowering water levels through pumping operations. A small pump, capable of moving 1,500 gallons per minute, was installed to transfer water from the Dunlop Basin to Farmington, the release said. A larger pump with a capacity of 3,600 gallons per minute was also activated to accelerate drainage from Farmington’s main basin to one containing an injection well.
| DON’T MISS A STORY: Sign up for the free daily Clarksville Now email newsletter
Despite these efforts, several critical factors overwhelmed the system, the release said. The Farmington injection well abruptly stopped draining—likely due to a blockage or a saturated aquifer. Simultaneously, a large basin north of International Boulevard overflowed into the Dunlop Basin, sending an excessive volume of water into Farmington, which lacks a surface outlet to the Red River.
Preliminary estimates indicate that this overflow added more than 250,000 gallons per minute—equivalent to filling an Olympic-sized swimming pool every 2–3 minutes—into the Farmington Basin via Dunlop Road. The Highway Department is collecting additional data and will publish a full report on stormwater flow and total volume in the coming days.
What’s next
Starting after the heavy rainfall in February, the county initiated long-term planning efforts and engaged engineering experts to develop a comprehensive stormwater management solution.
“Montgomery County remains committed to investing in critical infrastructure to safeguard residents and their property,” the release said. “Montgomery County thanks the community for its continued patience and support during this time.”
| MORE: How to get help, give help for those who lost homes in flood