Nashville, Tenn.'s 2010 floods along the Cumberland River sent water to a level not seen since the 1930s, bringing with it an unexpected level of damage, including to the Grand Ole Opry.
The flooding also had a significant impact on the assumptions of the design team working on the Cumberland Park project, located on a 6.5-acre site on the east bank of the Cumberland River. Planned as a "flagship" improvement for Nashville's riverfront revitalization plan, the sprawling park features a play area; stone climbing wall and a ropes and nets course; trails; outdoor amphitheater; and a restored gantry crane and catwalk projecting over the river. At the time of the flooding, the project team was still in the stage of producing construction documents. The Cumberland's breaching of its banks clearly showed the project's designers that they needed to make changes.