Roughly 39,000 property owners across the region are paying more money on tax bills due Feb. 14 to prevent the Great Miami River from overflowing its banks.

Clever engineering and regular maintenance keep a 100-year-old dam and levee system operating, protecting more than $10 billion in property annually.

The system stores floodwaters at its dams to actively manage high water levels. The Germantown Dam is in storage mode, holding back floodwaters to protect downstream communities. A flood gate is ...