This was my first draining experience in Charlottesville, and at the time the largest and longest drain I'd ever been in (Blacksburg was severely lacking in decent storm drains). The drain is a half mile or so long, and carries a creek beneath a large business area.

The downstream entrance is a corrugated steel archway, maybe 9' tall. After 50 feet, the tunnel makes a right turn. 50' later, it makes a left turn, and changes from an archway into a pair of 6' square pipes. The drain makes an incredible series of left and right turns, making it impossible to map the drain from memory. There are a number of smaller drains that enter from the sides, as well as vertical shafts to the surface. The largest of the side tunnels eventually exits out into a wooded are behind some apartments, after passing through several gutter boxes. The Emmet Street Drain eventually exits out into a wooded area. There's some graffiti in the drain... mostly pornographic, and poorly done.

Most of the fun of draining comes from seeing the different features drains have, and from the unexpected changes in tunnel size, shape, and construction. This drain starts as a steel arch, then switches to a pair of precast square concrete pipes, then to cinderblock walls (like a steam tunnel), then to concrete walls, and finally back to precast square sections. All of the unexpected turns make this drain plenty interesting too.

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