By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
A celebration years in the making has taken place in south St. Joseph near the Missouri River.
A large portion of the nearly $71 million rehabilitation of the major Missouri River levee which protects the city’s southern industrial sector has been completed. In the next two years, it will extend to protect Elwood, Wathena, and Rosecrans Memorial Airport, including the Missouri Air National Guard 139th Airlift Wing.
St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce President Patt Lilly tells those attending a ribbon cutting plans to improve the levee began shortly after the flood of 1993 receded.
“For many of us thinking back to ’93, those images of the flood are still very much in our minds,” Lilly says. “Being here today, seeing the opportunity that the repaired levees bring us as a community, is really rewarding.”
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Kansas City District Commander, Colonel Bill Hannan, says the 1993 flood demonstrated the vulnerability of the area when a break flooded Elwood and Rosecrans. Floods in 2007, 2011, and 2019 tested the levee once again.
“And really what this all shows from ’93 through all these other floods just how critically important this project is,” Hannan tells those attending the ceremony.
Hannan says the critical importance of the levee was reinforced last year when Missouri River floodwaters threatened once again. Hannan recalls hearing the story and seeing the video of volunteers filling and hauling sandbags to raise the height of the levee on the west bank of the Missouri River as floodwater lapped against the sandbags.
“Literally getting to within inches of overtopping,” Hannan says. “So, the community saved itself right there and once again just so impressive how this community up here in this area pulls together.”
The portion of the levee which protects $2.3 billion worth of industrial investment, more than 50 businesses, more than 5,000 jobs, and about 500 homes in south St. Joseph has been completed.
The extension of the levee will provide additional protection to Elwood and Wathena, Kansas as well as Rosecrans Memorial Airport, the home of the 139th.
Hannan says the improvements are significant.
“Greatly increased flood protection,” Hannan states. “If we would see something like the flood of ’93 again, it would not overtop and breach the levees once we have all the improvements made. So, in some areas we’re raising levees. In some areas we’re making better closure structures across railroad tracks. So, overall, you’ll see much better protection.”
Contracts to complete the improvements will be let soon, with completion expected to be finished in two years.
The federal government kicked in the most money, but the largest local match came from the quarter-cent sales tax Buchanan County voters approved in 2016, which raised nearly $11 million. The state of Missouri contributed $5 million with the city of St. Joseph pitching in $3.2 million, and the Elwood-Gladden Drainage District allocating $2.9 million toward the project.
Others which contributed money included Buchanan County, the St. Joseph Airport Levee District, and the South St. Joseph Levee District.