By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Kansas City officer commander, Colonel Bill Hannan, insists the Corps is listening to the states on how best to prevent recurring Missouri River flooding.
Hannan says nearly all the levees damaged from Holt County on down to St. Louis have been repaired.
“The levee repair efforts are in much better shape,” Hannan says. “So, we have all the required funding for that. We are actually moving faster in levee repair than we did in the 1993 and 2011 floods. We are down to just a few remaining contracts to award that once again working with the local sponsors on to finish up their requirements. But that effort is looking much better.”
Widespread flooding along the Missouri River last year devastated the Missouri River levee system. In the Corps Kansas City district alone, 65 levees were damage. Levees in the Omaha district, which runs from Atchison County, Missouri north, suffered similar damage as floodwaters approached the damage done by the historic flooding of 1993.
Hannan says the Corps has taken seriously Missouri’s complaint that certain parts of the Missouri River become “choke points” during flooding, making things worse. Hannan says the Corps is studying with the states of Missouri and Kansas those areas which seem to be prone to flooding.
“Looking at those highest priority problem areas, many of those are pinch points on the river,” Hannan says. “In addition, we’re meeting along with the state of Missouri in the lead, eight different communities across Kansas and Missouri on the river, getting local input; what would work for your area? What are the issues you see on the river?”
Repair of the Missouri River levee system continues with only a fraction of the levees damaged by last year’s floods still needing repair.
Once done, the system will be restored to its pre-flood condition.
“Which actually doesn’t make me happy,” says Hannan.
Hannan says the Corps has undertaken a study with the states of Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa on how to improve flood protection along the Missouri River.
“I don’t necessarily like the word ‘study;’ what it is it’s an analysis to find solutions,” according to Hannan. “So, ultimately what we want to do is figure out how to make better solutions on the river, just like we’re doing here in St. Joe. Increase the flood protection along the river so we don’t have the 65 damaged levees like we did in 2019.”
Hannan says about 55 of the 65 Missouri River levees in the Kansas City district damaged last year have been repaired, with contracts soon to be let for repairs to the remaining damaged levees.
The Corps has collected its share of critics, some of whom claim how the Corps manages the Missouri River has made it susceptible to flooding; claiming management practices by the Corps lead to flooding rather than prevent it.
Hannan has heard the criticism. He says he attempts as much as possible to address the critics’ complaints directly. Hannan also points out the Corps is bound by federal law to balance eight different priorities for managing the Missouri River.
“And I’m bound even by law to be impartial,” Hannan says. “It’s not an easy job, but I think the Corps is probably in the best position to work with the intersection of navigation, flood control, fish and wildlife, irrigation, water supply. There are a lot of different interests along the river, but overall, I think we do a really good job.”