A flood control bill has passed the U.S. Senate that will include provisions affecting Wyandotte County.
U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., fought for the Water Resources and Development Act (WRDA).
The bill would include flood control improvements in the Armourdale and Central Industrial District Levee Units Missouri River and tributaries affecting Kansas City, Kan., as well as the Turkey Creek Basin affecting Kansas City, Kan. Some improvements would benefit both Kansas Citys.
“Kansas has seen significant flooding and too much damage in recent years, even in the past week,” Sen. Roberts said in a news release. “This bill is an important step in improving our water infrastructure and preventing future flood damage. I am pleased these projects were included to protect Kansans and improve our waterways.”
The Water Resources and Development Act passed the Senate by a vote of 95-3. Six projects to improve flood damage and risks in Kansas were passed as part of the legislation.
For the Armourdale and Central Industrial District Levee portion of the bill, there are measures to increase the performance of the existing Armourdale and Central Industrial District Levee Units, part of the existing system. Structural and geotechnical reliability of existing features would be addressed, and the height of the existing levees and floodwalls could be increased as much as five feet.
The Turkey Creek Basin Flood Damage Reduction Modification project would increase the limit for the project in Kansas and Missouri. The authorization request would be necessary to finish construction of the remaining phases of the Missouri Hillside Interceptor. More than $5 million in annual benefits is estimated as a result of the completion of channel widening, levee construction, tunnel modifications and hillside interceptors.
WRDA is intended to be passed every two years, and this year’s legislation authorized 29 specific projects to benefit the nation’s infrastructure and economy, including the six in Kansas.
The legislation also provides $100 million in funding for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) and $70 million for the Water Infrastructure Finance Investment Act, helping communities deal with the high costs needed for water infrastructure investments.
The bill next goes to the House for approval.