LOWER MISSOURI RIVER BASIN FLOOD RISK & RESILIENCY STUDY
The Lower Missouri River sustained three devastating floods within 30 years: 1993, 2011 and 2019. The 2019 flood caused billions of dollars in damages to agriculture and infrastructure in communities in the states of Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri. Repair costs to levee infrastructure in the lower river in 2019 is approximately $1.2 billion. During the 2019 flood, the states of Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska formed a four-state coalition called the Flood Recovery Advisory Working Group. The goal was to develop actions in the aftermath of the 2019 flood to reduce system risk and recurring damages, improve system resiliency for the future and improve interagency collaboration.
Section 216 of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) 2020 authorized the expansion of an initial feasibility study to a broader lower basin effort of a system evaluation over 735 Missouri River miles from Sioux City, Iowa, to the mouth near St. Louis, Missouri. In partnership with Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska, the study will coordinate with basin states, Tribes, stakeholders, levee districts, other agencies and the public to create a vision for a more resilient future for the Lower Missouri River, with a focus on flood risk management. Outcomes of the study will include system analysis providing context to the initial spin-off studies, identify and recommend any additional spin-off feasibility studies and their locations, identify potential policy recommendations that would support the system and potential actions for local stakeholders.
The Section 216 authority allows for site-specific feasibility studies (spin-off studies) in priority flood risk areas to begin the feasibility study prior to completion of the system plan. This concurrent effort allows for seamless progression into design for project areas with approved feasibility reports. Initial sites selected for further evaluation in a spin-off feasibility study include Holt County, Brunswick and Jefferson City in Missouri. More sites may be determined as the system plan progresses.
Next Milestone Date: Interim System Plan Report to U.S. Congress to be completed December 2023
Study Completion: March 2027
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