Floodplain Destruction and Flooding Impacts

BENEFITS OF FLOODPLAINS

Flood control and mitigation
Often hosts wetlands which are an endangered ecosystem with unparalleled biodiversity
Water quality regulation
Preserves water table during droughts
Often sites of parks and outdoor recreation

The City has affirmed the value of our local floodplains yet is allowing this project to continue resulting in destruction of roughly 60-70 acres of undeveloped floodplain including over 3 acres of intact wetlands.

FLOODING AND THE WAKARUSA RIVER VALLEY

The project is located downstream from Clinton Dam. Clinton is considered a high-risk hazard dam, a dam that, if it were to fail, would cause significant property damage and extensive loss of life. A 2009 Kansas Biological Survey found that the Clinton Reservoir is silting 70% faster than projected in 1977 when the dam was established, and the dam itself is approaching 50 years old, increasing its potential for failure. While currently there are no indications of dam failure, excessive rain forces the USACE to flood the Lower Wakarusa watershed to alleviate water levels in the reservoir causing flooding complications downstream of Clinton. This happened in 2019 when USACE did not shut off the spillway from Clinton Reservoir until 8 am on August 1st, 2019 despite torrential rain starting during the night. USACE says that they would not be able to get permission for overnight staff, so there is a real possibility this could happen again in the near future.

The flood data for the Wakarusa River is extremely outdated, with flood data from the 1990s and the FIRM dated 2010. While geologically floodplains can take a longer time to change and alter, climate change has made our normal rain cycles increase in frequency and intensity. This has lead to unpredictable storms and devastating floods in areas not considered part of the floodplain. This is combined with FEMA's outdated FIRMs (floodplain maps) which only indicate a 50% confidence that a flood would stay within the boundaries drawn on the FIRMs. This leads to 25% of flood claims that originate from outside the floodplain boundaries, and up to 20% of severe repetitive loss properties (5+ floods) lie outside the floodplain boundaries as currently outlines.

WHAT RISKS DOES DEVELOPMENT CREATE?

More impervious cover (buildings/streets/parking lots) means less water percolates underground and increased runoff into major waterways
Continues to fracture key habitat for sensitive plants and animal communities
- Development is DIRECTLY WEST of Baker wetlands and will impact migratory patterns, water flow into the Haskell-Baker wetland complex, and spur other developments in the river valley
Increased flooding risk due to human proximity. Houses/buildings on a floodplain means statistically humans will be closer to floodwaters when they overflow the banks of the Wakarusa

WHY WAS THE FLOODPLAIN CHOSEN?

The developer is claiming there are no other sites around town that provide the necessary acreage and visibility (traffic). The first claim is unequivocally false, Phil Bundy has been trying to develop this lot of land for over 10 years. There have been areas in comparable size for sale, notably on the western edge of town where Bob Billings intersects with K10. These areas have no regulatory floodplain encumbering them.

FILL AND BUILD AND WHY IT'S BAD

WHAT IS IT

Putting additional fill soil on top of a floodplain to raise the elevation outside of the FEMA floodplain.

WHY IT'S BAD

By adding impervious cover (parking lots, roads, buildings) we reduce the capacity of the floodplain to work as a natural buffer to flood and drought cycles. Simply adding dirt to a floodplain, known as "fill and build" doesn't remove the composition of the floodplains underground water movement, it simply blocks the surface from being able to peculate water underground and remove the ability of plants to anchor soil. This technique, condemned by FEMA's advisory board, creates issues with flood insurance, encourages development in floodplains, inflates downstream flooding impacts, and harms the environment and us humans by creating a larger flood zone. By filling in floodplains, we also harm the plant communities, the animal communities, and the aquatic communities who use the floodplain. By continuing to fracture and disconnect this floodplain, we destroy the ability of the Wakarusa River Valley to function as a connected and complex wildlife corridor and natural space.

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