JEFFERSON CITY — The U.S. Army Corps and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources hosted an outreach meeting Monday night to hear public input about flooding problems occurring in the Jefferson City area.
At the meeting, the partners also discussed flood resiliency near Missouri River mile marker 142.
According to Missouri DNR’s website, over the past decade, the Lower Missouri River Basin has experienced unusual periods of flooding, recording its first, second, and fourth highest runoff years.
The DNR said flooding impacts places located along transportation routes by the river the most.
“I’ve seen the impacts that it has on landowners and the the really severe things that it can cause to people’s way of life if they’re dependent upon farming in the flood plane,” said Dru Buntin, director of the Missouri DNR.
The Missouri DNR partnered with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2019 to explore solutions to improve flood protection in the area.
The DNR also said Jefferson City was identified as a problem area for flooding after a significant flood occurred in 2019.
Dam and flood-levee failures can contribute to flooding near the river by sending sudden surges of water downstream.
Buntin said some of the proposed solutions including infrastructure improvements, improvement to the current Capitol View levee, and a potential new levee as well.
The Missouri DNR will analyze the input it receives from the public and hold another meeting to present alternative solutions June 5.