Kansas Governor: Missouri River Floods Should Prompt Review of Corps

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback is questioning whether flood control is a high enough priority for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as it oversees the Missouri River system.

Brownback on July 6 called for the creation of a special commission to examine Corps oversight of the system and its reservoirs. His comments were prompted by concerns among downstream states about the ongoing potential for flooding.

For Kansas, the threat is to the state’s northeast corner. Brownback says Kansas faces worrying about flooding in Doniphan, Atchison and Leavenworth counties every time it rains — for the next several months.

The Corps has blamed unusually heavy rainfall in the upper river basin and higher than normal snowmelt for the need to release historic amounts of water to relieve bloated reservoirs.

Six Kansas counties were recently added to a state disaster declaration generated by storms and flooding, bringing the total number of counties included in the emergency proclamation to 45. The recenly added counties are Rush, Barton, Hamilton, Kearney, Morton and Stanton. The declaration opens the door for state assistance and possibly for a request for federal assistance.