Brian P. Kelly

Science programs in Kansas

The USGS is a non-regulatory Earth science agency within the Department of the Interior, founded in 1879, that provides impartial scientific information to describe and understand the health of our ecosystems and environment; minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources; and enhance and protect our quality of life. The USGS also cooperates with Federal, State, tribal, and local agencies to deliver long-term data in real-time and interpretive reports describing what those data mean to the public and resource management agencies.

Flood-inundation mapping for the Blue River and selected tributaries in Kansas City, Missouri, and vicinity, 2012

Kansas City, Missouri, has severely flooded many times, most notably in 1951, 1961, 1977, 1984, 1990, 1998, and 2010 (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service, 2014). During the past 30 years these floods resulted in damages within Kansas City costing tens of millions of dollars and more than 25 casualties (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1967; Hauth and Carswell, 1981). The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and City of Kansas City, Missouri, operate multiple streamgages along the Blue River and tributaries in and near the city. Knowledge of water level at a streamgage is difficult to translate into depth and areal extent of flooding at points distant from the streamgage. One way to address these informational gaps is to produce a library of flood-inundation maps that are referenced to the stages recorded at a streamgage. By referring to the appropriate map, emergency responders can discern the severity of flooding (depth of water and areal extent), identify roads that are or may be flooded, and make plans for notification or evacuation of residents in harm’s way for some distance upstream and downstream from the streamgage. The USGS, in cooperation with the city of Kansas City, Missouri, developed a library of flood-inundation maps for the Blue River and selected tributaries.

Water-Quality Changes Caused by Riverbank Filtration Between the Missouri River and Three Pumping Wells of the Independence, Missouri, Well Field 2003-05

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