ARPA Funds Flow to Excelsior Springs Funding Flood Prevention Efforts

Video footage of the June 2021 flood in downtown Excelsior Springs (video by S Jason Cole).

At Wednesday’s meeting (02/09/22), the Clay County Commission approved $850,000 in ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funding to help cover the cost of two important flood prevention efforts in Excelsior Springs. The two projects that received funding include creating a watershed masterplan for downtown Excelsior Springs ($350,000), and stormwater management in relation to phase two of the Community Center aquatics facility, including dredging of Powell Lake at Century Park ($500,000).

*Cars sit partially submerged in the old hitch lot after flood waters recede in June 2021 (photo by S Jason Cole).*

As citizens of Excelsior Springs know, our downtown is greatly impacted by flash flooding. According to documentation submitted to the county commission, State Representative Doug Richey arranged a meeting with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to allocate stimulus funding to address flooding in downtown Excelsior Springs. These funds most likely will not be available until sometime in 2023 or thereafter. In order to be prepared to take action as soon as funding is available the City is working to update prior studies to determine the most effective strategy to mitigate flooding. The tentative timeline for this project is creating a watershed plan with community input during 2022, designing solutions to be selected during 2023, and acquiring the right of way to implement solutions beginning in 2024. Since a large portion of the area to be addressed in this plan is located outside the city limits of Excelsior Springs, city officials have begun building partnerships with both Ray and Clay County to create a plan that is acceptable to both counties and the city.

Wildflowers boom on the banks of Powell Lake at Century Park in Excelsior Springs, MO (photo by Courtney Cole).

The City of Excelsior Springs just completed the planning and design step of a $5.5 million Community Center Phase II project. Phase II is the construction of an aquatic facility to be located on the south side of the Community Center Campus at Tiger Drive and Wornall. To maximize the utilization of land for the aquatic center on the north side of Wornall, city officials have evaluated using the pond (Lake Powell) at Century Park for stormwater detention for the Community Center Campus. Century Park is located on the south side of Wornall. It has been determined that if improvements are made to Lake Powell it could positively impact downstream flooding. Issues that need to be addressed to improve the pond include raising and sealing the dam, and dredging the pond so that it can hold more water during storms. It is notable that this one change will impact a large portion of the city. The downstream flow from Century Park travels through the commercial area along the railroad and Jesse James Road contributing to the watershed along Kevin Street, which floods during most rain events and in turn, adds to flooding in the low-lying residential Crescent Lake area. By moving the stormwater detention to the existing pond and park the city expects positive outcomes for the community in addition to meeting several positive outcomes for the Community Center project.