U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-9) and 9 of his colleagues from Missouri and Kansas sent a letter to Brig. Gen. John McMahon with the Army Corps of Engineers inviting him to visit Missouri River communities in Missouri and Kansas who continue to battle flooding issues and are expected to be flooded again this year stemming from the massive water releases into the Missouri River Basin.

“Congress passed the Flood Control Act of 1944, authorizing the Army Corps of Engineers to construct five dams on the Missouri River.  This reservoir system, as envisioned by General Lewis A. Pike of the Corps of Engineers, would serve to protect those communities along the Missouri River from the floodwaters that constantly buffeted the region,” Luetkemeyer and colleagues wrote in the letter. “We would like to invite you to tour the areas in Kansas and Missouri expected to flood again. Visiting these communities will allow the Corps the opportunity to fully present the rationale behind its flood control decision making process to the Kansans and Missourians directly affected by it.”

Members of Missouri’s congressional delegation signing the letter are Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, Sen. Claire McCaskill, Sen. Roy Blunt, Rep. Sam Graves, Rep. Todd Akin, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, Rep. Lacy Clay and Rep. Vicky Hartzler.

   Rapidly changing weather conditions and winter runoff in Montana, northern Wyoming and the western Dakotas have prompted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to make adjustments to previously announced reservoir releases to beyond historic levels in the next few weeks. Luetkemeyer has already discussed the situation directly with Brig. Gen. John McMahon, commander of the Northwestern Division of the Army Corps of Engineers. The releases out of Montana, northern Wyoming and the western Dakotas could double previous record releases in some areas along the northern Missouri River, potentially impacting every farmer, business and community along the river.

TEXT of letter from Luetkemeyer and colleagues to General McMahon:

Dear General McMahon:

Throughout the 19^th and early 20^th centuries, flooding along the Missouri River vexed residents and caused millions of dollars in damages.  To respond to this threat, Congress passed the Flood Control Act of 1944, authorizing the Army Corps of Engineers to construct five dams on the Missouri River.  This reservoir system, as envisioned by General Lewis A. Pike of the Corps of Engineers, would serve to protect those communities along the Missouri River from the floodwaters that constantly buffeted the region.

As you know, the planned increase in flows from the upper Missouri River reservoir system will likely push flood levels along the Missouri River past last year’s flood levels.  We feel that this disaster will, again, adversely affect hardworking Kansans and Missourians who have increasingly borne the brunt of the flooding in the Missouri River Basin over the past five years.

We would like to invite you to tour the areas in Kansas and Missouri expected to flood again.  Despite heavy rainfall and snow melt, many of our constituents believe this disaster could have been mitigated with better planning and coordination on the part of the Corps of Engineers.  Visiting these communities will allow the Corps the opportunity to fully present the rationale behind its flood control decision making process to the Kansans and Missourians directly affected by it.  Additionally, we believe these conversations will allow you to gain an appreciation for the near-annual battering these communities receive from floodwaters in the Missouri River Basin.

We hope your schedule will permit your attendance.  Please feel free to contact any of our offices when you are able to visit these areas or with any questions you may have. 

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