Davids, Local Leaders Celebrate Completion of Multi-Decade Turkey Creek Flood Control Project

KANSAS CITY, KS — Today, Representative Sharice Davids joined representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the City of Kansas City, Missouri, and the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas for a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of the Turkey Creek Flood Control Project.

The project marks the completion of a multiyear effort to improve flood protection in the surrounding area. Separately, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is working with the City of Merriam to evaluate potential flood-risk-reduction improvements in Downtown Merriam through the Upper Turkey Creek project, which remains in the planning and design phase.

“After nearly three decades of work, today we’re celebrating an important milestone in efforts to improve flood protection for our communities,” said Davids. “Investments in flood-control infrastructure can help protect homes and businesses, reduce the risk of costly flood damage, and give families and local businesses greater peace of mind. I’m proud to have worked alongside our local, state, and federal partners to advance these efforts.”

The Turkey Creek Flood Control Project originally kicked off in 1997, breaking ground on its first major construction phase in 2004. With the final project phase wrapping up this year, the completion marks the culmination of nearly 30 years of bi-state, local-federal collaboration designed to protect surrounding neighborhoods from destructive high-water events.

Davids has worked to secure federal resources for flood-risk-reduction efforts in the area:

• $500,000: Davids individually secured $500,000 in federal project funding to advance design efforts for the Upper Turkey Creek project, which is evaluating potential flood-risk-reduction improvements in Downtown Merriam.
• $23.9 Million: Building on this progress, Davids previously announced $23.9 million in federal funding for the Upper Turkey Creek flood mitigation project through the bipartisan infrastructure law.

Kansas City, Kansas ranks as the fifth most vulnerable U.S. city to climate impacts, particularly severe urban flooding. Over the last decade alone, Kansas has endured more than 40 extreme weather events, costing the state up to $20 billion in damages. Flood-control infrastructure investments can help communities reduce the risks and costs associated with flooding while supporting long-term resilience and economic stability.

The bipartisan infrastructure law, which has been called the most fiscally responsible infrastructure bill in the last decade by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is funded through a combination of new revenues and existing savings. To date, more than $3.2 billion has been invested in Kansas through the bipartisan infrastructure law — from expanding statewide rural broadband access, lead pipe replacements in Olathe, safety initiatives in KCK, and long-overdue upgrades to K-68 in Miami County.