Tagged: Missouri River Flooding 2011

Progress has been made on one of two flood-damaged state parks in northwest Missouri.

Big Lake and Lewis & Clark State Parks were underwater for several weeks during last summer’s severe flooding along the Missouri River.  Lewis and Clark, about 20 miles southwest of St. Joseph, has reopened for day use only.  Missouri State Parks Superintendent Bill Bryan says the campground is still closed.

An increase in free space within reservoirs would not have made much of a difference in last year’s record flooding along the Missouri River, according to a report released today by the Army Corps of Engineers.   

Jody Farhat, the Corps’ Chief Water Manager for the Missouri River, says a higher amount of free space would have only reduced last year’s flooding, not prevented it.

“Due to the tremendous volume of water, we still would have had very high record releases from the reservoirs," Farhat said.  "We still would have had a significant flood event in the Missouri basin."