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<br />MISSOURI RIVER BASIN
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<br />Stages below the mouth of the Osage River were, in general, higher
<br />than those of the 1903 flood. This flood breached or overtopped
<br />most of the levees between Jefl"erson City, Mo., and the mouth. Fol-
<br />lowing this flood and as a result of 'addit,ional he.avy rainfall, another
<br />severe flood occurred in June which extended all the way from Ne-
<br />braska City to the mouth, with stages from Waverly, Mo., to Glasgow,
<br />IvIo.,. approximating those of the 1\)03 flood. This flood caused the
<br />breaching or o,ertopping of practic!tlly all of the levees between
<br />Kansas City and Jefl"erson City which h>\,1 not previously failed.
<br />27. The 1100ds of 1943 have c"used damages so' far of about
<br />$35,000,000 along the main stem of the I\Iissouri River between Sioux
<br />City and the mouth. About 1,000,000 acres of land have been inun-
<br />dated, of which about 200,000 acres werc flooded for the second time.
<br />On about 000,000 !tcrcs tho flooding prevented the production of the
<br />normal crop, and on about 300,000 acres it may require from I to 3
<br />years before the land can be pl!tced into full normal crop product.ion.
<br />Highways and railroads in the river valley suffered hOltvily. Prac-
<br />tically every agricultural levee between SiolL" City alll! the mouth
<br />\\'as either overtoppeu, breached, or ot.Ilerwise seriously damaged.
<br />Many of these levees had been previously damaged by the high water
<br />of 1942, and repaired either by the local interests or by t.hc Federal
<br />Goverrunent under the pl"O\'isions of section 5 of the 1941 Flood
<br />Control Act. The amount. e..xpended under provisions of section 5
<br />of thc 1941 Flood Control Act amounted to approximately $300,000.
<br />All this effort and expenso was uullified by the 1943 floods. In addi-
<br />tion, the Engineer Department expended over $800,000 for reseue
<br />and emergency work ouring t.he 1943 floods.
<br />28. Under the pro,'isions of seetioIl 5 of the 1941 Flood Control Act
<br />and Publie Law 138, Se,'enty-eight,h Congress, approved July 12,
<br />1943, the Depart.ment is now assist.ing local interests in the restoration
<br />of their damll.ged levees. The est,imn.t.cd cost of restOl'jng t.l.1C levees
<br />damaged during the 1943 floods to their original degree of proteetion
<br />is approximately $1,800,000.
<br />29. Desires of local interests.-For ye"rs the desire for adequate
<br />flood prot.ect.ion has been voiced by local interests in their contacts
<br />with the Engineer Department. In 1939, following Ull organized
<br />effort on the part. of local int,erest. between SiolL" City and Kansll"
<br />City, an investigation was authorized by resolution of the Committee
<br />on Commerce, United States Senate, to determine whether any modi-
<br />fication should be made in the report. on t.he Missouri River eontained
<br />in House Doeumcnt. 238, Seventy-third Congress, second session, with
<br />respect. to flood control along t,he main stem of the Missouri River
<br />1m SiolL" City, Iowa, to Kansas City, Mo. As a result of t.his
<br />" \ stigatioI1, Congress authorized .11, syst.cm of levees between Sioux
<br />. . llnd Kansas City whieh waul? provide proteet.ion against a flood
<br />similar to that of 19:,8. Howeve.~ no money was ever appropriated
<br />to const.ruct works authorized Ull~ this nuLhurizat.ion. .
<br />30. Discouraged by the apparent futility of restoring llllJ~ repairing
<br />e.xist.ing .privlltl"~e~, only to have them breaehed or oven. pped time
<br />and agam, an, 'hzJng that the 1943 floods would have reached 01"
<br />overt.opped th .'eos authorized in the 1941 aet hnd they been eonc'
<br />strllcted, loeal . .terests have asked for a restudy of the problem.
<br />This resulted in t.he congressional resolution authorizing the presc~t.
<br />report.
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