Hutchinson completes first flood mitigation project as city faces expanded floodplain designation
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — City officials have completed the first of 35 planned flood mitigation projects as Hutchinson confronts draft floodplain maps that could place large sections of the city in a 100-year floodplain.
Workers finished a detention cell on city-owned land at 14th and Cochran. Public works employees installed a cover this week to prevent winter erosion.
"One of the things that we can do to help is put places where the water can be stored until it can drain out, and our goal is to have places other than people's yards or basements," said Evan Patterson, Hutchinson's city engineer. "So we're putting those next to our existing drainage system where the water can be safely stored."
The project is the first of several low-impact flood control improvements planned for the city. City staff are currently evaluating more than a dozen other city-owned sites for potential use in similar efforts. The city wants residents' feedback before beginning the next project near Farmington Park.
Each project will help reduce the risk and impact of flooding over time and may eventually shrink the footprint of FEMA-designated flood areas across the city, according to officials.
Rica Simpson
The urgency stems from draft floodplain maps released by the state and FEMA in August. The new maps reveal broad swaths of floodplain running northwest to southeast through the city, marking a sharp increase from the 2021 maps still in effect.
If finalized, property owners in the floodplain could face new requirements, including mandatory flood insurance for those with federally backed mortgages. USD 308's proposed new middle school sits within the newly mapped floodplain, meaning construction would need to be raised at least three feet above projected water levels.
Patterson told the City Council the city plans to review the models used to develop the maps, focusing on rainfall data, topography and drainage infrastructure. "Drainage structures are where our review could make the most difference," he said, pointing to work already underway on stormwater improvements.
City Manager Enrico Villegas told council members he has scheduled discussions with U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran's office to explore federal funding opportunities to help mitigate the effects.
City leaders cautioned against opting out of the federal flood program, noting it would make Hutchinson ineligible for federal disaster assistance if flooding occurred.
Hutchinson's existing flood control system consists of six levees spanning 27.88 miles. Constructed between April 1952 and June 1954, the levees are located along the Arkansas River and Cow Creek and protect approximately 41,000 residents of Hutchinson and the surrounding rural area.
The city has been talking to groups such as the K-State Extension Office about ways to turn some of the detention cells into rain gardens or pollinator areas.
All projects will be completed using existing city resources.
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