Citizens Dive into Data at City's Watershed Open House

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Excelsior Springs, MO – On March 8th, the City of Excelsior Springs hosted an open house meeting at the Excelsior Springs Museum & Archives to provide community members with more information about their watershed study and plans for flood mitigation. More than 50 citizens gathered to hear the results of the initial study which focused on chronic flooding and erosion issues along the East Fork and Dry Fork Fishing Rivers, particularly where they come together downtown.

According to the city’s plan, potential improvement projects will reflect the city’s vision and character as well as input from the community. The plan includes engaging the community, reducing the frequency and severity of flooding, protecting downtown properties, businesses, and infrastructure, caring for and enhancing the community’s ecological health and natural resources, and catalyzing community revitalization efforts.

Recommended improvement projects could be implemented over a three- to five-year period and beyond. Community members can help by championing the efforts as they are developed. Some projects have already begun such as a new bridge to replace the low water crossing at the intersection of Kennedy and Main. Several other exciting projects have been proposed and a search for funding is underway. Watch the video above or browse the report to see more:

To share thoughts about the study, the city encourages the use of the #FishingRiverDowntown hashtag when commenting on Facebook, participating in scheduled meetings and opinion surveys, visiting the city’s Facebook page, or checking their website for updates and involvement opportunities. For more information or to share feedback, individuals can visit the Watershed Webpage on the city’s website or email Molly McGovern, the City Manager, at mmcgovern@excelsiorsprings.gov.