U.S. Congressman Todd Tiahrt, Wichita Mayor Carlos Mayans and Sedgwick County Commission Chair Tim Norton will join scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on Monday, April 28, to unveil a new flood mapping website for the Cowskin Creek Basin in Wichita. Federal, state and local officials are expected at the announcement event scheduled to occur at 1 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at Wichita City Hall.
With the launching of the Cowskin Creek Flood Watch Website, city and county officials, residents of Wichita, news media representatives and others will be able to access new Wichita-area flood maps on the World Wide Web. Officials will discuss the need for readily accessible Cowskin Creek Basin flood maps and provide a brief demonstration on how to use the new website.
“The new flood maps are a result of the Cowskin Creek Basin flood of 1998,” said Wichita Mayor Carlos Mayans. “With this new technology, city and county emergency management personnel, as well as citizens in the Basin will be able to see what areas are expected to flood during a given flood event.”
Developed by the USGS in cooperation with the City of Wichita, the flood inundation maps and website have been produced in response to the Cowskin Creek flood of 1998. The website will display estimated flood inundation maps, available in one foot increments, when the portion of Cowskin Creek at 119th Street reaches river stages (elevations of water surface) of between 17 and 23 feet. When the National Weather Service issues a flood forecast for Cowskin Creek, the estimated inundation map for that stage will be displayed by clicking on the "Flood Forecast" box on the Flood Watch Website.
The detailed maps show locations of individual homes relative to the location of the floodwaters and will help residents and emergency personnel quickly make important life and property decisions during times of flooding. The flood maps should also be useful for disaster recovery efforts. Links to other sources of flood information such as FEMA and the Sedgwick County Emergency Management office also are available on the new website.
Information from the USGS operated streamgaging stations on Cowskin Creek at 119th Street and at 29th Street, as well as City of Wichita operated streamgaging stations on Cowskin Creek at 167th Street and Dry Creek at 167th Street, and rain gages at Saint Mary’s church, Andale, and Goddard, are available on the Cowskin Creek Flood Watch page. Information from all of these sites is relayed to the National Weather Service and used to develop flood warnings.
Maps that indicate the estimated extent of flooding for Cowskin Creek from West 21st Street North to Central Avenue, will be available on April 28 at:
http://ks.water.usgs.gov/Kansas/cowskin.floodwatch
(best viewed with Internet Explorer 5.0 or greater or Netscape 6.0 or greater)
Other USGS water information in Kansas can be found at:
http://ks.water.usgs.gov/
Copies of Water-Resources Investigations Report 03-4074, Estimated Flood-Inundation Maps for Cowskin Creek in Western Wichita, Kansas,” by Seth E. Studley, are available from the U.S. Geological Survey, Information Service, P.O. Box 25286, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225, or call 1-888-ASK-USGS. A limited number of copies of the report are available from the U.S. Geological Survey Office in Lawrence, Kansas. To view the report online, visit:
http://ks.water.usgs.gov/Kansas/pubs/abstracts/wrir.03-4074.html
The USGS serves the nation by providing reliable scientific information to describe and understand the Earth; minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources; and enhance and protect our quality of life.