In September 1977, a catastrophic flood on Brush Creek in Kansas City took twenty-five lives and resulted in over $69 million in property damage throughout the prestigious Country Club Plaza area. Immediately, the city first reacted to this tragedy by making certain that a flood prevention plan was implemented with the assurance that no such disaster would occur again.

Immediately following the flood, the Board of Parks and Recreation and the City of Kansas City met together with the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USCOE) to ascertain how any future similar disasters could be prevented. USCOE proposed the traditional plan to deepen and widen the drainage channel along a significant portion of the creek and line it with concrete; this would provide the flood control needed, but would result in a dry concrete channel awaiting its use for the next flood.

Kansas City's tradition of including parks as an important part of its growth has historic precedence dating back to 1891-- when voters amended the City Charter to create a Parks Board with the authority to issue city bonds.

Plans are completed for an amphitheater to be built on the north bank across from the newly constructed William Volker Memorial Fountain. The Missouri Department of Conservation plans to build their nature conservancy and headquarters downstream from the amphitheater. Groundbreaking should begin soon for restaurants, retail stores and offices planned for the Plaza East development which is on the north bank of one of the lakes.

Now rather famous for their parks, parkways and boulevards, the Parks Board members wanted to explore the possibility that flood control could be accomplished while still maintaining or enhancing the linear park setting of the creek.

Three pumps pull water from Brush Creek and push 15,000 gallons a minute over the cascade. The waterfall also helps aerate the creek water, which is sometimes fouled by sewage during wet weather. Volker Fountain uses fresh water-- not Brush Creek water-- to shoot four clusters of vertical jets in pools on either side of the Milles sculptures.

The Parks Commission led the way to bring together the plan by the Corps and the plan by the Groves group, pressing for additional review and discussion with the USCOE. In order to clearly substantiate the feasibility of the Groves plan, the Corps built a physical model of a major section of Brush Creek at the Waterways Experiment Station in Vicksburg, Mississippi and tested the computer modeling with an actual scale model.

The results of these tests proved to the Corps' satisfaction that the concept was technically acceptable. At this point, USCOE, the Public Works Department, the Parks Commission and the Groves consulting team began working together to develop a plan that addressed both flood control and park development.

Eighteen years later, the basic elements of the river walk are now in place with two dams, three lakes, fountains, lighting, landscaping, over three miles of river walks and a flowing creek with flood control. The creek has become an enhancement to Country Club Plaza and an attractive linear park for hiking, biking and just strolling for area residents.

The Volker Fountain and waterfall is intended to be viewed from the north and provide a backdrop for a natural amphitheater on the north bank.

Convinced that both the public and private partnerships will create a successful river walk, Principal Al Groves indicates that now is the time that people will begin to take notice of the project.

According to Groves, "Kansas City has its own unique potential and its own unique problems. Every river walk we design is different--no two are alike because no city or rivers are alike. Our job is to find what works best for each individual city or setting. But for sure they are long-term projects to build and long-term projects in how they give back to the community."

After experiencing two storms that exceeded the 1977 flood, the design for flood safety has passed the test with no lives lost or property damage. Savings for those two storms alone would account for over $138 million in physical damage and, of course, the incalculable savings of untold lives.

Building on this unique accomplishment of vision, dedication to principle and cooperation has turned one of Kansas City's darkest days into a time of hope and optimism with a safer city, an enhanced park system and a new economic development. LASN

All photos provided courtesy of Groves & Associates, Inc.