Flood-inundation maps and wetland restoration suitability index for the Blue River and selected tributaries, Kansas City, Missouri, and vicinity, 2012

Abstract

efforts) to 10 (most suitable for possible wetland mitigation efforts). A WRSI of 5 to 10 is most closely associated with existing riparian wetlands in the study area. The WRSI allows for the identification of lands along the Blue River and selected tributaries that are most suitable for restoration or creation of wetlands. Alternatively, the index can be used to identify and avoid disturbances to areas with the highest potential to support healthy sustainable riparian wetlands.

Assessing the Impacts of Streamside Ordinance Protection on the Spatial and Temporal Variability in Urban Riparian Vegetation

“…These two streams were determined to have stream tributary areas greater than or equal to 20.2 km 2 , corresponding to the maximum ordinance protection of 36.6 m [31]. The elevation contour lines derived from a Blue River Basin terrain model [26] were used to delineate the high-water mark extents. The high-water marks were buffered by the ordinance buffer width to create the extents of the protected area.…”

“…The riparian area limits were defined by multiple digital data sources reflecting the hydrologic interaction of the river and its floodplain. The riparian area perimeter included (1) the extent of the estimated 1-percent annual exceedance probability streamflow (100-year recurrence interval flood; [26]), (2) the hydric soils layer [27], (3) a 33-m offset from the top-of-bank extracted from a lidar-derived digital terrain model of the Blue River Basin [26], (4) a wetlands layer [28], and (5) the defined city of Kansas City streamside buffer protection extent [29]. The final area boundary was defined by the exterior maximum lateral extent of the multiple composite features.…”

Flooding Urban Landscapes: Analysis Using Combined Hydrodynamic and Hydrologic Modeling Approaches

“…The percentage of Blue river watershed within the state of Missouri is about 46%, which is within the Kansas City metropolitan area. The area is moderately to highly developed and contain a mix of residential and commercial structures and is subjected to flooding every year due to urban development, dense soils, and the configuration of the Blue River basin [29]. The lower part of the watershed is primarily industrial, whereas the middle and upper part are rapidly being converted to residential areas [30].…”