SierraScape Spring 2020
Back to Table of Contents

BY CAROLINE PUFALT
Conservation Chair

Climate change is bringing more precipitation to the Midwest with increased intense storms and snows. We can see the result in increased flooding along both large and small Missouri rivers in both rural and urban areas.

To reduce further flood impacts, we must plan for flood resilience. Resilience requires leaving room for the floodplain, elevating buildings and infrastructure still at risk, accepting different land uses for some acres, and determined enforcement of development limits.

This is never easy, but Missouri has recently made progress. The state has a flood study underway, focusing especially on rural areas in northwest Missouri which has experienced repeated, severe flooding. Levee setbacks are at least on the agenda. The state legislature is considering a bill to limit tax subsidies for floodplain development projects.

In St Louis county such a tax subsidy, called Tax Increment Financing (TIF) was recently rejected for a controversial floodplain-related development in Maryland Heights. Also, cities in the Lower Meramec River basin are considering flood resilience options prepared for review by the Army Corps of Engineers. The options are challenging, but early indications are that citizens and local governments recognize the need to embrace changes.

Finally, at this writing the St Louis County Council is considering a bill which would limit building in unincorporated areas so that any new development must not raise flood water level over one inch. Currently that limit is one foot. If the county passes this change it would help reduce rising flood heights. This is a reasonable step; a one-inch limit has already adopted by Jefferson County.

HOW YOU CAN HELP
Contact Caroline at cpufalt@sbcglobal.net.