Flood-inundation Maps For The Blue River Near Red Bridge Road, Kansas City, Missouri, 2019
Abstract
Digital flood-inundation maps for a 4.6-mile reach of the Blue River near Red Bridge Road in Kansas City, Missouri, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the City of Kansas City, Missouri. The flood-inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Program website at https://www.usgs.gov/ mission- areas/water- resources/ science/ flood-inundation-mapping-fim-program, depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding corresponding to selected water levels (stages) at the USGS streamgage 06893195, Blue River at Red Bridge Road, Kansas City, Mo. Near-real-time stages at this streamgage may be obtained from the USGS National Water Information System at https://doi.org/ 10.5066/ F7P55KJN or the Johnson County, Kansas, StormWatch Automated Local Elevation in Real Time Flood Warning System at https://www.stormwatch.com.
Flood profiles were computed for the Blue River reach by means of a one-dimensional model for simulating water surface profiles with steady-state flow computations. The model was calibrated by using the current stage-streamflow relations at the upstream USGS streamgage 06893150, Blue River at Blue Ridge Boulevard Extension, Kansas City, Mo., and the downstream streamgage 06893500, Blue River at Kansas City, Mo.
The hydraulic model was then used to compute 37 water surface profiles for flood stages at 1-foot (ft) intervals referenced to the streamgage datum and ranging from 11 ft, or near bankfull, to 47 ft at the reference streamgage 06893195. The upper stage for the map library exceeds the stage corresponding to the estimated 0.2-percent annual exceedance probability flood (500-year recurrence interval flood) in the model reach. The simulated water-surface profiles were then combined with a geographic information system digital elevation model with a maximum 10-centimeter vertical root mean square error and 4.0-ft horizontal resolution to delineate the area flooded at each water level.
The availability of these maps, along with real-time internet information regarding current stage from the USGS streamgage, will help guide emergency management personnel and residents in flood mitigation, preparedness and planning, flood-response activities such as evacuations and road closures, and any postflood recovery efforts.
Recommended Citation
D. Heimann et al., "Flood-inundation Maps For The Blue River Near Red Bridge Road, Kansas City, Missouri, 2019," Scientific Investigations Report 2020-5057, U.S. Geological Survey, Jan 2021.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20205057
Department(s)
Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering
Publication Status
Open Access
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
2328-0328
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2026 U.S. Geological Survey, All rights reserved.
Publication Date
01 Jan 2021
Comments
Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report.
Recommended Citation: Heimann, D.C., Voss, J.D., and Rydlund, P.H., Jr., 2021, Flood-inundation maps for the Blue River near Red Bridge Road, Kansas City, Missouri, 2019: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2020–5057, 14 p., https://doi.org/ 10.3133/ sir20205057.
Associated Data for this Publication: Heimann, D.C., Voss, J.D., and Rydlund, P.H., Jr., 2020, Geospatial datasets for the flood-inundation study of the Blue River near Red Bridge Road, Kansas City, Missouri, 2019: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/ 10.5066/ P90MH291.
Acknowledgements: The authors wish to thank the local and Federal agencies that have cooperated in the funding for the operation and maintenance of the streamgages used for this study, especially the City of Kansas City, Missouri, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Special thanks are given to the City of Kansas City, Water Services Department, for their cooperation in this study and to the National Weather Service for their continued support of the U.S. Geological Survey flood inundation mapping initiative.