Flood-Inundation Maps Of The Blue River And Major Tributaries In And Near Kansas City, Missouri, 2023–25
Abstract
Digital flood-inundation maps for 35.5 miles of the Blue River, in and near Kansas City, Missouri, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the City of Kansas City. Maps were also developed for a combined 7.3 miles of Brush Creek (4.4 miles) and Indian Creek (2.9 miles), two primary tributaries to the Blue River in the study reach. The flood-inundation maps, available through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Program website at https://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/, depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding, depth of water above first-floor elevations in selected buildings, water velocity, water-surface elevations, and time of travel corresponding to selected water levels or gage heights (hereafter referred to as "stages") at nine reference USGS streamgages—five on the Blue River (USGS station numbers 06893590, 06893578, 06893500, 06893150, and 06893100), two on Brush Creek (USGS station numbers 06893562 and 06893557), one on Indian Creek (USGS station number 06893390), and one on the Missouri River (USGS station number 06893000). Near- real-time stages at these streamgages may be obtained from USGS Water Data for the Nation at https://doi.org/10.5066/ F7P55KJN or the National Weather Service National Water Prediction Service at http://water.noaa.gov/, which also forecasts flood hydrographs at seven of these sites (USGS station numbers 06893000, 06893590, 06893578, 06893500, 06893150, 06893557, and 06893390).
Flood profiles were computed for eight map reaches by means of two-dimensional hydraulic models. The models were calibrated using the USGS-developed stage–streamflow relations at each reference streamgage. Two map reaches on the lower Blue River also include the effects of backwater from the Missouri River on flood inundation extent and hydraulic characteristics.
The hydraulic models were used to compute water- surface profiles for flood stages at 1-foot intervals referenced to the streamgage datums. The profile stages ranged from the National Weather Service "Action Stage" or near bankfull to a stage exceeding the highest recorded water level at each streamgage. The simulated water-surface profiles were then combined with a digital elevation model (derived from light detection and ranging data having a nonvegetated vertical accuracy of a maximum 10-centimeter root-mean-square error) to delineate the area flooded at each water level and the associated hydraulic characteristics.
The availability of these maps, along with information regarding current stage from the USGS streamgage and forecasted high-flow stages from the National Weather Service, will provide emergency management personnel, resource managers, and residents with information that could be critical for flood-response activities such as evacuations and road closures, as well as for postflood recovery efforts.
Recommended Citation
D. C. Heimann et al., "Flood-Inundation Maps Of The Blue River And Major Tributaries In And Near Kansas City, Missouri, 2023–25," USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2026-5033, vol. 2026, U.S. Geological Survey, Jan 2026.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20265033
Department(s)
Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering
Publication Status
Public Domain
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
2328-0328; 2328-031X
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 2026
Comments
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Grant None.
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., Cigrand, C.V., High, J.L., Kostynick, R.P., Atkinson, A.A., and Rydlund, P.H., Jr., 2026, Flood- inundation maps of the Blue River and major tributaries in and near Kansas City, Missouri, 2023–25: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2026–5033, 26 p., https://doi.org/ 10.3133/ sir20265033.
Associated Data for this Publication: Kostynick, R.P., Heimann, D.C., High, J.L., Cigrand, C.V., and Atkinson, A.A., 2026, Flood-inundation map products, travel time estimates, geospatial information, and hydraulic models of the Blue River and major tributaries, in and near Kansas City, Missouri, 2023–25: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P1NSJHXH.
Acknowledgegments: The authors acknowledge the local and Federal agencies—the City of Kansas City, Missouri, Johnson County (Kansas) Stormwater Management Program, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers—that have cooperated in the funding for the operation and maintenance of the streamgages used for this study. Special thanks are given to KC Water, the City of Kansas City water services department, for their cooperation with this study, and to the National Weather Service for their continued support of the U.S. Geological Survey flood- inundation mapping initiative.