Davids, Local Leaders Celebrate Completion of Multi-Decade Turkey Creek Flood Control Project

Image October 21, 2026 Press Release KANSAS CITY, KS — Today, Representative Sharice Davids joined representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the City of Kansas City, Missouri, and the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas for a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the final completion of the Turkey Creek Flood Control Project. The project officially removes Downtown Merriam from the FEMA-designated floodplain, protecting hundreds of homes and over 80 local small businesses. The upgraded infrastructure also eliminates mandatory flood insurance requirements for impacted properties, unlocking significant new economic investment and growth for the area. “After nearly three decades of work, today we are celebrating a major milestone that gives hundreds of families and business owners in our community the safety and peace of mind they deserve,” said Davids . “By removing Downtown Merriam from the floodplain, we are freeing local home and business owners from unpredictable flood threats and expensive insurance costs while opening up exciting new opportunities for local economic development. I’m proud to have worked alongside our local, state, and federal partners to bring these historic flood protections across the finish line.” The Turkey Creek Flood Control Project originally kicked off in 1997, breaking ground on its first major construction phase in 2004. With the final project phase wrapping up this year, the completion marks the culmination of nearly 30 years of bi-state, local-federal collaboration designed to protect surrounding neighborhoods from destructive high-water events. Davids worked directly to secure key federal resources to move the Turkey Creek project forward: $500,000: Davids individually secured $500,000 in federal project funding to kickstart crucial design efforts, which directly contributed to removing Downtown Merriam from the FEMA floodplain. $23.9 Million: Building on this progress, Davids previously announced $23.9 million in federal funding for the Upper Turkey Creek flood mitigation project through the bipartisan infrastructure law. Kansas City, Kansas ranks as the fifth most vulnerable U.S. city to climate impacts, particularly severe urban flooding. Over the last decade alone, Kansas has endured more than 40 extreme weather events, costing the state up to $20 billion in damages. This project demonstrates how targeted infrastructure investments can directly protect local homes and businesses, lower costs for families, and unlock new opportunities for economic development. The bipartisan infrastructure law, which has been called the most fiscally responsible infrastructure bill in the last decade by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is funded through a combination of new revenues and existing savings. To date, more than $3.2 billion has been invested in Kansas through the bipartisan infrastructure law — from expanding statewide rural broadband access, lead pipe replacements in Olathe, safety initiatives in KCK, and long-overdue upgrades to K-68 in Miami County. Issues : Transportation & Infrastructure