By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Following the flood in 1981 in Great Bend, city officials and citizens determined there was a need to construct a flood control system. With help from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the levee around Great Bend was completed in the early 1990s.
Great Bend Public Works Director Jason Cauley said the levee has protected the city nicely from heavy rainfall, mostly recently in 2019.
"In 2019, there was river water almost to the top of that levee," said Cauley. "Our sewer plant, for the effluent, we had to put a pump on top of the levee to discharge into it because the water was so full. I'm not saying that would have caused catastrophic flooding for the whole city but it showed the importance of the levee."
City workers maintain the levee year round by trying to manage animal burrows, trimming trees and fence repair. The city’s street department, consisting of approximately 10 employees, is in charge of the 26 miles of levee, the compost site and streets.
"That crew is also in charge of the physical aspects of the storm water system like replacing storm boxes and curb and gutter," said Cauley. "You get this small group of people taking care of a lot of assets."
Seeing fences get cut, Cauley reminds citizens that the fence around the levee is there for a reason. Vehicles driving on the side can erode the levee which can cause the levee to fail.