Then and Now: RQBLD Levee District

In 2004, the Riverside-Quindaro Bend Levee District (RQBLD) held a ribbon cutting for their new levee. The area was largely rural with corn fields nearby. Today, this same space is home to Amazon warehouses, the Kansas City Current’s practice fields, and Morton Ampitheater.

This growth is possible because of the partnership between the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the City of Riverside, and RQBLD and their investment in new infrastructure. Prior to these changes, the risk for flooding was too high to support development at this scale.

Our relationship with RQBLD predates the existing levee. We had been in contact with them since the 1990’s when our staff was a part of Larkin. But, in 1993, the levee failed. The water breached the system in multiple locations, flooding the City of Riverside, MO and taking out the I-635 bridge. Our team began to work with them in a more meaningful way following that event.

RQBLD and the City successfully lobbied Congress to secure funding for a new system. USACE designed the levee in-house to withstand a 700+ year storm event, and our team was contracted to manage the utility relocation design. RQBLD made the move with us from Larkin to Affinis, and we’ve maintained a partnership ever since.

Currently, we represent the levee district for all work within the levee area to make sure the integrity is maintained and that it adheres to their charter – to operate and maintain the levee. We review all plans to verify they meet USACE’s standards, so that if a flood event happens, the area is protected.

“Our co-workers feel a responsibility to everyone in that area. We work to make sure that any projects constructed in the levee district won’t impact the integrity or functionality when operated or maintaining the levee system. With every review, we ask ourselves does the proposed project reduce the levee integrity or the level of protection provided by the levee. If that’s the case, we work with the project sponsor to mitigate this risk,” said Jason Davis, PE, President.

Along with this service, our team has performed other standalone projects. We have completed a feasibility study for additional relief wells, several underseepage and hydraulic grade lines analyses, levee embankment repair design, a levee deficiency assessment and report, flood fight training, rolling gate closure structure concept design, and verification surveys. In 2007, we performed 24/7 flood patrols, as we aided in RQBLD’s flood fight. Then, in 2008 and 2011, we supplemented the levee board and staff, while RQBLD lead the effort.

Affinis’s relationship with RQBLD has spanned decades. Our team draws from lessons learned and shared history when making any decision. We know what has and hasn’t worked and have developed a strong relationship with USACE. Our experts act as a liaison between the levee district and project sponsors, helping them get in front of design challenges and supporting them in mitigating surprises they may encounter mid-design.

When asked why he thinks they’ve continued to choose Affinis, Davis said, “We bring a historical perspective and know the levee inside and out. Our team understands the levee sponsor’s point-of-view and what their needs are. We have the technical expertise to know what’s required for the levee’s design and maintenance. Our team is solution oriented. We’re not trying to throw up roadblocks and instead, are motivated to find an answer that works for everyone without threatening levee integrity.”