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Cottonwood River Levee Location
City, County, and State of the levee system. Determined by the levee alignment location not the leveed area.
Marion, Marion County, Kansas
System ID
Unique identifier code for the levee system using 10 or 12 numbers in length.
5805000020
Operation and Maintenance Organization
Entity responsible for day-to-day management of the levee.
City of Marion, KS
Floodplain Management
Entities responsible for regulating activities that occur in areas prone to flooding.
FEMA Region 7
Oversight Organization
Entity responsible for oversight of the levee and ensuring it is maintained.
USACE - Tulsa District
Last Assesment Date Last Risk Assessment or Formal Inspection.
11/17/2022
Data Last Updated Date any of this information for the system has been updated.
9/12/2024
Levee Length
Combine length of all the levee system features including the embankments, floodwalls, closures where they exist for this system.
3.375 Miles Average Levee Height
The average height of the levee system. The levee profile viewer on the mapping window will show the actual levee height values for the length of the levee if available.
15 Feet Year Levee Constructed Year levee system was fully completed as a flood reduction project.
1980 Summary
General text description of the levee system with a summary of why the levee is there, and the benefits it provides.
The Marion Levee is located in east central Kansas about 5 miles southeast of the Marion Reservoir, at river mile 121 of the Cottonwood River, a major tributary of the Grand (Neosho) River. The levee provides flood risk reduction for the City of Marion in Marion County, Kansas, which is approximately 40 miles north-northwest of Wichita, Kansas. The project begins north of the City of Marion on Mud Creek near its confluence with the Cottonwood River. The project consists of an earth-filled embankment levee, a floodway diversion channel featured with an uncontrolled ogee weir, and an interior drainage system. The levee is a little more than 3 miles long, has an average height of 15 feet, and a crest width of 10 feet. The floodway diversion channel is 9,026 feet in length with an average depth of 22 feet and a bottom width between 40 and 50 feet. Construction of the project began in June 1975 and was completed in May 1980.
There are approximately 655 people who live and work behind this levee. Without the levee, it is estimated that some 575 residential and commercial structures valued up to $95.2 million dollars could be flooded. Loss of life is possible if the levee were to fail or overtop during a flood.
During the flood event of 2019 the levee was loaded to 75% by flood waters with a 42,890 cfs flow.
Performance & Condition
General text description of the historical and anticipated performance of the levee, the people and property benefitting from the levee and who may be at risk of flooding, and actions to address areas of concern.
The Cottonwood River Levee is considered to be low risk. This is because 1.) The City of Winfield (the project owner) does and exemplary job of operating and maintaining the levee; 2.) Unknown condition of the culverts and discharge pipes; 3.) The sandbag closure structure should be operated to ensure city support staff can efficiently construct the closure during a flood event.
Flooding Hazard
Historic Loading by Percentage of Height
Representative loading associated with historical flood information as a percentage of the levee height or overtopping.
Representative loading associated with historical flood information as a percentage of the levee height or overtopping.
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