‘Big Ditch’ Helped Ward Off Blow Additional Work Will Add to Wichita’s Immunity From Disasters BY BOB TONSING SR. rain in history - six inches at the U.S. Weather Bureau and About 9 o’clock one Saturday morning 13 years unoffi cially up to eight inches at other points. ago - April 22, 1944 - the skies over Wichita darkened. Drenched citizens heaved a sigh of relief, but their Lights went on in homes and business places, and autoists troubles were just starting. It had been 21 years before - switched on their headlights. The heavy clouds began in June of 1923 - since Wichita had experienced a major dumping their load on the city and a large surrounding fl ood, so few of the city offi cials and only the older area. During the three hours before noon there was scarcely a letup in the deluge. Wind-driven hail added to the troubles of motorists and those luckless pedestrians who had to get out into the cloudburst. The ice balls in many places piled up two to three inches thick, clogging gutters and drains so that water fi lled the streets and ran up over the curbings into yards. About noon the rain slackened and then stopped. A later check proved Wichita had experienced its biggest

REMEDY FOR RIVERSIDE - This area 19 1/2 river miles upstream from the Central Avenue bridge, and a mile north and 1 1/2 miles west of Valley Center, is the key point for future prevention of Little River overfl ow in northwest Wichita such as in 1944, 1945 and 1951. This aerial view, taken a week ago Saturday when the was near fl ood stage, shows the uncompleted diversion channel in partial operation. Figure 1 at lower left is the Little Arkansas above the control point. (Arrows indicate direction of fl ow.) Curved arrow is at the opening of a new channel that will carry normal fl ow of the river to the control structure (2) which will allow only a limited amount of water to pass. Figure 3 indicates the old river channel, which will be closed by a to be built (dotted lines). Lack of that levee, which authorities say can be fi nished in two weeks of good weather, prevented the project from operating fully, although it did carry 25 per cent or more of the fl ow. When the control structure (2) is fi lled to capacity it forces the excess water to enter the main diversion channel at right, through which it fl ows WICHITA-VALLEY CENTER PROJECT - This map shows the in a southwesterly direction and empties into the Big Arkansas route of the “Big Ditch” (black line) detouring fl ood of the just beyond fi gure 7. Figure 4 indicates a work levee which will Arkansas River around Wichita. Projection at top (arrow) is the be removed; 5 is the Frisco bridge, and 6 is the county bridge at Little Arkansas diversion channel. 86th Street North. (Eagle Staff Photo.) generations knew what to expect, and most of them were homes. In addition the “scares” had been numerous in too optimistic. the years between, with valley Wichitans clearing their Scarcely more than two hours after the rain had basements “just in case...” stopped word came that Chisholm Creek - which had In each instance when the Little Arkansas fl ooded fl ooded the northern area above the stockyards three the situation was made more hazardous by a rise in the times before that spring - was on another rampage worse Big Arkansas, slowing the runoff at the point where the than the others. The water continued rising until it began converge south of Central and east of Seneca. fl owing southward across 21st Street, which is relatively That tremendous rain of April, 1944, not only started high - a situation not believed to have occurred before the city’s most damaging fl ood - it also triggered a demand or since. Almost every street from Arkansas Avenue to from citizens and offi cials that something be done to a point beyond the Santa Fe tracks became a river. Water prevent such disasters in the future. A short time later again swirled over the curbings, into the yards and into in ‘44 Rep. Ed Rees presented a resolution in Congress thousands of basements. calling for a government review of the fl ood situation in The water poured southward as far as the second the Wichita area. block on North Main. Hastily placed sandbags were not Wichita’s fi rst benefi ts from the $19,000,000 fl ood enough to protect many business places. Meanwhile, a control program that resulted were experienced a week torrent was rushing down the that runs ago when a major threat from both rivers passed with from the stockyards past East High School and thence minor damage. Further protection for the city will be for several miles south into the Big Arkansas. It proved provided within a few weeks, and it is expected that - with totally inadequate to carry the load, and spread out for completion of the entire project next year - Wichita will many blocks on each side. Water poured westward on be safe from any volume of fl ood water up to 50 per cent Douglas Ave. to the Union Station area. greater than ever has been recorded here in the two main Many families and business concerns were wholly streams and their tributaries. unprepared. Frantic efforts to remove furniture, electrical Diverted Much Water equipment and stocks from basements for the most part Full evaluation of the extent to which the “Big were too late. Ditch” (offi cially known as the Wichita-Valley Center Flooded Again in ‘45 Flood Control Project) helped prevent fl ooding is still to By dawn of Sunday morning the Chisholm Creek come, according to George H. Wilton, project director fl ood for the most part had receded, but the relief was representing Wichita and Sedgwick County, which are brief. About 7 a.m. the Little Arkansas, swollen by the cooperating to pay $6,000,000 of the costs. The federal Chisholm Creek waters and the overfl ow from many government is providing the remainder. tributaries to the north and northwest, poured over its However, Wilton believes that from 15 to 25 per banks above North High School and began fi lling the cent of the water in the Little River passed through the streets once more. The rise continued most of that day. diversion canal into the Big River and from 30 to 50 What little sandbagging was done proved ineffective. per cent of the Big Arkansas’ fl ow bypassed the city to Breaks in the low dikes sent the river pouring across the the west through the Big Ditch. If so, it made several area between the Little Arkansas and the Big River to the feet difference in the crests of both streams - enough to west. Hundreds of blocks were inundated that had not account for the fact there was no fl ooding in the city. been fl ooded on the previous day. In a preliminary report Army Engineers of the Tulsa There was little danger to life because of the fl atness District estimated Wichita was saved $1,500,000 damage of the affected area, but property damage mounted into by operation of the project. millions. Although such fl ood control work was authorized A year later, lacking a week, much of the picture was by Congress in an act passed in 1936 - during a repeated as torrential rains to the northwest sent the Little period similar to the one just ended - it took the 1944 Arkansas to a crest about four inches higher than it had inundation here to stir suffi cient interest to bring about reached in 1944. Property loss was not so heavy because a action. As a result of Rep. Rees’ resolution in Congress longer warning period allowed removal of furniture from that year, the Army Engineers on April 6, 1945, presented basements. Again in 1951 - the year of the record disaster a plan for fl ood control similar to that which eventually on the Kaw River in northern Kansas - the Little Arkansas was approved. Just 10 days later the second big fl ood in went over its banks in Wichita and again fl ooded many a year emphasized the great need for a remedy. The State Legislature the previous January had passed an enabling closure of an old channel has delayed full use of that act to permit city and county offi cials to enter into portion of the ditch, though much water was diverted contracts with the Federal government. during the recent high crest. Wilton estimates that it will Delays Frequent require about two weeks of good weather to fi nish that The following August the City Commission declared job. fl ood control a “public necessity” and agreed to the terms Limits Flow of local cooperation under the 1936 act. It was not until As long as the Little River is at normal level all the August of 1947 that the county joined the city as local water fl ows down its regular channel. But when it rises to sponsors. a danger point the control station will allow only a certain There was much delay during the next two years while volume of water to pass downstream. The remainder is offi cials argued over the best type of fl ood prevention. forced into the higher channel of the Big Ditch to fl ow The main proposal in opposition to the “Big Ditch” plan into the Big River. Near 21st Street the same process takes was one to build a number of small reservoirs along the place, with the excess water forced into the diversion Little Arkansas watershed. Federal authorities, however, channel to bypass the city and rejoin the river near Derby. labeled this as impractical and made it plain they would Work has started on the third phase of the project - give it no backing. Local sentiment fi nally soldifi ed behind the Chisholm Creek diversion channel - which must be the Army Engineers’ plan and in February of 1949 the completed before the fl ood control system will work to city-county project offi ce was opened to acquire right- its full capacity. Chisholm Creek has four main branches of-way. draining a large region above Wichita. A channel is being The fi rst actual dirt was turned in May of 1950, but dug starting at about 67th Street North on the main the project was in for a rugged time, Wilton said. Many stream, either paralleling or improving the old channel. lawsuits were fi led in efforts to block it, several of them It picks up the West Branch at 49th Street. Work on the reaching the U.S. Supreme Court, where validity of the Middle Branch starts at Hydraulic and 41st. The two main project was upheld repeatedly. Sometimes appropriations branches join the Little River at 41st and 37th Streets near were slow or reduced in Congress. Arkansas Avenue. Halted by Confl ict Canal Flow Cut Then there was the threat of war in Asia. After From there southwest to 36th they join the fl ow of U.S. “police action” started in Korea all fl ood control the Little River. At 36th another control structure on appropriations were frozen. Only old contracts were the right bank of the Little River during high water will completed. This caused a delay of nearly two years, carry the Chisholm Creek water about a mile southwest Wilton said. through another diversion channel into the Big Arkansas Starting again in 1952, the project ran into further at a point a little more than a mile above where the bypass trouble in railroad locations. That required almost two portion of the Big Ditch begins. years more to settle and complete. The fi rst big contract Thus almost all the Chisholm Creek water will be involving 1 1/2 miles of fl ood diversion channel on the carried westward away from the North Wichita fl ood area. Big River bypass was completed in June of 1954, and Only about 20 square miles drained by the East Branch of the remaining stretch of the main project - a canal from Chisholm Creek will send water into the drainage canal. Derby on the south to the 21st Street control station west The entire Chisholm Creek control system is under of the city, with along the main river channel to contract, with completion set for June of 1958. But it a point north of Colwich - was opened last November is hoped that it will be ready by April in order to handle - only six months before it was to be needed. Some rip- any possible North Wichita fl ood threats of next spring, rapping, seeding and bank stabilization still are to be done Wilton said. on that stretch. The second major portion of the project - which -- Wichita Eagle Magazine, May 26, 1957 many Wichitans consider is the mos important of all - is a diversion channel lined with dikes connecting the Little Arkansas north of Valley Center with the Big Arkansas not quite three miles to the southwest. This excavation has been done and the control station built on the Little River, but necessity of completing some diking and BYPASSING CITY - This scene shows the main portion of the Big Ditch as it swings west of Wichita and then southeast. Nearest bridge is Central Avenue, with its west end at right. “Snaky” stream toward upper right is the old Big Slough drainage ditch. Distant bridges (upper left) are BIG ARKANSAS DIKES - This aerial view, taken a week ago Saturday afternoon (as were all the on Maple and highway U.S. 54. pictures on this page) by Bob Ames, Eagle chief photographer, shows the Big River northwest of Wichita. The 53rd Street (K96) bridge is foreground and the North Wichita mills are visible in top left corner. On both sides of the river are training levees capable of holding the stream if it should rise many more feet. The Little Arkansas diversion channel empties in upstream from this point.

PROTECTS HAYSVILLE - After bypassing Wichita the Big Ditch curves past Haysville (lower right) and heads almost straight east toward the Big River. In 1955 and again nine days ago Haysville was saved from fl ood waters of Cowskin Creek, which fl ows into the Big Ditch at a point to the left of the portion of channel shown here. The bridges (from lower to upper) are Seneca CONTROL STRUCTURE - The main control structure on the Big Arkansas fl oodway is shown at Street, Rock Island, Broadway, and Turnpike and Midland Valley (merged in picture). top center. Water comes from upper right and fl ows to the structure. In normal times all the water fl ows through the gates and into the main river channel, under the 21st Street bridge (lower left) and then through the city. In fl ood times the structure limits the fl ow to less than bankfull and sends the surplus down the bypass channel (upper left) to rejoin the main stream near Derby.

END OF PROJECT - This photo (looking northwest) shows the junction where fl ood waters diverted through the Big Ditch fl ow back into the Big Arkansas below Wichita near Derby. The CHISHOLM CREEK CHANNEL - At right center is the partly dug channel that will carry Chisholm ditch is at upper center and the river fl ows from right. The merged waters fl ow southward (lower Creek water into the Big River and thence into the Big Ditch bypass on the other side. At right left.) Earlier washout in the levee at left center has been remedied by the semicircular jetty, so is the Big Arkansas, with its control structure and main channel invisible at upper left. Road in that no water is leaked through this time. Water behind the levy is from rainfall in the area. -- foreground is Meridian, with its south end at left. (Eagle Staff Photos)