Monarch Levee Protected The Chesterfield Valley — This Flood
Flood waters are receding, but what an event — just 22+ years after the 1993 flood. After that flood, we built levees higher. Was that wise? From late last month:
The rising Mississippi River and its tributaries are threatening to overtop 19 federal levees in the St. Louis area. (Fox 2)
One levee that wasn’t in danger was one that famously failed in 1993 — the Monarch levee. The “gumbo flats” area, now called the Chesterfield Valley, was flooded.
Two outlet malls, a couple of car dealerships, and much more now exist only because of the 500 year levee. How bad is flooding elsewhere because the water can’t spread out here? As we continue developing more land we decrease absorption and increase runoff. Add to that more & higher levees and the situation doesn’t look good.
I have plenty of doubt the levee will prevent a flood in my lifetime, I think I’ll live to see all this development under water.
— Steve Patterson
I’m not so sure, Steve. There was big-time flooding a little further downstream, at the St. Charles riverfront and Creve Coeur Park. Also, the water level in the little creek running behind the Valley shopping, also protected by a levee, didn’t strike me as being all that high. Some of the floodgates weren’t even closed. Personally, I think the contribution of the Monarch levee to the recent flooding was minimal at best.