Design of future Jefferson City park underway as land floods
Jefferson City is several months out from designing and constructing a park on the land known as Adrian’s Island, and one aspect of the parcel is well-known to officials: It has a tendency to flood.
The Missouri River remains moderately flooded, according to the National Weather Service, and crested today at about 26.5 feet . Portions of the land, located between the river and the Union Pacific railroad tracks, become submerged when river levels run high.
Todd Spalding, director of Jefferson City Parks, Recreation and Forestry, said the design of the park will take into account a high probability of future flooding.
In total, the ” island ” encompasses 30 acres of land. Only 13 acres remained above water in 2015, when flood levels reached over 27 feet .
It’s possible that benches, bathrooms and other additions to the park will be placed in the portion of land that’s less likely to flood, according to a discussion by the city Parks & Recreation Commission.
Commission member Bill Plank said in December that the land has flooded five times since 2000.
Construction of the park will begin after the planned bicentennial bridge is finished, which will connect the park to the veterans memorial on the north side of the Capitol building.
