The U.S. Senate has approved a bill to create a new name for the Wichita-Valley Center Flood Control Project, also known as The Big Ditch.
The bill names the project the M.S. “Mitch” Mitchell Floodway, and it was approved by the House in September. The bill now goes to President Trump.
Mitchell, who died in 2017, designed and supervised construction of the floodway. He served as the Flood Control and Maintenance Supervisor for Sedgwick County and the city of Wichita from 1958 to 1963. He supervised the project to create a channel that would divert excess water around the city of Wichita and ease flooding problems that been occurring in the community. The Big Ditch is 18 miles long with 50 miles of connecting channels, and it contains 100 miles of levees and 150 control structures.
The ditch is credited with saving Wichita from flooding on many occasions and saving lives in the process. The Wichita city council and the Sedgwick County Commission passed resolutions in 2017 calling for the name change. Mayor Jeff Longwell said “Mitch’s expertise and dedication safeguarded our city for future generations, and we are proud to honor him.”
Kansas congressman Ron Estes introduced a bill in the House for the name change. He said the project has saved lives, prevented millions of dollars in property damage and allowed for expanded growth and opportunities. Estes expressed thanks to House member Bill Shuster of Pennsylvania and Kansas senator Jerry Moran for their help in getting the naming bill passed.
Federal approval was required because this was a federal project using federal funds, and it was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
