Douglas County, Baldwin City and the Kansas Department of Agriculture will host a public open house to discuss the draft Flood Insurance Rate Map from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29, at the American Legion Hall, 705 High Street, in Baldwin City.

The Flood Insurance Rate Map and Flood Insurance Study for some areas near Baldwin City are being updated to provide more accurate information regarding a property owner’s flood risk.

This project has been underway for a couple of years and is not related to summer flooding events. This is an area in southern Douglas County and is part of the Upper Marais Des Cygnes Watershed.

The Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Division of Water Resources in collaboration with the Federal Emergency Management Agency has worked with local community officials to conduct a community review. The project has been through multiple reviews and the draft floodplains are now ready for public review. 

Letters are being sent to properties that have been identified as being affected by the floodplain map. Property owners can review and submit comments by visiting the web review map at  http://gis2.kda.ks.gov/gis/umdc or by attending the open house.

Officials from the Kansas Department of Agriculture, Baldwin City and Douglas County will be available at the open house to answer questions and take comments. Computer workstations will be available to show draft mapping as it pertains to each property. 

More information about this project is available on the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s website under mapping projects for the Upper Marais Des Cygnes Watershed project.