In 1882, a local newspaper summarized: "Turkey Creek, a live, impetuous stream, meanders at will through the place seemingly priding itself on its independence in designating its own path, regardless of the points on the compass, or the predominating requirements of this expeditious age in economizing time and space by taking air line courses.

"[4] In the early 1800s, Turkey Creek was part of French Bottoms, settled by rows of narrow strips of farms owned by French-speaking pioneering settlers of French-Canadian and tribal mixed culture.

[9] Affected localities include the Merriam, Kansas drainage district, receiving over $23 million in federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding in 2022, where one municipal objective is to eliminate the need for downtown businesses to buy flood insurance.

[11] It can handle at least 18,000 to 20,000 cubic feet (570 m3) of water per second, equivalent to one normal day of the Missouri River[8] This includes new flood drainage, where the KC Water department of KCMO bored the horizontal tunnels at a rate of 4 feet (1.2 m) per day to install six new storm pipes of 96 inches (2.4 m) diameter each, delicately beneath the busy railroad, in preparation for construction by the Corps.

[8] The final 1,261 feet (384 m) of the stream runs through a tunnel constructed by the Corps beneath a natural limestone shelf.