Wichita has had bad floods of the Arkansas River in 1877, 1904, 1916, 1923, 1944, 1951 and 1955. In 1944, Wichita flooded 3 times in 11 days. Because of the 1944 flood, Wichita built the Wichita-Valley Center Floodway in 1958. It makes the water go around Wichita.