Workshop looks at ways to work together to curb future flood impacts

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December 10, 2008

AMES, Iowa -- No one wants to see a repeat of last summer's devastating floods. But Iowans can take hope in the fact that there are resources and tools to help deal with future occurrences and renewed conversations about land uses and practices that could transform the countryside.

Those were some of the lessons from the workshop, "Learning from the Floods of 2008: Practical Strategies for Resilience," organized by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture and the Center for Energy and Environmental Education. The Ames event brought together more than 120 people, among them farmers, urban planners, policymakers, educators, scientists and representatives from numerous state agencies and nongovernmental organizations.

Leopold Center Director Jerry DeWitt said the workshop accomplished its primary goal of assessing the impacts of the 2008 floods from both rural and urban perspectives, and discussing ways to make the Iowa landscape more resilient in the future.

"With nearly 70,000 miles of rivers and streams in Iowa and changing land uses and weather patterns, we know we cannot prevent flooding in the future, but we can do a lot to manage the impacts," DeWitt said. "There are many tools we can use and actions we can take to address these risks."

Mark Ackelson, president of the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, suggested that permanent conservation easements along Iowa waterways are one way to help address future flooding impacts. He cited the cases of 654 Iowa landowners who own 62,000 acres of flood-damaged farmland and have applied for a government program to set up permanent easements on their property. He said Iowa will receive $21 million, enough to provide easements for only 26 landowners or about 4,700 acres.

Ackelson also offered a proposal his organization has developed for a coordinated farm, watershed and local government flood mitigation and infrastructure protection initiative for Iowa. The plan, which recommends possible funding from existing sources, responds to needs identified by the Rebuild Iowa Advisory Committee.

Other speakers reviewed recovery efforts in Iowa City and Cedar Rapids, shared water quality and stream flow data collected during and after the flooding, and assessed the effectiveness of various conservation technologies and practices.

Jeri Neal, who leads the Leopold Center's Ecological Systems Initiative, said she was encouraged by the conversations that continued throughout the day.

"People want to know what's happening in our river systems, and how they are changing," she said. "We also need to use models for our planning that operate beyond political boundaries and institutions. This will require cooperation among government agencies and the ability to coordinate work beyond one organization or mission."

The day's key points were summarized at the end of the workshop. Among them:

• Previous assessments of climate, weather, and "100-year floodplains" will not work for planning; recent history is inadequate to assess risk; new flood maps are needed and their use should be enforced.
• Water needs to be able to infiltrate our soils better; landscapes with perennials and soils high in organic matter will do a better job of infiltration and managing water flow.
• Many conservation practices perform well if they built according to standards and maintained on a regular basis, but no single practice can do it all.
• Current agricultural and urban land use choices contribute to flooding.
• Conservation planning is everyone's business and must take into account the characteristics of an entire watershed.
• Streams react to changes in the landscape with no respect for political boundaries.
• Multi-year land lease contracts and longer-term incentive programs are important for successful conservation management.
• Targeting the point of initial water/soil contact is the most effective flood mitigation tactic; then move to programs and activities operating on a longer time line.

The public can view presentations, other resources and the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation flood mitigation proposal on the conference web site. 

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The Leopold Center was established by the 1987 Iowa Groundwater Protection Act as a research and education center at Iowa State University to develop sustainable agricultural practices that are both profitable and conserve natural resources. Iowa State does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. Vietnam Era Veteran. Any persons having inquiries concerning this may contact the Director of Affirmative Action, 3210 Beardshear Hall, (515) 294-7612.

This page was found at http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/news/12-10-2008/workshop-looks-ways-work-together-curb-future-flood-impacts on 01/21/2013