Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture

Flood workshop: Realities hit home

Back to Leopold Letter Winter 2008

The Leopold Center flood conference began with a reality check. The realities of the floods of 2008, and even 1993, needed to be acknowledged and analyzed before conference attendees could move on to discuss future flood preservation measures.

The experts agreed on several facts: Iowa’s watersheds have been drastically altered over the last 100 years; existing climate data and rainfall models were inadequate, making predictions difficult; even the best conservation practices may not be able to handle the high amounts of water seen in 2008. And many watersheds cross political boundaries, which results in varying approaches to how watersheds are managed during peaceful times as well as times of turmoil.

In the “flood realities” portion of the conference, presenters focused on what took place in this year's flood. Mary Skopec, supervisor of the Watershed Monitoring and Assessment Section at the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), was concerned with public safety at peak times and afterward. As flood water overwhelmed wastewater treatment plants, gathering sediment and containments as it traveled downstream, the DNR and other agencies responded to the needs of the public with information on health hazards. Communicating with local residents when traditional avenues were not available was one of the big challenges.

Jim Donley, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) operations section chief, outlined the agency’s responsibilities compared to the responsibilities of the state of Iowa. FEMA’s work in Iowa this year began in response to the tornados in Parkersburg and Little Sioux Boy Scout camp prior to the floods. The agency provides individual assistance for temporary housing, home repair and replacement, and encourages sustainable rebuilding outside of flood plains.

Flood prevention and watershed management is not just a natural resource issue said State Conservationist Richard Sims, who reported on the soil impacts of the flood from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) perspective. Results from a flood damage assessment survey, sent to all 100 Soil and Water Conservation District offices, revealed what conservation measures worked on the land and what didn’t.

Approximately $40 million will be needed for repair of waterways, terraces, levees and other conservation-related structures. Sims is a firm believer, and has the supporting proof, that an on-farm systems approach to conservation works the best. A suite of practices such as grassed waterways, reduced tillage, longer crop rotations, and streambank stabilization offers the best offense.

Sims summed up the flood realities portion of the conference, “When it comes to natural resources conservation and protection, we can’t always wait for the other person to take action….we have to start doing it ourselves first.”

Back to Leopold Letter Winter 2008