News : Lions Club hosts Rodenberg, Project Coordinator of Middle Cedar Watershed Project

The speaker at the March 28th Vinton Lions Club meeting was Adam Rodenberg, Project Coordinator of the Middle Cedar Watershed Project. According to their website, the Middle Cedar Watershed (MCW) covers ~1.5 million acres (~2,400 square miles) in East Central Iowa and spans 10 counties: Franklin, Hardin, Butler, Grundy, Marshall, Tama, Blackhawk, Buchanan, Benton, and Linn counties. The MCW is consist of mostly agricultural lands but also includes many small towns (e.g. Vinton, Traer, and Grundy Center), several large metro areas (e.g. Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, and Cedar Falls). Adam explained the goals of the program; it's funding sources and accomplishments. The group's goals include reducing flood risk, improving water quality, and improving disaster resilience. These goals are accomplished through more than 150 practices, including wetlands, ponds, and structures. Adam shared several excellent website sources of information, including sites that report water quality and water levels throughout much of the state. Two of the sites are www.middlecedarwma.com and a University of Iowa hydrology site making detailed information available to citizens and landowners www.iihr.uiowa.edu/iwa . Vinton Lions Club meets Wednesdays at noon. In addition to enjoying the company of fellow Lions, guests address the group about their activities designed to improve our communities, our quality of life, or address important issues. To learn about joining Vinton Lions club or to request on opportunity to speak, email us at vintonlionsclub@gmail.com or visit our Facebook page @vintoniowalionsclub.