News : Lions hear about ways Iowans are working to reduce impact of future floods

Jen Filipiak tells the Vinton Lions about efforts to prevent future flooding in Iowa.

Rains, to say the obvious, are the main reason for flooding.

But, says Jennifer Filipiak, the increase in rainfall does not scientifically explain the increase in flooding in Iowa -- and along the Cedar River -- over the past two decades.

The Vinton Lions Club invited Filipiak to their weekly meeting on Wednesday to discuss the ways that many people are trying to change the Cedar River basin in an attempt to limit the effects of future floods.

Filipiak works for the Nature Conservancy of Iowa, part of a national organization that seeks to preserve waterways.

While those waterways help protect other areas during times of floods, they are also being damaged by significant flooding, Filipiak told the Lions.

There are two main reasons for increased flooding., said Filipiak. Generations of farming has compacted the soil, making it less capable of absorbing rain water. And the growth of cities along rivers has greatly increased the amount of impervious surfaces, giving water less opportunity to soak into the ground.

The solution, said Filipiak, is not to consider farming or cities the enemy, but to work with them where possible to create areas where water can go during times of flooding.

Already, she said, there are many organizations working with landowners on initiatives that can help deal with flooding issues while also improving natural habitat.

The Iowa-Cedar Watershed Interagency Coordination Team is investigating strategies designed to help in several areas: flood patterns and risks, water quality, wildlife habitat, land use planning, recreation and energy production.

The first goal, Filipiak told the Lions, is to conduct a three to five-year study that will define a list of goals for the next decades.

While the organization includes state organizations government agencies, much of the effort will depend upon working with landowners on small, specific areas. One of those areas is the Lime Creek Watershed, in the northern part of Benton County and the southern part of Buchanan County, near Brandon. Filipiak told the Lions how several land owners are working with a variety of other groups to monitor the water quality and levels there.

For more information, visit web site: www.iowacedarbasin.org.