New book examines the flood's causes and effects

The lessons of the 2008 flood are still being learned, but those who want to learn them have a place to start.

“A Watershed Year: Anatomy of the Iowa Floods of 2008” will likely become the standard reference on the subject for students and the general public. Newly published by the University of Iowa Press, the 284-page book includes records of rainfall and river-flow records and tracks the flood's development and effects through charts, maps, and photos.

Even though the flood literally overran his office doorstep at UI's IIHR building on the Iowa River, Witold Krajewski had to be convinced it was time to publish the first comprehensive scientific account.

“When (Editor Connie Mutel) convinced me the purpose of the book is not to provide answers, than my response was yeah, go for it,” said Krajewski, UI professor of engineering, IIHR faculty member, and director of the Iowa Flood Center. “What I was afraid was that this book and the simplified stories would be taken as answers, and it's just too soon.”

“I thought people needed some really solid information source, which this book attempts to be,” said Mutel. “This is supposed to be a book on the science of the flood.”

Mutel said the book, her 12th, is already being used as a text for at least one UI course, and its lessons are applicable throughout the Corn Belt.

In 25 chapters written by Krajewski and other experts from UI and elsewhere, “Watershed Year” examines the flood's causes and effects. The former include the effect of agricultural and development practices on the land's capacity to absorb moisture, the latter the economic damage, loss of topsoil, and air- and waterborne toxins carried by the floodwaters.

Krajewski cowrote the book's second chapter, which uses rainfall and river-flow records to determine why the 2008 flood was so large. A set of rainfall maps show a remarkable series of heavy thunderstorms June 4-15, 2008, that added up to a “perfect storm ... not necessarily extremely large, but one in which the precipitation was perfectly timed and located to raise the flow in river drainage networks to extraordinary levels.”

“That last storm the day before the crest arrived at Cedar Rapids, to predict the potential of such a storm one would have to make that forecast with respect to when and where and how much,” Krajewski said. “That skill is just not there.”

The book closes with chapters on the steps Iowans could take - yet mostly haven't - to be better-equipped to deal with future floods, including “the big one,” which the 2008 flood wasn't.

“We don't know how to prevent floods, but we do know how to work with the land in order to mitigate their destruction, and we know the current landscape produces large floods that rise faster,” said Mutel. “Yet we haven't implemented those procedures.”

Mutel cited Cedar Falls' ban on development in the 500-year flood plain as a model for managing future floods. But a statewide flood-plain management plan was blocked in the state House after lobbying by the Iowa League of Cities and other interest groups.

“It's the very human instinct of wanting to get back to business as usual,” said Mutel. “It's this discrepancy between what we know, and what we do.”

A few first steps have been taken, notably the creation of the Cedar River Watershed Coalition and the Iowa Flood Center headed by Krajewski.

“We are not going to stop the next flood, but hopefully everybody will be more aware and better prepared,” said Krajewski.