‘Major milestone’ for Cedar Rapids flood control passes Congress

DES MOINES — A “major milestone“ for flood control in Cedar Rapids is included in legislation recently passed by Congress and is expected to be signed by President Joe Biden.

The Water Resource and Development Act, reauthorized every two years, provides a framework for projects and studies done by the Army Corps of Engineers. The act deals with construction and maintenance of ports, waterways, locks and dams.

The bill directs the Corps’ work “to conduct studies, construct projects, do research on various activities that lead to improvements in rivers and harbors and things like that,” said Allen Marshall, a spokesman for the Rock Island District of the Army Corps of Engineers. The legislation was part of the National Defense Authorization Act, which passed the Senate last week on an 83-11 vote. Iowa’s Republican U.S. senators voted for the bill and said the water development act secured important provisions for Iowa.

New projects in Iowa

The bill includes language updating the design of Cedar Rapids’ east-side flood control system authorized by Congress in 2014 that is needed to accommodate plans for a permanent flood control system on the west side of the Cedar River.

Modifications include additional length, height and other components not included in the 2014 legislation. The original Army Corps plans for the east-side were approved before the development of the west side flood control system.

While the bill does not appropriate any money, Cedar Rapids officials said the modified language allows the Army Corps to participate in the cost of the additional improvements outlined, unlocking another up to $50 million for flood control.

While it’s not a guarantee of funding, Cedar Rapids City Manager Jeff Pomeranz, in a memo to City Council members, called the passage of the bill “a major milestone.”

This year’s legislation also includes provisions that add a Des Moines area levee to the Corps’ flood mitigation project, as well as sections of the Red Rock Dam in Central Iowa, allowing for more work to be done in those areas to address flooding concerns.

The act extends a study of harmful algal blooms to include the upper Mississippi River and its tributaries. The study, which began in 2020, intends to find measures to prevent and eliminate algal blooms in waterways that can cause harm to wildlife and humans.

Along the Missouri River, it includes a study of stream bank erosion between Sioux City and the confluence with the Mississippi River.

The bill also requires that the Corps produce a report on the number of projects that are either behind schedule by more than five years or over budget by $50 million

The legislation dictates the projects carried out by the Corps, but funding for them is laid out in later appropriations acts, Marshall said.

“It’s just an authorization; it doesn’t fund anything,” he said. “We’re a long ways off from any funding related to projects we do.”

Senators applaud passage

Iowa U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, who sits on the Environment and Public Works Committee, which crafted the bill, said the legislation includes important wins for Iowa.

“In this year’s water resources bill, I fought hard to include increased flood management, water safety, and taxpayer transparency measures,” Ernst said in a statement. “I’m thrilled to see this important bill pass the Senate and expect the president to soon sign it into law.”

Ernst also said the legislation prioritizes flood control along the Missouri River, which overflowed in a strong 2019 storm. Her office said there was “widespread sentiment in the region that the Corps is prioritizing other concerns at the expense of flood control.”

Iowa U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley also celebrated the passage of the legislation.

“Senator Ernst and I worked hard to ensure Iowa would benefit from this year’s Water Resources Development Act, and I’m glad that our priorities are included in the package that is on its way to becoming law. This includes authorizations that will help with additional flood control needs in both Cedar Rapids and Des Moines,” Grassley said.

Tom Barton of The Gazette’s Des Moines Bureau contributed to this report.