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Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Biden signs bill that could accelerate Cedar Rapids flood protection system
It includes language to help accelerate progress on the system
Jan. 7, 2025 9:45 am, Updated: Jan. 7, 2025 2:36 pm
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CEDAR RAPIDS — Federal legislation signed into law over the weekend by President Joe Biden includes a provision to support flood risk management in the Cedar Rapids area.
Biden on Saturday signed into law the Water Resources Development Act of 2024. The law authorizes construction of Army Corps of Engineers water resources projects, with several focused on reducing flood risks through the country, modifies previously authorized projects and contains language to help accelerate progress on the Cedar River Flood Protection System.
Cedar Rapids City Manager Jeff Pomeranz said efforts by Iowa’s congressional delegation to secure the new language will help the city “move more efficiently, access additional funding opportunities, and accelerate efforts to protect our community from future floods.”
A previous act in 2022 commissioned a study to update flood risk management projects for consistency with the Cedar River Flood Control System Master Plan. The new legislation clarifies and makes finishing that study a higher priority for the Army Corps of Engineers.
The expedited feasibility study will update the Army Corps’ last federal study in 2011 and assess how the entire system operates as a whole for both sides of the Cedar River, according to city officials.
“The effort could fully align the federal project with the City’s plans for the system, potentially making additional components eligible for federal funding,” according to a statement from the city of Cedar Rapids.
Cedar Rapids invested a record $90 million in local and federal spending last fiscal year, fueling major projects on the east side of the Cedar River, while making headway on the west bank. As of June, work had been completed on approximately 35 percent of the permanent flood control system, according to the city.
When the Army Corps wraps up east side work by the end of 2026, the overall system will be 70 percent complete, Flood Control System Program Manager Rob Davis told The Gazette last summer.
The work is designed to fortify Cedar Rapids against flooding should the city experience another disaster on the scale of the devastating 2008 flood.
The system includes a network of levees, floodwalls, gates and pump stations costing about $1 billion. Additional funding still is needed to complete the entire permanent Cedar River flood system.
“In the wake of the devastating flooding in Cedar Rapids, we saw Iowans come together, helping their neighbors and rebuilding their community,” Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, who served in the Iowa National Guard during natural disasters, said in a statement. “Now, after years of pushing the federal government to do its part, Cedar Rapids is closer to protecting against future floods. The completion of this study will help the Army Corps of Engineers finish its work faster and ensure Iowans are not left behind when it comes to disaster preparedness and prevention.”
Ernst has also consistently pushed the federal government to ensure rural areas have the same access to federal disaster funding as coastal areas.
City officials thanked Ernst and Iowa’s Republican congressional delegation, including U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson of Marion and U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, as well as federal partners and lobbyists for helping to advance Cedar Rapids’ flood control projects.
“This legislation demonstrates Cedar Rapids’ continued success in securing support across all levels for this critical infrastructure project,” Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell said in a statement. “It marks another step toward a comprehensive flood protection system that will not only safeguard our community but also deliver lasting quality-of-life benefits.”
Comments: (319) 398-8499; tom.barton@thegazette.com
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