Governor, cities want Army Corps to review policies at reservoirs

Gov. Chet Culver has written letters to President Obama and the head of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers asking the corps to work with various stakeholders and partners to conduct an immediate review of current policies and procedures to determine what shorter-term deviations may be appropriate under current regulations to help avert future flooding in Iowa.

“We're looking forward to getting some better information so that we can take care of any an all kinds of prevention and mitigation efforts,” Governor Culver said. “That should be the number one priority in terms of those reservoirs.

Culver sent letters Tuesday to Obama and to Lt. General Robert Van Antwerp, commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Also attached were letters of support from the mayors of Coralville and Ottumwa.

“It has been since the 1960s since the plan of operation for the Coralville Reservoir was looked at,” said Kelly Hayworth, city administrator for Coralville.  “We really think it's time to look at that operation.”

The city of Iowa City and some Johnson County officials are also supporting the request, saying it is time to allow the Army Corps of Engineers to be more proactive, than reactive to adjusting water levels at the Corlaville Lake.

“We have been getting a lot more precipitation now than when the policies were made,” Sullivan said.  “There have also been] a lot of development which has changed the amount of flow rates both above and blow the Reservoir.”

John Castle, operations manager at Coralville Lake, agrees that a review of existing policies and procedures could be beneficial.  He said he has been pushing for a study since 1993.

“The operating plan we have right now is pretty old,” Castle said.

Castle said if the federal government signs off on the proposed policy review, there are several details that should be examined: flow rates, frequency of flooding at different levels, and an inventory of all of the different things in the flood plain along the river, among others.

“A perfect plan isn't going to ever come along just because weather is such a variable,” Castle said.

However, Castle said statistical models and historical data could help identify a “little better way we can do things.”

Hayworth said an up-to-date reservoir policy and procedures guide could hopefully decrease the annual threat of flooding.

Castle said that a study like this could cost upwards of $1 million and take two years to complete.