116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Army Corps of Engineers boosts Cedar Rapids flood control funds to $306 million on river’s east side
Announcement more than doubles Army Corps’ current contribution to city flood protection
CEDAR RAPIDS — A boost of over $180 million in federal funding will more than double the Army Corps of Engineers’ contribution toward construction of the city of Cedar Rapids’ flood control system on the east side of the Cedar River, enabling construction to wrap up by the end of 2026.
The Army Corps of Engineers’ announcement Tuesday that its commitment to the system will now total $306 million goes a long way toward finishing the $750 million infrastructure project as the city grapples with the effects of inflation and construction cost spikes.
“To think that we now have a commitment of over $300 million from the Corps and our federal partners is something to really celebrate today and for the future of Cedar Rapids,” City Manager Jeff Pomeranz said.
This additional money comes from contingency funds in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018.
The Army Corps of Engineers already had committed $117 million toward work on the east side of the river; of that federal contribution, $41 million is a loan.
Under the Army Corps’ cost-benefit formula, the west side was not eligible for funding. The cost of construction there exceeds the value of the buildings it would protect.
Michael Connor, assistant secretary of the Army for Civil Works, said officials recognize that climate change is driving increasingly devastating natural disasters and extreme weather, fueling a race to start and complete more segments of flood control before the next destructive event.
He said policies such as the 2018 budget bill, signed into law under Republican President Donald Trump, as well as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, championed by Democratic President Joe Biden, help address the magnitude of need for flood mitigation.
“Extremes are the norm,” Connor said. “ … The good news is, however, there is strong support across the board. This is not ideological, this is not political.”
In addition to celebrating the additional funding at an announcement event Tuesday, the city and federal officials recognized the completion of the Army Corps’ First Avenue floodgate project.
During flood events, the $4.125 million roller gate will roll across the road, close and lock into place to keep water out. It is 12 feet high, 82 feet long and weighs 57,000 pounds.
Flood control program manager Rob Davis said this funding bump will help the east-side system overall, not necessarily particular projects. Projects still remain stretching from First Avenue to the Great America building near Eighth Avenue, around Cedar Lake and at the tie-offs on either end of the east side.
Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell said flood control work continues to accelerate upstream and downstream, and on the east and west sides, as past and former city and federal officials have rallied around flood protection.
“Not only is the system crucial for protecting our city and our residents,” O’Donnell said. “It is a vital investment in improving our resilience to what we know are climate hazards and promoting environmental justice by reducing disparities in health outcomes, promoting economic growth and improving the quality of life for all of our residents.”
Other funding fuels construction
Tuesday’s news comes as construction cost increases have prompted city officials to study the impact of growing expenses on its permanent flood control system of flood gates, levees and pump stations. While the original cost of the plan was estimated at $750 million, council member Tyler Olson estimated at a meeting earlier this year that the end price tag could be close to $1 billion.
The Public Works Department and other divisions of the city are drafting a plan that will be submitted to the council in the coming months, Pomeranz previously said.
While the overall funding gap still is being assessed as part of this plan, Davis said this funding bump will help plug that gap for the east side.
Besides the Army Corps, a mix of other funding sources fuel flood control work.
The Iowa Flood Mitigation Board is slated to contribute up to $269 million.
In 2018, the city council approved borrowing $264 million in general obligation bonds to fund protection on both the east and west sides of the river. That plan relies on a property tax levy increase of 22 cents per $1,000 in taxable value each year through fiscal 2029.
Plus, with $10 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act money, the council opted to speed up flood control work in the northwest quadrant.
The city also has received at least $15.5 million so far in grant money and continues to seek more.
Additional money still may materialize through language included last year in the Water Resources Development Act — a federal bill that provides a framework for projects done by the Army Corps.
The bill accounts for updates to the design of Cedar Rapids’ east-side flood control system, authorized by Congress in 2014, that were needed to accommodate plans for westside flood control. The Army Corps’ east-side plans were approved before the west-side plan was developed.
This modified language allows the Army Corps to participate in the cost of the additional improvements on the east side but does not appropriate money.
Funds allocated through this bill would allow the city to use federal dollars on projects that were previously ineligible, such as a Cedar Lake pump station or a tie-off on the east side.
U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, a Marion Republican, said she plans to continue advocating in Congress for investments in flood mitigation measures.
Hinson was not in office when the Bipartisan Budget Act was passed in 2018. While she voted against bills such as the American Rescue Plan Act, Hinson did support the 2022 reauthorization of the Water Resources Development Act and she sits on the House Appropriations Committee. She said she tells the stories of Cedar Rapids’ devastation when she’s in Washington.
“We can’t predict the weather, as we know, but what we can do is be prepared,” Hinson said. “ … We will continue working together to make sure Cedar Rapids is stronger and more resilient for generations to come.”
Comments: (319) 398-8494; marissa.payne@thegazette.com
Daily Newsletters