Supporters see raft of benefits in wetlands project

CEDAR RAPIDS - The restoration of 50 upstream wetlands, announced Friday by local leaders of the Nature Conservancy, are intended to reduce flood risks, improve water quality, enhance wildlife habitat and increase outdoor recreation and education opportunities.

The project, to begin this summer, 'is the answer to high water in Cedar Rapids and the quality of water in Cedar Rapids,” said John Bickel, a trustee of the Nature Conservancy in Iowa and emcee of the announcement celebration at the home of John and Dyan Smith.

Jan Glendenning, the Conservancy's Iowa director, said curbing flooding, improving water quality and protecting biodiversity along the Cedar and Iowa rivers are priorities for the organization.

Glendenning said the Conservancy has committed to raising $1.5 million for the restoration of 50 wetlands, most of them on city, county and state land in Linn County. Of that amount, $1 million - enough to restore 35 wetlands - is in hand. The Smiths donated $750,000.

'It was the right thing to do,” said John Smith, chairman of the board of CRST International.

Glendenning said flooding and water quality challenges are likely to worsen, given a trend toward increased annual precipitation.

Noting that an acre of wetland stores and filters 1 million gallons of water, Glendenning said the 35 wetlands for which funding has been secured will store about 300 million gallons of water.

At the median June 4 flow rate of the Cedar River at Cedar Rapids (4,560 cubic feet per second), it would take about 2 hours and 26 minutes for that volume of water to flow past a fixed point. On June 13, 2008, when the Cedar attained a record flow rate of 140,000 cubic feet per second, it would have taken about 4 minutes and 45 seconds for 300 million gallons to pass that fixed point.

The wetlands project and the Middle Cedar Partnership Project, in which both Cedar Rapids and The Nature Conservancy are engaged, are innovative examples of looking upstream to fix water problems, Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett said.

Calling the Cedar River wetland project 'a huge step forward” in efforts to control floodwaters and improve water quality, Corbett said it is a rare instance in which private organizations, corporations, foundations and donors have stepped up together.

Linn County Supervisor Brent Oleson, noting that the Linn County Conservation Department manages about 7,000 acres along Mississippi River tributaries, said county officials 'are totally on board with this project.”

Charles City Mayor Jim Erb, who is leading a complementary effort to improve water storage capacity along the upper Cedar, said efforts there will benefit downstream residents including those in Cedar Rapids.

Cedar Rapids Utilities Director Steve Hershner, whose responsibilities include ensuring safe drinking water, said the wetlands project will improve the quality of source water before it even gets to the treatment center.

In April the Nature Conservancy in Iowa launched a $30.9 million campaign for flood plain restoration, grassland protection, education and other conservation goals. As of Friday, $22.5 million had been raised, Glendenning said.

Contributions can be made at the organization's website, tnc.org

Donors may specify that their money be used for the wetland project.