Lawmakers Should Act on Watershed Reforms

Last week, I expressed concerns about the federal government's contention that building a full-scale levee system in Cedar Rapids wouldn't be worth the cost. The risk of another record flood, apparently, is too low, so no dough.

But my worries about future flooding and government indifference don't end there.

Iowa lawmakers return to the Statehouse next week. Waiting for them is a set of responsible, forward-thinking recommendations from a special panel formed to think about how Iowa could better manage watersheds around its rivers. Levees are swell, but watershed management is the real key to avoiding future flooding. We've got to change the way we use land along our river systems, how we handle runoff and how we convince landowners to act responsibly.

The panel calls for basing land-use rules and regulations on the broader 500-year flood plain, not just the 100-year zone. Statewide storm water and runoff standards should be adopted. Wetlands must be created or restored. Pilot programs should be approved to study new methods for slowing down or containing water that now rushes into rivers from agricultural land.

Iowa State University's extension system, the panel contends, should mount an education effort to teach land owners about best practices. The state needs to spend $50 million annually to match local and federal bucks for flood control projects beyond walls and levees and structures. Its advice fills more than 80 pages.

This is good stuff that could have a big, positive impact on the future of Cedar Rapids and cities across Iowa.

Trouble is, our Legislature doesn't do responsible and forward-thinking very well. It's an election year, when a lawmakers' fancy usually turns to political warfare. “Watershed management” and “political sizzle” are not synonymous. Oh, and there's that small matter of the state being flat broke.

State Sen. Rob Hogg, D-Cedar Rapids, says he's going to do everything he can to convince his colleagues that action must be taken this year. But he knows what he's up against. “There's no bigger problem in public life than inertia,” Hogg says.

And that's what worries me. The sense of urgency is slipping away fast. The Army Corps of Engineers gave it a good shove last week by saying our flood was a fluke. If lawmakers shrug off watershed management this year, good luck trying to get their attention in 2011.

Some lawmakers may have forgotten 2008, but they need to know we haven't. We're on the back burner, but that doesn't mean we can't turn up the heat. Our future's at stake.

Comments: (319) 398-8452 or todd.dorman@gazcomm.com