Agencies more than double number of river gauges, sensors since 2008

A gauge measuring the volume and level of the Turkey River at Spillville is so important to managing flooding in northeast Iowa that when Sean Snyder heard state funding was being cut, he convinced city and county officials to scrape up nearly $10,000 to keep the gauge running.

'I rely heavily on that Spillville gauge,' the Winneshiek County Emergency Management coordinator said.

In 2016, heavy rains caused the Turkey to crest at 20 feet — 11 feet over flood stage. 'If it wasn't for having that gauge in place, it would have meant downstream neighbors would not have had the warning they did,' Snyder said.

State and federal agencies have more than doubled the number of gauges and sensors on Iowa rivers, lakes and streams in the decade since the 2008 floods. The data coming from 530 devices allows for flood forecasting, inundation maps and even text or email alerts for Iowans in the path of rising water.

Building this network for flood prediction has involved many agencies, including the U.S. Geological Survey, Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Iowa Flood Center, launched at the University of Iowa after the 2008 flood that devastated parts of Eastern Iowa.

'In 2008, I was frustrated that with my experience I couldn't help,' said Witold Krajewski, a UI hydrologist whose specialty is in measuring, modeling and forecasting precipitation using remote sensing.

While they couldn't stop the massive swell of water rushing down the Cedar and Iowa rivers in 2008, they could help agencies better prepare for, predict and monitor future flooding.