DES MOINES -- The Iowa DNR and partner agencies are requesting Iowans’ review of information gathered from a series of public meetings held this summer to identify areas prone to flooding along the Missouri River in Iowa.
The information gathered from these meetings has been organized into a single document that contains comments for locations along the Iowa side of Missouri River. The document and location map can be accessed at iowadnr.gov/simra.
"We are interested in hearing back from those who were part of the initial meetings to verify that our information is correct, and to see if there is more information we can add to our list,” said Tim Hall, Hydrology Resources Coordinator for the DNR. “Our deadline for additional information is Sept. 24, and then we will hold virtual stakeholder meetings in late September. We plan to review the updated information before we have discussions with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in October."
The larger, multi-state effort is in response to near-historic levels in the Missouri River in 2019. The unprecedented amount of runoff resulted in the lower Missouri River staying above flood stage at multiple locations for nearly nine months, causing billions of dollars of damage to homes, businesses, agricultural production, levees and natural resources across five states, including Iowa.
The information gathered and analysis completed will be documented in a flood risk management plan for the entire lower Missouri River, which can be used at the state and local level to help inform flood risk management decisions moving forward.
The project is a partnership between the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Kansas Water Office, and the Kansas City and Omaha districts of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.