A Watershed Year: Anatomy of the Iowa Floods of 2008 (Bur Oak Book)

In June 2008, the rivers of eastern Iowa rose above their banks to create floods of epic proportions; their amazing size—flowing in places at a rate nearly double that of the previous record flood—and the rapidity of their rise ruined farmlands and displaced thousands of residents and hundreds of businesses. In Cedar Rapids, the waters inundated more than nine square miles of the downtown area; in Iowa City, where the flood was also the most destructive in history, the University of Iowa’s arts campus was destroyed. By providing a solid base of scientific and technical information presented with unusual clarity and a wealth of supporting illustrations, the contributors to this far-reaching book, many of whom dealt firsthand with the 2008 floods, provide a detailed roadmap of the causes and effects of future devastating floods. The twenty-five essays fall naturally into four sections. “Rising Rivers, Spreading Waters” begins by comparing the 2008 floods with the midwestern floods of 1993, moves on to trace community responses to the 2008 floods, and ends by illuminating techniques for forecasting floods and determining their size and frequency. “Why Here, Why Now?” searches for possible causes of the 2008 floods and of flooding in general: annual crops and urban landscapes, inflows into and releases from reservoirs, and climate change. “Flood Damages, Flood Costs, Flood Benefits” considers the complex mix of flood costs and effects, emphasizing damages to cities and farmlands as well as potential benefits to natural communities and archaeological sites. “Looking Back, Looking Forward” lays out approaches to managing the floods of the future that are sure to come. While the book draws most of its examples from one particular region, it explains flooding throughout a much larger region—the midwestern Corn Belt—and thus its sobering yet energizing lessons apply well beyond eastern Iowa. By examining the relationships among rivers, floodplains, weather, and modern society; by stressing matters of science and fact rather than social or policy issues; and by addressing multiple environmental problems and benefits, A Watershed Year informs and educates all those who experienced the 2008 floods and all those concerned with the larger causes of flooding. Contents......Page 6 Preface and Acknowledgments......Page 8 Introduction......Page 12 Section I: Rising Rivers, Spreading Waters......Page 22 1. What Causes Floods in Iowa? / A. Allen Bradley, Jr.......Page 28 2. Why Were the 2008 Floods So Large? / Witold F. Krajewski and Ricardo Mantilla......Page 40 3. Iowa City and the Flood / Richard A. Fosse......Page 52 4. The University of Iowa and the Flood / Barbara Eckstein and Rodney Lehnertz......Page 60 5. Linn County and the Flood / Linda Langston......Page 66 6. Forecasting a Record Flood / A. Allen Bradley, Jr.......Page 74 7. Estimating Flood Frequency / David Eash......Page 82 Section II: Why Here, Why Now?......Page 92 8. The Hydrologic Footprint of Annual Crops / Michael Burkart......Page 98 9. The Hydrology of Urban Landscapes / Wayne Petersen......Page 108 10. The Coralville Dam and Reservoir: Design and Operation / John Castle......Page 116 11. The Dam and the Flood: Cause or Cure? / Robert F. Sayre......Page 124 12. Was Climate Change Involved? / Eugene S. Takle......Page 132 Section III: Flood Damages, Flood Costs, Flood Benefits......Page 138 13. Flood Effects on Archaeological Sites / Joe Alan Artz and Lynn M. Alex......Page 144 14. Flood Effects on Modern Communities / Cornelia F. Mutel......Page 152 15. Economic Losses from the Floods / Daniel Otto......Page 160 16. How Did the Floods Affect Farmland? / Richard Cruse, Hillary Olson, and John M. Laflen......Page 168 17. What's in Your Floodwaters? / Dana Kolpin and Keri Hornbuckle......Page 176 18. Air Quality Hazards / Peter S. Thorne......Page 184 19. Flood Effects on Natural Communities / John Pearson......Page 192 Section IV: Looking Back, Looking Forward......Page 200 20. When (Not If) the Big One Comes / Jack Riessen......Page 206 21. Watershed-Based Flood Management / Douglas M. Johnston......Page 214 22. Flood Barriers / Nathan C. Young and A. Jacob Odgaard......Page 220 23. Managing Urban Runoff / Wayne Petersen......Page 226 24. Perennial Farming Systems That Resist Flooding / Laura Jackson and Dennis Keeney......Page 236 25. The Great Flood of 1993: Did We Learn Any Lessons? / Gerald E. Galloway......Page 248 Epilogue......Page 256 Notes on Contributors......Page 260 Index......Page 268 "While the book draws most of its examples from one particular region, it explains flooding throughout a much larger region - the midwestern Corn Belt - and thus its sobering yet energizing lessons apply well beyond eastern Iowa. By examining the relationships among rivers, floodplains, weather, and modern society; by stressing matters of science and fact rather than social or policy issues; and by addressing multiple environmental problems and benefits, the twenty-five essays in A Watershed Year inform and educate all those who experienced the 2008 floods and all those concerned with the larger causes of flooding."--Jacket