Iowa is under water

[TokKiwi]

Thanks   Was that road you were driving on directly flooded because of a levee broached or just general flood waters?  Should call it River Road!! LOL  It's strange to see that much water around and the sun has been shining for a couple of days already I guess...

[Stronghurst]

The water in Fort Madison was seepage.  Most of the river bottom area is sand.  Might be dirt on top but sand on the bottom.  Water just goes right through it.  Dam it all you want but it still bubbles up.  They have very big pumps sending it back.

I would like to know what the "shark" was.

Mark

[Fox_Of_The_Wind]

Thanks   Was that road you were driving on directly flooded because of a levee broached or just general flood waters?  Should call it River Road!! LOL  It's strange to see that much water around and the sun has been shining for a couple of days already I guess...

I belive the road is called "Great River Road" (Well it is on this side of the Mississippi in Wisconsin).............Just did some checking and it looks like it is called the same over in Iowa............Unless I missed the boat some place????
http://www.experiencemississippiriver.com

[Stronghurst]

This PDF file shows what I mean by they never expected this high of water.

www.burgus.org/flood/leveepotentialmap.pdf

Mark

[TokKiwi]

That was a lot of acreage and two towns as well, plus of course, the many blocks of majorcities that were flooded - quite a few levees crested or breached!  A huge loss to those with crops - it has been colder than normal as well so the crops are only half of what they should be already.  Let alone flood damage!

[Stronghurst]

I mean really, two five hundred year floods in fifteen years (2008 and 1993).  I think they need to rethink their thinking

Or let the river have the less defendable areas.  If they keep trying to channel the river in such a small area.  It will always breakout some where.  Let it have what it wants.  And I'm sorry if it sounds cold but those people here do live in a flood area.  Why pay them to rebuild?  Buy them out and place the land in a wildlife trust.

Mark

[aardvark]

In the flood areas in Des MOines, no one wants their land ..  and to build in any direction costs up the wahzoo.   Homes are going for 300 -1 million dollars to the West.  Up North in ankeny, it is about the same.  Not sure who is buying these homes, but it isn't me...   We had one building firm go belly up because of the market.. They shut down while homes were being built ..  a lot of law suits followed and some other companies stepped in and took over ..

Flood insurance  probably will be the item to invest in.. after the fact.  I agree these naming of the types of floods, 100,200, 500 are a big joke.

I would think that buying near a flood plain or in one, by a lake home and so forth is plain nuts.  but people do this.

We need some of the politicians have money pouring in to take care of the levees, the dams, to prevent this from happening or be able to control the problem to start with.   The Army Corps  is in Rock Island..  I wonder how much water they took in at their offices.

[hydrowx]

I agree these naming of the types of floods, 100,200, 500 are a big joke.

Yes, unfortunately the terminology is frequently misunderstood. It represents the statistical chance of achieving a flood of a given magnitude in any given year. For example the 500 year flood has a 0.2 percent chance of occurring in any given year regardless if one was experienced last year.

A better explanation here.

[Stronghurst]

Trouble is, the more you restrict the water the worse it is going to get.

Mark

[aardvark]

the Saylorville dam was supposed to take care of flood control on the Des Moines.   Obviously not.  The first year they had to dredge near the dam.. silted up.

Now they don't lower it knowing that it is going to over flow the emergency spillway because they don't want to upset the boaters... makes no sense to me.

I think the Coralville was the same intent....

Without getting too rude.. I am certain that the Army Corp  who deal with these are those folks who failed to be able to play the drum in band and definitely are poor shots with rifles..

[Stronghurst]

Without getting too rude.. I am certain that the Army Corp  who deal with these are those folks who failed to be able to play the drum in band and definitely are poor shots with rifles..

Not a fair statement.  Same as blaming the Iraq war on the military.  If you would talk to them you would find out that they are only doing what their boss tells them.  And that boss is a politician.  On the Mississippi the Corp has made many recommendations and are over ruled by the local politicians.  And here we are swimming in stead of driving.  Or maybe this is the way to cut gas usage?

Mark

[aardvark]

it is a fair statement.  after two days of the river flowing through the hole in the levee.. the Army Corp gave permission for the city to plug the hole .. two days?????   I am sure the folks in the birdland area are a little perturbed

[thornestation]

the Army Corp gave permission for the city to plug the hole .. two days?????   I am sure the folks in the birdland area are a little perturbed

We had a similar situation this winter but we needed the levee breached to drain the flood water out.  The levee was split into many different jurisdictions and the part that would have been best was city owned.  After many days the state dept. of trans got disgusted and breached on the portion they were responsible for.

I think part of the problem was confusion as to who to talk to.

[Stronghurst]

I know nothing of the levees in your area.  But in my area, they tried to put a barge in sideways to plug the levee in 65.  It ripped a giant hole in the levee.  The point being, you must let the water slow down.  When Henderson levee #3 breached in 93 I took a canoe through it.  Not one of my brighter moments.  Six foot rollers where in there.  I might have well tried to take a johnboat into a barge roller up stream.  There is a tremendous force in just three foot of difference.  Let alone a ten foot difference.

Point being, how do you plug a levee when water is pouring in?

Mark

[aardvark]

what they did here is dump a lot of gravel .. lime stone in.. anyway.. here, the water level is down and the water has or is due to stop coming over the spillway...   I suppose the drought settles in.

I know that the garden  is getting dry.. which is hard to believe, but it has to be going somewhere..

Revised my web pages .. the rain detail now shows surplus and deficits..