The Iowa Watershed Approach

The Iowa Watershed Approach is a HUD Disaster Resilience Grant to Iowa over $96.9 million. The Iowa Watershed Approach (IWA) is a vision for Iowa’s future that voluntarily engages stakeholders throughout the watershed to achieve common goals, while moving toward a more resilient state. It is a replicable model for other communities where the landscape has lost its natural resilience to floods. This program is not only about Iowans helping Iowans, but also about demonstrating Iowans’ commitment to agricultural stewardship, to the environment, to their neighbors, and to the future. The goals of the IWA include the following:

• Reduction of flood risk;

• Improvement in water quality;

• Increased resilience;

• Engagement of stakeholders through collaboration, outreach, and education;

• Improved quality of life and health for Iowans; and

• Development of a replicable program.

https://iowawatershedapproach.org/

Nate Anderson of WHKS & Co., the lead design engineer firm for the North Racoon and Middle Cedar Watershed provided insights into the processes of the project. They are responsible for designing the flood control/water quality improvement ag BMPs, then working with the general contractors to make sure they are built properly. They interact with landowners and have projects in rural as well as urban settings.

https://www.whks.com/

This event is supported by the National Science Foundation, Award #1929601. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.