University of Iowa Work Could Cause More Flooding

By: Steve Nicoles, Reporter

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By Steve Nicoles

Story Created: Jun 9, 2008 at 5:36 PM CST

Story Updated: Jun 9, 2008 at 5:47 PM CST

IOWA CITY - Some Iowa City neighborhoods that normally would never have to worry about flooding might have to worry this year. Some work by the University of Iowa has come at a very bad time.

To fully understand what is going on, you need to know that water flowing out of the Coralville Reservoir is measured in cubic feet per second, or CFS. As of Monday, 18,000 CFS of water flows through the dam. Typically the water can flow at 29,000 before people outside the 100-year flood plain need to worry. But, because of some work going on at the University of Iowa that number has been dropped to 25,000 CFS for parts of the river upstream from campus.

University crews have built coffer dams in the Iowa River so they could work in the river but not be touched by the water. According to Iowa City, those coffer dams are backing up the water. And according to the Army Corps of Engineers we are very likely to see waters rushing at more than the 25,000 CFS level. All this means homes that have one fifth of one percent of a chance of seeing flooding could see it soon.

And there are two specific areas: Normandy Drive across the street from the Iowa River and the Idylwylde neighborhood near City Park.

And now the work could prove quite costly to some residents. The University's work was supposed to be done in May 2007. It is more than a year overdue. The University says it is too dangerous to remove the equipment from the river now.

Email Steve Nicoles at Steve.Nicoles@kcrg.com

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