University of Iowa
IN-3: Innovation 3

Iowa Flood Center at the University of Iowa

The Iowa Flood Center at the University of Iowa is the only center in the United States dedicated to understanding and mitigating the devastating impacts of flooding.

The concept for the Iowa Flood Center is rooted in the monumental efforts that took place on the University of Iowa (UI) campus in June 2008 before, during, and after the Iowa and Cedar Rivers crested in Eastern Iowa.

In between filling sandbags and moving out of flood-endangered buildings, UI researchers began collecting time-sensitive data on many aspects of the flood, including high-resolution data to document flood water elevations and contaminated sediments deposited by flood waters. The flood helped catalyze the formation of new teams of researchers from across the UI campus to work together on flood-related initiatives. They also sought funding from a variety of sources; in the first 12 months after the flood, the University of Iowa was awarded more than $500,000 by the National Science Foundation for flood-related research.

A central issue that emerged from this work was the realization that there was no central place in Iowa (or in the nation) for advanced research and education focused on floods. Discussion and formulation of a plan to establish an Iowa-based center for flood research and education followed. The University of Iowa was the logical home for this center, based on the institution’s experience during the flood and because it is home to IIHR—Hydroscience & Engineering, one of the preeminent hydraulics laboratories in the United States.

In the spring of 2009, the state of Iowa established (and funded) the new Iowa Flood Center (IFC). Several Iowa senators and representatives spearheaded this effort, with much behind-the-scenes work by IIHR research engineers Larry Weber and Witold Krajewski. A total of $1,300,000 was appropriated for the center in its first year (FY2010).

The IFC is now actively engaged in flood-related projects in several Iowa communities and employs several graduate and undergraduate students participating in flood-related research. IFC researchers have designed a cost-efficient sensor network to better monitor stream flow in the state; have developed a library of flood-inundation maps for several Iowa communities; and are working on a large project to develop new floodplain map for 85 of Iowa’s 99 counties.

The IFC brings together numerous partners and collaborators, including the local, state and federal agencies listed below. By working in partnership, resources and talents are combined to provide a better service to Iowans.

Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Weather Service
USDA – Natural Resources Conservation Service
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District
United States Geological Survey
Iowa State University