Five Years Out: Ongoing Impacts & Challenges of the 2008 Floods

May 31, 2013
8:00 AM – 3:30 PM
National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, Cedar Rapids

June 2013 marks the fifth anniversary of the epic Eastern Iowa floods of 2008, which caused greater damage to the Iowa and Cedar River watersheds than any other natural disaster in recorded history. The fifth-year anniversary is an excellent opportunity to discuss what has changed as a result of the floods and ongoing policy challenges.

Photo credit: Brian Ray/The Gazette.

Please register above to join us for the symposium. The goals of the symposium are to:

  • Generate productive discussions among local leaders, policy makers, residents, and scholars.
  • Begin to bridge the gap between rural and urban approaches to water management.
  • Identify unresolved water management policies and explore how they might reach resolution.

A related event, Five Years Out: Trouble the Water Curator Talk and Reception, will be held on Thursday, May 30 at Legion Arts in Cedar Rapids. Click here to find out more details about the May 30 curator talk and reception.

These events are part of the Living with Floods 2013 series of events being held statewide to commemorate the anniversary of recent flood events, celebrate progress made towards recovery, and raise awareness of flood mitigation strategies and the interconnectedness of our environment and watersheds. Click here to find out more details about the Living with Floods 2013 series.

This symposium is approved for 6 credits/hours from APA's Certification Maintenance program.

 

Schedule

May 31, 2013

Welcome Remarks

Welcome remarks to the symposium, "Five Years Out: Ongoing Impacts and Challenges of the 2008 Floods," will be delivered by Peter Damiano, Director, Public Policy Center, University of Iowa, Larry Weber, Director, IIHR–Hydroscience & Engineering, University of Iowa, and Ron Corbett, Mayor, City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. They will briefly review the progress that has been made so far in recovery, outline the day’s agenda, and explain the goals of the symposium. 

The goals of the symposium are to:

  • Generate productive discussions among local leaders, policy makers, residents, and scholars.
  • Begin to bridge the gap between rural and urban approaches to water management.
  • Identify unresolved water management policies and explore how they might reach resolution.

Click here to view the full schedule for the symposium, "Five Years Out: Ongoing Impacts and Challenges of the 2008 Floods."

Director Public Policy Center
Professor Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Iowa
Edwin B. Green Chair in Hydraulics College of Engineering, University of Iowa
Director IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering, University of Iowa
Mayor City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Overview of Cedar Rapids Recovery

The 2008 flood caused tremendous damage to individuals and organizations in Cedar Rapids: citizens, unions, businesses, public agencies, and religious and cultural organizations. In response, the city developed a broad River Corridor Redevelopment Plan. City Manager Pomeranz will provide an overview of progress made to date in implementing the plan, and challenges to the recovery process.

Click here to view the full schedule for the symposium, "Five Years Out: Ongoing Impacts and Challenges of the 2008 Floods."

City Manager City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Iowa's Changing Climate and Water Run-Off

A report released in 2010 by Iowa public university researchers indicated that climate change was having an impact on Iowa: higher temperatures, agricultural challenges, habitat changes, and public health problems. Over the past five years the state has endured both floods and drought. This session will address the impact of climate change on precipitation and water flow in Iowa from a scientific perspective.

Click here to view the full schedule for the symposium, "Five Years Out: Ongoing Impacts and Challenges of the 2008 Floods."

Moderator
Iowa State Senator
Professor Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences, Iowa State University
Professor Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University
Post-Flood Watershed Challenges and Opportunities

Since the 2008 floods, state-level public agencies and research institutions in Iowa have developed new approaches to better understanding and managing the state’s watersheds. The technical and political issues are complex, because watersheds contain multiple jurisdictions and connect rural, suburban and urban communities. Speakers will identify key challenges to, as well as promising opportunities for, making measurable progress.

Click here to view the full schedule for the symposium, "Five Years Out: Ongoing Impacts and Challenges of the 2008 Floods."

Moderator
Assistant Professor Department of Geography, University of Iowa
Environmental Protection Division Administrator Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Professor Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Iowa
Edwin B. Green Chair in Hydraulics College of Engineering, University of Iowa
Director IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering, University of Iowa
Developmental Regulation Specialist City of Iowa City, Iowa
Chairperson Iowa Floodplain and Stormwater Management Association
Innovative Responses at the Local Level

At the local level in Eastern Iowa, individuals, coalitions, and government agencies have made significant innovations in response to the floods. The speakers will identify innovative policies and practices in which they played a role, and describe the development and implementation of those innovations. They will address the possibilities for encouraging ongoing, adaptive innovation.

Click here to view the full schedule for the symposium, "Five Years Out: Ongoing Impacts and Challenges of the 2008 Floods."

Moderator
Assistant Research Scientist Housing and Land Use Policy, Public Policy Center, University of Iowa
President Lime Creek Watershed Improvement Association
Member Cedar River Watershed Coalition
Assistant Commissioner Buchanan County Soil and Water Conservation District
Executive Administrator for Development Services City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Director Center for Energy & Environmental Education, University of Northern Iowa
Keynote Address: Disaster Resilience: A Local to National Imperative

Susan Cutter will discuss the Eastern Iowa flood experience in the context of a recently released national study of disaster resilience during her keynote address. Witek Krajewski, Director, Iowa Flood Center, will introduce Susan Cutter.

Click here to view the full schedule for the symposium, "Five Years Out: Ongoing Impacts and Challenges of the 2008 Floods."

Moderator
Director Iowa Flood Center, University of Iowa
Rose and Joseph Summers Chair of Water Resources Engineering University of Iowa
Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Iowa
Carolina Distinguished Professor of Geography
Director of the Hazards & Vulnerability Research Institute University of South Carolina
Water Management Policy Moving Forward

Water management policy links the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, and cuts across jurisdictional boundaries. Rural, suburban, and urban communities all have a role to play in improving the quantity of water flowing through a watershed. The speakers will identify realistic opportunities for improving existing, or developing new, water management policies that can protect people and businesses from costly and traumatic disasters in the future.

Click here to view the full schedule for the symposium, "Five Years Out: Ongoing Impacts and Challenges of the 2008 Floods."

Moderator
Professor Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Iowa
Edwin B. Green Chair in Hydraulics College of Engineering, University of Iowa
Director IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering, University of Iowa
Iowa State Senator
Secretary Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
Executive Director Iowa Environmental Council
Senior Research Associate American Planning Association
Director of Environmental Programs & Services Iowa Soybean Association
Wrap Up and Suggested Next Steps

The final remarks will capture specific ideas and crosscutting themes from the different panels, and suggest ways for symposium participants to continue to share perspectives and develop solutions.

Click here to view the full schedule for the symposium, "Five Years Out: Ongoing Impacts and Challenges of the 2008 Floods."

Senior Research Fellow Social and Education Policy Research Program
Associate Professor School of Planning and Public Affairs
The Forkenbrock Series provides a forum for dialogue about policy areas from applied, academic, and interdisciplinary perspectives. The series was established in honor of David Forkenbrock, a nationally recognized transportation researcher. Dr. Forkenbrock established the Public Policy Center at the University of Iowa in 1987 and directed the Center until 2007. His vision was to enable public and private sector decision makers to work with faculty, staff, and student researchers to explore solutions to complex problems related to the public interest.
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Dragana Petic at dragana-petic@uiowa.edu.