Committee to provide funds for Iowa water projects

A US congressional committee has authorised approximately $88m for water-related projects in Iowa through the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRDA).

The bill establishes a five-year pilot program to allow the Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency to provide direct loans or loan guarantees to support creative financing tools for investment in water infrastructure.

The conference report includes supporting two major flood control projects in Iowa, which include Cedar River in Cedar Rapids and the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers in Des Moines.

It authorises $73.13m for the Cedar River project to build a floodwall and levee system to reduce the existing and future flood risk and damages to public and private infrastructure on the east bank of the City of Cedar Rapids. It also authorises $14.9m for a flood control project on the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers.

The report has also made a technical change to the boundaries of the Des Moines Recreational River and Greenbelt project in Fort Dodge.

The committee reached an agreement on the bill, which will go back to the Senate and House and is expected to pass this week.

Iowa senator Tom Harkin said that the WRDA conference report comprises much-needed flood protection assistance for Iowa.

"The flood recovery and protection is especially crucial in Iowa today as we experience more frequent and severe flooding from heavy precipitation events," Harkin added.

"I now look forward to this conference report passing both chambers of Congress so that Cedar Rapids and Des Moines will have the resources they need to keep residences and businesses safe from future flooding."