Virginia,
I sent this out via the Topics list in hope of finding someone from central Iowa to be a stakeholder for the Halworth subcommittee you mention below. The same person might help us participate more fully in SIMRA. see next sentence.

Thanks so much for attending that meeting of the State/Iowa Interagency Missouri River Authority--a title worth a discussion all by itself.

Glad to hear they are considering employing a .hydrologist.  She or he would likely shed light on issues beyond our basin.  

My question was indirect.  The answer is that most of the damage and flooding that occuured out here could have been minimized if the Missouri were reconnected to its floodplains.  That is if the barge channel were deauthorized.  That super levee idea is one of the stupidist ideas I have heard coming from a group obsessed with corn and with turning every acre of Iowa into row-crops.  It is a dangerous suggestion because it tries to wall off the channel from its floodplain.  If such a structure were built, it could lead to some serious harm downstream and upstream.  Our chapter and the MissouriRiver Activist network needs to cultivate one person to get knowledgeable about levees so we can counteract this lame idea.

Jim  Thanks again.


________________________________________
From: Virginia Soelberg [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, February 03, 2012 11:04 AM
To: Redmond, Jim
Cc: jane clark
Subject: Re: Missouri River Meeting in DM

I was able to listen in on the meeting via conference call. (Much was difficult to hear.)  Kim Thomas from the Corps did address your question, Jim.  She said a "post-flood analysis is being done; they're taking a look but have no report yet."

The first half of the discussion was on whether or not Iowa should have a State Hydrologist.  It was decided that a "gap analysis"  was needed to look at what Iowa currently has, needs, and could do better (ie. with coordination.)  Tim Halsworth is heading up a subcommittee to bring suggestions back to the committee.  He was asked to include "stakeholders."   So if we have input, we would need to put forward a name (soon.)     I got the impression that some didn't think Iowa had someone with expertise adequately representing Iowa in talking to the Corps, FEMA, etc.  on   Missouri River and flooding issues.

Much of the rest of the meeting was hearing reports on levee rebuilding.  I had some trouble with my phone connection and missed some of it.  Apparently some (citizens?) want a 45-river-mile super levee from Council Bluffs to the Soldier River (at $3 to $4 million per mile.)

I made no comments.

Ginger

ps   Names were as I heard them;  not sure what's correct.





On Feb 1, 2012, at 10:37 AM, Redmond, Jim wrote:

> segment of the river was damaged most by the flood while the segment between Sioux City and Gavins Point sustained little damage
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