Thanks to the foresight of the Iowa Legislature and the Governor, who created the IFC in 2009, Iowa has the most advanced statewide flood resiliency program in the nation. IFC delivers the latest flood conditions, forecasts, and maps to all Iowans, including emergency managers, first responders, law enforcement personnel, public works directors, county engineers, city planners, elected officials, businesses, farmers, and homeowners. Iowans now have the tools they need to be better prepared for the next flood.
The IFC has made Iowa a model for the nation!
Among the IFC’s recent achievements are the following:
- Enhancements to the Iowa Flood Information System (IFIS), an online source of real-time, science-based flood information specific to each watershed community. IFIS had over 3.5 million page views since being publicly launched in May 2011
- Deployment of more than 250 stream-stage sensors to monitor water levels in our rivers and streams
- Development of a real-time flood forecasting system for more than 1,000 communities
- Development of 5,000 flood inundation maps for dozens of Iowa communities
- Flood hazard maps for all 99 counties (with FEMA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Iowa DNR)
The IFC’s contributions to the Iowa Watershed Approach (IWA) are making Iowa more flood-resilient. The IWA is a statewide watershed improvement program designed to mitigate flooding and increase resiliency through the strategic placement of conservation practices such as farm ponds, wetlands, and terraces.
The IWA, funded at about $97M, depends on the people, resources, and services of the IFC.
The program is a partnership that includes:
- Iowa Economic Development Authority
- Iowa Homeland Security & Emergency Management
- The cities of Dubuque, Storm Lake, and Coralville
- Iowa State University
- University of Northern Iowa
- Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
- Iowa Department of Natural Resources
- Many other partners across the state
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides funding for the project.