On Tuesday, March 11 the Iowa Flood Center (IFC) hosted its' annual Legislative Breakfast at the state capitol with the Iowa Geological Survey (IGS). 

Legislators and partners attended the breakfast and engaged with IFC and IGS students, staff, and researchers who featured a series of projects highlighting the accomplishments and ongoing work of both organizations, including: 

• Advancing flash flood forecasting capabilities for northwest Iowa following devastating flooding in June 2024.
• Expanding the state’s network of hydrologic weather stations from 22 to 53 locations to improve flood and drought monitoring and forecasting, working towards a goal of one station in every county.
• Developing the Iowa Flood Information System online web application that communicates real-time information about stream levels, flood alerts and forecasts, and hydrologic conditions for the entire state.
• Providing technical assistance to flood impacted communities in Columbus Junction, Dubuque, Manchester, and Muscatine to prioritize flood resilience projects and identify potential federal funding opportunities for implementation.
• New groundwater resource assessment and planning efforts led by IGS through state legislative funding support.
• Progress update on mapping 900 miles of levees to assess their condition and ensure they remain strong during flood events.
• A new $11.3 million project led by IGS to explore carbon sequestration potential in Iowa.

The annual event provides an opportunity for local, state, and federal partners to celebrate successful collaborations and exchange ideas for continuing to advance water resource management across the state. Partners included representatives from the recently flood-impacted community of Spencer, Iowa, American Flood Coalition staff from Washington, D.C. who have active projects with IFC to advance community flood resilience and explore innovative farming practices, and watershed management authority champions working to reduce flood risks at the watershed-scale. 

The Iowa Flood Center received a state appropriation of $1.2 million dollars in fiscal year 2025, an amount which has not increased significantly since the center was established in 2009. The IFC uses funding to provide Iowans with accurate, state-of-the-art, science–based information to help individuals and communities better understand and reduce their flood risks.