Funding for the Iowa Flood Center appears to have been saved, according to the Center's Director

File photo of last August's flooding in Decorah

An agreement has been reached which would preserve $1.2 million in funding for the Iowa Flood Center at the University of Iowa.

On Wednesday the House Appropriations Committee passed a budget amendment which transferred $250,000 from a National Guard educational assistance program and transferred $950,000 from general aid to the University of Iowa.Iowa.

While Democrats criticized the measure as "robbing Peter to pay Paul," the amendment is likely to win approval early next week as part of the overall 2017-2018 budget.

The agreement would preserve funding for projects in eight watersheds--including the Upper Iowa River Watershed--that received a $96.9 million federal HUD grant to help pay for flood control measures in those watersheds.

Iowa Flood Center Director Larry Weber tells decorahnews.com there was an outpouring of support for the center after it was learned the first draft of the state's education budget eliminated all funding for the center.  He visited with numerous legislators in Des Moines on Tuesday and says one of them told him "we've been flooded" with messages of support.

Concluded Weber, "When we see the response we've gotten, we have incredible satisfaction."