Letter to the Editor: Oppose Menard's request to build in the floodplain

(The following Letter to the Editor has been submitted by Jerri Osenag of Decorah):

""The Menard's development's impact on the Upper Iowa River, increasing the level by only 1.3 inches, is not inconsequential.  It would be one more impact imposed upon our beautiful river that we share with those up and down the Oneota flow.

The city of Decorah should be studying how to decrease the level of the river.  You should be reminded of past and present impacts already caused by the city:
-Historical channelization by rerouting into a straight line beyond the downtown, increasing speed of flow
-Historical creation of the levee, holding-in flow increasing speed
-Historical development that increases storm water run-off into the river
-Ongoing pollution from road and parking lots.

The city has a duty, as a responsible member of the Upper Iowa River Watershed, to proactively address the existing and future flooding.  We should begin by denying the Menard's development.  Additionally, the flowing actions are necessary:
-Zone for 500-year flood level maps
-Zone requiring mitigation of storm water run-off of future development of all hard surfaces (advocate rain garden)
-Act on the Watershed Management study done by University of Iowa students (already accepted)
-Join the Upper Iowa Management District Coalition
-Create matching funding grants with county, state, and federal governments for mitigation actions to address future flooding
-Study possible mitigation actions
-Advocate doing to people downstream as you would have people upstream do to you."