Updated Iowa Flood Center study of possible Menards flooding impact is released

The Iowa Flood Center has released an updated version of its study of the possible flooding impact of a Menards store in Freeport.

The updated study (which is linked below) concludes the Menards development would raise water surface elevations between 1.2 inches to 1.8 inches.  It concludes, "The simulation results indicate the proposed Menards development scenario will have a small effect on water surface elevations upstream and downstream of the Menards site under current flow conditions."

The updated study also looks at changes in the river flow conditions if they would be higher than the 2008 Flood.  It said while water surface elevations would increase under such situations, much of the increase would be due to water flow increases rather than to the impact of the Menards site.

Concludes the updated study, "Typically, any single proposed development project within the floodplain or floodway will not adversely affect water surface profiles or increase severity of flooding such that it will be rejected on those criteria alone. Concerns about continued floodplain development and their cumulative impacts might be addressed more efficiently by updating long term planning and zoning policies, rather than case-by-case analysis."