Current Status FY2016:
The Corps continues to coordinate with the city of Cedar Rapids while awaiting federal new start construction funding.
June 10, 2014:
Water Resource Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) of 2014 was passes which authorized construction on the Cedar Rapids Flood Risk Management Project.
November 16, 2011:
Corps of Engineers and city of Cedar Rapids representatives, approximately 20 percent into the Pre-construction Engineering and Design (PED) phase of the project, presented a status update and solicited public feedback at Open House meetings. Thirty five percent design is targeted for spring 2012, at which time there will be an interim City and Corps review of the plans and specifications that have been developed up to that point. As of this date, no additional funding has been made available for the project since Fiscal Year 2011; however, the Corps and the city are working on an Amendment to the Design Agreement which would allow the Corps to accept accelerated non-federal funding to keep going with the PED phase even if federal appropriations are delayed.
June 29, 2011:
The Office of Management and Budget completed their review of the Chief’s Report and transmitted it to Congress. This makes the Cedar Rapids Flood Risk Management Project eligible to appear in the President’s Budget.
January 13, 2011:
The Chief’s Report was finalized, incorporating comments from the State and Agency Review, and was signed by Lieutenant General Van Antwerp, the Chief of Engineers. The Chief’s Report can be found on our “Related Documents & Links” site.
December 10, 2010:
The city of Cedar Rapids and the Corps of Engineers entered into a Design Agreement for the Pre-construction Engineering and Design (PED) phase of the project. The estimated cost of the PED phase is $12,375,000, funded at 75 percent federal and 25 percent City responsibility. As of Fiscal Year 2011 (01 OCT 2010 to 30 SEP 2011), $2,820,000 of federal and $857,333 of City funding was available, or approximately 30 percent of the funding necessary to complete the PED phase.
November 2010:
On November 18, 2010, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District, along with representatives of the City of Cedar Rapids presented the Cedar River, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Flood Risk Management Project Flood Risk Management Project Feasibility Report with Integrated Environmental Assessment to the Corps' Civil Works Review Board (CWRB) in Washington, D.C. The purpose of the meeting was to gain approval by the CWRB to release the final version of the Study for State and Agency (S&A) Review.
Colonel Shawn McGinley, Commander, Rock Island District (District), provided the District’s briefing of the Cedar River Feasibility Study. This was followed by statements of support from the City, represented by Mayor Ron Corbett, and Mr. Jeff Pomeranz, City Manager; Linn County, Iowa, represented by Ms. Lu Barron, County Supervisor; and Rebuild Iowa Office, represented by Executive Director Major General (Retired) Ron Dardis.
MG Michael J. Walsh, Commander, Mississippi Valley Division, provided Division concurrence with the District Commander’s Recommended Plan and recommended approval of the final Study and release of the Study for S&A Review.
The CWRB voted unanimously for contingent release of the Study for S&A Review, subject to including the additional Study documentation requested in the Office of Water Project Review (OWPR) staff recommendation.
The Feasibility Study was issued for S&A Review on November 23, 2010. The S&A Review period ended on December 23, 2010.
October 2010:
The United States Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District, in partnership with the City of Cedar Rapids has distributed the Cedar River, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Flood Risk Management Project Flood Risk Management Project Feasibility Report with Integrated Environmental Assessment for Policy Review. The document is similar in many respects to the Public Review Draft with the notable exception that the Policy Review Draft includes the Statement of Findings.
August 31, 2010:
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District, in partnership with the city of Cedar Rapids, completed the Cedar River, Cedar Rapids, Iowa Flood Risk Management Project Feasibility Report with Integrated Environmental Assessment, Public Review Draft. This document presented the evaluation of flood risk management alternatives for the City of Cedar Rapids. The report was available for public review and comment for a 30-day period beginning Aug. 31 and ending Sept. 30, 2010.
The Draft Feasibility Report summarized data collection activities, economic evaluations, benefit-cost ratios and net benefits for the array of flood risk management alternatives for the City, and identified the tentatively selected federally Supportable Plan. The Federally Supportable Plan includes construction of 3.15 miles of levees, flood walls and closure structures to protect properties on the east bank of the Cedar River.
Copies of the Cedar River, Cedar Rapids, Iowa Flood Risk Management Project Feasibility Study with Integrated Environmental Assessment, Public Review Draft were mailed to individuals on the study's mailing list, and were also made available to the general public for comment.
December 28, 2009:
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island District, in partnership with the city of Cedar Rapids, continued to review and evaluate flood risk management alternatives for the city. The Corps completed a preliminary analysis for an alternative that mirrored the City of Cedar Rapids’ preferred plan. This alternative included levees and floodwalls on both sides of the Cedar River built to June 2008 record flood levels.
The preliminary analysis of this alternative showed a Benefit-to-Cost Ratio of less than 1. This cost ratio means that the estimated cost to provide flood risk management protection under this alternative is more than the estimated benefits. The law requires a project to have a favorable Benefit-to-Cost Ratio of more than 1 to move forward.
Under the Cedar Rapids Flood Risk Management Feasibility Study, additional analysis was conducted to determine if a cost-effective flood risk management alternative, with positive net benefits, could be recommended by the Corps of Engineers to Congress for authorization and construction. Additional study analysis included modifications to the City of Cedar Rapids’ preferred plan, modified levee alignments, and flood proofing.
The Corps’ planning process evaluates and compares alternative plans to determine which alternative has the greatest net national economic development (NED) benefits. The NED analysis uses a national process to determine potential Corps of Engineers involvement in water resource projects. The NED analysis includes the probability of flood-induced damages to residential and non-residential properties, costs for emergency operations during floods, and damages to infrastructure.
Following the review of all alternatives, the Corps developed a Draft Feasibility Report in June 2010, summarizing all data collection and economic evaluations, benefit-to-cost ratios and net benefits for the array of alternatives, and indicated a Corps of Engineers recommendation to Congress for a flood risk management project on the east side of the river. A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers determination that the NED benefits are less than the alternatives’ costs, resulting in no recommendation, does not prevent a project from being authorized by Congress and constructed by the Corps of Engineers.
November 4, 2009:
As the June 2008 flood waters receded the Rock Island District became fully engaged in the Cedar River, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Feasibility Study, and we were about 30% complete with our study effort.
The Project Delivery Team (PDT) gathered relevant project data and developing alternatives. To this date, the study had received $2.5 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds and an additional $2 million in contributions from the local non-federal sponsor (city of Cedar Rapids).
On June 6, 2009, at Sen. Tom Harkin’s request, representatives of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Mississippi Valley Division (MVD), Rock Island District (MVR) and the city of Cedar Rapids briefed the Senator on the status of the Corps' feasibility study. One of the principal outcomes of this meeting was to accelerate the Feasibility Study completion schedule, with Brigadier General Michael Walsh, MVD Commander, setting a December 2010 due date for the completion of the Chief of Engineer’s Report. To aid in meeting this objective, the Corps study team’s capabilities were augmented with the services of consultants in several technical disciplines.