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The above graph shows the upward trend of money spent on ood damage. The gray line depicts the cumulative amount spent on historical inland ood damage, while the green line is the estimation due to precipitation change. This tells us that we can expect our oods (much like our weather) to be more intense and damaging. The nal graph below depicts the projected changes in cumulative seasonal and annual runo for 2036-2065 compared to 1991-2020. Regarding ooding, the seasonal section shows our winters and springs are going to have a
signi cant increase in runo which will likely cause the river to ood at higher levels and with greater frequency. While we may be slated to receive more precipitation, that doesn’t mean we won’t still struggle with drought. Another point Ray Wolf made was what he called the “Hydro-Illogical Cycle” which occurs when there is a drought. The second stage is awareness as many people begin to take note. The third stage addresses the public’s concern as a couple
weeks have passed without rain. The fourth stage occurs after several weeks without rain brings panic. Finally, the rain comes in the fth stage and we fall into apathy. To break this cycle, it helps to be prepared to deal with droughts and one easy way to do that is the use of rain barrels which can be bought at River Action for $100-$115 depending on the inclusion of a diverter. Rain barrels are just one of many ways we can better equip our community to be more resilient in the face of these changes. Another way is to increase water in ltration through establishing native prairies. Prairie plants have very deep roots systems that can absorb more water and allow for excess to be transferred deep into the ground, which recharges groundwater and can signi cantly reduce the risk of ooding. Davenport’s Native Roots program allows landowners to establish native prairies without penalty from the city for having an overgrown or unkempt lawn. Prairies also decrease runo which can improve the water quality in our local streams and rivers. They counter habitat loss which increases our ecological diversity and adds vitality to our gardens. All of this helps to improve resilience to weather and climate extremes. A ood preparation public workshop will take place on March 1st, 2025 at Modern Woodmen Park to provide more information. It will run from 10am-2pm and have o cials from each of the Quad Cities present to engage and answer questions.
February, March, April 2025 | eddy Magazine 7
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