Conservation Reserve Program Flood Damage Reduction Benefits to Downstream Urban Areas

Excerpts from the report: The purpose of this study is to better understand, quantify and communicate the interdependent relationship of land use, hydrologic response and socio-economic implications to users of water resources within a watershed. More specifically, the purpose is to quantify the effects of the existing and potential future CRP lands on downstream flooding and economic impacts to downstream urban areas. Agencies, landowners and decision makers in the Cedar River basin and throughout the Midwest have a need to better understand the impact of the spatial location of CRP land use types on the watershed hydrology. This pilot effort is primarily focused on the portion of the Cedar River basin around the City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa and adjacent communities. This includes both the Indian Creek watershed which contains the eastern portion of Cedar Rapids and the Cedar River mainstem which accounts for the remainder of the City of Cedar Rapids.