(Des Moines) The Iowa DNR has scheduled three stakeholder meetings this week as the next step in the Planning Assistance to the States (PAS) project to identify and prioritize problem areas along the Missouri River.
Each of these meetings will be a Zoom meeting hosted by the DNR and will provide an opportunity for input and discussion by stakeholders. Stakeholders are encouraged to attend one or more of these meetings, but all will be following the same agenda and will be open to discussion of the entire length of the Missouri River in Iowa:
- Opening comments and introduction: 15 minutes
- Stakeholder identification and discussion of problem areas: 60 minutes
- Review of information collected and group discussion: 30 minutes
- Wrap-up and next steps: 15 minutes
During these meetings, participants will be asked to identify specific problem areas along the river that lead to flooding issues. These areas can include pinch points, flow restrictions, levee issues, etc. Participants will also be asked, if possible, to identify potential solutions to the problem areas, including positives and negatives for those solutions.
During the final part of each of these meetings group discussion participants can provide input on how problem areas might be ranked and prioritized. Ultimately a prioritized list of areas from Iowa, along with prioritized lists prepared by the other three states, as well as any other relevant background information and ideas for potential solutions, will be provided to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for further analysis.
The meetings will be held on July 28, 29, and July 30.
