Yesterday Senator Harkin announced that more than $16 million will be coming to the state of Iowa for flood control and flood prevention measures. The provisions were approved yesterday by the Senate Appropriations committee of which Senator Harkin is a senior member. The funding includes:

$5 million to help construct a new Birdland Park levee and for other levee and flood control work in Des Moines as part of a $12.8 million central Iowa economic development, transportation, and flood control project. Flood control improvements will help prevent future disasters that devastated the area last month. I have continued to urge the Appropriations Committee to increase funds for the Des Moines levees and am pleased to see that our initial efforts have paid off,” said Harkin.

$4.85 million fin flood control funds for Davenport. The funds will be used to support the construction of a flood wall along a 'reach' of the Mississippi River floodplain that includes the area surrounding the East River water treatment plant. “This support is vital to giving Davenport the opportunity to reduce its flood dangers. We have seen the damage and destruction a historic natural disaster can do and I am pleased to see that we were able to help with needed protection for the city’s water supply,” said Harkin.

$2.75 million for Lock and Dam 11 rehabilitation near Dubuque. The funds will be used to rehabilitate this deteriorating lock, built in 1930, and conduct ongoing maintenance. This is one of the last of the Upper Mississippi River locks and dams to be rehabilitated.

$3.8 million to complete the Sioux City Perry Creek Flood Control Project. Having worked with Siouxlanders for over 2 decades on the project, Senator Harkin understood the importance of the funding. “We are including resources to help prevent devastating and life threatening floods in the area for many years to come,” said Harkin, "…it will not only help prevent floods, but it will open a considerable area of Sioux City to improvements and economic development.”

Senator Harkin has been working hard in Washington to provide aid to his fellow Iowans who are working to recover and rebuild since the devastating flooding almost a month ago.