Watching the Rivers

River watching begins in late winter as thick slabs of ice break and begin their way down stream. Tributaries feed the Cedar, Cedar to Iowa, Iowa to Mississippi, and from there to the world.

I found a stretch of road that runs right up beside the Cedar River. I took these photos from the car (as a passenger).

Spring flooding strikes more fear than it once did. In June 2008, the Cedar River flood devastated some 10 square miles of Cedar Rapids. Homes in the 500 year floodplain and other areas never thought to flood were inundated.




In the Time Check neighborhood on the west bank of the Cedar River, there are completely empty lots—the houses just floated away or collapsed and were moved. Of those houses remaining, many are empty shells, uninhabitable, with high water marks indicated by spray paint. In downtown, some businesses have not returned.

Cedar Rapids Public Library saw 5 feet of water on the first floor. The library is not returning to its old site but will move to a new home downtown.