Resident urges 'engineering with nature' to reduce Cedar Falls flooding risk

At the start of the Cedar Falls City Council meeting Tuesday, resident Dennis Preckler addressed the council during the public forum and urged the city to pursue nature‑based flood mitigation strategies described by the Army Corps of Engineers as “engineering with nature.”

Preckler said restoring multiple natural channels would allow the Cedar River to spread across more pathways and lower peak flood elevations downtown. He identified East Main Street and adjacent streets as effectively acting as a man‑made impoundment zone that raises water levels—he said East Main Street forms a five‑foot high barrier in one area and that, during the 2018 flood, water was lapping at East Main Street upstream.

Preckler described two primary outlets for water in the impoundment north of downtown: a low under‑railroad crossing near Aikis auto recycling and the downtown Snake Creek outlet into the Cedar River above the railroad bridge. He said the railroad bridge funnels floodwaters and suggested adding a bridge on East Main to allow water to follow a more natural course. Preckler characterized these measures as partial steps toward restoring the river’s multiple channels and achieving economic, environmental and social benefits.

Ending: Preckler said he would return at a future meeting to outline potential problems caused by channeling water under the railroad bridge and to present additional project ideas.