Bee Branch Watershed Application Cover Letter
Office of the Mayor
City Hall
50 West 13th Street
Dubuque, IA 52001-4864
www.cityofdubuque.org
November 7, 2013
Chairman Mark Schouten
State of Iowa Flood Mitigation Board
Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management
7105 NW 70th Ave., Camp Dodge - Bldg. W -4
Johnston, Iowa 50131
Dear Chairman Schouten and Flood Mitigation Board Members,
As Mayor of City of Dubuque and on behalf of my City Council colleagues and Dubuque’s
57,000 citizens, we submit our State of Iowa Flood Mitigation application for the Bee Branch
Watershed Flood Mitigation Project.
We are extremely grateful to the Iowa Legislature and Governor Terry Branstad for their
leadership in authorizing and signing this legislation into law. It is our privilege to live in a
state with leaders who demonstrate foresight and a broad understanding of the devastating
impacts of flooding on our cities – on private and public property, on our infrastructure and
our economies. Thank you for providing local governments, like Dubuque, with the
opportunity to partner with the state in addressing the threat of flood devastation in a prudent
and comprehensive manner.
The Bee Branch Watershed Flood Mitigation Project represents a decade of study, design,
engineering, consultation and public engagement. We are confident that the City of
Dubuque’s application and project plan meet the requirements of the State Flood Mitigation
program. This watershed project application, if approved by the state board, will allow the City
of Dubuque to mitigate and provide relief to our citizens from years of flash flooding and it will
dramatically improve the safety of Dubuque citizens, protect historically significant
neighborhoods, infuse economic security and incentivize reinvestment and job creation in our
community. These improvements will not only have a positive economic impact on Dubuque
but they will have a positive impact on the State of Iowa. Implementation of the Bee Branch
Watershed Flood Mitigation Project will prevent an estimated $582 million in damages over
the 100 year design life of this vital infrastructure.
The State of Iowa Flood Mitigation program when implemented through the application
review and approval process will prepare all of us for the future by ensuring the safety of our
citizens and by securing the potential for economic growth. This program will change the
face of Iowa.
Thank you for your service and please contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Roy D Buol
RDB:jh