City of Dubuque Awarded $7.7 Million Federal Grant to Improve Flood Protection Measures

SEPT. 28, 2023

The City of Dubuque has been awarded a $7.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) to improve flood prevention infrastructure and help protect homes and businesses from future flooding. 

The funding will replace the flood gates which protect the city from Mississippi River flooding, as well as provide for new pumps with double the existing pumping capacity, reducing the impacts of heavy rainfall and flooding in the community. The project is expected to create 150 jobs and help generate approximately $16.5 million in private investment. 

The grant will go toward the $26.7 million project to build and install a new stormwater pumping station along Kerper Boulevard at the 16th Street Detention Basin. This new infrastructure will provide the City with additional flexibility in managing water levels in the detention basin. It will also assist with flood control and allow for future expansion in the event that flood events become more frequent in the future. 

“President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is providing communities in Iowa and across the country with the resources they need to grow their local economies following flooding and other natural disasters,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “This EDA investment will protect the city of Dubuque from future flooding, supporting business growth and the creation of new jobs in the community.” 

“We are grateful to the Department of Commerce, the Biden Administration, and our federal legislators for this major grant,” said Dubuque Mayor Brad Cavanagh. “It is a significant boost for this project to improve our flood protection infrastructure and our community’s resiliency.” 

Since 1999, Dubuque has experienced six flood events which drew Presidential disaster declarations. These storms have occurred with increased intensity and frequency in that timeframe, necessitating the added flood control measures. 

“Iowans are no strangers to natural disasters, and Dubuque has been proactively working hard to strengthen flood prevention throughout the city. This disaster grant will help make additional progress to protect neighborhoods and businesses and promote economic development throughout the community,” said Senator Chuck Grassley. 

The project, a phase of the Bee Branch Watershed Flood Mitigation Project, will benefit residents and businesses along the Kerper Boulevard corridor whose properties lie within the 100-year flood plain. This includes the entire Kerper Boulevard Industrial Park, home to several large employers.  

This project was made possible in part by the regional planning efforts led by the East Central Intergovernmental Association (ECIA). EDA funds ECIA to bring together the public and private sectors to create an economic development roadmap to strengthen the regional economy, support private capital investment, and create jobs. 

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MEDIA CONTACT
Randy Gehl, Public Information Officer
RGehl@cityofdubuque.org, (563) 589-4151