All rivers flood - and the Iowa River is no exception. Its propensity to flood was well known to the indigenous peoples who recognized the flood as a natural and beneficial event that replenished marshes, distributed seeds, and rejuvenated the soil. However, the floods of the past looked much different than today, as before the 1830s, Iowa was full of “tallgrass prairies, which acted like gigantic sponges that soaked up, transpired, and stored tremendous quantities of moisture.” Despite this landscape, flooding was still a risk for residents near the Iowa River. At the bottom of the floodplain along Iowa River, known as Block and now known as UI’s Hubbard Park at the Iowa Memorial Union (“IMU”), lived working and middle-class Iowans who were forced into the floodplain by wealthier residents. This section examines the Iowa River flooding history and its implications on surrounding communities. 

Since the 2008 flood there have been several plans created involving the Iowa River. This section explores plans created by community groups in Johnson County. The plans include the Iowa City Downtown and Riverfront Crossings Plan, the Burlington Street Bridge reconstruction, the All in Vision Plan, and Pedal Paddle Grant application. Because the UI has sole jurisdiction over the portion of the Iowa River that runs through campus, the Johnson County plans do not include the portion of the River that runs through campus. 

In addition to the Johnson County plans, the UI has developed several of their own plans involving the Iowa River. The section describes the UI’s plans with the River starting with the 2006 Campus Master Plan, moving on to plans involving the IMU, the 2010 Campus Master Plan, and finishing with the current River Corridor Plan. The most likely path to successfully implementing a plan to better engage with the portion of the Iowa River that runs through campus is to align with existing campus plans. 

The following are examples of living laboratories, one on UI’s campus (Ashton Prairie Living Lab), and the other in Milford, IA on Lake Okoboji with the UI as a participant (Lakeside Lab). This section looks at the Living Laboratories as examples of the Iowa River's impacts, breaking down the funding and planning processes associated with developing the recreational and educational areas. 

Six BIG10 universities with bodies of water on or near their campuses have implemented research initiatives, like living labs. This section describes those research initiatives along with the benefits and costs associated with the programs. 

Both Charles City and Manchester, Iowa, have successful whitewater parks on the Cedar River and Maquoketa River, respectively. This section establishes how both projects demonstrate the economic and community benefits of increasing recreational activities on the river and serve as models for a potential collaboration with Campus Planning and Development in their River Corridor Plan.

The UI is uniquely positioned to provide research opportunities on the Iowa River for students and the greater Iowa City community, specifically the UI could create a living lab on the River. The UI could enrich the campus experience for students and the community and foster a deeper, positive connection with the Iowa River through a project like a living laboratory. A living laboratory could have impacts far beyond the local community, instilling a sense of environmental stewardship and sustainability in the next generation of students, as well as promoting science and research on campus and in the greater Iowa City community. 

The UI is uniquely positioned to provide recreational opportunities near the Iowa River for students and the greater Iowa City community. The UI could enrich the campus experience for students and the community and foster a deeper, positive connection with the Iowa River through adding opportunities like pedestrian paths, gathering places, and gardens along the River. This section elaborates on the recommendation to add recreational activities near the Iowa River is broad because the River Corridor plan includes a broad array of recreational activities near the Iowa River in its “Kit-of-Parts.” 

The University of Iowa is positioned to provide recreational opportunities on the Iowa River for students and the greater Iowa City community. This section breaks down how incorporating recreational activities such as whitewater rafting, kayaking, canoeing, and rowing on the Iowa River provides an opportunity for the UI to enrich campus experience for the community and foster a deeper, positive connection with the Iowa River, instilling a sense of environmental stewardship and sustainability, as well as promoting physical and mental well-being for the greater Iowa City community. 

The City of Iowa City and UI have identified the Burlington Street Dam as a safety hazard. This section details how if any recreation is to be added to the portion of the Iowa River that runs through campus, the safety hazard created by the dam must be addressed. 

As mentioned in the history section, the water quality of the Iowa River is low. The poor quality of the water in the Iowa River limits how the river can be used recreationally. Nitrates from agriculture run off and human waste from homeless encampments along the River, among other things, are seen as contributors to the poor water quality. According to Laura Bergus, Iowa City City Council Person, the community views the river as “dangerous and gross” and not at all an asset. This section explores the stakeholders and decision makers involved in bettering the Iowa River and its water quality for surrounding communities.