Bee Branch Day Tour in Dubuque, IA
A RiverWay Story by James Lasher
New this year to River Action’s Explore the River Series, is a day-tour of the Bee Branch Watershed in Dubuque, IA. The Bee Branch Watershed Flood Mitigation Project is a $249 million dollar project to better manage flooding in historic neighborhoods, improve water quality, and enhance quality of life within Dubuque’s watershed.
Since 1999, Dubuque’s Bee Branch Watershed has experienced significant flooding from stormwater during heavy rain events, including six Presidential Disaster Declarations. This restoration project aimed to resolve the city’s chronic flooding issue by restoring the Bee Branch Watershed to its natural, flood-resilient form. This involved replacing one mile of storm sewer with a creed and floodplain that resembles the watershed’s natural condition 100 years ago. This allows stormwater from flash floods to safely move through the area without flooding adjacent properties. Dubuque has also implemented native prairie gardens to slow down and capture rainfall before it enters the creek.
Implementing natural solutions to remedy flooding has had the added bonus of introducing wildlife habitat and natural beauty for the public to enjoy. To help the public engage with the beautiful Bee Branch landscape, several amenities have been constructed, including a multi-use trail, scenic overlooks, an outdoor amphitheater, benches, lighting, and rest areas.
The Bee Branch Watershed tour will be led by the Restoration Project Manager, Deron Muehring on Friday, July 11. A bus will depart to Dubuque from the River Action office in Davenport (822 E River Drive in Davenport, IA) at 8:30 a.m. and return at 1 p.m. Thanks to the generosity of East Moline Glass and the Bend XPO, tickets for the day tour are now $10 per person and free for River Action members. For more information and to sign up, visit riveraction.org/education.