Project Timeline


 

1996


• City commits to developing Citywide Stormwater Management Plan


 

1999, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2010, 2011


• Heavy rainfall leads to significant flooding in the area
• Presidential Disaster Declarations are issued
 
 

1999


• City commissions an engineering study called the Drainage Basin Master Plan
 
 

2001


• City Council adopts Drainage Basin Master Plan


 

2003


• City Council forms a Citizen Advisory Committee to work on the Bee Branch Creek Alignment Study
• A stormwater management utility fee is established
• The Carter Road Detention Basin is complete
 

 

2004


• The Citizen Advisory Committee completes the Bee Branch Alignment Study
• The committee recommends restoring the Bee Branch Creek into an open waterway
• City Council adopts the Bee Branch Creek Restoration Project

 

2005


• Environmental clearance work begins for the Bee Branch Creek Restoration Project
• Appraisals, acquisition, and relocation of affected properties begins

 

2008


• City hires a consulting team to develop the final design for the Bee Branch Creek Restoration Project

 

2009


• The design team holds a series of three public workshops to gather input from citizens
• The W. 32nd Street Detention Basin is complete

 

2010


• Properties affected by the Lower Bee Branch are deconstructed and removed
• Construction of the Lower Bee Branch begins

 

2011


• Lower Bee Branch complete

 

2012


• Streets and parking areas in the Historic Millwork District are converted to permeable pavement surfaces and new storm sewers are installed
 
 

2013


• Project is awarded $98.5 million from the Iowa Flood Mitigation Board in the form of state sales tax increment financing spread over the next 20 years
 
 

2014


• Twenty-three alleys in the Bee Branch Watershed are reconstructed into green alleys

 

2015


• Construction of the Upper Bee Branch begins
• Twenty-eight green alleys are completed

 

2016


• Upper Bee Branch Creek Restoration under construction
• Twenty-one green alleys are completed
• HUD awards the City $31.5 million in disaster resiliency funds for the Bee Branch Healthy Homes Resiliency Program and infrastructure improvements
 
 

2017​


• Upper Bee Branch Creek complete

 

2019


• Bee Branch Railroad Culverts Project estimated completion
 
 

2020


• Flood Mitigation Gate Replacement Project estimated completion
 
 

2021


• 22nd St./Kaufmann Ave. Storm Sewer Capacity Improvement Project estimated completion
• 17th St./W. Locust St. Storm Sewer Capacity Improvement Project estimated completion
• Bee Branch Healthy Homes Resiliency Program estimated completion
 
 

2022


• Flood Mitigation Maintenance Facility estimated completion
 
  

2024

 
• Green alley reconstruction projects resume
 
 

2025


• Water Plant Flood Protection estimated completion
 
 

2038

 
• It is estimated that all 240 alleys in the Bee Branch Watershed will be converted to permeable green alleys by 2038.