The massive flooding that has inundated much of Iowa and many parts of the midwestern United States may have been caused, in part, by changing farming patterns and increased development, scientists say. The Washington Post reports
that scientists in Iowa are concerned that a host of land use changes in recent decades may be a major reason behind the flooding. These include replacing tallgrass prairie with plowed fields, draining fields into streams with underground pipes, straightening streams and creeks, destroying wetlands, and building homes in floodplains. Taken together, these changes have significantly reduced the land’s ability to absorb heavy rains, leading to vast amounts of rainwater running directly into streams, creeks, and rivers.
Farming and Development May Have Worsened Midwest Flooding
More From E360
-
INTERVIEW
On Controlling Fire, New Lessons from a Deep Indigenous Past
-
Solutions
Paying the People: Liberia’s Novel Plan to Save Its Forests
-
OPINION
Forest Service Plan Threatens the Heart of an Alaskan Wilderness
-
INTERVIEW
Pakistan’s Solar Revolution Is Bringing Power to the People
-
Food & Agriculture
In Uganda, Deadly Landslides Force an Agricultural Reckoning
-
Energy
Why U.S. Geothermal May Advance, Despite Political Headwinds
-
Food & Agriculture
In War Zones, a Race to Save Key Seeds Needed to Feed the World
-
Climate
Lightning Strikes the Arctic: What Will It Mean for the Far North?
-
RIVERS
A Win for Farmers and Tribes Brings New Hope to the Klamath
-
Solutions
Deconstructing Buildings: The Quest for New Life for Old Wood
-
NATURAL DEFENSES
How Restored Wetlands Can Protect Europe from Russian Invasion
-
Solutions
Birds vs. Wind Turbines: New Research Aims to Prevent Deaths