Vol. 75/No. 28      August 1, 2011

West, a 70-year-old corn and bean farmer, has 850 acres of land under water. He said he knows of well over 30 farms flooded in the area, which equals “quite a few thousand acres.” According to the Des Moines Register, “more than 560,000 acres in seven states have flooded, including nearly 447,000 acres of farmland. About a third of the flooded land is in Iowa, including about 158,000 acres of farmland.”

West said he and his neighbors have to travel to their homes by boat. His brother was fined $86 by police for not having a life vest in his boat. “We’re already hurt, and it can’t get much worse for us,” said West, “but I hope it doesn’t go into Council Bluffs. A lot of people would get hurt.” Council Bluffs, Iowa, is a town of some 60,000 right across the river from Omaha, Nebraska.

“I don’t know if the water will be gone by next year. In [the flood of] 1952 the water came through and went, but now there are six dams, not just one, and they’re storing so much water.” West expressed concerns that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers did not release water from reservoirs early enough to avoid some of the flooding. “We’re not getting much info,” said West, who is hoping his insurance will cover the damage.

Further frustrating Missouri farmers, the corps sent out letters to farmers along the Missouri River in June as the flood hit, asking them to consider selling land to the army that would be used to restore fish and wildlife habitat. After some angry protests by farmers receiving the letter, corps spokesperson Tony Hoffman dismissed it as a “staff misfunction.”

Joe Swanson contributed to this article.
 
 
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