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THIS WEEK: A Spring with no flooding

Forecasters say most rivers will stay in their banks this Spring, breaking a trend of flood problems in the region

MOLINE, Ill. — We're seeing exactly what you'd want to see this time of year.

A lazy Rock River virtually clear of ice.

"I think this is the first year we haven't had ice jam issues on the Rock River since I've been here.  And that's going on six years now," said National Weather Service hydrologist Jessica Brooks.

And it's not just the Rock.

The Mississippi and the rivers, streams, and creeks that flow into it have seen a slow enough melt, small snow packs up north, and no major rain storms over the past two weeks.

"The temperatures have actually been almost ideal for what we would want for snow melt purposes," Brooks said during "News 8 This Week with Jim Mertens.

You can hear more from NWS Hydrologist Jessica Brooks on THE CITIES PODCAST.

It's not just the rivers but the land that's been a blessing this season.

The frost depth was shallow and.allowed water to sink into the soil easier.

And some surrounding areas saw near drought conditions making that soil thirsty.

Plus the snow and bitter cold we did see came late in the season.

"The ice didn't really get real thick so when we got the warm up, it just kinda gradually melted that ice," said Brooks.

But this year's quiet flood season is far different than in past years.

The Mississippi River saw some of its worst flooding in 2019 and faced major flooding threats in 2020.

"What we're seeing is an increase in more extreme weather so flooding has increased in its severity," said Denise Bulat, Bi-State Regional Commission executive director.

Listen to our entire interview with Bi-State Planning Commission executive director Denise Bulat on THE CITIES PODCAST.

And it's not just a factor on major rivers like the Mississippi and Rock, or tributaries like the Wapsipinicon and Green.

Flooding is also an issue for locations like sleepy Duck Creek in Bettendorf.

This meandering creek can quickly become dangerous after heavy rains... creating a fast moving torrent of water that appears in minutes and disappears almost as quickly,

An area just east of Interstate 74 and north of Duck Creek is where the City, with help from the federal government, is removing almost two dozen homes.

Urban planners say flood mitigation is an on-going, long term effort by local governments.

And there's no one answer but, instead, a series of efforts, both big and small.

"If we slow the water down, it gives it an opportunity to seep back into our ground water and also, again, a greater opportunity for it to be cleaned up," said Bulat.

Watch "News 8 This Week with Jim Mertens" Sunday mornings at 10 on WQAD News 8.

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