View to a Spill

It’s like “deja vu all over again” as Yogi Berra is purported to have said. But
this year I have a bird’s eye view of the flooding occurring at the confluence
of Beaver Creek and the Des Moines River east of Johnston. My home is perched
atop a hill just south of the I-80 bridge spanning the river.

(Click to enlarge photos.)

For the past week, my husband and I have continued to meet on our north-facing deck to eye river levels. We’ve watched as the water has crept steadily higher on the bridge’s supports. And each day we’ve reported to our friends, “This is the highest its ever been.”

In past years we’ve seen sandbars appear when water levels dropped. We’ve
watched families gather there for swimming, fishing and shell collecting. We’ve
even witnessed pickup trucks ford Beaver Creek to reach these sandy islands. Not this year, however. In 2008 a greater number of speed boats and jet skis have taken their place. But now, as Saylorville Lake prepares to unleash its excess, even the boats are gone.

As I look back over my photos from 2002 and compare them to today’s view, I
realize I’m not dreaming. “This isn’t how I wanted to obtain lakeside property,”
my spouse says as the water inches closer to the new bike trail at the foot of
our property. He knows that while we’re high and dry, others are not.

In the coming days, we know there will be plenty of opportunities for us to help
out. Still, I have high hopes that the safeguards put in place since 1993 will
keep the majority of Des Moines residents safe. And keep the water supply safe
as well.

Guest Writer: Brenda Friedrich is an Iowa-based writer and business communications consultant. You can also find her blogging at Enroute365.

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