After years of fighting against the often-flooded Cedar River, Charles City used land acquired through Federal Emergency Management Agency flood buyouts to create an inviting riverfront park with a whitewater course. Capitalizing on the river’s natural features to help prevent future flooding, Charles City turned the river from an obstacle into an ecological and social benefit. Members of the community were involved in the park’s design and construction. Riverfront Park is a model of how to strategically use flooded properties to create a sustainable and economically valuable amenity.
EPA created the National Award for Smart Growth Achievement in 2002 to recognize exceptional approaches to development that protect the environment, encourage economic vitality, and enhance quality of life. In the past 12 years, 61 winners from 26 states have shown a variety of approaches that states, regions, cities, suburbs, and rural communities can use to create economically strong, environmentally responsible development. EPA’s Office of Sustainable Communities manages the awards program.
For more information about smart growth, go tohttp://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth
For more about EPA: http://www.epa.gov/
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–U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on YouTube
Tags: Cedar River, Charles City, EPA, Flooding, IA, Iowa, Smart Growth Achievement Award, U..S. Environmental Protection Agency, Video, YouTube
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