BOONE, Iowa — Just over a year ago, the Des Moines Y Camp was preparing for flooding from the Des Moines River while campers were there enjoying their week.The flood stage on the campgrounds is 19 feet, and as of Tuesday the river sat at 12 feet. While there is not a threat of flooding, the aftermath of the summer camp along the ...
BOONE, Iowa — Just over a year ago, the Des Moines Y Camp was preparing for flooding from the Des Moines River while campers were there enjoying their week.
The flood stage on the campgrounds is 19 feet, and as of Tuesday the river sat at 12 feet. While there is not a threat of flooding, the aftermath of the summer camp along the Guadalupe River in Texas has hearts heavy on the campgrounds.
“It’s a responsibility that every camp director takes very, very seriously. I think it’s the thing that keeps us up at night the most,” said Alex Kretzinger, the Executive Director of the camp. “And it’s the biggest nightmare to have to go through what they’re experiencing in Texas. And so, knowing parents are concerned and know they still trust us with their kids means a lot to us, but we don’t take that lightly.”
Kretzinger checks river levels daily, regardless of heavy rain in the forecast or not, to ensure campers have a great week and parents can have ease.
Late last June, the flood waters in northern Iowa crawled down the Des Moines River. That prompted Kretzinger and staff to prepare areas near the river for the rising waters. The arts and crafts building, the dining hall and the pool were at risk to be submerged; but thankfully the flood stage did not reach those levels. The dining hall has a flood wall that was installed years ago, and steel barriers are able to be deployed in the event of a flood, along with the help of sand bags.
The ability the camp had to mobilize and prepare for the threat is what gives the director confidence every day.
“We definitely want people to know that we’re confident in our plan and what we need to do to fix things,” said Kretzinger. “Tt only took us maybe 24 to 36 hours to get everything protected.”
The campgrounds along the Des Moines River are vastly different than the area where tragedy struck over the holiday weekend. The Des Moines River and drainage areas around it are much more flat compared to the Guadalupe River. The flood that took the lives of so many campers and counselors is a hilly region, with low soil absorption, that means that the river naturally carries a higher flow rate and water velocity which results in sudden water level changes.
The Des Moines River that wraps around the campgrounds, while being flat, hold a soil that absorbs water at a much quicker rate. That does not mean flooding events can’t happen, but the development happens slower.
“It can flood, but it takes a little bit more time to get to those levels which is a blessing we can prepare,” said Kretzinger. “I think we are all kind of hurting and trying to grapple with the news for sure.”
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