Grants totaling nearly $2 million have been awarded to the city of Ames from the state of Iowa and FEMA to protect businesses in the flood plane of South Skunk River and Squaw Creek.

“The flood plane includes South Duff Avenue, East Lincoln [Way], Sondrol Avenue and South 16th Street,” said Mark Reinig, economic development coordinator of Ames.

The city of Ames put in an application to the state of Iowa and was awarded $1,909,129.

“The funds are left over from funds for the floods of 1993, where the state of Iowa had a home buying program for flood victims around the state,” Reinig said. “The state had the money left over and redirected the funds to our program.

“The grants from the FEMA is the first of its kind in the country,” he said. “The funds are for a Hazard Mitigation Grant Program which will go toward the same as the state funds for flood prevention.”

He said the city plans to protect businesses by constructing flood walls and backflow prevention valves, which are more cost effective for the city than building a levee or other flood control system.

“This is in response to the flooding problems that we have faced in the past,” Reinig said. “This will go to protect individual businesses, 66 in all, that are located in the flood plane.”

The construction and installation of the flood walls and valves should begin in early spring 1999, according to a press release.

“The backwater valve systems will prohibit water from coming back up after a hard rain,” Reinig said. “When flood conditions arise, the water would be blocked.”

The city has contacted many businesses affected by flooding and has begun to meet with them about the new grants.

“[The city] gave us some suggestions on what we can do to stop the flooding,” said Greg White, manager of O’Malley and McGees Mexican Cafe, 716 S. Duff Ave. “They are not telling us to do anything but simply suggesting and letting us decide.”

The grant requires local business and property owners who receive grant money to contribute 25 percent of the total they receive, according to a press release.

“We have had problems with flooding in the past, and this gives us a wonderful opportunity,” White said. “The city will pay 75 percent of the cost of the new flood wall, and we will have to pay the rest.”

White said the city is waiving all fees for permits because of the flood protection plan, but businesses still have to apply for money.

“We are one of the last businesses to get some kind of protection from flood waters,” he said. “Other businesses down Duff Avenue get the flood waters before we do.”

White said Happy Joe’s, 551 S. Duff Ave., already has a flood wall, and O’Malley and McGees’ wall would probably be very similar.

“It will be about four feet tall and will surround the building,” he said.

O’Malley and McGees is one of the first five businesses to take part in the new flood protection, White said.

He said the businesses are optimistic about the plan.

“We never really gave any thought to a flood wall before the city came to us with this option and idea,” White said. “I think that it would be a great thing and would probably save us money in the long run.”

Bill Simpkins, associate professor of geological and atmospheric sciences, said there are many other options to protect businesses, but most are not cost effective.

“The best thing to do would be to move all of the businesses out of the flood plane, but that is not a feasible option,” Simpkins said. “There could be new zoning and building restrictions in the area for businesses that would like to build there.”

He added that disincentives could be used so people would choose not to build there.

Simpkins said flooding is nothing new in the area.

“I am always surprised when people are surprised when it floods,” he said. “It is unfortunate that so many businesses have built in the flood plane.”