Mississippi River city ponders a 塀で囲む it has long 拒絶するd

By Associated 圧力（をかける）

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DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) - Hundreds of communities line the Mississippi River on its 2,348-mile 旅行 to the 湾 of Mexico, but Davenport, Iowa, stands out for the simple 推論する／理由 that people there can 現実に 下落する their toes in the river without 規模ing a flood 塀で囲む, levee or other 妨害.

It's a point of pride in Davenport, a city of 100,000 people that calls itself Iowa's 前線 porch and which has 繰り返して 許容するd the floods that have long since 納得させるd all other major riverfront cities to build 固める／コンクリート or dirt 塀で囲むs.

"It's the personality of the community," said Kelli Grubbs, who runs a 商売／仕事 a few 封鎖するs from the nearly half-mile-wide river. "There is just a 広大な／多数の／重要な love of the river."

That love is 存在 実験（する）d this summer after 記録，記録的な／記録する-setting floods broke through 一時的な 障壁s and for weeks inundated some of Davenport's trendiest restaurants and shops with foul-smelling water. Now that the river has finally seeped 支援する to its banks, 商売／仕事 owners and city 公式の／役人s are 直面するing a painful question: Can they still remain connected with the river without 存在 圧倒するd by it?

ぼんやり現れるing over the discussions is an 承認 of what's likely coming from 気候 change: heavier 暴風雨s that, 連合させるd with spring snowmelt, will swell the river to ever higher levels.

Davenport is one of the many communities across the nation struggling with their past 仮定／引き受けることs about the 天候. Even as 居住（者）s scoff at the prospect of a 固める／コンクリート 塀で囲む or rocky levee 取って代わるing the gently sloping lawn that 下落するs 負かす／撃墜する to the river, they wonder if a downtown that has seen 概略で $500 million in 投資 in 最近の years can 生き残る 存在 awash and 削減（する） off from the 残り／休憩（する） of the city so frequently.

A vendor shack near the Mississippi River shows high water marks from past floods, Tuesday, July 16, 2019, in Davenport, Iowa. Hundreds of communities line the Mississippi River, but Davenport is among the few where people can dip their toes into the water without scaling a flood wall or levee. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

A vendor shack 近づく the Mississippi River shows high water 示すs from past floods, Tuesday, July 16, 2019, in Davenport, Iowa. Hundreds of communities line the Mississippi River, but Davenport is の中で the few where people can 下落する their toes into the water without 規模ing a flood 塀で囲む or levee. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

This spring a 重要な road was の近くにd for 100 days and fans couldn't reach the riverside minor league baseball stadium. A popular brewery credited with spurring a downtown 復活 is still の近くにd because its 器具／備品 was 潜水するd.

Of the 15 biggest floods in Davenport's history, seven have occurred since 2008.

"明白に, the 天候 is not getting any better," said Kyle Carter, (n)役員／(a)執行力のある director of the Downtown Davenport 共同, a 商売／仕事 group. "関わりなく why you think it's happening, it's happening."

Davenport 借りがあるs much of its 概略で 200-year-old history to the Mississippi River, which was instrumental in the area's selectio n as a fort. The river 許すd steamboats to reach the community and later led to 橋（渡しをする）s that connected people and 製品s to large cities to the east.

That history is one 推論する／理由 that にもかかわらず repeated flooding in the last 40 years - 特に 厳しい in 1969, 1975, 1993 and 2001 - Davenport 居住（者）s have 大部分は supported a modest 封じ込め（政策） system that 含むs a wide （土地などの）細長い一片 of grass and Nahant 沼, a 305-acre wetland.

During more serious flooding, large sand-filled 一時的な 障壁s can be placed on River 運動, which runs 平行の to the river, to 保護する the low-lying 商売／仕事 地区. Most homes are 安全に perched on the hills rising steeply to the north.

But this spring, separate crests 繰り返して 圧力d and finally 違反d the 障壁s, 原因（となる）ing an 概算の $30 million in lost 歳入 and 損失.

"For a week or two, people were boating 負かす／撃墜する the street," said Grubbs, who 急ぐd to save expensive 器具／備品 in her 事実上の reality gaming 商売／仕事 when water began 殺到するing inside.

Davenport 居住（者）s also couldn't help but notice that across the river in 激しく揺する Island, Illinois - where a 永久の floodwall was 築くd after floods in 1993 - the city stayed almost 完全に 乾燥した，日照りの. Bettendorf and Moline, Illinois, the other two communities that （不足などを）補う the Quad Cities, also have floodwalls and didn't flood.

市長 Frank Klipsch has formed a 仕事 軍隊 to consider 選択s, which 含む setting aside more land that could be open for flooding and 改善するing the system of 一時的な 障壁s 保護するing the city's nine miles of riverfront.

"It's not so simple as 'let's go build a 塀で囲む,' " Klipsch said. "Our riverfront is one of the major せいにするs of our community. We want to be able to 持続する that and embrace the Mississippi River."

One factor is the $175 million or higher cost of a flood 塀で囲む that would have to be mostly 地元で 基金d. But another is that an 拡大するd 衝撃を和らげるもの would be いっそう少なく reliable and 要求する a lot of 所有物／資産／財産.

環境保護主義者 s support giving the river more room instead of a 塀で囲む, but the pragmatic 関心s 重さを計る 激しい.

"We saw water go where water has never gone before, so it really shook the community and it awakened all of us to say, 'What are we doing? Is this a new reality for us?'" said Paul Rumler, the leader of the Quad Cities 議会 of 商業.

Becca Clark said she supports the city's go-slow approach, even though the flooding 軍隊d 労働者s and 顧客s to frantically 運ぶ／漁獲高 items up a 狭くする staircase to the second 床に打ち倒す of her 着せる／賦与するing and 宝石類 shop.

"The city is all about the natural flow of the river and green space. It would 廃虚 that," said Clark, who grew up in the area.

But, as they settled into a new 場所 a 封鎖する さらに先に from the river, her 商売／仕事 partner Nicole Perez 公式文書，認めるd, "We 直す／買収する，八百長をするd our problem. We moved up higher from the river."

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Beck 報告（する）／憶測d from Omaha, Nebraska.

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Kelli Grubbs and her son Justin stand in front of flood closed micro brewery adjacent to their business, Tuesday, July 16, 2019, in Davenport, Iowa. Hundreds of communities line the Mississippi River, but Davenport is among the few where people can dip their toes into the water without scaling a flood wall or levee. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Kelli Grubbs and her son Justin stand in 前線 of flood の近くにd micro brewery 隣接する to their 商売／仕事, Tuesday, July 16, 2019, in Davenport, Iowa. Hundreds of communities line the Mississippi River, but Davenport is の中で the few where people can 下落する their toes into the water without 規模ing a flood 塀で囲む or levee. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Becca Clark talks about her newly relocated vintage clothing and jewelry store, Tuesday, July 16, 2019, in Davenport, Iowa. Hundreds of communities line the Mississippi River, but Davenport is among the few where people can dip their toes into the water without scaling a flood wall or levee. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Becca Clark 会談 about her newly relocated vintage 着せる／賦与するing and 宝石類 蓄える／店, Tues day, July 16, 2019, in Davenport, Iowa. Hundreds of communities line the Mississippi River, but Davenport is の中で the few where people can 下落する their toes into the water without 規模ing a flood 塀で囲む or levee. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Becca Clark walks into the front entrance of her newly relocated vintage clothing and jewelry store, Tuesday, July 16, 2019, in Davenport, Iowa. Hundreds of communities line the Mississippi River, but Davenport is among the few where people can dip their toes into the water without scaling a flood wall or levee. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Becca Clark walks into the 前線 入り口 of her newly relocated vintage 着せる／賦与するing and 宝石類 蓄える／店, Tuesday, July 16, 2019, in Davenport, Iowa. Hundreds of communities line the Mississippi River, but Davenport is の中で the few where people can 下落する their toes into the water without 規模ing a flood 塀で囲む or levee. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Kelli Grubbs talks about how recent flood waters from the Mississippi River flowed through her downtown business, Tuesday, July 16, 2019, in Davenport, Iowa. Hundreds of communities line the Mississippi River, but Davenport is among the few where people can dip their toes into the water without scaling a flood wall or levee. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Kelli Grubbs 会談 about how 最近の flood waters from the Mississippi River flowed through her downtown 商売／仕事, Tuesday, July 16, 2019, in Davenport, Iowa. Hundreds of communities line the Mississippi River, but Davenport is の中で the few where people can 下落する their toes into the water without 規模ing a flood 塀で囲む or levee. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Kelli Grubbs talks about how recent flood waters from the Mississippi River flowed through her downtown business, Tuesday, July 16, 2019, in Davenport, Iowa. Hundreds of communities line the Miss issippi River, but Davenport is among the few where people can dip their toes into the water without scaling a flood wall or levee. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Kelli Grubbs 会談 about how 最近の flood waters from the Mississippi River flowed through her downtown 商売／仕事, Tuesday, July 16, 2019, in Davenport, Iowa. Hundreds of communities line the Mississippi River, but Davenport is の中で the few where people can 下落する their toes into the water without 規模ing a flood 塀で囲む or levee. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

William Roelandt fishes on the Mississippi River, Tuesday, July 16, 2019, in Davenport, Iowa. Hundreds of communities line the Mississippi River, but Davenport is among the few where people can dip their toes into the water without scaling a flood wall or levee. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

William Roelandt fishes on the Mississippi River, Tuesday, July 16, 2019, in Davenport, Iowa. Hundreds of communities line the Mississippi River, but Davenport is の中で the few where people can 下落する their toes into the water without 規模ing a flood 塀で囲む or levee. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

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