UI President Sally Mason, who is also the Big Ten Council of Presidents/Chancellors head, says she is excited by the possibilities of a collaboration between Big Ten and Ivy League institutions to continue close examination of the effects of head injuries in athletics.

Although the Iowa River’s recently spilled-over banks prompted quick defensive action by the University of Iowa to prevent a repeat of the 2008 flood, officials say the flooding has not slowed the progress of three prominent campus projects.

With little rainfall over the weekend, and no substantial precipitation forecast for at least the first part of the week ahead, the Iowa River continues to recede.

Another wet weekend is on the horizon, with as much as 2 inches possible in the Iowa River basin through Saturday night. In spite of the potential for rain, the numbers for Coralville Lake and the Iowa River continue to move in a positive direction.

With the possibility of strong thunderstorms in the Iowa City area this afternoon, University of Iowa staff continue to keep watch over campus buildings, tunnels, and grounds at risk of flooding.

With the conditions on the UI campus relatively stable, UI Facilities Management staff are preparing to remove a section of HESCO barriers along Iowa Ave., north of the English-Philosophy Building.

Mitigation measures like flood response plans and so-called "invisible walls" aren't especially sexy; no ribbon cuttings, groundbreaking ceremonies or speeches mark their implementation. But when a flood hits, mitigation can mean the difference between a building that gets swamped and one that remains dry.

Ranging from online maps about stream and rainfall information to collaborating with NASA to improve satellite measurements of rainfall, virtually all Iowa Flood Center projects are aimed at giving Iowans the information they need to anticipate and live safely with floods.

With fickle weather on the horizon, including a soggy system forecast for the area over the next few weeks, Johnson County officials are encouraging the University of Iowa and municipalities to keep flood protection measures in place for the foreseeable future.

University of Iowa officials say they’re keeping a close eye on current forecasts for potentially heavy rain over the weekend and next week, but for now they say current flood protection measures are working as intended.

Coralville Lake is now expected to crest at about 708 feet—4 feet below the top of the dam—before dropping by Friday, more encouraging news as the University of Iowa begins putting final touches on its protective measures.

Continued favorable weather forecasts, dropping levels in the Coralville reservoir, and lower-than-anticipated flow and elevation of the Iowa River through Iowa City are giving the University of Iowa a chance to catch its collective breath and begin taking a longer view of campus operations through the summer.