Des Moines Register: Iowa needs to revamp the landscape along its many rivers to soften the blow of future floods, a string of speakers said Monday at an Ames conference. “We need permanent land-use change, especially along the rivers,” including clearing homes and crops from some areas, said Mark Ackelson, president of the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation. Ackelson was among about 125 Iowa officials who met at Gateway Hotel and Conference Center to discuss how to lessen future flood damage and …