Flood Planning: How Would You Spend $793 million?
The 86th Texas Legislature charged the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) with implementing flood-related legislation, including Senate Bill (SB) 7, SB 8, SB 500, and House Joint Resolution 4. This legislation greatly expanded the TWDB’s role in flood planning and financing.
Planning the New State Flood Plan
The TWDB will administer a new state flood planning program. This program establishes a state and regional flood planning process, with flood planning regions based on river basins. The TWDB aims to have the first regional flood plans by 2023, and the first state flood plan by September 1, 2024.
The legislature also authorized a one-time transfer of $793 million from the state’s Economic Stabilization or “Rainy Day” Fund to create a new flood mitigation funding program that the TWDB will administer. The goal: to make drainage and flood projects more affordable and to meet immediate needs for funding. The funding will become available in 2020.
Statewide Call for Input
Says Jeff Walker, Executive Director, “The TWDB is working to get these programs up and running as quickly as possible and to hire staff for these new roles. Prior to formal rulemaking activities this fall, we are seeking input on a variety of issues, including but not limited to:
- Administration of funding for flood control planning and drainage, flood mitigation, and flood control projects
- Creation of regional and state flood planning process and related requirements
- Potential flood planning region boundaries
- State and regional flood planning guidance principles”
The information included in this PDF is intended to generate discussion and to solicit specific feedback that will inform formal rulemaking and other implementation efforts.
Written feedback is requested by August 30, 2019 and should be submitted to rulescomments@twdb.texas.gov.
Issues Being Considered
TWDB will also host stakeholder workshops around the state the first two weeks of August; these will include presentations on implementation efforts and issues for stakeholder consideration as well as opportunities for giving formal comments and for informal discussions with TWDB staff and board members.
TWDB invites you to join these discussions. In the coming months, you can help create new state programs that will better protect Texans against the loss of life and property from flooding.
Spending close to a billion dollars is not easy. Given that funding is finite and needs are not, it will require establishing rules. This PDF explains many of the issues that the TDWB will review at its upcoming public meeting in Tomball on August 9. They include, but are not limited to:
- What will be the most effective form of financial assistance? Grants or loans?
- Should they require local matches?
- What types of projects should get the highest priority?
- Should state funds complement federal buyout funds?
- How can the TDWB ensure cooperation of all political entities in a watershed?
- How can we avoid conflicts between state and regional flood plans?
- How can we ensure that flood mitigation measures in one area don’t exacerbate flooding in another?
Regional Workshop in Tomball on August 9
The information included in the PDF linked above is intended to generate discussion and to solicit specific feedback that will inform formal rulemaking and other implementation efforts.
Written feedback is requested by August 30, 2019 and should be submitted to rulescomments@twdb.texas.gov.
If you have thoughts you would like to volunteer on these or other planning issues, you can also discuss them in person at:
- Beckendorf Conference Center at Lone Star College–Tomball
- 30555 Tomball Pkwy.
- Tomball, TX 77375
- 9:30-11:30 a.m.
- Friday, August 9
Sign up for more information about these meetings and other flood information at the TWDB’s website. You can also contact the TWDB at (512) 463-8725 or flood@twdb.texas.gov.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/30/2019 with photo by Jim Balcom
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