TWDB Publishing Nature-Based Solutions Guide
7/10/2026 – The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) has published a Draft Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) Guide for Flood Resilience in Texas. It’s one of a number of documents in development for the next iteration of the State’s Flood Plan. And they are seeking stakeholder feedback.
The 314-page document is a 130 meg download, so don’t try to view it on your phone. But it is well researched, written, and illustrated. It seeks to equip local officials, engineers, community planners, and flood-related professionals with the knowledge they need to go beyond gray. Community activists may also find the Guide helpful in initiating discussions with those groups and pointing out opportunities.
Practical Step-By-Step Guide
The draft guide presents a clear framework for planning, implementing, and maintaining NBS as part of comprehensive flood resilience strategies. It includes solutions at both the watershed-scale and neighborhood scale. It is a practical step-by-step framework for:
- Initiating
- Planning
- Implementing projects.
The guide contains 13 chapters in those three broad categories:
- Laying the groundwork for NBS
- Introducing NBS for flood resilience
- Embracing guiding principles for NBS
- Assessing ordinances incentives and Regulations
- Establishing funding strategies
- Integrating NBS into planning processes
- Understanding flood risk and identifying flood-risk opportunities
- Evaluating NBS feasibility and alternatives
- Designing and building NBS
- Applying watershed NBS design and construction considerations
- Applying neighborhood NBS design and construction considerations
- Applying coastal NBS design and construction considerations
- Maintaining and adaptively managing NBS
The concepts are not theoretical. They are being successfully implemented across Texas – from floodplain buyouts to stormwater parks, regional watershed planning, and living shoreline projects. And the attractive illustrations from around the state encourage readers to dig in and explore.
From Planning to Identifying Opportunities and Construction
As I was browsing through it, two chapters forced me to dig down immediately: Chapter 6 on Planning and Chapter 7 on understanding flood risk and identifying NBS opportunities.
A table in Chapter 6 mentioned examples of needs in the San Jacinto watershed including “Preserve and restore … river floodplains to improve … natural storage, and resilience to compound flooding.”
It was exactly what I have been advocating for the Scarborough property and San Jacinto West Fork sand-mining gauntlet. Then the chapter discussed ways to identify and reach out to stakeholder groups.
Chapter 7 includes sections on determining flood risks and identifying flood risk hot spots. It also included an “Opportunity Matrix Tool” to help convert “Needs” to “Solutions.”
Subsequent chapters include the nuts and bolts of how to do that. The work is broken up into quick, readable sections with charts, tables, graphs, photos and illustrations that help readers grasp concepts at a glance.
How Green and Gray Can Work Together
All in all, for those threatened by flooding and those who represent them, this guide presents a step-by-step framework for implementing nature-based solutions, either alone or in combination with other flood mitigation projects. The emphasis is on how green and gray solutions can work together. And that’s refreshing.
Click here to download the document. Warning 130 Megs.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/10/26
3237 Days since Hurricane Harvey
