Sunday, May 5, 2024
City leaders and community members on Jan. 24 heard details about the city's master drainage plan, which looks to take aim at flooding problems that will take an estimated $6.7 million to address.
"When I first arrived here, it was quite obvious that due to improper planning water has been allowed to go wherever it wants to go," said Gatesville City Manager Bill Parry, who spent years working to help develop a city drainage master plan to take aim at some of the issues that result in flood damages, threats and inconveniences.
The city was able to qualify for $250,000 in funding — including $225,000 from the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) and a required match of 10% — or $25,0000, from Gatesville itself to address the drainage issues.
"It's important the City Council realize there will likely be a follow-up required on impervious surfaces," Parry said.
Impervious surfaces, such as asphalt and concrete, do not allow water to seep into the ground but instead create runoff that can lead to problems downstream.
Having a master plan in place will enable the city to qualify for federal grants to help alleviate flooding concerns.
The city has worked with Walker Partners, an engineering firm based in Waco, to identify both problem areas and different solutions that can help reduce local flooding.
Curtis Biddle, a project engineer for Walker Partners, said the work done is an important first step in making positive changes for the community.
"This is the first ever master drainage plan for the city of Gatesville, and it sets up the framework for y'all's decision making in the future to address flooding issues," Biddle said.
"The Leon River is the primary source of flooding (in Gatesville), and it was worse prior to 1963 when Lake Proctor was built (upstream in Comanche County)."
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently developed a hydraulic model for the Leon River watershed from Lake Proctor to Lake Belton, and Gatesville was able to use this data for its drainage plan.
Several key areas where flooding occurs were identified, and Biddle said potential solutions have been suggested for each of those.
"The low-water crossing on Straws Mill Road is one area," Parry said. "Sometimes when you fix one thing it can create a larger problem downstream. What's key — this will eventually lead to a section of capital improvements for drainage.
"It's important to identify the problem areas and then focus on what can be done to fix it. There are grants available if you can show and justify what you need."
Among the areas of concern identified were:
* The area near Kalyn Siebert on Highway 84
* Dodd Branch Crossing at FM 2412
* Dodd Branch at Moccasin Bend Road
* Leon River at East Leon Street
* Faunt Le Roy Park
* Leon River at the Leon Wastewater Treatment Plant
* Shady Lane at Business 36
* Golf Course Road
* Straws Mill Road
* Stream at Highway 36 and Arrowood Lane
* Stream at U.S. Highway 84
* Stream at Mears Drive and 28th Street
* Stream at FM 929
* Stillhouse Wastewater Treatment Plant at Leon River
* Sun Valley neighborhood
Out of these areas, six projects have been identified to address concerns, and different options were presented with varying costs.
In one neighborhood, 10 structures are primarily affected. One option, which would include raising the street, would cost an estimated $2.3 million "which makes it not particularly feasible," Biddle said. A different way to mitigate flooding would still cost the city about $1.4 million "which is still fairly high," he added.
Biddle recommended city leaders work with those residents who are impacted to get Federal Emergency Management Agency grants to elevate the structures.
"That's the most practical approach," Biddle said.
A second project at the Leon River and wastewater treatment plant would cost an estimated $642,000 and could be covered with state revolving funds.
Project 3 is the low-water crossing at Straws Mill Road, and would involve raising the road at an estimated cost of $411,000, which would be funded in part by an infrastructure grant.
Projects at Arrowood Lane would be partly covered by the county's acquisition of Community Development Block Grant funds.
Another portion of the work at Arrowood could be addressed by adding box culverts under the highway.
Project 5 at FM 929 would require raising the road about a foot, along with replacing and adding culverts.
Project 6 in the Sun Valley neighborhood had significantly differing costs, depending on the approach taken. Biddle noted that if buyouts were used for the city to acquire the property from the owners, it would cost "over $11 million and is not feasible."
Another option is to build a levee around the area, with a total estimated cost of $1.4 million.
"That's very practical and would be a good project to pursue under the TWDB flood infrastructure" plan," Biddle said.
He said the city needs to focus on "a strong effort to find funding sources. There are $6.7 million worth of projects."
Parry said these are not the only areas of the city that experience flooding, adding "the others haven't been studied yet."
He said the flooding problems have been aggravated by decades of inaction.
"This is the result of 95 years of neglect we've just allowed to happen," Parry said. "If we don't start attacking this, we are going to have habitual perpetual flooding problems in the city of Gatesville."
