Flood Control Program

Overview

More than 2,000 floodwater retarding structures, or dams, have been built over the last 70 years within the State of Texas. The primary purpose of the structures is to protect lives and property by reducing the velocity of floodwaters, and thereby releasing flows at a safer rate. These are earthen dams that exist on private property, and were designed and constructed by the United States Department of Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS). They were built with the understanding that the private property owner would provide the land, the federal government would provide the technical design expertise and the funding to construct them, and then units of local government would be responsible for maintaining them into the future.

Local sponsors of the dams were required before a federal project was begun. Local sponsors signed a watershed agreement which outlined the duties and responsibilities of the federal and local sponsors. In general, local sponsors are required to obtain and enforce easements, conduct operation and maintenance (O&M) inspections, maintain the structures, and implement land treatment measures in the watershed. Soil and water conservation districts (SWCD) are one of the local sponsors in all watershed projects. Other local sponsors include counties, cities, and Water Control and Improvement Districts (WCIDs).

Due to the passage of time and difficulty in raising adequate funds locally, many sponsors approached the Texas Legislature with their concerns over amount of needed O&M and repairs. In recognition that these dams will continue to serve as a critical protection for our state's infrastructure, private property, and lives, the Legislature appropriated $15 million dollars to the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB) for grants to local SWCDs during the 2010-2011 biennium for O&M and structural repairs.

Flood Control Dam Infrastructure Projects - Supplemental Funding

Projects to repair and rehabilitate flood control structures across Texas will now be funded due to a $150 million appropriations bill legislators passed this session. The Governor signed the bill into law on June 6, 2019. These structures serve as a critical protection for our state’s infrastructure, private property, and lives. The State appropriated the funds to the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB) to administer through grants to the local sponsors of Flood Control Dams, including Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs).

Click here for additional information on the Flood Control Dam Infrastructure Projects - Supplemental Funding.