The city is moving forward with its effort to update its floodplain maps, in anticipation of an expected increase in dramatic rainfall and flooding events caused by climate change over the next decade.
Earlier this month, the Watershed Protection Department began mailing notices to properties located in or near a potential floodplain once the new maps are finalized. The new maps could change the development requirements for affected parcels, with a new “freeboard” requirement holding that the finished elevation of designated buildings going through substantial renovation or development would need to be 2 feet above the revised 100-year floodplain.
The city has scheduled three virtual public meetings next month regarding the new maps and the potential impacts of the process that includes the NOAA Atlas 14 rainfall study, which found that future increases in rainfall will make 100-year floods similar to the previous benchmark of 500-year floods. Information on the meetings is available at ATXFloodplains.com.
City Council unanimously passed an ordinance update in response to Atlas 14 in late 2019, making appropriate changes to the building code based on the revised 25- and 100-year floodplains found in the study. At the time, the city’s Equity Office was in the early stages of creating an assistance program to help property owners historically routed into flood-prone areas by past development practices.
The recent mailers for floodplain-threatened properties was potentially the second such communication from Watershed Protection in recent months. The department also sent out roughly 150,000 postcards as part of the three-year Rain to River process that seeks to create a new 10-year plan for managing how water interacts with the local built and natural infrastructure.
At an October meeting of Council’s Austin Water Oversight Committee, department staff explained how the new plan will involve more than just the new maps resulting from Atlas 14. The plan, originally called the Watershed Protection Master Plan, has not been substantially updated since its creation in 2001.
“We recognize that we are long past overdue for an update and that we need to address major challenges like climate change, population growth, racial inequities and the fact that over 20 years our department has gained a lot of knowledge and experience in what works and what doesn’t,” said Erin Wood, WPD’s acting watershed planning manager.
“We just had the trash and creek study that came out with cutting-edge data and analysis and new solutions to explore. Also, being 20 years old, that plan doesn’t reflect the findings and recommendations of other city plans like Water Forward … and the Climate Equity Plan.”
Wood said the department’s work in 2022 has centered on community engagement, with a draft plan likely delivered in 2024.
At the committee meeting, Council Member Ann Kitchen pushed for the department to make a special effort to get feedback from residents in especially flood-ravaged areas such as Onion Creek and Williamson Creek, which were two areas of priority for the December mailings.
“Flooding will be one aspect of what you’re looking at and I’m thinking specifically about flood safety for neighborhoods. I’m wondering if you are intentionally reaching out to those parts of our city that have experienced horrific situations with flooding in the past,” she said.
“The Onion Creek (Homeowners Association) has been very involved over the years since the flooding they’ve experienced and on an ongoing basis they continue to talk as a community about being prepared for flooding. I think they would appreciate at least the opportunity to have a meeting they could host in their community specifically about this issue.”
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Austin Water Oversight Committee
Watershed Protection Department: The city's Watershed Protection Department works to reduce the impact of floods, erosion and water pollution in the city. The department is mostly funded by the city's drainage fee.
