The Watershed Protection Department has released its 2024 annual report, highlighting a lengthy list of achievements in flood prevention, future flood preparedness and erosion control projects in several corners of the city.
The department credits these efforts for Austin’s improved ranking in FEMA’s Community Rating System, increasing discounts by up to 25 percent for residents seeking flood insurance policies.
The report points to several key highlights, including the start of construction to divert high water flows to Little Bear Creek to a former quarry where they will recharge the Edwards Aquifer. This will help enhance groundwater flow to Barton Springs Pool and fortify the aquifer’s resilience to climate change, the report notes.
“Reflecting on the progress we’ve made guides our path forward,” department Director Jorge Morales said in a statement, echoing the “Reflect” title and theme of the report. “As we look ahead, we will build on these successes and continue serving the evolving needs of Austinites.”
All told, the department cleared debris from more than 12 miles of local creeks, channels and ditches; inspected more than 19 miles of stormwater pipeline; cleaned over 14 miles of pipeline; and installed or replaced several thousand feet of storm drain infrastructure.
Key projects included the removal of 170 tons of debris from the Ken Street channel in North Austin, while crews began the first phase of expanding the storm drain capacity to reduce flooding along Brassiewood in the Dove Springs neighborhood.
Additionally, crews removed 100 tons of sediment from 500 feet of a drainage ditch along Airport Boulevard, and built raised borders and excavated a clogged drainage ditch off of East Riverside to reduce flooding risks in the Riverside Farms neighborhood. Meanwhile, the Waller Creek Tunnel diverted 29 flood events and removed 1,478 tons of debris. The department completed the first phase of a flood-reduction project along Little Walnut Creek and has launched the second phase with a large box culvert to divert flood water under Mearns Meadow Boulevard in North Austin.
The department’s “high-impact” erosion control projects included repairing 50 feet of block wall along Shoal Creek in the Pease Park greenbelt, constructing a rock rip-rap spillway to safely move stormwater from an outfall on Rotherham in Northeast Austin to a nearby creek, repairing soil erosion that was threatening fences and yards along Salem Walk in South Austin, and stabilizing the creek at Larkwood Court to protect nearby homes in the Windsor Park neighborhood.
Finally, the department completed a three-year project to upgrade the city’s entire network of flashing beacons that comprise the early warning system for floods, and replaced the flood gates on Spicewood Springs Road in Northwest Austin.
Not all the department’s projects were planned, however. Last year, Watershed Protection Department crews performed emergency repairs at Barton Springs Pool to fix a leak in an abandoned skimmer pipe that was creating suction and posing a safety hazard for swimmers. The repairs required the pool to close for several weeks.
Photo by William L. Farr, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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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.
