DEPARTMENT: Transportation & Capital Improvements
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Mike Frisbie, P.E.
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: All
SUBJECT:
City of San Antonio Watershed Master Planning
SUMMARY:
Briefing on the watershed master planning process.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
At the Community Health and Equity Committee meeting on January 25, 2018, Transportation and Capital Improvements (TCI) presented on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) map update process. This presentation highlighted the important role that accurate flood mapping plays in developing future flood control projects.
While the City’s current storm water policies require development to meet regulations that exceed the FEMA standards, older developments that predate these standards continue deal with flooding issues. Through the City Bond Program’s and Bexar County’s Flood Control Program over 3,000 properties have been removed from the 100-year flood plain over the past ten years. While this has improved the lives of many of our residents, works continues to alleviate all flooding issues in the city through the watershed master planning process.
ISSUE:
This briefing will provide an overview of the watershed master planning process.
The Watershed Master Planning process consists of problem identification, project development, scoring & ranking, and funding & construction. Each step involves multiple partners and agencies for technical assistance and funding.
Project identification is done through two main avenues, public input (311) as well as investigators. These sites are visited by storm water investigators to verify and document the issues. After the issues are identified, projects are developed and organized by watershed. Often times drainage projects can be very costly, so projects are frequently broken down into phases to allow for incremental completion.
The list of developed projects is stored in an internal future projects database. Together with partner agencies these projects are scored and ranked based on various criteria in order to prioritize the ones with the most urgent need. Some factors include properties impacted, structures impacted and road safety.
Funding and construction of projects is done through any available program or funding source. The most common sources of funding include the Storm Water Operating Fund, City Bond Programs, and County Flood Control Programs. The future projects database is the primary source for projects selected for funding in these programs.
ALTERNATIVES:
This briefing is for informational purposes only.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This briefing is for informational purposes only.
RECOMMENDATION:
At the request of the Community Health and Equity Committee Chairwoman Council Member Sandoval, a briefing of the watershed master planning process will be provided to the Community Health and Equity Committee.