Texas Water Development Board approves $324,375 to Wharton County for a watershed flood protection project

For immediate release. Contact: Media Relations at 512-463-5129

AUSTIN – (February 2, 2022) – The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) today approved by resolution financial assistance in the amount of $324,375 in grant funding to Wharton County from the Flood Infrastructure Fund (FIF) for watershed flood protection planning studies. The County will use the assistance to expand a current study area to include the adjacent watersheds with interrelated flooding issues.

The TWDB previously committed funding in December 2020 for the study of the Caney Creek HUC-10 watershed, and with the funding approved today, the County will expand the project study area to include the adjacent Linnville Bayou and East Matagorda HUC-10 watersheds.

The approved project is eligible for FIF funding under category 1, flood protection planning for watersheds, of the 2020 Flood Intended Use Plan. This category of funding was designed to support studies that conduct planning of entire watersheds to better inform the development of structural and nonstructural strategies.

Passed by the 86th Texas Legislature and approved by voters through a constitutional amendment in 2019, FIF was created to provide funding for drainage, flood mitigation, and flood control projects.

The TWDB is the state agency charged with collecting and disseminating water-related data, assisting with regional water and flood planning, and preparing the state water and flood plans. The TWDB administers cost-effective financial assistance programs for the construction of water supply, wastewater treatment, flood control, and agricultural water conservation projects.