Solicitation for regional flood planning group members Posted on June 05, 2020
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Peter Lake – Chairman, Texas Water Development Board:
Flooding has always been a constant threat in Texas. It impacts people and property every year. But now the state is taking action. For the first time ever, Texas is launching a statewide, comprehensive effort to fight flood that integrates mapping, planning, and mitigation.
The Texas Water Development Board is leading this effort, but we'll be relying on local leadership to ensure that it's successful. That's why we'll be asking folks with floodplain experience to join the regional flood planning groups to help protect their communities against the ravages of flood.
We'll be accepting nominations between now and July 2 for folks that have experience in floodplain management and an interest in protecting their communities, their neighbors, their property, and their homes from the damage that flood can do.
After repeated flooding events in recent years, the state launched a comprehensive statewide approach to fighting flood, and the Texas Water Development Board is leading that effort. The centerpiece of that effort is the state flood plan, the first of its kind ever. That state flood plan will be made up of the ideas and input from these regional flood planning groups.
These regional flood planning groups will be made up of at least 12 members from a variety of interest groups—folks who have expertise and experience in floodplain management. These interest groups represent everything from small businesses to agricultural interests, municipalities to industries, and everything in between. Each of the 15 regional flood planning groups will be evaluating flood risks in their area and then identifying ways to mitigate that risk. That could include anything from drainage systems to levies, to detention basins, et cetera.
Most importantly, the regional flood planning groups will be a venue for leaders across the broader area to sit down and share ideas to make sure that everybody's working on the same page. When it comes to flood, what happens upstream impacts folks downstream and vice versa.
Regional flood planning is important for Texas because flooding impacts all Texans—El Paso to East Texas, Panhandle to the Gulf Coast. There's no one-size-fits-all for Texas. Each part of Texas is unique, and that's why we're relying on local leadership to help identify the best ways to protect their communities from the ravages of flood.
Texans who are interested in helping protect their communities from flood by joining a regional flood planning group can go to our website at twdb.texas.gov to find the nomination form. Yes, self-nominations are allowed, and the deadline is July 2.
This article is posted in Flood .