FORT WORTH, Texas – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Fort Worth District estimates spring flooding caused $30 million in damages to the 25 flood-risk management reservoirs operated by the district.
The tally came following careful evaluations and safety assessments of damages caused by the floods from the heavy rains in May and June of this year. A record 10 of the 25 flood-risk management reservoirs operated by the district went into surcharge operations. Twenty-three of the lakes retained floodwater preventing an estimated $7 billion in downstream damages.
Most of the damages are to roads, recreational facilities and associated maintenance to the electrical and plumbing operations. High pool levels caused serious environmental impacts at many of the lakes. Some dams and associated outlet works also experienced flood related impacts.
During the peak of the flood event many dams were put on a heightened surveillance status. At Lewisville Lake the district’s hourly surveillance team spotted a 161-foot-long slide on the upstream face of the embankment. A $6.4 million contract has been awarded to repair the slide.
“The reconstructed embankment will be protected by stone riprap on the upstream side and Bermuda grass sod on the downstream side,” said Project Manager Mike Kingston. “As part of this effort, removal and replacement of a portion of the asphalt roadway and subgrade layers along the embankment crest will be required."
“Our flood risk management reservoirs and levee systems worked as intended and continue to function as designed,” said Col. Calvin Hudson II, commander, Fort Worth District. “Some did experience damage during the flood fight and we are moving forward to mitigate those damages and prepare for the next rain event.”
The Corps recommends boaters conduct a personal safety risk assessment before heading out to the lake. Some areas of consideration include: potential of wildlife moving in the water; debris on or just below the water surface and changing shorelines; use of all personal protective equipment to include a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life vest and navigation avoidance of intake/spillway operations. The latest lake levels may be viewed at http://www.swf-wc.usace.army.mil/cgi-bin/rcshtml.pl?page=Reports&report=fish and facility closure report may be viewed at http://www.swf-wc.usace.army.mil/drought/drought.htm.
For additional information about our lake operations, please call the Fort Worth District’s Public Affairs Office at 817-886-1306.
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About the Fort Worth District: The Fort Worth District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was established in 1950. The District is responsible for water resources development in two-thirds of Texas, and design and construction at military installations in Texas and parts of Louisiana and New Mexico. Visit the Fort Worth District Web site at: www.swf.usace.army.mil and SWF Face book at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Worth-District-US-Army-Corps-of-Engineers/188083711219308
Estimating flood damages: Estimating flood damages prevented is a multi-stage process that involves looking at the water level with the flood reduction project (dam or levee) in place, and where the water level would have reached if the dam or levee had not been built. Economists and hydraulic engineers looking at the damages occurring with the dam or levee in place versus no dam or levee in place calculate the estimated economic damages prevented.