FORT WORTH, Texas – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Fort Worth District awarded two contracts recently to support ecosystem restoration projects in Frisco and Seguin under the Continuing Authorities Program (CAP).
The district awarded a $3.927 million contract March 20 to Kimrick Performance Group LLC for Frisco, and awarded a $2.814 million contract Feb. 27 to Bristol Engineering Services Corp. for Seguin.
The project in the Central Texas city of Seguin is along the Walnut Branch of the Guadalupe River, which runs through downtown. The project area includes the historic Walnut Branch Walk, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933 and designed by Robert Hugman, who later designed the San Antonio River Walk. The upper reach is a Corps-built flood damage reduction channel supplemented by dry detention structures built by the city. The lower reach, fed by springs, suffers from streambank erosion, invasive species and large piles of debris. Ecosystem restoration will greatly improve the habitat value by bank stabilization, debris removal, riffle-pool complexes and restoration of the riparian forest corridor.
The project in the North Texas city of Frisco will connect several neighborhoods to the Corps’ Lewisville Lake by construction of six wetlands and 3.1 miles of native surface paths. The watershed was permanently degraded due to prolonged inundation from the impoundment of the Lake. New wetlands along Hackberry and Stewart Creeks will include installation of 78 wood duck boxes to promote breeding habitat. Nearby field habitat will be planted with native bottomland hardwoods and grasses. The Corps’ Lewisville Aquatic Ecosystem Research Center will establish new aquatic and upland species communities. About 183.6 acres of Corps fee-owned property and privately-owned flowage easements will be folded into the project to protect existing habitat.
The Seguin project was awarded under Section 206 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1996; the Frisco project was awarded under Section 1135 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986.
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About the Continuing Authorities Program (CAP):The program is a useful tool to support community projects, on a cost-shared basis, that are limited in size, cost, scope and complexity without the lengthy study and authorization process required for larger Corps projects. Under CAP, the Fort Worth District draws on four existing authorities: Section 14 (Steambank Erosion Protection); Section 205 (Local Flood Damage Reduction); Section 206 (Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration), and Section 1135 (Environmental Restoration). For additional information, visit the CAP website at: http://www.swf.usace.army.mil/Home/ContinuingAuthoritiesProgram.aspx
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 Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Worth-District-US-Army-Corps-of-Engineers/188083711219308