FORT WORTH, Texas – The Fort Worth District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released its Fiscal Year 2016 work plan for the Army Civil Works program Tuesday.
Project specific funding for FY2016 will be distributed among two primary civil works appropriations, with $23.7 million for Flood Damage Reduction and $5 million for Ecosystem Restoration.
“The District’s Civil Works program is one of our most critical missions and is a key example of how we provide value to the Nation,” said Calvin C. Hudson II, commander, Fort Worth District. “With a Civil Works area of responsibility that covers over 53 percent of the state of Texas, it is important to have adequate funding to accomplish our missions of flood risk management, water supply, recreation, ecosystem restoration, fish and wildlife mitigation, hydropower and environmental stewardship.”
The FY 2016 work plan includes funding for flood and storm damage reduction within the District’s area of responsibility. This funding is for the Trinity River Vision Central City Project and the Dallas Floodway Extension, Trinity River Project.
For the Dallas Floodway Extension project, $4 million is being provided to make riverbank repairs on the Trinity River in southeast Dallas. Erosion caused by the 2015 flooding has threatened one of the wetlands that comprise the Lower Chain of Wetlands in Dallas. The wetlands support flood risk reduction, ecosystem restoration and recreation components in the Dallas Floodway Extension Project.
The Central City Project is being provided $9.7 million for construction, which includes completion of the Ham Branch levee, bypass Channel design, and valley storage at several sites.
That FY16 work plan also provided $10 million for the Lower Colorado River Basin, Onion Creek, Texas, for the completion of the project. Additionally, $5 million is provided for reimbursement purposes for the San Antonio Mission Reach ecosystem restoration project.
This year’s Operations and Maintenance budget will be distributed among the District’s 25 lakes which depend on annual appropriations for operations and maintenance. O&M funding also includes an additional $6.3 million under the Fiscal Year 2016 work plan. Funding in the amount of $935,000 is provided for repairs to flood damaged recreation areas and $5.4 million is provided for flood risk management, to continue embankment and erosion repairs, riprap replacement, and spillway channel repairs that were caused by the 2015 flood events. These measures will ensure the safety and integrity of our dams and efficient operation during future flood events.
“The funding we received for the FY16 work plan will help support the Fort Worth District’s continued efforts on construction, maintenance and operation of vital Civil Works infrastructure projects that impact the state of Texas’ economy, environment and quality of life,” added Hudson.