Project Overview

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Fort Worth District's (SWF) Dallas Floodway Project is located in Dallas, Texas. It is a complex project in cooperation or partnership with multiple units of local, state and federal government. It addresses a number of regional concerns, although flood protection for the citizens of Dallas remains the cornerstone of this multi-faceted effort.

Modifications to the existing Dallas Floodway Project were authorized in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2007, Public Law 110-114, Section 5141, at a total project cost of $459 million, with an estimated Federal share of $298 million and an estimated non-Federal share of $161 million. The Final Feasibility Report provides a comprehensive assessment of alternatives to improve the Dallas Floodway System.

The USACE has oversight responsibility for all activities within the federally authorized Dallas Floodway System. The USACE-SWF is a lead actor in some of the projects, such as the existing Dallas Floodway, which was strengthened and improved by USACE in the 1950s to reduce the risk of flooding. It was designed to handle a Standard Project Flood event. In other projects within the confines of the Dallas Floodway listed below, the USACE plays a smaller supporting role or only an oversight function.

The Dallas Floodway Project is located along the Trinity River upstream from the abandoned Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe (AT&SF) trestle to the confluence of the West and Elm Forks, then upstream along the West Fork for approximately 2.2 miles, and upstream about 4 miles along the Elm Fork.

Public safety is the No. 1 priority in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Levee Safety Program. The Dallas Floodway system consists of the Dallas Floodway and the Dallas Floodway Extension Projects. The Dallas Floodway Project, in addition to the adjacent Dallas Floodway Extension Project, focuses on three of five inter-related components within the Dallas Floodway System: flood protection, ecosystem restoration and recreation in partnership with the local sponsor, the City of Dallas. The Dallas Floodway Project was designed to reduce flood risk for the citizens of Dallas. Both the USACE and the City of Dallas share the responsibility for public safety, and both are committed to ensuring the integrity of the system. Each project has its own web section accessible from this Fort Worth District home page. The USACE also provides public access to a National Levee Database which contains additional information on the Dallas Floodway levees. The USACE is also involved in two other major components of the project – transportation and community/economic development.

Key Dallas Floodway Project Events

Feasibility Study and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). A Final EIS was produced and integrated with the Final Feasibility Report. Links to these documents can be found in the SWF webpage. The two documents were developed by SWF and the City of Dallas. The Final EIS and Final Feasibility Report EIS evaluate the technical soundness and potential comprehensive environmental consequences resulting from the implementation of proposed levee remediation, flood risk management, ecosystem restoration, recreation enhancement, and other proposed projects in and around the Dallas Floodway. Under Section 5141, the Corps of Engineers undertook a comprehensive, systemwide analysis to evaluate alternatives, including the Balanced Vision Plan, the Interior Drainage Plan, and other proposed non-federal modifications. The Federal Highway Administration is a cooperating agency in the study.

In 2018, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Southwestern Division established the $5.2 billion Hurricane Damage Reconstruction and Risk Reduction Program, funded by the 2018 Bipartisan Budget Act, to reduce the risk of flooding impacts from severe storms. The program comprises 40 projects across three states (Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas) and will provide critical, enhanced flood risk reduction measures to the region. All work in the program is expected to be complete by 2027. The recommendations from the Feasibility Report and the Interior Drainage Plan were carried forward and projects authorized under the Supplemental Appropriations in the Bi-Partisan Budget Act of 2018 include:

• AT&SF Bridge Modification – This project modified the existing AT&SF Railroad Bridge by demolishing portions of the bridge, while maintaining the Santa Fe Trestle Trail features. The AT&SF Railroad Bridge removal includes demolition and removal of approximately 900 linear feet of wooden trestle ballast-deck bridge, demolition, and removal of approximately 100 linear feet of wooden trestle open deck bridge located on the left bank side of the Floodway, and demolition and removal of approximately 660 linear feet of concrete ballast-deck bridge located on the right bank side of the Floodway. The project was awarded in the amount of $1,734,386 and construction was completed in February 2021.
• 277K Levee Raise and Side Slope Flattening – The project includes raising and flattening of the East and West levees to help reduce flood risk, minimize the impacts to the local community and infrastructure as well as prevent overtopping of the levees during extreme flood events. The levee side slope flattening along the river side will increase embankment stability, reduce the frequency of surface slides, and decrease overall operations and maintenance costs for the project. The design build contract was awarded on September 29, 2021 to Southwest Valley Constructors in the amount of $55,990,600.
• Trinity Portland Pump Station – The project consists of constructing a pump station with the capacity to collect and pump 250,000 gallons per minute (gpm) of storm water over the west levee of the Dallas Floodway into the floodway. The design build contract was awarded on 24 February 2022 to RKE Contractors in the amount of $59,165,000.
• Charlie Pump Station – The project consists of constructing a pump station with the capacity to collect and pump 225,000 gpm of storm water over the west levee of the Dallas Floodway into the floodway. The design build contract was awarded on 15 March 2022 to LGC Global, Inc. in the amount of $63,559,380.
• Delta Pump Station – The proposed work involves the replacement of the pump station and the improvement of the sump and outfall area to prevent further erosion and preserve the integrity of the levee. The existing pumps will be replaced with pumps of equal capacity but capable of supporting a higher head. The two replacement pumps will be rated for 40,000 gpm at 46.4 ft Total Dynamic Head (TOH) with a motor size of 700 HP.
• Hampton Pump Station – The scope of work for this feature includes a new pumping station at Hampton (Hampton 3), demolition of the existing Old Hampton Pumping Station (OHX), and upgrades to the existing New Hampton Pumping Station (NHX). The current operations of the existing pump stations must be maintained during the construction of the Hampton 3 Pump Station. The existing NHX station will remain in place. The new Hampton 3 Pump Station will replace the old Hampton OHX Pump Station and will have a maximum capacity of 700,000 gpm consisting of five (5) 140,000 gpm pumps. The addition of the Hampton 3 Pump Station will add the capacity of pumping 500,000 gpm of storm water from the interior drainage area behind the East Levee and discharging into the Trinity River.
• Nobles Branch Sump Improvements – The planned improvements of the Nobles Branch Sump are designed to increase the connectivity of the sump and consists of the addition of three (3) 60-inch gated pipe culverts and the modification and extension of the existing single 60-inch gated pipe culvert located under Empire Central Drive to provide a 100-year level of protection. The existing 48" RCP from the west will have a re-aligned outlet parallel to the new 60-inch pipes. New upstream concrete headwalls and aprons will be constructed to support the new and existing drainage structures.

Major Dallas Floodway Project-Related Components

Balanced Vision Plan. The City of Dallas plan for the Trinity River Corridor includes ecosystem restoration and recreation actions that are evaluated in the Final EIS. These include creating meanders within the Trinity River, restoring, protecting, and expanding the riparian corridor, improving aquatic habitat, creating riffle-pool complexes, and constructing wetlands. Recreation measures that will be evaluated include the West, Natural and Urban lakes, terraced playing fields, multipurpose trails, whitewater facilities, pedestrian bridges, utilities, parking facilities, amphitheaters, promenade, concession pads, boat/canoe access points and passive recreation features, such as interpretive guidance, media, and picnic areas.

Interior Drainage Plan. This contains improvements proposed by the city of Dallas to aid drainage on the land side of the levee at existing and new pumping stations including Able, Baker, Charlie, Delta, Hampton, Trinity Portland and Pavaho. These are designed to restore sump capacity to provide protection against the 100-year flood event and provide gravity and pressure storm sewers. The Pavaho Pump Station behind the West Levee was completed in 2012; the Baker III Pump Station behind the East Levee was completed in 2015; the Able Pump Station has been providing varying levels of interior drainage since 2019 and is currently in full service.

Local Features. These consist of features not included in the Balanced Vision Plan, Interior Drainage Plan nor authorized by Section 5141. These local features may be implemented by non-federal entities subject to a determination that the proposed alterations or modifications would meet USACE engineering and safety standards and would not have significant adverse effects on the functioning of the protective facilities for the Dallas Floodway System. These elements include:

• Section 408 levee modification at the 100-year level – In 2009 the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) de-accredited the Dallas Floodway. As a result, the city of Dallas began preparing a plan of levee modifications so that it could certify the levees as meeting a 100-year standard required for insurance purposes. FEMA is revising the Dallas 100-year floodplain map under its National Flood Insurance Program. The Corps approved a permit application from the city under Section 408 of the Rivers and Harbors Act for these levee modifications. Construction was completed in 2013
• Santa Fe Trestle Trail – This is a hike and bike trail that provides access to Moore Park, located off East 8th Street south of downtown Dallas, and is about 10.4 acres. It crosses the Trinity River via the abandoned AT&SF trestle, continues to a parking constructed south of the planned Trinity Parkway, and ends as an access road at the north Trinity River levee near downtown Dallas. Construction of this city project was completed in 2012.
• Pavaho Storm Water Wetlands – The City of Dallas has proposed construction of 70 acres of storm water wetlands adjacent to the Pavaho Pumping Plant outfall. Construction was completed in 2015.