Fort Worth FloodwayTarrant Regional Water

District

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• Originally constructed in 1910; overtopped in 1922; TRWD was created in 1924 and increased the levee height and constructed Eagle Mountain and Bridgeport Reservoirs as water supply and flood control facilities upstream on the West Fork Trinity

• The Trinity in Fort Worth was first studied by the USCOE in 1938• Improvements and levee extensions were authorized by Congress in 1945 to

become a federal project• A major flood in 1949, overtopping existing levees, accelerated the start of the

project• Project design included Benbrook Reservoir and the capabilities of the flood

control reduction of the existing West Fork Trinity Reservoirs• Construction started in 1950 and finished in 1968, done in three phases.• The system includes 10 separate levees totaling about 22 miles and an

improved channel for about 30 miles

Fort Worth Floodway

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Clear Fork andWest Fork Trinity Floodway Project

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Levee crest widths vary from 16 feet to 90 feet

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At TRWD’s office, the levee crest exceeds 200 feet wide

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• The nine periodic inspections from 1970 through 2005 all concluded the levee system was acceptable. • The 2010 periodic inspection results showed 8 levees were

unacceptable and 2 marginally acceptable. Main issues were• Vegetation • Encroachments

• LSAC ratings for the levees are ongoing for the 2010 Periodic Inspection; 5 of 10 are complete and are rated as class 4, marginally safe; other five ratings have not been accepted yet• The 2016 periodic inspection was just completed and all

levees were ranked marginally acceptable.

Inspections

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• The change in levee evaluation in 2010• Vegetation and vegetation variances (overbuilt sections)• Encroachments (water and sewer lines, gas pipelines,

bridges, offices, buildings, telephone poles)• The disparity between the periodic inspection ratings and

LSAC ratings• The need to incorporate system risk into PI ratings• Moving to a proactive planning approach to avoid

urbanization impacts that need to be coordinated with a number of municipalities participating• Improving the sustainability of the floodway• Reliability• Recreation• Ecosystem• Water quality

Challenges