Natural Resources Conservation Service Federal Interagency Water Management Workshop By John Mueller, State Conservation Engineer, Temple, Texas NRCS Authorities and Limitations in Addressing Extreme Events

NRCS is a secondary responder and will work with FEMA shortly after a major storm event, along with other state and federal agencies. NRCS assists with emergency restoration measures when a storm causes a watershed impairment which threatens life or property.

Interaction/Coordination with FEMA within Texas NRCS will have a representative at FEMA emergency field offices early in the process to assist in coordination relative to the NRCS Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWPP) and status of potential funding. Claude Ross, EWP Program Manager, will normally fulfill the primary coordination role with FEMA and other agencies. He may be contacted at or Engineering will play a major role as well. Contact me at or

EWPP Program NRCS does not receive an annual appropriation for EWPP. Assistance is subject to funding by Congress – typically on an event basis. Relatively recent Congressional appropriations have only funded Presidential Declarations (Stafford Act). One difficulty with current process – There have been multiple times where sponsors have a very pressing need for assistance on projects that are eligible for NRCS EWPP assistance, but NRCS does not have funds available. FEMA cannot fund those projects. Also, if a sponsor takes action prior to a signed agreement, they are ineligible for NRCS assistance.

EWPP Authorities Program is based on addressing a watershed impairment in cooperation with a public or tribal sponsor. The emergency measures must protect EXISTING infrastructure. (If bridge is already washed out, there’s nothing left to protect). The benefits of the repair must exceed the costs. Sponsors must meet eligibility requirements, fund their portion of the costs, and secure land rights and permits.

NRCS work related to any dikes or watershed structures is limited to drainage areas of 250,000 acres, roughly 400 square miles, to prevent duplication with COE. Typical type of assistance – 1) removal of debris threatening bridges or blocking channels, 2) stabilizing eroded areas adjacent to secondary roads and/or bridges where a subsequent storm would likely render the infrastructure inoperable, and 3) repairs to auxiliary spillways of flood control measures having less than 400 square miles of drainage area.

With limited resources, many local authorities take efforts to safeguard the public until corrective actions can be taken.

Barricades temporarily installed by a county commission.

Debris plugging box culverts didn’t help in this flood event.

A downed cypress tree slightly upstream of a bridge along the Guadalupe after the 2002 floods.

Sack-crete wall in conjunction with headwalls.

Use of rock riprap to stabilize area adjacent to road.

Protecting pumping plants/intake structures in South Texas

NRCS accepted a mission assignment from APHIS to assist with emergency response after Hurricane Ike.

Incredible Damage

With hurricanes, things usually don’t go as planned. Expect the unexpected.

NRCS assisted watershed structures Texas NRCS has assisted with slightly more than 2,000 watershed structures scattered across the state, but with the greatest concentration of those east of the 100 th Meridian. Increasingly, these structures are being impacted by urbanization. Of these structures, 393 are currently classified as high hazard. NRCS provides assistance to local sponsors who have secured land rights. It is important to note that NRCS does not own the structures, but we will advise sponsors to the extent possible during extreme events.

The intent of the Small Watershed Program is to complement the downstream flood control program of the Corps of Engineers. Statutory authority is limited to watersheds not to exceed 250,000 acres and storage not to exceed 25,000 acre-feet. USDA's Small Watershed Program was authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1944, Public Law , and the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act of 1954, Public Law The original program, PL , was established for 11 selected watersheds throughout the country, including the Middle Colorado, Trinity, and Washita in Texas. The subsequent legislation, PL , was passed to expand the program to all of the nation's watersheds.

Mountain Creek 10, a high hazard structure located about 25 miles south of Dallas within the city limits of Midlothian, was undergoing rehabilitation at the time the May storms hit. Issues included multiple slope failures, due to high-shrink/swell clays and problems with the principal spillway conduit. Construction is complicated by the use of the lake as detention/settling basin for more than a million gallons of treated effluent daily. As part of dewatering plan, the contractor chose to utilize a coffer dam and hired a PE to develop the design. The coffer dam is approximately 20’ high with compaction to 95% of standard Proctor.

NRCS assistance relative to the Small Watershed Program – Coffer Dam of Mountain Creek 10 (Padera Lake) 1 st Overtopping – May 27, 2015.

NRCS is providing inspection services on this project, including a full time inspector and a project engineer. By May 25, water was within 1.85’ from the top of the coffer dam. TCEQ dam safety staff was notified. The inspector made contact with local sponsors who in turn contacted Grand Prairie emergency management and COE at Joe Pool lake. Five pumps were in place (two 8 - inch, two 10-inch, and one 12-inch), along with a 15.5 inch siphon. On May 26, there were preliminary “reports” of a breach even though water was 1.25’ below the top. Close contact with TCEQ dam safety staff.

Very early morning (May 27) reports from inspector that water is near overtopping. Project engineer heads to site. In office very early – update to supervisor and national headquarters. Local media reports overtopping during the 6 a.m. hour, and on site. They report “imminent failure” – not sure of source.

Contact with TCEQ Dam Safety officer before 7 am. NRCS assessment – Situation is stable, but caution is warranted. Project sponsors had contacted emergency management earlier that morning. Another update to national staff – clarified that it was coffer dam overtopping. NRCS staff at state level are not to speak on matters of national impact unless clearance granted. Began working with Public Affair Specialist shortly after 8 a.m. to prepare briefing material for national spokesperson.

Request for statements/live interviews started around 8:45 a.m. Secretary took messages and said we would get back as soon as possible. Project Engineer on site around this time and provides an update – overtopping has increased but all stable. Project engineer and inspector will keep project sponsor updated. Teleconference with national staff around 10 a.m. – it was determined that I would represent the agency in interviews once all material reviewed and cleared. Contractor proposed digging release channel through auxiliary spillway. Contracting officer approved request.

Other staff responding to requests related to other watershed sites. Public Affairs Specialist, in coordination with her national counterpart, finalized all informational/briefing materials around noon. Notified shortly after noon that water level was down to top of coffer dam. Some damage on back side could be seen. Press leaving site. Authorized to speak to press around 3:30 p.m. Crises had passed, but reporters contacted. Work on release channel went on into the night – finalized around 10:30 p.m.

Contractor added more pumps. After assessing damages, contractor installed geotextile in area with most erosion. Another overtopping two days later (May 29) went largely unnoticed. Media reported on the impacts of flooding that day in Dallas, particularly in an area close to Love Field. Project is scheduled to be completed around the end of July 2016.

Coffer dam after second overtopping.

NRCS actions in such situations NRCS will continue to work closely with TCEQ, Dam Safety Staff, as well as project sponsors. (I had one phone call from another project sponsor at roughly 2:30 a.m. that week about another site). Our policy for responding to media requests in such cases takes some time to work through. Our national office was “concerned” that someone had made the statement about imminent failure. I can’t control others, but I would highly recommend that any such statements be deferred to the State Dam Safety Official or closely coordinated with that individual.

What does the future hold? Many sites are increasingly impacted by urbanization, and the state’s population continues to grow.

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