exTRA by the Trinity River Authority of Texas

The drought warning was issued March 6 due to dry conditions in the Lower Colorado River Basin.

If approved, opponents warn that a massive new utility project could disrupt toxic sediment, and more, in Lake Livingston—Houston’s “most critical” water source.

The Disaster Preparedness and Flooding Joint Committee met for the first time on Wednesday with the goal of improving flood warning systems, communications, allocating funding and preparing plans ahead of the next natural disaster.

With Central Texas weighing heavily on the hearts and minds of Texas residents, it is time to plan and prepare for the next flooding event here at home. Some say that, because of climate change, it is no longer a matter of if, but when, flooding will occur.

TCEQ provides state regulatory oversight on water usage, with service provided by local authorities.

A Conrad Blucher Institute research student is building an AI model to forecast compound flooding along Oso Creek, offering up to 6 hours of lead time. 

The City of Decatur is considering a $242 million investment into its water and wastewater infrastructure through a series of debt issuances over the next four years. On Tuesday, city officials and Decatur water board members toured Decatur’s water and wastewater treatment plants, along with Kimley Horn engineers who discussed the current infrastructure and potential improvements.

Pearland’s water infrastructure received major funding from the city to make key improvements, which include ensuring Pearland complies with state regulators and various upgrades to existing water infrastructure.

The cost of cleaning up the east Fort Worth water treatment plant that was contaminated by an oil spill in May could reach around $5 million or more, according to a water department memo available on the city’s public records portal. The city cited a public health emergency exemption in the Local Government Code the normal bidding process for contracts and fast track approval of more than $4.8 million for 10 companies in response to the spill’s effects on the city sewer system.

Flood-prone Harris County has had a flooding warning system since the 1980s, but only about 14,000 of its 5 million residents are signed up to receive alerts.

In 1988, a year after a devastating flood killed 10 teenagers trying to evacuate from a riverside summer camp in Kerr County, leaders at the local river authority made a difficult decision: They raised their tax rate by nearly 50% to help pay for an early flood warning system. Yet nearly three decades later, when an engineering study determined that the system needed a $1 million upgrade, a tax increase was not on the table. 

Exclusive: Kerr County river authority chose tax cuts over alert system upgrades before deadly floods

A bipartisan group of state lawmakers from the Bexar County area penned a letter to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) this week, rejecting a wastewater permit for the Guajolote Ranch development.

Bastrop is securing its water future with new wells, reuse systems & advanced wastewater treatment. Here’s how the city is planning for growth.

Senator Paul Bettencourt discusses new legislation intended to warn people of flooding dangers ahead of time.

The Houston Office of Emergency Management is hoping their alert system will be appealing to the public by only sending you notifications on emergencies happening in the Houston area.

El Paso Matters staffers talk about the flooding we've seen in El Paso, why we see water pool in streets even after brief rain storms, and what El Pasoans are getting for that $7 monthly stormwater fee they pay on their water bills.

Understanding how our region manages extreme flooding starts with the Lower Colorado River Authority and the Highland Lakes system. The LCRA manages six major reservoirs—collectively known as the Highland Lakes—located northwest of Austin along the Colorado River. 

Austin city officials are calling on the federal government to restore $50 million in flood mitigation funding that was rescinded just weeks before deadly storms inundated Central Texas.

Deadly floods on July 4 highlighted Texas' vulnerability. A state study found Texas leads the nation in flood-related property damage and fatalities. So what is it doing about that?

The Rio Grande Valley isn’t the only part of the state trying to make the best use of our limited water.