Watershed Protection Mission and Goals for 2015

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Edith Griffin
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1 Mission and Goals for 2015 Mission Goals The purpose of the Department is to protect lives, property, and the environment of our community by reducing the impact of flooding, erosion, and water pollution. Reduce flood impacts to life and property. Continue to increase flood protection of threatened structures through creek and drainage system improvements. Continue to alert the public of imminent flood hazards and enhance efforts to educate the public about flood hazards. Maintain or improve the City's participation requirements in the National Flood Insurance Program and Community Rating System. Create a stable stream system that decreases property loss from erosion and increases the beneficial uses of waterways. Prepare design for 4,000 linear feet of stream channel repairs in FY Maintain and, when possible, improve water quality. Construct water quality controls to reduce stormwater pollutants from 7,100 acres by FY Conduct business inspections and spill response to recover a total of 700,000 gallons and 300 cubic yards of pollutants in FY Maintain or improve baseline levels of the Environmental Integrity Index (water, sediment and recreational quality, aquatic habitat and physical integrity) in 100% of watersheds evaluated. Provide adequate assessment and maintenance of drainage infrastructure. Complete 1,200 feet of stream channel stabilization to provide increased erosion protection to property in FY As the inventory continues to increase, continue to maintain residential ponds so that 90% are functioning properly through FY Complete assessment of 12.5 miles of storm drain infrastructure through FY Maintain 100% of activities in compliance with Federal and State permits and regulatory requirements.

2 Organization by Program and Activity for 2015 Flood Hazard Mitigation Flood Safety Watershed Management Infrastructure & Waterway Maintenance Drainage Pipeline Management Field Operations Management Storm Water Management Stream Restoration Stream Restoration Support Services Departmental Support Services Transfers and Other Requirements Other Requirements Transfers Water Quality Protection Pollution Prevention and Reduction Stormwater Treatment Surface/Ground Water and Endangered Salamander Protection Water Quality Monitoring Watershed Policy and Planning Data Management Environmental Policy Master Planning Value Engineering Watershed Education

MessagefromtheDirector TheWatershedProtectionDepartment(WPD)isbuildingprojectstosolvetoday sproblemswhilecreatingopportunitiesfor the future.

ThedevastationcausedbytheHalloweenFloodof2013hashighlighted animportantandcriticalissueforthewatershedprotectiondepartment: theoccurrenceofextremeweatherconditions(e.g.,drought,flood)that willexacerbatethehazardsofflood,erosion,andwaterqualityproblems.

3 MessagefromtheDirector TheWatershedProtectionDepartment(WPD)isbuildingprojectstosolvetoday sproblemswhilecreatingopportunitiesfor the future. In keeping with the City s commitment to ecofriendly and sustainable policies, the department has made importantinroadsintheareasofgreeninfrastructureandotherinnovativesolutions. ThedevastationcausedbytheHalloweenFloodof2013hashighlighted animportantandcriticalissueforthewatershedprotectiondepartment: theoccurrenceofextremeweatherconditions(e.g.,drought,flood)that willexacerbatethehazardsofflood,erosion,andwaterqualityproblems. DuringtheeveninghoursofOctober30,2013,andintothemorninghours of October 31, 2013, Walnut Creek, Shoal Creek, Williamson Creek, Bull Creek,andJohnsonCreekallcameoutoftheirbanks.However,themost significantfloodingoccurredalongloweronioncreekinsoutheastaustin. Rainfall was so intense that the United States Geological Service(USGS) streamlevelgaugeononioncreekattwincreekswaswashedout,and theusgsstreamlevelgaugeononioncreekat183temporarilystopped working.intraviscounty,fourpeoplelosttheirlivesduetothisstorm. The City cannot afford to allow development that perpetuates problems of the past. This includes not allowing developmenttocontinueinfloodhazardzonesorareaswherethestormdraininfrastructurecannotsupportthecurrentor proposeddemand.developmentinfloodhazardzonesresultsinalongtermcosttothecityofmillionsofdollarswhen infrastructurehastoberelocatedorhomeshavetobepurchasedbecauseofthreatstolivesandproperty. Ratherthan costlyafterthefactcipprojects,preventionisthebeststrategyformitigatingthenegativeeffectsthatdevelopmentcan haveonthedepartment'smissionareas:1)floodmitigation;2)erosioncontrol;3)andwaterqualityprotection. OurworkontheWatershedProtectionOrdinance(WPO),whichwasapprovedbytheCity CouncilandbecameeffectiveonOctober28,2013,isanexcellentexampleofpreventionas thebeststrategy.theordinanceisacomprehensiveoverhaulofaustin senvironmentaland drainage regulations and the culmination of two years of public stakeholder meetings. It extends creek buffers to over 400 miles of headwaters streams, strengthens the protection of floodplains and recognizes the need to plan for natural and humancaused creekerosion.together,thesekeychangeswillpreventdevelopmentpatternsthatdegrade the environment and create unsustainable repair costs for the public. Protections are balancedwithadditionaldesignflexibilitytoallowthesameoverallfootprintwhilekeeping developmentsafelyawayfromwaterways.byimprovingtheprotectionofcreeksandfloodplainscitywide,theordinance also builds a solid foundation of protected and connected green infrastructure that can be integrated with other City prioritiessuchastrails,communitygardensandparks. As we work to meet the challenges ahead, the department will continue to use strategic partnerships and data driven decisionstoachieveourgoals.ourpastsuccesseswiththesestrategies useofpublic/privatepartnershipstocreatea bigger bang for our capital improvement program buck and use of our Value Engineering team to provide careful analysestocreatepotentialcapitalimprovementprogramcostsavings arewhathavehelpedmakewatershedprotection a bestmanaged departmentforthecityofaustin. VictoriaLi,P.E. Director,WatershedProtectionDepartment Volume I 334

4 Commercial Drainage 43.3% SourcesofFunds Interest& Misc. 0.6% Expense Refunds 1.7% Flood Hazard Mitigation 5.8% Transfers& OtherReqts. 20.8% UsesofFunds Infrastruct. &Waterway Maint. 20.7% Water Quality Protection 9.1% Residential Drainage 53.2% Developmt. Fees 1.2% Transfersto CIP 29.6% Other Programs 14.0% Budget Overview Estimated Amended Approved DrainageFund Revenue $60,128,161 $65,581,693 $72,917,078 $72,367,078 $78,479,817 Requirements $61,071,326 $67,053,988 $72,574,803 $74,091,294 $81,680,562 FullTimeEquivalents(FTEs) ExpenseRefunds $994,390 $1,125,967 $1,117,460 $1,302,496 $1,339,278 Grants $0 $0 $92,780 $92,780 $0 TotalBudget $62,065,716 $68,179,955 $73,785,043 $75,486,570 $83,019,840 Volume I 331

BudgetHighlights The Department s FY 201415 Budget includes those resources necessary to meet its mission of protecting lives, property and the environment by reducing the impact of flood, erosion

Infrastructure&WaterwayMaintenance The Infrastructure and Waterway Maintenance program is responsible for maintaining the storm water conveyance system,whichconsistsofcreeksandwaterways,pipelinesand

5 BudgetHighlights The Department s FY Budget includes those resources necessary to meet its mission of protecting lives, property and the environment by reducing the impact of flood, erosion and water pollution. The departmenthaspreparedabudgetof$78.5millioninrevenueand$81.7millioninexpenditureswhichalsoincludes1.0 newfulltimeposition. Infrastructure&WaterwayMaintenance The Infrastructure and Waterway Maintenance program is responsible for maintaining the storm water conveyance system,whichconsistsofcreeksandwaterways,pipelinesand structuralcontrols.therearethreemainactivitieswithinthe division: Field Operations Management (FOM), Storm Water Management (SWM), and Drainage Pipeline Management (DPM). Temporaryfundingof$161,000isaddedtotheDPMactivity for four temporary employees assisting with the Google and AT&T fiber projects. These staff members will assist with reviews,linelocations,andfieldconflictresolutions.funding of $379,000 is added to annualize the costs of Waller Creek Tunneloperationssuchascontractsandsalaries. Theprogramcontinuedtoprovideemergencyresponseactivitiesduringstormevents,includingtheclosureofroadways andresponseto311floodanddebriscomplaintsduringandaftertherainfallevents.thetwomostnotablefloodevents oftheyearoccurredinthemonthofoctober,withfieldoperationspersonnelrespondingtotheoctober13thandoctober 31steventsintheWilliamsonandOnionCreekwatershedsrespectively.Over900311callswererespondedtobyWPD personnel within a thirtyday period and over 200 tons of accumulated debris materials were removed from channels, culvertsandroadwaycrossingsinordertoensuretheproperconveyanceofstormwaterthroughthedrainagesystem protecting lives, property and infrastructure.the removal andpropermanagementof accumulated woody debris from theseeventswillcontinuethroughout2014duetothelargescalenatureofthesituation. FloodHazardMitigation The Flood Hazard Mitigation program represents one of the department scoremissionareas.thepurposeofthisprogram is to: 1) reduce existing flood hazards to protect lives and property and 2) maintain regulatory code and design criteria for new development to protect lives and property from possible increases in flood hazard. The Flood Early Warning System(FEWS)activitywillmove$300,000fromaCIPaccount to the operating budget for United States Geological Service (USGS) and software contracts increase by $215,000. Additional survey equipment is also added to support dam safetyinspectionanddrainagecomplaintinvestigations. InFebruary2013,theFEWSgroupreleasedATXFloods.com,a web tool identifying roads in Austin that are closed due to flooding. ATXFloods.com is also available in a smartphone format. The Flood Warning group has used the site during severalstormevents.thesitehasloggedmorethan686,492pageviewsfromlaunchtojuly2014.wpdhaspromotedthe sitetothemedia,whohaveprovidedlinkstoatxfloods.comontheirwebsites.withthistechnology,thefloodwarning groupnowhastheprimaryresponsibilityofnotifyingthepublicofroadclosures,whereasbeforethehomelandsecurity andemergencymanagement(hsem)dutyofficerupdatedtheirwebpagewithatableofroadclosures. OnionCreekfloodmitigationthroughthehomebuyoutsprogramresultingfromtheHalloweenfloodof2013arediscussed inthecapitalbudgetsectioninvolume2ofthebudget. Volume I 335

NumberofFloodWarningEmergencyActionRecommendationsIssued 100.00 75.00 76 70 70 70 50.00 37 25.00 0.

6 NumberofFloodWarningEmergencyActionRecommendationsIssued FY FY FY Estimated FY Amended FY Approved WatershedPolicyandPlanning ThepurposeoftheWatershedPolicyandPlanningProgramistoprovidedirectionandoversightofwatershedpolicies,and tocoordinatetheintegrationofflood,erosionandwaterqualityactivitiesforcitystaffandpolicymakerssotheyhavethe information to design, prioritize and implement cost effective integrated solutions that include capital projects and watershedprogramsandregulations.thecostofaprojectcoordinatorpreviouslyfundedbytheaustinwaterutility(awu) will be absorbed by adding $100,000 to the budget. This position was backcharged to AWU for work related to the environmental commissioning of Water Treatment Plant #4 (WTP4).The Water Quality Education section received an additional$106,000foreducationandoutreachactivities. On October 28, 2013, City Council adopted the Ordinance, a comprehensive overhaul of Austin s environmental and drainage regulations and the culmination of two years of public stakeholder meetings. All of these activities were facilitated by Watershed Policy and Planning staff. The ordinance extends creek buffers, strengthens the protectionoffloodplainsandrecognizestheneedtoplanforbothnaturalandhumancausederosion.thesekeychanges willpreventdevelopmentpatternsthatdegradetheenvironmentandcreateunsustainablerepaircostsforthepublic.the ordinancealsobuildsasolidfoundationofprotectedandconnectedgreeninfrastructurefromwhichtobeginintegrating othercityprioritiessuchastrails,communitygardensandparks. StreamRestoration The purpose of the Stream Restoration program is to create a stablestreamsystembyimplementinglocalizedstabilizationand stream channel restoration projects on affected citizens' and publicpropertyinordertodecreasepropertylossfromerosion andincreasebeneficialuseofwaterways. This group is responsible for stabilizing the shoreline and improving the trail at the Shoal Creek Peninsula along the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail. The peninsula had been impacted by severe erosion from floods, compacted soils and denuded vegetation from heavy pedestrian use.the use of limestone boulders, large river cobbles and native vegetation provideanaturalaestheticandaquatichabitat.therestoration project complements the broader Lower Shoal Creek Seaholm Districtrevitalizationeffortandservesasamodelforintegration ofthenaturalenvironmentinanurbancontext. Volume I 336

7 WaterQualityProtection ThepurposeoftheWaterQualityProtectionprogramistoprotectandimprovewaterqualityinAustin'screeks,lakesand aquifersforourcommunityandaquaticlifebypreventing,detecting,evaluatingandreducingwaterpollution.asaresult of Austin CityCouncil Resolution No regarding items from the Lake Austin Task Force, City staffmade a numberofrecommendations,including anapproachtocoordinatedlakemanagementsuchasthroughutilizationofa LakeAustinManagementDivision. Ratherthancreateanewprogramordivision,aninterdepartmentalteamwouldbe createdtoformallycoordinatelakeaustinmanagementrelatedissues.thewatershedprotectiondepartmentaddsan Environmental Program Coordinator to address Lake Austin watershed management issues and coordinate the interdepartmentalworkinggroup.additionalfeesoffsetthecostsforthisposition. ThisworkgroupwasalsoresponsiblefortheCity sreceiptofapermitfromtheu.s.fishandwildlifeservicetoallowbarton Springs to remain open to the public for the next 20 years. The permit is based on a Habitat Conservation Plan, which includesnewconservationmeasuresforboththeendangeredbartonspringssalamanderandtheaustinblindsalamander. Theplanwillalsoallowformoresustainablemanagementofthepoolbyreducingtheimpactsoffloodingandassociated poolclosures. SupportServices WPDSupportServicesincludesFinance,HumanResources,andtheSafetyOffice.TheSafetyOfficeisadding$200,000for installationofsecuritysystemsattwofieldoperationsatellitefacilities.theharoldcourtlocationisusedtostoreassets valuedinexcessof$4.0million.thefacilityatdaltonlaneisprojectedtocontainover$8.0millionassetsbytheendof 2015.Installationofsecuritysystemsatbothlocationsaddressesthepossibilityfortheftandabuseofequipmentassigned tothedaltonlanefacilityaswellasthehistoryoftheftandbreakinsattheharoldcourtfacility.fundingintheamountof $116,000 for printing of floodplain information packets, flood awareness ads and emergency radio ads is added to this program. The Budget includes $151,000 for city wide flood prevention, protection and preparedness per Council amendment. Revenue TheprimaryfundingsourcefortheDrainageUtilityisthemonthlydrainagefeeassessedtoCityofAustinutilitycustomers. Thisfeeisexpectedtoprovideapproximately98%,or$77.1million,ofthedepartment s$78.3millionrevenueprojected fortheupcomingfiscalyear.thefy201415revenuebudgetreflectsa6.5%increasetothebasebillingunit(equivalent residentialunit),or60centspereru.thefy201415budgetincludesanewmonthlyrateof$9.80formostresidential customers.theresidentialgrowthisbasedoncurrenttrendsandisinkeepingwiththecitydemographer sestimate.the nonresidentialgrowthestimateisbasedonanalysisofpastnonresidentialgrowthrates,whicharesignificantlylowerthan residentialgrowthrates.otherrevenuesourcesforthedepartmentincludeinterestincomeanddevelopmentrevenue. Taxexemptreligiousorganizationsmayrequestexemptionfromthedrainagefeepersection15215(2)oftheDrainage Ordinance. The department works closely with the Religious Coalition to Assist the Homeless (RCAH) as the exempted drainage fees are directed to this umbrella organization for grantmaking purposes. During FY , $687,219 in drainage fees were collected by the organization. In turn, the RCAH granted $586,500 to 17 organizations to benefit homelessindividuals,includinganewentry,inc.,caritas,casamarianella,foundationcommunitiesandfoundationforthe Homeless(FFH).Grantamountsrangedfrom$5,000to$115,000. Volume I 337

Stream Buffers Sharpest Tool in the SWM Toolbox Tom Hegemier, PE, D.WRE, CFM

Stream Buffers Sharpest Tool in the SWM Toolbox 1 Tom Hegemier, PE, D.WRE, CFM www.apaienv.com Stream Buffers - Overview 2 Why stream buffers? Floodplain management and other benefits Existing regulatory