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    Austin area Timber and Onion Creeks receive $11.8 million new start with PPA signing

    Austin area Timber and Onion Creeks receives $11.8 million new start with PPA signing

    Photo By Randy Cephus | Travis County Judge, Sam Biscoe and Fort Worth District commander, Col. Charles Klinge...... read more read more

    AUSTIN, TX, UNITED STATES

    08.28.2014

    Story by Randy Cephus and Clayton Church

    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District

    AUSTIN, Texas - The Corps signed two Project Partnership Agreements for the Onion Creek Watershed project with local and county officials during a public ceremony Aug. 28 in Austin.

    The project is one of four “New Start” Civil Works construction projects approved by Congress for Fiscal Year 2014.

    Travis County signed an agreement for the Timber Creek segment and the City of Austin signed one for the Onion Creek/Yarrabee segment. Both PPAs spell out the legal responsibilities for each party as the project moves forward.

    “With the signing of these Project Partnership Agreements, we will be able to move forward with the construction of the Onion Creek recommended plan from the feasibility study that was completed in 2006,” said Col. Charles Klinge, Fort Worth District commander.

    “It took a lot of time and effort to be able to help people get out of the flood plain,” said Nova Robbins, Onion Creek project manager. “This is a well-justified project to take people out of the floodplain.”

    The Integral Determination Report described authorization and project description as: “The Onion Creek Forest/Yarrabee Bend and Timber Creek portions of the project were authorized by WRDA 2007, Section 1001 to assess the compatibility of WRDA 2007, Section 5144 with the authorized project, and remove from the project, the costs and benefits of the acquisition and demolition within the authorized project area funded through other federal sources.”

    Robbins went on to explain that the project is a non-structural flood risk management project that will have engineering and design work start now which will allow construction to start in about two years. Approximately 487 residential structures may be removed from the floodplain with the vacated lands being converted to parks and approximately 206 acres restored to riparian woodlands, according to Robbins.

    On hand to witness the signing were approximately 50 people consisting of officials from Travis County, the City of Austin and the Corps. Also present were concerned residents of the affected areas who expressed their gratitude for everyone’s efforts in making this day a reality.

    The homes in the project area were selected due to their high risk of flooding. These neighborhoods experienced serious flooding in 1998, 2001 and 2013, with the worst being the “Halloween Flood” of 2013.

    “This is a prime example of the federal and local governments working hand-in-hand to achieve a common goal – and that goal is to provide for the safety and well-being of the people and communities within the central Texas area because public safety is at the forefront of all we do,” said Klinge.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 08.28.2014
    Date Posted: 10.09.2014 16:31
    Story ID: 144781
    Location: AUSTIN, TX, US

    Web Views: 64
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN