'Rain to River' overhaul: Watershed Protection seeks to update 2001 master plan with equity, climate and 10‑year targets

Saul NuCitelli, deputy director of Watershed Protection, and planning manager Erin Wood briefed the Climate, Water, Environment and Parks Committee on the department’s update to its Watershed Protection Master Plan, branded 'Rain to River.' The update aims to set a 10‑year vision, equity goals and time‑specific targets for flood mitigation, erosion control, water quality and community engagement.

NuCitelli told the committee the existing master plan was first adopted in February 2001 and relies heavily on technical guidance; staff and consultants want a shorter, more accessible strategic plan that embeds equity, climate adaptation and community values. Wood told the committee the new plan will “set our vision and values for the department” and serve as “a communication tool” for staff, policymakers and the public.

Community engagement and methods: Watershed staff described an extensive engagement program that includes a community vision survey (more than 2,000 responses in an earlier phase), targeted focus groups, 10 paid community ambassadors, six $5,000 mini‑grants to grassroots organizations, and mailed postcards to more than 90,000 addresses in high‑flood‑risk areas. The project added a Community Activation Group of roughly 20 local leaders to advise on priorities and outreach.

Phase 2 and current work: Staff said the program entered a second phase of engagement in 2025 focused on prioritization—asking residents to tell the department how to allocate limited staff time and resources. The ongoing survey (through mid‑September) had reached about 1,000 participants at the time of the briefing. Watershed’s consultant team (led by Joden Macklem with partners including Bend Collaborative, Chief of Syntech and Measure Austin) is building technical analyses and an implementation plan that staff expect to share as a draft this winter, with final adoption aimed for 2026.

Community priorities: Staff summarized the Community Activation Group’s prioritized list of community concerns and actions: 1) equity and inclusion, 2) flood mitigation and emergency preparedness (the CAG advised splitting these into separate items), 3) climate adaptation (drought, heat, habitat), 4) preserving and restoring creeks and natural spaces, 5) building trust through transparency and listening, 6) making natural spaces safe and accessible, 7) balancing growth with environmental health, 8) supporting resources and safety for people experiencing homelessness, 9) education and youth engagement, and 10) innovation and leadership.

Integration, granularity and measurable targets: Committee members asked how detailed the plan’s technical content would be and how it would interface with other city efforts such as Imagine Austin, Water Forward and the Climate Equity Plan. Staff said they intend a layered approach: a shorter, council‑adopted strategic plan with time‑specific targets and an online technical repository (and implementation plan) that would house formulas, prioritization criteria and dashboards. Staff also said they are coordinating with Imagine Austin and other city programs and will use the plan to guide capital prioritization and reporting on progress.

Near‑term action: Staff said they are trying to take early, actionable input into practice before final adoption. Examples given at the meeting included adding mental‑health resources to the city’s flood‑safety webpages and a pilot collaboration with Austin Public Library for secure document storage for people affected by floods—actions that staff said arose directly from ambassador or partner input.

Next steps: Watershed staff said they will close the current survey in mid‑September, continue testing draft content with the Community Activation Group and partners this winter, and return with a draft plan for public review before targeting Council consideration in 2026.