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Consultants present Crystal Creek drainage study; city to seek grant-funded projects

City of Mineral Wells City Council · February 17, 2026

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Summary

Gage Engineering updated council on a FEMA-funded drainage study of the Crystal Creek watershed, saying the $525,000 contract (90/10 match) is about half complete. Consultants identified riverine and storm-sewer problem areas and outlined next steps for pursuing state and federal grant funding.

Gage Engineering told the City Council that its citywide drainage study of the Crystal Creek watershed, funded by a FEMA Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) grant, is roughly 50% complete and is identifying grant-eligible projects to reduce flood risk. Consultants Derek Saint John and Alberto Dorintez presented inundation maps for 2-, 10-, 50- and 100-year storms and explained how the team is clustering problem areas to maximize benefit-cost ratios for future grant applications.

The consultant team said the contract is approximately $525,000 and noted the grant structure is roughly 90% federal with a 10% city match (city share about $50,000). They said the city owns the modeling results and that the team is working with the Texas Water Development Board on reimbursement. The study uses detailed hydraulic modeling to extend floodplain analysis into the city's storm-sewer collection system and to identify both riverine (channel) and storm-sewer (collection-system) problems; consultants stressed that some problem areas will not meet benefit-cost thresholds and that the team will prioritize projects with BCR >= 1.

Council and public members asked whether debris and canal cleanup could reduce flooding; consultants replied that trash and vegetative debris can reduce conveyance and that maintenance can help, but that structural limitations (bridges, channel capacity) also matter. A council member asked whether results could support requests to FEMA to amend flood maps; consultants said the city owns the data and can share results with FEMA or developers for further consideration.

Consultants outlined possible funding pathways — state Flood Infrastructure Fund, federal FMA annual calls, and post-disaster GLO funds — and said they expect to return with a final report in June with prioritized projects for grant pursuit. They cautioned that not every study area will be cost-effective for federal grants and recommended focusing city resources on projects most likely to meet benefit-cost tests.