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Residents urge College Station to fund independent study and fixes after years of flooding in Emerald Forest
Summary
Several Emerald Forest residents told the City Council their yards and foundations have been repeatedly flooded in recent years and asked the city to commission an independent drainage/creek‑bed study, citing increased runoff, siltation, and damage tied to upstream development.
Several longtime Emerald Forest residents appealed to the City of College Station on July 10 for an independent engineering study and targeted fixes after a pattern of flooding they say has worsened in recent years.
At the meeting’s public‑comment segment, Susan Ferrari said stormwater flowing under Emerald Parkway has eroded her backyard and destroyed a retaining wall, and that a city claim was denied. “I just beg the city council to take a look at our water flow in this area,” Ferrari said, asking for an engineering study by a disinterested third party.
Neighbor Cheryl Wenk urged a local, transparent study that centers homeowner observations rather than relying on an older watershed report: “Any true, independent, unbiased study of this problem…will include input from neighbors,” she told the council. Harvin Mahajan, who has lived in Emerald Forest for 31 years, said correspondence with the city in prior years found no increase in flow but that recent events have flooded his garage and reached his foundation.
Laura Burris showed video she said was captured May 2 after 3.8 inches of rain and told council the same amount of water now produces far greater backyard flooding than in prior years. “We are getting significantly more water,” she said, and asked the city to address increased runoff and retention‑pond management.
Fred Wenck asked the council to authorize creek‑bed clearing and stabilization and urged a focused, independent drainage study east of Highway 6 in the Bee Creek area. “One important step should be a study by an independent drainage engineering consultant before that highway expansion is done,” he said.
Mayor John P. Nichols acknowledged the long‑running nature of the issue and said staff had already been engaged; he directed council that the public‑comment record would be referred to city management for follow‑up. Council members and staff noted the matter’s complexity, including private property issues and floodplain factors, and said the budget workshop and future agenda items could include discussion of studies or funding options.
Next steps: residents asked for an independent engineering drainage study and maintenance steps (clearing/stabilizing creek beds), and council directed staff to continue engagement and bring any budgetary or study proposals back through the council process.
