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East Side residents urge council to prioritize Plum Lake Basin expansion to remove flood‑zone restrictions
Summary
Residents told the Wichita Falls City Council the East Side remains trapped in a 100‑year flood zone because planned Plum Lake Basin and channel work from a 2011 USGS report was never finished; they asked the council to start a FEMA Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) process and prioritize infrastructure so neighborhoods can access grants.
At the April 7 Wichita Falls City Council meeting, East Side residents and neighborhood advocates urged the council to prioritize long‑planned drainage projects — specifically expansion of Plum Lake Basin and completion of channel and culvert work — to remove the area’s 100‑year flood‑zone designation and unlock grant eligibility.
Madeline Chappell, who provided her address and cited the 2011 USGS scientific investigations report, told the council that thinning vegetation could lower flood levels by about three feet and that expanding Plum Lake Basin would capture overflow upstream of the FM 171 culvert, the feature she identified as a cause of the neighborhood’s flood zoning. She said unfinished items from the 2011 plan (bridge obstruction removal, channel widening) have blocked access to at least 11 potential grants and economic development opportunities.
Crystal Washington echoed those requests during the public‑comment period, asking the council and city manager to coordinate with TxDOT and FEMA and to begin the LOMR process so the East Side can qualify for CDBG and other grants. Washington noted prior conversations with city staff and said she is seeking development that directly targets poverty reduction on the East Side, not only projects that support data‑center expansion.
City staff acknowledged drainage is a city priority and said staff are looking at drainage plans and funding options for several parts of town, including the East Side. During later consent and TIF discussions, some council members referenced available funding avenues and individual programs, but residents urged a clear city commitment to follow the 2011 technical recommendations and a concrete timeline for action.
Why it matters: Remaining in a 100‑year flood zone can disqualify properties and projects from federal and state grants and raises the cost of development and insurance. Residents requested that the city direct the city engineer to begin the LOMR process and add the Plum Lake Basin expansion to the 2026 priority infrastructure list.
What residents asked for: revisit the 2011 USGS recommendations as a priority infrastructure project; commit to Plum Lake Basin expansion as a cornerstone of 2026 economic development; and direct the city engineer to start the FEMA LOMR process for the East Side.
Next steps: Council staff said drainage and funding options are under review; residents asked for placement of a formal request on an upcoming executive agenda so the council can direct staff to begin the LOMR process.
