USDA-NRCS Dam Rehabilitation Project Benefits Landowners in Bell County 

by Randy Henry

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and sponsors have completed a $1.2 million dam rehabilitation project of flood retarding structure (FRS) No. 15 within the Nolan Creek watershed, which is located west of Temple, Texas, in Bell County.

When NRCS and the state of Texas reclassified the dam as high hazard, rehabilitation was required to maintain the present level of flood control benefits and comply with current performance and safety standards.

“Rehabilitation was needed on FRS No. 15 to protect downstream properties and infrastructure, as well as to reduce the risk of loss of life,” said Steve Bednarz, NRCS assistant state conservationist for water resources in Temple, Texas.

Moreover, the need for the rehabilitation of many aging dams in north-central Texas remains an ongoing mission for NRCS, along with the sponsors that maintain and operate them. The sponsors for Nolan Creek No. 15 are the Central Texas Soil and Water Conservation District and Bell County Water Control and Improvement District No. 6.

“The sponsors for Nolan Creek No. 15 have taken a proactive role in the rehabilitation and their share of the funding toward construction costs,” said Don Gohmert, NRCS state conservationist in Texas. “Without strong local sponsorship, these rehabilitation projects that benefit the surrounding communities would not be possible.”

At the local level, Glen Grandy, president of the Bell County Water Control and Improvement District No. 6, commented the dam rehabilitation project improved the sponsor’s outlook toward the downstream flood control program.

“The rehabilitation of FRS No. 15 at Nolan Creek is complete, and everyone involved was very conscious of the property owners’ concerns and adhered to the personal requests that were made by them,” Grandy said. “The rehab of the dam has been a big improvement toward the safety for downstream landowners and the city of Belton.”

Grandy noted the peace of mind a community receives from a high-hazard dam being rehabilitated to ensure public safety acknowledges that flood control structures are a major part of urban growth and benefits everyone.

“The dam rehabilitation should be sufficient for a long time to come, and ensures the best results for sponsors, landowners, and the surrounding communities,” Grandy said. Since the rehabilitation, the evaluated life of the dam has been extended for an additional 100 years.

The average annual benefits from this rehabilitation project are $74,700, which includes $49,500 in flood damage reduction benefits.

The rehabilitation project was authorized under the authority of Public Law 106-472, the Small Watershed Rehabilitation Amendments of 2000, which amends Public Law 83-566, the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act.

Since the 1950s, NRCS has assisted watershed sponsors in the construction of nearly 2,000 floodwater retarding structures in 145 watershed projects across Texas through its Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Program.

The Nolan Creek floodwater retarding structure No.15 prior to the NRCS dam rehabilitation project did not meet high-hazard dam criteria.	Improvements made to Nolan Creek floodwater retarding structure No. 15 include a 30-inch diameter hooded inlet principal spillway, a fence to keep livestock excluded from the area near the principal spillway, and a dam elevation increase of 2.7 feet.	When Nolan Creek floodwater retarding structure was constructed in 1972, the auxiliary spillway met standards at that time. Today, the rehabilitation project complies with current dam performance standards and safety criteria for high-hazard dams.
The rehabilitated auxiliary spillway on Nolan Creek floodwater retarding structure No. 15 was improved by widening the spillway another 20 feet and installing an embankment foundation drain system.	Ray Sisneros, NRCS district conservationist in Belton, points out the new 30-inch pipe versus the smaller original pipe (background) that was installed in 1972 when the watershed dam was in a rural area of Bell County. The area around the Nolan Creek watershed is now influenced by population growth and land development.	The new 30-inch diameter hooded inlet principal spillway (right) shows the increase in dam elevation of 2.7 feet compared to the original riser (left) with an improved slope on the embankment for drainage.

< Back to Highlights