In response to a 2018 charge by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) immediately began taking a more active role in regional flood management by creating a Flood Management Division to oversee the development of short and long-term flood management strategies; build partnerships with federal, state, and local government entities; and identify funding sources and opportunities for flood mitigation in the region.

Unlike other entities in Texas with flood mitigation responsibilities, SJRA receives no funding from the State of Texas, nor does it have authority to collect taxes, for the purpose of funding flood mitigation efforts. In general, SJRA’s revenues are derived from the sale and distribution of water and the treatment of wastewater.  With the creation of the Flood Management Division, SJRA now works to accomplish the complex task of serving as a flood mitigation leader in the Upper San Jacinto River Basin without any form of dedicated funding for these efforts.  Accordingly, the Flood Management Division has taken on the role of a facilitator of regional flood projects by participating in regional planning efforts to identify projects, seeking grants and funding partners to fund those projects, and providing project/grant management and other in-house services to facilitate projects and assist in meeting local-match funding requirements.  This approach allows SJRA to assist in accomplishing large scale projects and efforts that would not be possible for SJRA to complete on its own.

The Division has also taken an active role in recent State Flood Planning efforts via participation in the San Jacinto (Region 6) Regional Flood Planning Group (RFPG).  The Division Manager serves as the River Authorities representative for the region, as well as on the RFPG’s Executive Committee.  The RFPG recently developed the first Regional Flood Plan for the San Jacinto region, which was incorporated in the first State Flood Plan.

SJRA’s primary mission has historically been to develop, conserve, and protect the water resources of the San Jacinto River Basin.  This mission was expanded in 2018 to include a focus on flood mitigation in the Upper San Jacinto River Basin.  The Flood Management Division works directly to accomplish this goal by pursuing projects and other efforts with flood mitigation benefits, with the ultimate aim of protecting life and property in the region.  Flood Management Division staff also lead SJRA efforts related to long-term water supply planning, which is the foundation of SJRA’s mission related to water resources.  These efforts include determining anticipated water demands fifty years into the future, and identification of water supply sources and projects which may be pursued to ensure the region has sufficient drinking water available for generations to come.