The Texas Water Development Board has released Nature-Based Solutions for Flood Resilience in Texas, a statewide guidance manual meant to help communities evaluate flood mitigation approaches that work with natural processes, according to a Sept. 16 article published by the agency’s Texas Water Newsroom.
The manual examines the suitability and cost-effectiveness of different nature-based solutions across the state’s regions and across a range of flood magnitudes, the article said, noting that a strategy that makes sense in coastal Texas may not translate directly to a community in the Panhandle or Central Texas. It also weighs the social, ecological and economic benefits such projects can provide in addition to protecting against the loss of life and property.
The effort grew out of the state’s first flood plan. The Legislature tasked TWDB in 2019 with creating a state flood plan, which resulted in the 2024 State Flood Plan, and multiple flood planning regions asked the agency for more information on nature-based solutions during that process, according to TWDB.
“There was no centralized location that brings together what we know about NBS and helps communities identify which NBS are applicable to their communities,” said Reem Zoun, TWDB assistant deputy executive administrator in the Office of Planning, who oversees the agency’s Flood Planning Division. She said the goal was to bring everything together “in a single resource that is clear, easy to use, and applicable in various Texas communities.”
TWDB contracted with Freese and Nichols to develop the manual. The research included a review of more than 500 cataloged references, a statewide survey and interviews with stakeholders from all of Texas’ natural regions, the article said.
The manual considers nature-based approaches at three scales. Watershed-scale options include floodplain reconnection, stream restoration, land conservation, wetland restoration or creation and channel stabilization. Neighborhood-scale practices include rain gardens, bioswales, bioretention areas, constructed wetlands, stormwater parks and green streets. Coastal options include beach and dune restoration, living shorelines, coastal habitat restoration and natural breakwaters.
According to the agency, the manual treats nature-based solutions as a complement to traditional engineered infrastructure rather than a replacement for it. “There’s a growing awareness and interest in nature-based solutions and common misperceptions around them, so there was a desire for guidance and a common approach and language, which the manual provides,” said Kevin Wessels, TWDB regional flood planning manager.
Beyond flood mitigation, the article noted, such projects can deliver water-quality improvements, habitat, recreation and groundwater recharge. The full manual and an interactive dashboard are available on the TWDB website.