On March 17, 2025, Bayou City Waterkeeper, joined by Fort Bend County Environmental, submitted joint comments to the Texas Water Development Board on the 2024-2025 Flood Infrastructure Fund Draft Project Priority List. We expressed support the $375 million allocation for critical flood mitigation projects across Texas, including essential Harris County projects in Pleasantville and Sunnyside—communities identified in our Water Justice Zones. Our comments also highlighted methodological recommendations for the funding program.
Our recommendations include increasing grant percentages for disadvantaged communities (up to 100% for the most vulnerable areas), expanding nature-based solution incentives, establishing clearer project bypass criteria, extending the federal disaster declaration timeframe from 5 to 15-20 years, and creating a dedicated technical assistance program for communities with high social vulnerability scores. These refinements would ensure FIF funding is distributed equitably to communities with the greatest demonstrated need and historical vulnerability to flooding.
Latest update on the FIF: On April 10, 2025, the Texas Water Development Board unanimously approved the agenda item to approve the FIF’s Flood Mitigation Project and Flood Mitigation Evaluation Project Priority lists. They will now begin inviting ranked applicants to submit full applications for funding.
Read our full comments here:
BCWK FIF SFY2025 comments