COMFORT, Texas – A coalition of natural resource experts met Friday morning, calling for immediate land use reform following the deadly Hill Country Floods.
The coalition held the news conference at the Comfort Park Pavilion. Its members included the Heart of Texas Conservancy, Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance (GEAA), Green Spaces Alliance and Cibolo Center for Conservation.
As of Friday morning, the flooding in Texas has killed more than 100 people statewide, with the largest concentration in Kerr County.
The groups expanded on some of their calling points in an emailed joint statement ahead of Friday’s news conference. They are in favor of:
- Ensuring floodplains are left underdeveloped and appropriately buffered to protect lives and water quality
- Enforcing respective land and water policies protecting the floodplains and buffer zones
- Limiting or eliminating variances, allowing development inside flood-prone areas
- Investing in retrofitting infrastructure to accommodate natural water movement
- Restoration and preservation of critical watershed features and recharge zones
- Comprehensive watershed-wide planning to be adopted and upheld at every level of government
- Partnerships with developers and planning board to promote responsible growth
“We know these strategies work. They are rooted in science, proven by experience, and already being used in parts of Texas and beyond. But they must be used more broadly—and with urgency," the statement reads.
‘Better land stewardship saves lives’
At the root of the group’s call to action lies in responsible land development.
“As a coalition of land and water conservation organizations from across the region, we have worked for decades to understand Texas’ flood patterns, aquifer systems, and watershed vulnerabilities. We know the land. We know the water. And we know that better land stewardship saves lives,” the coalition said.
The coalition emphasized it was not presenting blame on those affected, but rather stated that Texas communities can and must do better.
Ben Eldridge, executive director of the Heart of Texas Conservancy, said on Friday that while it is challenging to voluntarily encourage residents to move from their homes, it is critical to have a strategy to get out of their houses “very quickly” during a flooding scenario.
Rachel Hanes, a policy director at GEAA, pointed to several tools residents could use to determine their risks in flooding disasters, namely the Texas Water Development Board’s Base Level Engineering Approach.
One of the solutions Eldridge proposed was incentivizing the creation of “no-development zones” along the river. He also said it comes down to leadership being able to enforce their rules.
Hanes noted that while Texas is a private property rights state, she encouraged those impacted by the floods to speak to their lawmakers or representatives. Equally, a push for greater land use authority was critical, she said.
“It is a tricky line to draw between the protection of private property rights and the prevention of these flooding impacts, but I think it’s one that legislators are understanding needs to be drawn,” Eldridge said.
Special session begins next week
One measure at the state level is to get legislation in front of lawmakers again.
Days after flooding ravaged Kerr County, the Texas Tribune reported that freshman state Rep. Wes Virdell, whose district encompasses much of Kerr County, voted against a bill that would have established a statewide plan to improve disaster response, among several things.
The legislation ultimately stalled in the state Senate.
Gov. Greg Abbott later announced four flood-related items to an already packed special legislative session agenda, which begins on July 21.
Hanes emphasized the need for continued advocacy both locally and in Austin, particularly with the first special session approaching.
“We plan on continuing to advocate for reforms to local authority relating to flooding and floodplains and for many more flood infrastructure opportunities,” Hanes said. “We hope that city, county — and especially state officials — will work with us to pass legislation that emphasizes preventing the worst impacts of flooding.”
During the 89th Texas Legislature, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 7, expanding the scope of the Texas Water Fund and modifying an existing advisory committee overseeing water-related funds and programs, according to an April news release from the lieutenant governor’s office.
One part of the legislation still pending voter approval is Proposition 4, slated to go before voters in November. The amendment would secure $1 billion through 2047, supporting water infrastructure projects in the state.
“We hope that lawmakers can join us in advocating for reforms that allow counties greater land use authority for development in the floodplains and in hydrologically sensitive areas to protect their residents,” Hanes said.
The full Friday morning news conference can be seen below.
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