Backbone Creek

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

The city of Marble Falls will utilize more than $2 million in grant funding to help solve bank erosion and fortify areas around certain water crossings, necessitated by the October 2018 flood.

To help pay for the overall cost of fixing problems, including “bank stabilization projects” in the area of Johnson Park and Backbone Creek, the city of Marble Falls entered into a project agreement with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservancy Service (NRCS) and Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program.

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

Marble Falls Economic Development Board members approved a contractor to demolish two Backbone Creek-side homes and ultimately transfer the cleared property to the city of Marble Falls for park space, officials said.
The municipal park space plans are pending approval by the Marble Falls City Council.

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

In the aftermath of the October flood event, Marble Falls resident Nancy Dunnam, who has a home on Buena Vista Drive, believes her family has faced a tough climb towards recovery.

“I can't get any information on how to get back in my home. I have a fence that was literally put around my house, no communication,” she said. “How many of you guys that had this happen to you had a fence put around your home? Anybody? Or is it just Buena Vista.”

Dunnam shared her concerns during the Marble Falls Town Hall meeting on Jan. 29, which assessed and gathered citizen input about response and recovery since the flood event.

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

From water and infrastructure provisions to public health and safety response, an upcoming Marble Falls Town Hall Meeting will examine the municipality's response and community's recovery in the wake of the October flood event.

The Town Hall Meeting is scheduled for 6 pm. on Tuesday, Jan. 29 at the Marble Falls Public Safety Facility (police station/municipal court building), 606 Avenue N in Marble Falls.

“We'll discuss the incident, the response and the recovery,” Assistant City Manager Caleb Kraenzel said. “How did the city do? What feedback? How we can do better?”

On Oct. 16, flood waters from the Llano River rushed into the Highland Lakes submerging lakeside homes and damaging private property as well as some public roadways and city infrastructure. Along with the city of Marble Falls, community's impacted by flood waters included Cottonwood Shores, Granite Shoals, Horseshoe Bay and Kingsland.

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

City officials debated the possible merits Jan. 15 of passing proposed fees for the public using two city-maintained boat launch locations to access Lake Marble Falls.

Within the city limits, boaters can access Lake Marble Falls using a ramp on Lakeshore Drive in the Hays Addition and a boat ramp in Johnson Park on Backbone Creek.

The city, opting to expand the two existing ramps, has closed a third ramp in Lakeside Park, to help clear the way for a planned hotel/conference center on Marble Falls Economic Development Corporation property adjacent to the park at Buena Vista Drive and Yett Street.

Councilman Dave Rhodes said the city's parks improvements efforts which are underway and the potential for “user wear and tear” of the amenities prompted him to request consideration of fees.

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

Marble Falls-based developer and lawyer Steve Hurst says he has witnessed a few missteps by city governments in planning and preparing for development in flood prone areas.

“I've watched this for years, representing clients in and around Austin and this area. I've lived on Lake Travis, Inks Lake, and I've had property on Lake Marble Falls,” Hurst said. “Shoal Creek and Waller Creek in Austin – the millions of dollars the city of Austin is having to spend right now in those flood plains.

“Development continued, but the cost of remediation and the damage to properties when those flood events occurred was stunning, and they're still spending money trying to address it,” he added. “We're not learning those lessons.”

From staff reports •

Storm runoff caused a scare among some Pecan Valley and Meadowlakes residents Sept.8 and 9, as motorists were temporarily blocked from leaving their neighborhoods to avoid a flooded low-water crossing on Avenue N and a rain-swollen Backbone Creek crossing in Johnson Park in Marble Falls.

Residents reported the rise of the creek starting Saturday and subsiding throughout the day until another round of of storms swept through the area on Sunday.

“Avenue N on Saturday and Sunday was closed for some time because of water over the road,” Marble Falls Fire Rescue Chief Russell Sander said. “Johnson Park did have water over the bridge on Sunday.

Everything was temporary,” he added.

From more than 5 inches of rain in Marble Falls to nearly 4 inches in Spicewood were reported due to torrential thunderstorms and steady rain.