Bastrop City Council will consider authorizing $686,900 in support of the Colorado River Stabilization project during an Aug. 12 meeting.

The details

The project—which would largely be funded through a nearly $2.4 million grant the city of Bastrop hopes to secure from the Community Development Block Grant-Mitigation Program through the Texas General Land Office—is aimed at reducing the long-term risk of future disasters such as floods through work on 1,200 feet of the east bank of the Colorado River.

The $686,900 in financing will pay for engineering, environmental and administrative services, according to city documents.

About the project


Bastrop city staff submitted a detailed application with project information to the GLO on June 16 after Bastrop City Council approved a resolution in favor of the stabilization project June 10.

“The most critical erosion has been observed near the [Chestnut Street-Loop 150 bridge], where vertical riverbanks are rapidly scouring due to increased flow velocity and turbulence caused by bridge piers,” said Sinem Aka Mudun, a project manager with the city of Bastrop, in a staff report. “These conditions are common at bridge crossings and lead to sediment displacement and slope degradation, especially during and after flood events.”

Proposed improvements include:
  • Structural stabilization such as concrete drilled shafts or steel sheet piles
  • Rock vanes to redirect flow and promote natural sediment deposition
  • Riprap slopes and toe protection to resist scouring forces
  • Riparian vegetation and tree planting to encourage long-term bank stability
Riparian restoration is a technique that relies on the addition of native plant species along creek and riverbanks to help degraded areas with erosion and flooding downstream, according to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin.

“We think we have a great project, obviously, or else we wouldn’t have submitted it,” Vivianna Andres, Bastrop city manager assistant, told Community Impact on June 17.