Arlington’s creek erosion is a property problem and a funding challenge: fixing all the city’s waterways could cost about $1.16 billion, while many damaged banks are on private land. Nearly 1,000 homeowners are dealing with erosion, with backyards shrinking and, in some cases, house foundations at risk.
The nearly 1,000-homeowner figure is an estimate from City Council member Mauricio Galante, who represents District 1 and told KERA in August that severe backyard erosion tied to creek runoff is affecting homeowners across the city. Galante has visited more than a dozen sites where residents are losing yards, according to the Fort Worth Report. Some residents have seen swimming pools disappear into the water; others worry about their house foundations.
The Scale—and Price—of the Creek Network
Arlington has roughly 140 miles of creeks and streams citywide, according to Public Works Assistant Director Amy Cannon, though the city counted 112 miles of natural waterways as of August. A city presentation cited by the Fort Worth Report classifies those banks on a spectrum of stability: 28 miles are considered stable, 28 miles moderately stable, 61 miles moderately unstable, and 23 miles highly unstable.
The price tags attached to each category are staggering. Stabilizing the highly unstable sections would cost about $534 million, while fixing the moderately unstable stretches would run about $548 million more. Shoring up the moderately stable banks adds another $74 million, and Cannon has said stabilizing every mile of Arlington’s creeks could cost around $1.16 billion in total, the Fort Worth Report notes.
Who Is Responsible for Paying?
Of Arlington’s 112-mile network, 43 miles are on public land and maintained by the city. The remaining creek stretches fall to property owners, who are responsible for their own maintenance and erosion costs, according to the Fort Worth Report…