City-Wide Drainage Master Plans

Why are drainage studies important in Grand Prairie?

The City of Grand Prairie is about learning lessons from the past and using these lessons to prepare for the future. The City has a history of flooding problems. Documented large floods have occurred across the City many times, including 1908, 1932, 1957, 1968, 1976, 1981, 1989, 1990, 1991, 2006, 2007, and 2015. Many other smaller floods have occurred multiple times throughout the years, sometimes affecting large areas of the City or more localized areas.

There are over 19,000 acres of floodplain in the City of Grand Prairie. This accounts for 36.7% of the total City area, more than any other City in the region. Large floodplain areas include Joe Pool Lake, Mountain Creek, and the West Fork Trinity River floodplain. Other major watersheds include Cottonwood Creek, Fish Creek, and Johnson Creek.

City flooding and drainage problems are key issues when planning for the safety, health, and quality of life for Grand Prairie citizens. As of 2009, over 2,300 drainage complaints have been filed to City staff. Land development in Grand Prairie continues to increase, which could result in the potential for faster and greater flooding chances at many locations across the City. Many successful projects have been built in the City to provide flood control, including channels, culverts, bridges, detention, and lakes. However, many areas are still in need of additional flood control measures or repairs and improvements to existing flood control structures. The City-Wide Drainage Master Plan Road Map establishes the processes for future flood control planning for the City of Grand Prairie.

City-Wide Drainage Master Plan Road Map

The City’s primary goal and objective of the City-Wide Drainage Master Plan is to cost-effectively manage flood or storm waters within budgeting constraints so that conditions don’t get worse as new and infill areas are developed – while evaluating and making conditions better in the areas of the city that are already developed.

The City-Wide Drainage Master Plan, as outlined in the Road Map, will accomplish the following goals:

  1. Provide the building blocks to reduce the existing potential for floodplain and storm water damage to public health, safety, life, property, and the environment
  2. Protect and enhance the quality, quantity, and availability of surface water resources
  3. Promote equitable, acceptable, and legal measures for floodplain and storm water management
  4. Address the remaining flooding issues in Grand Prairie, including both inadequate storm drainage systems and floodplains
  5. Provide a comprehensive, City-wide drainage inventory and assessment with recommendations for flooding and drainage issues
  6. Provide a systematic and financially sound strategy for reducing or eliminating flooding in Grand Prairie
  7. Provide short term goals for constructing smaller projects and a long range plan for larger, more complex projects
  8. Identify and prioritize the needed improvements for small, medium, and large projects for both City-Wide and individual watersheds.

View City-wide Drainage Master Plan Road Map(PDF, 46MB)


City-Wide Drainage Master Plans by Watershed