Flood Infrastructure Fund (FIF) Flood Management Evaluation (FME) Category - Flood Protection Planning Grants for Watersheds

The Flood Infrastructure Fund (FIF) Flood Management Evaluation (FME) Category, formerly Category 1, is designed to support studies that conduct planning of entire watersheds or sub-watersheds, as required by the TWDB regional flood planning program, to better inform the development of strategies using structural and nonstructural measures before a flood event. This may include determining and describing problems from or related to flooding, identifying, and planning solutions to flooding problems, and estimating the benefits and costs of these solutions. However, it is required that the area of the entire upstream contributing watershed or sub-watershed to the discharge point of interest is considered when determining solution alternatives for an area identified as being at flood risk or a neighborhood identified with flood loss. A determination of “no negative impact” both upstream and downstream of the project area is also required.

All activities under this category must be considered “flood control planning” as defined in Texas Water Code Section 15.405; however, this does not mean all activities listed in that section are eligible under the FME Category. For example, design up to 30 percent is allowed under the FME Category. Full design of engineering plans and specifications would be funded under the Flood Mitigation Projects (FMP) Category. In addition, the FME Category does not include the actual preparation of a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM).

FIF FME Reference Materials

Additional documents will be posted as they become available. Dates listed on this webpage indicate the date the document was posted online, or if noted, the date the document was last updated.

1. FIF Category 1 Deliverables Checklist (9/8/2025)- Checklist to be utilized when submitting both the Preliminary and Final Deliverable.
2. File Organization Guidance (11/17/2022)- Provides guidance on file organization requirements for FIF FME submittals.
3. Project Folder Download (10/20/2022)- Downloadable folder structure for FIF FME submittals.
4. Subcontract Guidance (4/26/2022)- Lists TWDB requirements for subcontracts for Flood Protection Planning Grants.
5. Flood Planning Geodatabase Templates (4/30/2021)- The TWDB generated template GIS geodatabases with multiple feature classes and tables for the Regional Flood Planning Groups (RFPGs). Each RFPG must fill out the template geodatabase with relevant regional flood planning data. The template geodatabases are populated with feature classes and fields to match the specifications in Exhibit D - Data Submittal Guidance Document. The geodatabase templates are provided with the guidelines. *
6. Exhibit C Technical Guidelines for Regional Flood Planning (also available in Exhibit C - Track Changes Version after Public Comments) (4/30/2021) - Provides technical guidelines and submittal requirements for each scope item and additional technical guidance regarding population estimates, hydraulic and hydrologic modeling, benefit-cost ratio analysis, no negative impact, etc. *
7. Exhibit C Tables(4/30/2021)- Excel worksheet that provides templates for all tables that are required to be included in the regional flood plan. This is provided alongside this guidance document. *
8. Exhibit D: Data Submittal Guidelines for Regional Flood Planning (07/02/2021)- provides data submittal guidelines for regional flood planning. *
• Summary of updates. (04/12/2022)
• Flood Planning Data Update - FMX Questions and Fields (06/03/22)
9. Author's Template (12/1/2022)- Word template document that provides formatting and styling information for the Draft and Final Report submittals. Refer to Exhibit D of the Grant Agreement for more Report formatting details.
10. Benefit-Cost Analysis (BCA) Input Tool and Instructions - The TWDB funded and guided the development of a user-friendly benefit cost analysis (BCA) input interface in the form of a spreadsheet document that works in conjunction with the FEMA Benefit-Cost Analysis Toolkit. This is being provided alongside the guidelines.
11. TWDB Reimbursement Guidelines and Checklist (4/6/2023)- Reimbursement Guidelines for Outlay payments.
12. No Negative Impact Determination Table (11/6/2023)- An Excel worksheet that provides a template for meeting the requirement to certify recommended flood risk reduction solutions have no negative effect on neighboring areas in accordance with statutory requirements for regional flood plans (Texas Water Code - 16.062(i) and (j)(2)). The flood mitigation projects identified from FIF FME Category studies must comply with 'no negative effect' in order to be included in the regional flood plans. *

* Only applicable to projects that are performing alternatives analysis

Flood Protection Planning Grant Reports

This report archive contains the completed and accepted FIF FME Category, formerly Category 1, project reports from SFY 2020 to present. To find a specific report on this webpage, click inside the Search Table box below and enter a keyword or phrase.

The reports below do not include modeling data or appendices from the studies. To request this information, please send an email to Flood Infrastructure Fund Inbox and note which report you would like additional information from.

*Note: Beginning FY 2024, the FIF Category 1 Reports will be reclassified as Flood Management Evaluation (FME) Reports.

Accessibility Note: If you need assistance with a specific report, please contact the webmaster and we will provide a text-based copy or otherwise make every effort to help you.

Resources

• Flood Planning
• Flood Infrastructure Fund (FIF)
• Flood Infrastructure Fund (FIF) Project Reporting Dashboard
• Flood Planning Staff