The pioneering Riverine Targeted Use of Buyouts (Riverine TUBs) Program is a targeted nature-based infrastructure (NBI) approach to coastal resilience and hazard mitigation. This program is accomplished through a long-term strategy for habitually-flooded, multiple contiguous properties along riparian corridors to be:

purchased by respective regional counties or municipalities,
held by the county or municipality - with enhancement MOUs with community partners including Houston Wilderness, and
enhanced with native grass bioswales and wetland areas and large-scale reforestation through target native “Super Trees.”

Additionally, the Riverine TUBs Program is creating Best Management Practices (BMPs) for NBI techniques, especially bioswales, that federal, state and local agencies can use to advise application of NBI techniques along other riparian corridors. NBI enhancements and monitoring activities conducted through the TUBs Program will help mitigate flooding, improve water and air quality and benefit at-risk and EJ communities.

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Map of Currently Targeted Riverine TUBs Locations in Harris County

Project Partners

Houston Wilderness works with many partners on the Riverine TUBs Program including: NRCS - Texas, Texas Forest Service, Harris County Precincts, Harris County Flood Control District, multiple city departments in Houston, Pasadena and Seabrook. The Institute for a Disaster Resilient Texas (IDRT) plays a key role in the Riverine TUBS Program by providing analysis, research, and technical support on FEMA-qualified buyout properties in the 8-county region leading toGalveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico

Strategic Use of Property Buyouts to Enhance Flood Resilience

A 2020 study by Dr. Sam Brody and the IDRT at Texas A&M University Galveston found that implementing nature-based infrastructure onto contiguous buyout properties, as the Riverine TUBs Program is doing, substantially reduced flood risks to surrounding communities and “statistically and spatially demonstrates the feasibility of incorporating additional ecological and proximity criteria into the flood buyout selection process without compromising strong economic benefits” (Atoba et al., 2020 - https:// doi.org/10.1080/17477891.2020.1771251).

Beneficial Results of the TUBs Program

Working with state and regional stakeholders to implement the Riverine TUBs Program is helping mitigate the impacts of large rain events in the Greater Gulf-Houston Region by providing essential nature-based infrastructure, reduction in erosion, sediment and silt and critical connectivity along riparian corridors. Through large-scale tree plantings of native Super Trees and multiple native grass bioswale installations on strategic buyout locations, resilience and recovery increases by protecting, restoring and improving the water/air quality, water absorption rates and riparian erosion control rates, carbon sequestration, property values and wildlife habitat along multiple watersheds. The implementation of these large-scale NBI techniques also reduces Urban Heat Islands Effects and trash dumping in EJ communities.

Background

Following regional catastrophic storms like Hurricane Harvey, the sizeable amount of federal and local funds coming to the region to buy out chronically flooded and damaged properties has created an opportunity for significant targeted flood mitigation efforts over large riparian areas. However, three challenges have emerged as Texas counties have purchased frequently-flooded buyouts along riparian areas: 1) a “patchwork” of fragmented vacant land exists after structures are removed, often becoming dumping grounds that cause neighborhood decline; 2) communities left behind and first responders continue to be at risk in future flood events; and 3) counties are left with a financial burden to maintain land after the properties are removed, but are provided with no additional funds to do so. There is a need for a more proactive way to prioritize buyouts and then create a plan for what should be done with the land once acquired to mitigate future flooding events while fostering natural ecosystems. This Program addresses these challenges, in addition to flood and water quality issues, erosion control, fish/wildlife habitat enhancements, to benefit affected communities many which are in environmental justice areas.