Integrated Solutions for Playa Lake Flooding and Fishing Pond Management: Addressing Flooding, Food Source Sustainability, ADA Ramp Accessibility, and Erosion Control

Martin Road Lake in Amarillo, Texas, experienced flooding issues despite a capital project to enhance flood management and storage capacity. HDR's integrated solution, developed with public input, included fishing amenities and erosion repairs. Completed in 2023, the project successfully mitigated flooding during 100-year rain event and improved community recreational use. Martin Road Lake is an existing playa lake which impounds surface water runoff in the northeast portion of the City of Amarillo, Texas (City). The watershed contributing to Martin Road Lake drains approximately 1,658 acres and has several outfalls into the playa lake. This particular area is susceptible to flooding and thus the City began construction on several capital projects to improve the area. The City was nearing the end of construction in 2013 on one of these capital projects to lower the 100-year flood plain and increase the storage volume of the playa lake. This project required excavating an adjacent playa lake that would be hydraulically connected by box culverts under Martin Road. This portion of the project was completed successfully, however protection of its outfalls into the playa lakes were severely damaged by flash flooding prior to completion of the overall project. Several rainfall events after construction further eroded significant rills into the slopes of both the west and east playa lakes, and undermined the segmental concrete block flumes at several outfalls. HDR accompanied the City on a site visit in April 2017 to assess the conditions. Around the same time frame, the Parks Department had completed a master plan for Martin Road Park and Gene Howe Park that included providing access to the lake as a fishing amenity. Both lakes were highly utilized by the citizens for recreational activities along the trails and parks, but more over for fishing. The City tasked HDR with developing an integrated solution that would increase storage capacity for flooding, provide an alternative means for fishing that included ADA accessibility and accounted for the highly variable water surface of the playa lakes, while also repairing the eroded banks of the playa lake slopes and its outfalls. HDR knew that a long-term solution addressing these key issues would require buy in and even contributions from the project stakeholders. Some of the stakeholders included the City Parks Department, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and the citizens of Amarillo. HDR and the City held several public meetings to inform the citizens about the project, take note of their concerns, and incorporate design features to address those concerns. One of those public meetings included three site alternatives for the proposed fishing amenity. At these meetings the citizens voted on their preferred layout. One of the options provided a fluctuating pool elevation for the proposed fishing amenity as a part of the playa lake, another option provided a separate fishing amenity that was hydraulically connected to the playa lake, and the final option was a standalone fishing pond that was not hydraulically connected to either playa lake. Ultimately the citizens had a say in the final arrangement of the new park features, and HDR presented the final layout and its recommended erosion and outfall repairs to City Council prior to beginning detailed design. HDR began design in early 2018 and the first phase of the project bid later that year. Phases 3 and 4 were completed by the summer of 2023. The project has now completed its warranty period, and the citizens are extremely happy with the project outcome. The fishing amenity is being stocked by Texas Parks and Wildlife, aquatic vegetation/landscaping and air diffusers were added as a part of the fishing habitats to promote water quality, and the slope improvements at the playa lakes increased the storage capacity and thus reduced the flooding in the area. During the summer of 2023, the City experienced a 100-year rain event and the only playa lakes in the City that did not overflow that summer were the two located at Martin Road Lake. HDR and City of Amarillo are extremely proud of this project and are underway with applying similar improvements on other City Playa Lakes. This project is a great example of improving the Communities we work and play in while providing Integrated Solutions for Playa Lake Flooding and Fishing Pond Management. We would like to the opportunity to co-present this project and illustrate the collaborative public involvement in the final design features and how technology was used to expedite repairs undermining adjacent roadways.