ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — Construction of a dam in west Round Rock continues with the goal of reducing the flood risk for an area of Williamson county that is prone to damage and floods.
The City of Round Rock partnered with the Upper Brushy Creek Water Control and Improvement District to fund the construction of Dam 101 between RM-620 and SH-45. It will be nearly a mile long and about four-stories high, according to the WCID’s website.
The dam will decrease the risk of flooding for more than 1,000 people along Lake Creek in the Greater West Round Rock neighborhood. That’s good news for Laurence Terrell, a homeowner in that neighborhood since the 70s.
He and his wife have seen flood waters encroach on their property multiple times throughout their tenure in their home, but it has never seeped into his home or damaged anything.
“I used to get water on the patio and come within an inch of getting into my house,” Terrell explained. His special tool to help keep the water out is a broom that hangs in his woodshop.
To counteract the high waters that can flood his backyard, Terrell raised his back patio and installed two drains that run water to a runoff along the side of his home. He said the city of Round Rock has raised a low water crossing near his house and installed a box culvert to help with the flooding. He’s a fan of the new dam.
“Anything at all to keep the water flowing down Lake Creek real fast is going to save a lot of homes,” Terrell explained.
The project is $34 million and is expected to be finished in the fall of 2025, according to a recent update on the project in April.