The Lampasas County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1 plans to obligate funds this year to repair flood control dams near Oak Hill Cemetery and off South Willis Street.

Removing brush and spraying stumps at the nine-acre dam site near Willis may cost about $9,000, said Rick Cantu, district conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The NRCS assists WCID No. 1 in maintaining the nine floodcontrol dams in the Sulphur Creek watershed.

Brush control in the sevenacre dam site by the cemetery might cost about $7,000, Cantu said, although possible fence repairs and redesign may double the price.

Removal of brush from dams is intended to ensure the structures redirect water properly during heavy rains.

The water control district, recently reconstituted and funded after years of dormancy, has about $47,000 saved, board member Paul Wilborn said at a meeting on Wednesday. A bill of approximately $7,000 for recent repairs on another dam’s spillway remains to be paid, Wilborn said.

The city of Lampasas gave the water district $15,000 last month, and the county donated $1,500 in January, Wilborn said.

WCID No. 1 must obligate funds for flood control structure repairs by Aug. 31 to be eligible for a Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board grant of $29,879, Cantu said at the recent meeting. The grant requires a 10 percent local match.

WCID No. 1 board members voted to obtain bids for work on the cemetery dams and the structure near Willis. If funds remain after the completion of those projects, the water control district then may fund repairs on a dam north of town.

Although all three dams are classified as “high hazard” because of their proximity to Lampasas residences, Cantu said focusing initially on just the two “easily visible” structures in town is a good plan.

“I think if people were to see what we’re doing on these sites, they’d see that this is a good idea and that this money is being spent well,” he said.

The amount of work completed on dams this year may determine funding in future years, said W.J. McLean, WCID No. 1 president. The board’s goal for starting repair work is June 1, he said.

In addition to prioritizing dam clearing and rehabilitation jobs, WCID No. 1 also is responsible for preparing notification and evacuation plans in case of flooding. The plans, which will be based on county emergency protocols, should be reviewed and possibly amended annually, Cantu said.

WCID No. 1 board members also plan to obtain bids from engineering firms for “inundation maps.” To help with emergency planning, the maps will show in detail what areas would flood if high water breached any of the nine WCID No. 1 dams.

The goal of WCID No. 1 actions, McLean said, is to keep the dams — many of which are about 50 years old — in good condition to prevent flooding. By controlling the flow of water into the creek, the structures also help maintain steady levels of water in Sulphur Creek, he said.

“For 50 years, they have been doing the work they were designed to do,” McLean said.