Flooding In Irving Canal Unresolved Due To 40-Year-Old Agreement

The Irving Canal System flows through Irving and Las Colinas. It has been failing and flooding. According to the City of Irving, the system is privately maintained. The HOA that is responsible and the city’s residents claim they are unable to maintain it given that issues arise from public portions of the canal.

The Irving Canal and a 40-Year-Old Agreement

The Irving Canal System began construction when a developer proposed a project to the City of Irving in 1980. This included a plan to reclaim the ends of the floodplain, straighten out the Cottonwood Creek channel, and make development around the area easier. The city approved the proposal with a few conditions, including some requirements stating the structure must be lined with concrete and designed by a civil engineer.

In addition, the city required the drainage canal to become a privately maintained easement. The city made exceptions to local ordinances to make this a possibility. As a result, the Villas of Cottonwood Creek HOA is responsible for maintaining the drainage.

An HOA Nightmare

This agreement has caused problems for the HOA as they cannot maintain their portion of the canal when its problems stem from the drainage’s public parts. Roger Lowe, the HOA president, suspected that the broken pipes, erosion, and flooding problems were caused by constructions happening downstream of Irving in other neighborhoods.

“The pipes that they installed are breaking and failing, so water is flowing over the top and out of the bottom,” said Lowe.

Now, some of their community’s homes become flooded whenever it rains. The HOA’s residents are trying to explain to the city that they cannot uphold the agreement made. According to Lowe, their appeals are falling on deaf ears. He also mentioned that he knew nothing about the Irving Canal when he bought his property. Part of the HOA’s Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs) included a responsibility to maintain the retaining wall and a no longer-existing fountain.

CBS News has asked the City of Irving how they ensured that the HOA could maintain their part of the channel all those years ago. No answers have yet been given.