Your Questions Answered with IFCD 3
While the team at IFCD 3 does our best to answer anticipated questions from the community on Facebook, X and our waterways blog, we still receive unique and nuanced questions from residents that are sent through social media direct messages or the form on our website.
Today, we’re sharing some of our most recent resident inquiries, along with our response to each question.
Q: Are non-motorized floats (paddleboards, kayaks, canoes, pedal boats) permitted in the waterway between Valley Ranch Parkway East and the Campion Trail since this area connects to the Trinity River?
A: While we love to see our community members getting outside and enjoying the amenities in the area, we do not encourage motorized or non-motorized floats in any part of Valley Ranch’s waterways. These floats have the potential to come into contact with and damage the canal walls, which can lead to erosion and an increase in maintenance costs.
Q: In IFCD 3’s Annual Report, the financials page shows a significant surplus of funds. Will this decrease the amount of funds required in the future?
A: The District aims to maintain a strong reserve so that we have funds ready for unplanned events, rather than drastically changing tax rates from year to year. We always strive to be good stewards of the funds we receive, while also properly maintaining the flood control system designed to protect Valley Ranch from the Trinity River.
Q: How does the District choose what projects to complete?
A: We do our best to only implement projects necessary for the community’s safety and/or save taxpayers money in the long run. For example, routine inspections over the past three years revealed the need to make major repairs and improvements to the flood control system. Thanks to our reserves, we were able to proceed with these improvements while simultaneously reducing the tax rate.
Q: The walkway under the bridge next to my house is currently submerged in water. Why is that and when will it return to normal?
A: While it is ideal for all walkways near the canals to remain above water, certain walkways were constructed within the boundaries of the region’s stormwater channel at the bottom of the region’s floodplain. If we’ve experienced an extremely large amount of rainfall at one time, these walkways can be temporarily submerged. These walkways should quickly become dry as our team continues to move water away from Valley Ranch, resulting in lower water levels in our canals.
Q: There is trash in the canal by my home. Can I remove the trash myself?
A: It’s common to see more trash in the canals after storms, as wind and rain can move trash from the streets and storm drains into the water. While trash is a serious problem that can negatively impact our flood control efforts, we have a dedicated team to remove trash from the canals and do not encourage residents to fish trash out of the canals themselves.
Have a question of your own you’d like to ask the District? Submit your question here and we’ll do our best to respond within 24 hours.