Engineers urge Dallas County to map ditches and clear trees after countywide reconnaissance

The Dallas County Board of Supervisors received a reconnaissance report from AgriVia on June 23, 2026, recommending a countywide program to remove trees from open drainage ditches and to create a GIS‑based map of county‑controlled drainage infrastructure.

AgriVia engineer Jacob Hagan, P.E., who authored the March 2026 aerial survey, told the Board the survey found widespread submerged tile outlets, bank sloughing and dense woody vegetation on multiple ditches. "We recommend the County consider installing surface drain pipes, rock chutes, or other stabilized outlets where appropriate to better control runoff and reduce erosion," the report states, and the firm recommended removing trees and creating a minimum 25‑foot maintenance corridor along ditch banks to preserve access for future work.

The report documented conditions for 14 open ditches under county trusteeship, including Drainage Districts No. 1, 4, 6, 8, 10, 13, 15, 19, 41, 60, 61, 70, 99 and 105. AgriVia described some districts (for example DD 8) as effectively idle and heavily forested, where reestablishing an engineered channel would be costly, while others (including DD 1, 4, 10 and 13) were flagged as in poor or very poor condition and in need of cleanouts and bulkhead repairs.

As part of a proposed two‑part program, AgriVia recommended (1) an initial large‑scale tree‑clearing effort followed by a recurring three‑year spraying and cutting rotation and (2) a comprehensive digital mapping project that compiles historical construction records and creates an online GIS dataset. AgriVia estimated the mapping deliverable could be completed for approximately $20,000 and recommended preparing a bid package (estimated $10,000) to allow competitive bids for clearing work.

The firm also noted permitting considerations: tree removal outside of bat active season reduces the need for US Fish & Wildlife permits, and a statutory public hearing is required only for projects in a district with estimated costs above $50,000 (AgriVia preliminarily identified DD 10 as the only district that might exceed that threshold). Nevertheless, the report recommends holding hearings for affected landowners to present scope and receive objections.

The report concludes by urging the Board, acting as trustees, to direct the county engineer to proceed first with GIS mapping and to prepare a bid package addressing tree‑related maintenance backlogs so that future work can be competitively procured and coordinated with landowners.

Next steps recorded in the report: the engineer would prepare bid documents and public notice materials and the Board would determine whether to proceed district‑by‑district or in grouped phases. The report is on file as documentation for any subsequent public hearings and bid lettings.