WASHINGTON, DC–Congressman Pete Sessions today announced that the Trinity River Authority (TRA) has received a critical $30 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to fund repairs to the Lake Livingston Dam following flooding in the spring of 2024.

The grant will reimburse the TRA for their work to restore the essential infrastructure that provides water to Houston, the nation’s fourth-largest city, and to communities throughout East Texas. Congressman Sessions advocated for the funding and urged FEMA to expedite the approval process due to the dam’s vital role in supplying water to millions of Texans and supporting regional industry.

Congressman Sessions said, “I am pleased to assist the TRA in this matter. Lake Livingston provides critical infrastructure to Houston and the East Texas region. These damages were costly and required swift repair which TRA provided.  Thank you to FEMA Region 6 for their hard work in expediting the distribution of these funds, TDEM for their swift assistance, and to TRA General Manager Kevin Ward, TRA Board of Directors President Megan Deen, and TRA Board Member Jeff Bradley for their leadership.”

“As the General Manager of the Trinity River Authority of Texas, I know firsthand how hard Congressman Sessions works for his district and for the State of Texas,” said Kevin Ward. “The Congressman and his staff shepherded this grant and did not quit until the funds were received. Lake Livingston provides water to our nation’s fourth-largest city and most of the petrochemical industry, and Congressman Sessions and his team understood the importance and urgency of this matter.”

“On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Trinity River Authority of Texas, I would like to say thank you for the receipt of FEMA Grant 4781-06 that was used for emergency repairs made to the Lake Livingston Dam,” said TRA’s Board of Directors President Megan Deen. “TRA received funds within eight months of the initial application.”

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