The federal agency will construct a bypass channel, rerouting the Trinity River and floodwater away from downtown.<\/p>\n
The rerouting of the river will create north and south bypass channels, creating the appearance of a natural island, dubbed Panther Island<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n The federal flood control project is led by the Corps of Engineers, the city of Fort Worth and the Tarrant Regional Water District.<\/p>\n Aside from restoring native habitats, the project intends to mitigate environmental impacts to Marine Creek stemming from flood control construction.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Marine Creek stream begins at Marine Creek Lake and runs downstream to the West Fork of the Trinity River.\u00a0<\/p>\n The lake is frequented by locals for lake recreation, including fishing and kayaking.<\/p>\n Construction at Harmon Field Park construction involves re-creating natural stream ripples, reenergizing the waterway with oxygen. This will allow fish and aquatic life to thrive, said Woody Frossard, the water district regulatory and project adviser.<\/p>\n Officials will use natural materials to restore the creek and wetlands, allowing it to hold more floodwater before flowing into the Trinity River.<\/p>\n That involves planting trees along the riparian corridor and using tree limbs to create bends in the stream. These bends will help control erosion and support healthy habitats for aquatic animals.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis is going to be a forest. \u2026 It\u2019s going to be aquatic plants, brushes, sedges,\u201d Frossard said. \u201cThis gives us the ability to re-create an ecosystem that we can have here, that you couldn\u2019t have previously.\u201d<\/p>\n A \u201ctrash rack\u201d system will catch debris coming from downtown Fort Worth and major highways, including I-35 and U.S. 287.\u00a0<\/p>\n The system will include four trash bays located throughout the creek during construction, creating a more efficient collection system and passage for fish.<\/p>\n While habitat mitigation is the main focus, the Ham Branch project, which sits just next to a soccer field complex, builds on riverfront recreation and provides educational opportunities to the public, Frossard said.<\/p>\n As construction finalizes, Corps of Engineers officials will replant native wetland vegetation, most of which bloom in the spring.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll be amazed at what it looks like in the early spring,\u201d Frossard said.<\/p>\n Even as construction is ongoing, waterfowl, such as egrets and mallard ducks, can already be spotted at the site.\u00a0<\/p>\n This allows families to \u201ccome in and see what can be done if you put it back in the way Mother Nature designed it,\u201d Frossard said.<\/p>\n The Ham Branch initiative is the Corps of Engineers\u2019 largest mitigation effort as the federal flood control project unfolds.\u00a0<\/p>\n Corps officials recently wrapped up a project on Sycamore Creek<\/a>, which restored the stream\u2019s connection to the West Fork of the Trinity River.<\/p>\n Corps officials will also restore an existing oxbow<\/a> \u2014 a U-shaped body of water \u2014 at the West Fork of the River in Gateway Park. The oxbow was severed in the 1950s when the Trinity River\u2019s existing levees were installed.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ecosystem improvements will follow the oxbow\u2019s restoration, which will involve planting native vegetation and bringing more wildlife along the river.<\/p>\n Nicole Lopez is the environment reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at nicole.lopez@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"(Maria](\"https:\/\/fortworthreport.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0427-HamBranchhabitatmitigationproject-MC-10-1024x683.jpg\")
The Ham Branch habitat mitigation project, pictured April 27, at Harmon Field park. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report\/Catchlight Local\/Report for America)<\/p>\n![\"(Maria](\"https:\/\/fortworthreport.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0427-HamBranchhabitatmitigationproject-MC-01-1024x683.jpg\")
The Ham Branch habitat mitigation project, pictured April 27, at Harmon Field Park. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report\/Catchlight Local\/Report for America)<\/p>\n