A city and county plan to stop floodwaters may include seizing some people's private land. It's a plan that's got some people putting up their fists and getting ready for a fight.

Bebe Fenstermaker, who owns Maverick Ranch, has the beauty of the Hill Country right in her backyard, and she says she plans to keep it that way.

Fenstermaker's land is a wide-open space and home to an endangered species.
The land has been in Fenstermaker's family over 100 years and is now a proposed site for a dam to be built by Bexar Regional Watershed Management.

"The whole intent of these projects is to decrease the amount of flooding downstream," said Joe Aceves of Bexar County .

The intent is to prevent flooding in San Antonio and the surrounding area which claims lives each and every year. But that plan may mean a huge dam on Bebe Fenstermaker, which would flood it with water.

"It would catch plenty and destroy this place," said Fenstermaker

It's a place she says is a Hill Country landmark.

"This is a nationally registered historic places district, fence line to fence line. It also is nesting habitat for two endangered birds," explained Fenstermaker.

A fact Bexar County officials say they understand.

"All of those things would be considered in final determination of what projects to pursue or not," said Aceves.

The family has fought 4 other battles to keep city and county projects off their land. They said, they're prepared to do it again.

Fenstermaker is asking for a formal hearing so she can get a few questions answered. County officials say once testing is done, they'll be able to answer those questions. They said those tests will take another 6 months.