CoH Excavating Silt from Diversion Ditch at Kingwood Drive
After finishing excavating silt from under the Kingwood Drive Bridge over Ben’s Branch, City crews are now doing the same under the bridge over the Diversion Ditch near the fire station on Kingwood Drive.
Bridges are often chokepoints during floods because of their supports that reduce and sometimes slow the flow of water and contribute to sediment buildup.
The City of Houston is responsible for excavation under the bridges because the bridges are City property.
On Ben’s Branch, Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) had excavated both north and south of the bridge at Kingwood Drive. Then the City did its part.
Pictures of Work in Progress At Kingwood Drive.
However, at the Diversion Ditch Bridge, HCFCD has not yet begun excavation. CoH went first.
Dan Monks, a Kingwood resident, captured work in progress last week and gave ReduceFlooding.com permission to use his photos.
The Second of Many Such Projects
According to Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin’s office, the City’s Public Works Department will also be investigating other bridges in the Kingwood area to see if they too need to have silt removed from under them. These projects aren’t glamorous, but they are necessary to restore conveyance of area ditches. HCFCD’s Kingwood Area Drainage Analysis showed that some area ditches were down to a 2-year level of service. That means they were so constricted that they would flood in a two-year rain.
Bridges along Kingwood Drive and Northpark Drive can least afford flooding. They are vital links in crucial evacuation routes.
Thanks to the folks in the District E Council Office and the Public Works Department for addressing these issues.
It’s not yet clear when HCFCD plans to start excavation of the Diversion Ditch in this area.
If you have photos you would like to share with the public, please submit them through the Submissions Page of this website.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/10/21
1503 Days since Hurricane Harvey