Woodridge Village Excavation Surpasses 100,000 Cubic Yards
In the four weeks since my last update, Harris County Flood Control District’s (HCFCD) contractor has excavated another 11,000 cubic yards of dirt from Woodridge Village. That means Sprint Sand and Clay has removed a total of 104,000 cubic yards since it started work under its Excavation and Removal Contract a little more than a year ago.
Sprint is removing the dirt from what will become a sixth stormwater detention basin on the former Perry Homes site. The lack of adequate detention capacity on the site contributed to flooding hundreds of homes in Kingwood twice back in 2019, before HCFCD purchased the property.
New Excavation Already Second Largest on Site
Already, at 62 acre feet, the new basin ranks as the second largest stormwater detention basin on the 268-acre site. Woodridge Village’s five original basins had the following capacities:
- N1 = 13.2 acre feet
- N2 = 154.7 acre feet
- N3 = 42 acre feet
- S1 = 18.6 acre feet
- S2 = 42.5 acre feet
The new detention basin could more than double capacity on the site. Ultimately, it will exceed Atlas 14 requirements.
Here’s where the original five are located.
The new basin will go between N2 and S1.
Progress by the Numbers
The 11,000 cubic yards excavated in the last 28 days averages 2,750 cubic yards per week. That’s an increase of 220 cubic yards per week compared to the previous month. It’s also 1,000 cubic yards per week more than the weekly average since the start of the contract.
The current monthly rate more than doubles the minimum required under Sprint’s contract.
The excavation of 100,000 cubic yards marks yet another milestone. Sprint has now removed more than 20% of the 500,000 cubic yards allowed under the contract.
February vs. March Photos
To get a feeling for just how much 11,000 cubic yards is, compare these photos taken at the ends of February and March.
A Head Start on Construction
In December 2022, HCFCD revealed the results of its analysis of alternatives to reduce flooding adjacent to Woodridge and Taylor Gully. HCFCD is now working on finalizing those plans.
Excavation and removal contracts give HCFCD a head start on construction while engineers finish plans. This compresses the timetable.
The contract also saves taxpayers money. It gives Sprint the right to remove up to 500,000 cubic yards for a grand total of only $1000. Sprint makes its money by selling the dirt at market rates to home- and road builders. The only restriction: the dirt can’t be placed in the floodplain.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/4/2023
2044 Days since Hurricane Harvey
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