Mercer Detention Basins Going Slower than Expected

12/17/24 – The two Mercer Stormwater Detention Basins along Cypress Creek at FM1960 and the Hardy Tollroad were originally scheduled for completion in April of this year. Pictures taken today, however, show contractors are far from finished.

Mercer Detention Basin on Cypress Creek — *Wide shot looking NE shows both Mercer Stormwater Detention Basins. FM1960 on right. Hardy Tollroad on left.*

Together, the two basins will be able to store 512 acre feet of stormwater when complete. They will help reduce flooding along Cypress Creek. And depending on the location storms and the timing of floodwaters, they could even help offset releases from Lake Conroe that affect the Lake Houston Area.

Better late than never, I guess.

Mercer North Basin

*Shot of north pond shows state of finish and ongoing construction.*

The north basin appears almost completely excavated and has a concrete inlet, but the sides and bottom are unfinished.

*Looking NW at Cypress Creek and concrete inlet for first basin.* *Concrete reduces erosion during floods.*

*A lone 54″ concrete pipe will let water back into the creek as floodwaters recede.*

Mercer South Basin

The second basin to the south (left, below) appears about half excavated.

*Looking W* *at South Mercer Basin shows depth of excavation.* *FM1960 on left. Hardy at top.*

*Culvert connecting two basins not yet complete.*

The second basin will catch overflow from the first. See diagram below.

Construction Started Late, Will End Late

The Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) website construction timeline shows that the project, in Rodney Ellis’ Precinct 1, was to have been expedited. It was originally scheduled to take 348 days.

HCFCD:

Completed the Preliminary Engineering Report in Summer 2022.
Started design in Summer 2022.
Construction was supposed to start in Spring 2023. But…
The contractor started mobilizing in December 2023/
Original completion date was April 2024.
Then January floods, May Floods, a derecho and Beryl struck.
HCFCD has not yet posted a new expected completion date.

The HUD Grant that helped finance the project stipulated that construction needed to finish by Fall 2024. Fall ends next Sunday. I hope they got an extension. Because it doesn’t look like they will finish by next week.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program provided a $15.4 million grant for the project. Another $9.7 million comes from the 2018 Bond Program.

Posted on 12/17/2024 by Bob Rehak

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