Taylor Gully/Woodridge Village

Ramsey, Flickinger Discuss Status of Flood Projects

1/16/2025 – Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey, PE, and Distict E Houston City Council Member Fred Flickinger discussed the status of numerous flood projects at a meeting of the Kingwood Area Republican Women today at the Oakhurst Golf Club.

Ramsey addressing Kingwood Area Republican Women’s Club today.

Among the projects they covered were:

  • Taylor Gully Improvements/Woodridge Village Detention
  • Kingwood Diversion Ditch Improvements/Upstream Detention
  • Additional Floodgates for Lake Houston
  • Legal Changes Governing Pre-Release of Water from Lakes
  • Edgewater Park
  • Dredging
  • Medians
  • Flood Tunnels
  • Subsidence

Below are the highlights. They also discussed other issues such as median maintenance, vine control, crime, taxes, government waste, elections and more. But I will focus primarily on infrastructure issues related to flooding – especially Taylor Gully and Woodridge Village, because of pending approvals this month.

Taylor Gully/Woodridge Village

After Perry Homes clearcut approximately 270 acres in Montgomery County, hundreds of Kingwood homes flooded twice in 2019 along Taylor Gully. Taylor Gully runs through the northern part of Kingwood from Kingwood Park High School to White Oak Creek.

Taylor Gully/Woodridge Village

Harris County Flood Control District (HCDFC) began working on mitigation plans in 2021 and presented preliminary recommendations to the community in December, 2022.

The county had high hopes for funding from the Texas General Land Office (GLO) and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), but those ran into a potential snag. Taylor Gully improvements fit within available HUD funding, but Woodridge Village (the former Perry Homes Property) did not. HCFCD hoped to build more stormwater detention basin capacity on Woodridge to help control Taylor Gully expenses downstream.

Regardless HCFCD pressed forward. They combined the two projects. And according to HCFCD, both now fit with available funding capacity (see “above the line” list on page 2) of the list being presented to Commissioners Court next week on 1/23/25.

The county purchased Woodridge Village in February 2021. Shortly thereafter, HCFCD began an excavation and removal (E&R) contract to get a “head start” on the basins. Indeed, the head start brought the total stormwater detention on the site almost to Atlas-14 standards.

However, HCFCD was forced to terminate the E&R contract before the basins could be completed. That was to comply with HUD requirements while HUD considered the grant application.

This is potentially great news for the people who live in Sherwood Trails, Elm Grove, Mills Branch and Woodstream.

Watch commissioner’s court closely next Thursday. The Kingwood area drainage study named this project as one of the two most important in Kingwood.

Kingwood Diversion Ditch and Upstream Detention

The Kingwood Diversion Ditch was the other of the two most important projects. The Diversion Ditch takes floodwaters out of Bens Branch, which runs diagonally through the center of Kingwood from St. Martha Catholic Church to River Grove Park.

Improving the Diversion Ditch would reduce flood risk for hundreds of homes and apartments, Kingwood High School, Town Center, and Kings Harbor. Both Bens Branch and the Diversion Ditch currently have a two-year level of service. That means they have a 50% chance of coming out of their banks in any given year.

The District started preliminary engineering in mid-2021. HCFCD will finally present that report to Commissioners Court on February 6, 2025.

Ramsey estimated today that the project could cost $60 million. However, he also indicated that U.S. Congressman Dan Crenshaw “got us enough money so we can do the final engineering.”

Eric Heppen, Precinct 3 engineer, later stated that once Commissioners Court approves the preliminary report, it will be made public.

Flickinger emphasized that he is talking with Montgomery County, trying to get them to retain more of their floodwaters. He raised concerns about a new 200,000 sq. ft. convention center planned for US59 at Valley Ranch. “That will generate a lot of runoff that could come down to us, unless we work together to find a way to hold that water up there.”

Houston City Council Member Fred Flickinger at same meeting.

Additional Floodgates for Lake Houston

Shortly after Harvey, many people pinned their flood-mitigation hopes on additional floodgates for the Lake Houston dam. The idea: to lower the lake faster when it becomes certain that a storm will flood the area. The existing gates have 1/15th the capacity of Lake Conroe’s. So Lake Houston must start releasing far earlier in advance of storms than Lake Conroe. And by the time Lake Houston is lowered, storms can veer away, wasting valuable water.

So Conroe tends to hold its water back until it is absolutely certain. At that point, it has no other choice than to release water at high rates that flood people downstream.

Being able to lower Lake Houston faster would let Lake Conroe release earlier and slower, smoothing out flood peaks downstream.

Ramsey estimated the cost of 11 new floodgates that could release 80,000 cubic feet per second at $150 million. He said the final engineering should be completed this year. He also said that bidding and construction could start in 2026.

Legal Changes Governing Pre-Release of Water

Flickinger addressed a related legal issue. State law limits the release of water from lakes; it must be only for defined beneficial uses and flood control is not one of them.

So, Flickinger is working with State Rep. Charles Cunningham to change that and increase the limit. “Bottom line,” he said, “is that we need to release more water sooner rather than holding it back until we’re adding to the crest of the flood.”

Flickinger is also working with the San Jacinto River Authority on these changes.

Edgewater Park

After Harvey, the County acquired land on the northeast corner of the West Fork and US59, which will turn into Edgewater Park. It will also connect the Houston Parks Board’s West Fork Greenway with the Spring Creek Nature Trail. Ramsey said the plans will be made public very soon. After the meeting, Precinct 3 engineer Eric Heppen confirmed the plans were 99% complete.

Ramsey said, “Soon, you’ll be able to go from Kingwood to Tomball and not cross a road.” That should be a tremendous draw for hikers and bikers and the entire area.

Dredging

Flickinger discussed two aspects of dredging not covered in last night’s post. First, he is seeking additional funding to continue the current program while the dredge is on the lake. Second, he feels opportunities exist to increase efficiency.

I asked what he meant by that. FEMA restrictions on the funds currently being used limit the dredging to “pre-Harvey” conditions. That means, Callan Marine, the contractor, must dredge to different depths to match the exact bottom profile that existed before Harvey. And that requires repositioning the dredge more than if you were just dredging to a uniform depth across wide areas.

The search for additional funding has led Flickinger to the City, the Coastal Water Authority (CWA) and former State Representative Dan Huberty. Huberty was appointed to the board of CWA last last year by Houston Mayor John Whitmire.

Medians

Several people from the audience questioned Flickinger about the medians along Kingwood Drive. He touted the success of his first Median Madness event in November 2024 and announced another on February 22, 2025. Mark your calendar now.

More than 50 volunteers participated in the last vine-cutting extravaganza. He hopes for many more volunteers this time.

Flood Tunnels

The county is getting ready to launch the next phase of its flood tunnel study. Ramsey emphasized that there isn’t enough room in Harris County to poke enough holes in the ground to solve all of our flooding problems. He sees tunnels that carry floodwater from strategic locations as essential parts of the solution.

Eric Heppen, Ramsey’s engineer said that by burying the 40 foot tunnels 80 feet underground, you can double the conveyance in some watersheds, sidestep environmental issues, and avoid having to condemn property.

But many issues have yet to be worked out. For instance, will tunnels be constructed to relieve 2-year, 5-year, 10-year, 25-year or 50-year flooding? More to follow when details become available.

Subsidence

Harris County estimates the area east of Lake Houston will grow by 18,000 homes in the next 10 years. But there currently are no plans to provide them with surface water. So, they will pump groundwater. That means subsidence. And subsidence means flooding, according to Ramsey. He pointed to Conroe as an example. The City’s groundwater pumping has caused subsidence as far south as Harris County.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/16/25

2697 Days since Hurricane Harvey