2018-Flood-Bond Update Illustrates Concerns of GLO, Lake Houston Area

6/12/26 – Dr. Tina Petersen’s final 2018-Flood-Bond update shows why she was under so much pressure to resign. Yesterday’s Commissioners Court agenda listed it as a “transmittal,” but it wasn’t transmitted. Nor was it posted on Harris County Flood Control District’s website as of this writing.

However, I have since obtained a copy of the 25-page spreadsheet with the help of Commissioner Ramsey’s staff.

Analysis reveals disturbing delays, slowness, contradictions, inaccuracies and incomplete data.

These were all among the list of failures that Texas Land Commissioner Dr. Dawn Buckingham complained about in regard to HCFCD. But the problems go far beyond GLO CDBG projects.

So Many Questions, Few Answers

I haven’t reviewed every project yet. But here are several from the Lake Houston Area.

Lake Houston Gates

The project to add gates to the Lake Houston Dam shows “Planning” as “complete.” But they have a blank entry for Engineering, which recently passed the 30% completion milestone. And they show no plans for construction. The county has paid only $23.5 thousand dollars out of the $20 million it pledged to the project.

Kingwood Diversion Ditch

HCFCD plans to start Kingwood Diversion Ditch improvements in mid-2030. The Diversion Ditch relieves flooding along Bens Branch and in Kingwood Town Center where more than a dozen people died during Harvey. So you would think it would merit higher priority.

Sedimentation and Sand Traps

In the Q1 2026-Flood-Bond Update, HCFCD says it is Closing projects related to sand traps and sedimentation in the upper San Jacinto River Basin, even though the projects are still “In-Progress.”

Dig deeper and you will find that HCFCD has paid its entire share of both studies to the SJRA to manage the projects…without getting any results yet. The final:

Sedimentation report is due to the Texas Water Development Board in less than a year, but SJRA has yet to publish a draft.
Sand-trap study is due in mid-2026, but the SJRA hasn’t published anything on that since 2022.

The SJRA sand trap study web page contains some hilarious entries. It shows:

“Contractor Notice to Proceed: TBD”
“Completion Date: TBD”
“Dates Subject to Change.”

Quick! Wake someone up. HCFCD seems to have lost interest in getting results for your tax dollars on these two studies.

Atascocita Flood Reduction Study

The Atascocita Flood Reduction Study shows “Planning” as complete and engineering as “Planned” But the project was “Paused” after only a third of the budget was spent. It fell into the bottom quartile of the Equity Prioritization Framework, scoring only 2.35 out of a potential 10.0. There’s $542K down the drain.

Tributaries East of Lake Houston

A study of San Jacinto Tributaries east of Lake Houston shows only $1 million out of $22 million has been spent to date. Engineering is “in progress” with construction planned for mid 2029. However, $0 has been spent on a preliminary engineering review so far. Where’d that first million go?

Crosby Eastgate Mitigation Bank

Engineering for the Crosby Eastgate Mitigation Bank on Cedar Bayou is still “In-Progress” and has construction planned for 2029.

Cedar Bayou Detention Basins/Channel Conveyance Improvements

More than a dozen regional detention basin projects and channel conveyance improvements along Cedar Bayou have been “paused.”

Danubina/East James Drainage Improvements

Engineering work on the Danubina/East James Drainage Improvements on a Cedar Bayou tributary is still “active.” But only $1.7 of the $33.8 million budget has been spent so far. And flood control lists no estimated date for construction.

Little Cedar Bayou Drainage Improvements

Engineering is still planned. And HCFCD anticipates actual construction of drainage improvements may start in 2033.

Cedar Bayou Implementation Program

The Cedar Bayou Implementation Program is marked “closing.” But HCFCD lists planning as “in progress.” Is it just winding down? Or with so many Cedar Bayou projects “paused,” has HCFCD just determined it to be a waste of time/money at this time?

Cedar Bayou Lynchburg Sub-Regional Detention Basin

Quick. Call the Keystone cops. The Cedar Bayou Lynchburg Sub-regional Detention Basin is marked “Complete” with engineering “in progress” and construction starting in 2031.

Luce Bayou Right of Way Acquisition and Floodplain Preservation

Luce Bayou’s Right of Way Acquisition and Floodplain Preservation program is “Closing,” having spent $0 to date – even as developers apply for permits to build in floodplains.

Summing Up

Seven of the projects in this bond update (not just those listed above) have been pushed far into the future with construction starting 15 years after passage of the bond.

Construction estimates from a decade earlier will certainly prove inadequate by then.

Dozens more projects contain puzzling entries that warrant explanation. But HCFCD offers not one footnote.

The examples above offer a taste of the type of information you can glean from the document. Dig in and explore projects in your watershed. You may find some pleasant surprises. I found one.

One Potential Opportunity Noted

HCFCD has spent less than a fifth of the budget allocated for dredging Lake Houston with the project marked “Complete.” However, more than $40 million remains that the new Lake Houston Dredging District could put to good use.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/12/26

3209 Days since Harvey

HCFCD did not return calls or emails concerning this study.

The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.