Yet whether you look at total dollars spent or construction dollars, the 2% figure remains.
San Jacinto Watershed Receives Less than $5 Million Per Year in 5 of 8 Years
According to the most recent figures available from Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD), the county has spent $2,071.59 million ($2+ billion) in total since passage of the flood bond in 2018. Yet the San Jacinto watershed has received only $43.65 million of that – 2.11%.
And of the $948.38 million spent on construction since Bond passage, the San Jacinto watershed has received only $19.65 million – 2.07%. See the breakdown by years below:
Data for both graphs sourced from HCFCD Activity Page. *Includes 1 Quarter. **Includes 3 Quarters.
So, whether you look at total or construction spending, the San Jacinto watershed has received less than $5 million per year in five of the last eight years.
So Much for Worst First!
To put those numbers in perspective, compare the size of the watershed to the size of the spending.
The portion of the San Jacinto watershed inside Harris County ranks it as the largest watershed in the county. But that is the smallest portion of the watershed.Compiled from HCFCD data above.
The County sold the flood bond to voters by saying it would fix the worst areas first. However, that has not been the case.
Shortly after voters approved flood bond language that guaranteed an “equitable distribution of funds,” the County adopted an “Equity Prioritization Framework” that eliminated flood damage and flood risk in the allocation of dollars. Linguists and historians may be interested in reviewing accepted definitions of equity and equitable in Websters Third International and Oxford English Dictionaries. The words sound alike, but are not the same.
Some Other Watersheds Have Received Even Less
But as bad as this is for the San Jacinto watershed, consider other watersheds that have gotten even less.
In my opinion, the issue with flood-control spending to date is not just slowness, it’s also fairness.
We’ll have a chance to fix that next year. Primary elections for county commissioners and county judge begin in March 2026. And the general election is in November 2026.
We have another hurricane season to get through before then. Don’t count on another as mild as this one.
Posted by Bob Rehak on October 27, 2025
2981 Days since Hurricane Harvey
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.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-27-at-5.04.28-PM.png?fit=1502%2C894&ssl=18941502adminadmin2025-10-27 17:44:042025-10-27 17:57:58San Jacinto Watershed Received Only 2% of Mitigation Dollars since Passage of Flood Bond
10/7/2025 – Newly posted spending figures on the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) website for the third quarter of 2025 show a continuing slowdown in spending. Last quarter, HCFCD spending fell below where we started after the flood-bond election in 2018 … almost to a quarter of what it was at the peak under previous management.
Adjusted for 25% inflation during the period shown, the drop off is even more dramatic. Yet we have more than $3 billion waiting to be spent for flood-mitigation projects.
HCFCD explained the delays by saying it is troubleshooting and working through issues related to each of the projects on its plate. When asked for details, a HCFCD spokesperson cited environmental and Army Corps permitting as examples.
HCFCD on Track to Spend $80 Million Less This Year than Last
The first shows incremental spending since the start of the 2018 flood bond.Last period reflects nine months.The second shows that spending in 2024 totaled $246 million.And the third shows that in the first 9-months of 2025, HCFCD spent only about half ($125 million) of the 2024 total.
At the current rate, annualized 2025 would equal $167 million. That’s $80 million less than last year’s total – a third less.
Only $2.1 Billion Spent after 7 Years
This graph shows that flood-bond spending to date totals almost $2.1 billion out of the $5.2 that voters and partners have pledged.
Screen capture from Microsoft Power BI chart on HCFCD Activity page showing breakdown of spending to date.
Out of that, spending in 2025 Q3 totaled approximately $33 million
During the third quarter, HCFCD spent at a rate lower than before the bond, especially when discounting for inflation.
Importance of Speed: Inflation and Deadlines
The first graph above (spending by quarter since 2018) shows two distinct trends: one up and the other down. The difference largely coincides with a management change in 2021.
The decline in the rate of project spending continues to concern flood victims. Not only do delays expose residents to more flood risk, delays also take a toll in inflation. Partially as a result, County Commissioners have already adopted a plan that trims the flood-bond project list. In making cuts, they focused on three primary factors:
Expected benefits that didn’t materialize
Projects that failed to attract matching funds
Projects that had low equity scores.
But there’s another threat: looming deadlines from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In May 2021, GLO Commissioner George P. Bush announced that Harris County would receive $750 million.
However, the Disaster Relief grants come with a firm deadline of 2/28/27 – less than 15 months away. One former HCFCD employee told me that it typically takes 2 years to develop a detention-basin project. But another one told me HCFCD can put the pedal to the metal and do it in less time – if pushed.
The question at this point is, “Can HCFCD’s current management push hard and fast enough to get the jobs done before time runs out?” All of the HUD money is on a reimbursement basis. So, not finishing projects in time puts hundreds of millions at risk.
Of the Disaster Relief projects that have received authorization to use government funds so far, one is in construction – Arbor Oaks on White Oak Bayou.
In sharp contrast, according to the GLO, Phase II of the Brookglen Stormwater Detention Basin received authorization to use government funds in August 2024. And HCFCD anticipates advertising it for bids in November 2025.
Harris County’s purchasing database shows that, so far this year, HCFCD has only bid six capital improvement projects. Now it must bid and complete more than 30 projects in the next 2+ years to avoid losing close to a billion dollars.
Even my Weird Nephew Izzy understands that math. He called today and said, “We dug ourselves into a hole without digging many holes, Uncle Bob.” Longtime readers may remember that Nephew Izzy applied for the job of HCFCD executive director in 2021. Fortunately or unfortunately, he didn’t get the job. For Izzy’s take on all this, come back tomorrow.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/7/2025
2961 Days since Hurricane Harvey
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9/27/25 – The information below comes from a Texas Water Development Board newsletter pertaining to water supply funding propositions on the November Ballot. Buried within them are some rules that could also benefit flood mitigation. I am reprinting the newsletter verbatim.
Proposition 4 and Texas Water Fund
Frequently Asked Questions
Proposition 4 will be on the ballot in November
Texans will be voting in November on a number of propositions, including Proposition 4, which if approved would allocate a portion of state sales and use tax to the Texas Water Fund. The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) assembled the following FAQs as an informational resource for Texans.
1. What would House Joint Resolution 7 and Proposition 4 do?
Contingent upon voter approval, House Joint Resolution (HJR 7) would require the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts each state fiscal year to deposit to the credit of the Texas Water Fund the first $1 billion of the net revenue derived from the imposition of the state sales and use tax that exceeds the first $46.5 billion of that revenue coming into the treasury in that state fiscal year. This provision would go into effect September 1, 2027, and would expire August 31, 2047.
The HJR 7 Proposition 4 ballot language is:
“The constitutional amendment to dedicate a portion of the revenue derived from state sales and use taxes to the Texas water fund and to provide for the allocation and use of that revenue.”
The availability of sales and use tax deposits into the Texas Water Fund for Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) financial assistance programs is contingent upon:
voter approval of Proposition 4 in the November 2025 election,
subsequent legislative appropriations, and
availability of state sales and use tax revenue that exceeds the first $46.5 billion coming into the treasury in that state fiscal year.
2. What is the Texas Water Fund and how was it created?
The Texas Water Fund is a special fund in the state treasury outside the general revenue fund that is administered by the TWDB. Senate Bill 28 and Senate Joint Resolution 75, passed in 2023 by the 88th Texas Legislature, provided for creation of the fund. In the November 2023 election, Texas voters passed Proposition 6 (associated with Senate Joint Resolution 75), creating the Texas Water Fund to assist in financing water projects in Texas.
3. What does the Texas Water Fund do for Texas?
The Texas Water Fund supports the TWDB mission of leading the state’s efforts in ensuring a secure water future for Texas. The Texas population is projected to increase
53 percent between 2030 and 2080, from 34.2 million to 52.3 million, according to the projections included in the adopted 2026 regional water plans.
The Texas Water Fund helps communities implement cost‐effective water, wastewater, and flood projects through new and existing TWDB programs. The costs associated with these types of projects can often make them difficult for some communities to implement. By providing low‐cost, flexible financing options, the funding provides economic opportunity for communities to overcome cost hurdles.
More information on funding needs for water and wastewater infrastructure across the state, as well as water supply strategies recommended in the state water plan and flood mitigation solutions recommended in the state flood plan, can be found in this infographic.
4. What can the Texas Water Fund be used for?
The TWDB may only use the Texas Water Fund to transfer money to the following funds or accounts administered by the TWDB (those in bold were added by Senate Bill 7 in 2025):
5. What statutory changes were made to the Texas Water Fund by the 89th Texas Legislature?
In 2025, the 89th Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 7, which made some changes to the Texas Water Fund statute. The legislature also passed House Joint Resolution 7, which proposes a constitutional amendment (Proposition 4) that will appear on the November 2025 ballot, to dedicate a portion of the revenue derived from state sales and use taxes to the Texas Water Fund and to provide for the allocation and use of that revenue.
Statutory changes to the Texas Water Fund by Senate Bill 7 include the following expansion of:
Funds and accounts to which funds may be transferred
Priorities for funding
Eligibility for the New Water Supply for Texas fund
Additional statutory changes contingent upon voter approval includes the following:
For the purposes of the constitutionally dedicated revenue stream, groundwater is considered brackish if the total dissolved solids concentration is not less than 3,000 milligrams per liter at the time of production from a well.
Of the money deposited to the credit of the Texas Water Fund (subject to expiration August 31, 2047), the TWDB shall allocate no less than 50 percent for transfer to the New Water Supply for Texas Fund and/or the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas.
6. How much money has been appropriated to the Texas Water Fund to date and what has it been used for?
The 88th Texas Legislature authorized a one-time, $1 billion supplemental appropriation of general revenue to the Texas Water Fund, as approved by voters in 2023. Of the initial amount appropriated to the Texas Water Fund, the TWDB was required to allocate no less than 25 percent ($250 million) to the New Water Supply for Texas Fund.
With the initial appropriation, the TWDB is required to ensure that a portion of the money transferred from the fund is used for the following:
Water infrastructure projects, prioritized by risk or need, for
rural political subdivisions; and
municipalities with a population less than 150,000;
Projects for which all required state or federal permitting has been substantially completed, as determined by the Board;
The statewide water public awareness program;
Water conservation strategies; and
Water loss mitigation projects.
To meet these statutory directives and in response to solicited stakeholder feedback, the TWDB Executive Administrator developed a Texas Water Fund implementation plan. As of September 2025, the TWDB has committed more than $735 million in funding from the Texas Water Fund through several financial assistance programs, as outlined in the plan.
7. When will new funding be available and what is the anticipated timeline?
Contingent upon voter approval, legislative appropriations, and the availability of sales tax revenue that exceeds the first $46.5 billion of that revenue coming into the treasury in state fiscal year 2028, funding may be transferred by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts to the Texas Water Fund late in fiscal year 2028 and may be available for financial assistance through the TWDB in state fiscal year 2029.
If the collected sales tax revenue does not exceed $46.5 billion in a state fiscal year, then no money would be transferred to the Texas Water Fund, and no additional funding would be made available through the TWDB financial assistance programs.
Anticipated timeline:
November 4, 2025: Consideration of Proposition 4 by Texas voters
May 2027: General Appropriations Act (90th Texas Legislative Session)
Summer 2028: Transfer of constitutionally dedicated funds by Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts to the Texas Water Fund, contingent upon revenue availability and legislative appropriation
Fall 2029: Availability of funds via TWDB financial assistance programs.
8. Where can information on sales tax revenue be found?
In January of each odd-numbered year, the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts releases its Biennial Revenue Estimate for the upcoming biennium, including a projected estimate of the amount of sales tax revenue.
The January 2025 Biennial Revenue Estimate projects an estimated $94 billion in sales tax collections for the 2026 to 2027 biennium; the Biennial Revenue Estimate for the 2028 to 2029 biennium will be available in January 2027. The Comptroller’s website also features monthly updates on state revenue collections deposited to general revenue-related funds.
9. What are the Texas Legislature’s priorities for use of the Texas Water Fund?
The TWDB must ensure that a portion of the money transferred from the fund is used for the following (those in bold were added by Senate Bill 7):
Water and wastewater infrastructure projects, including projects to rehabilitate or replace deficient or deteriorating infrastructure, prioritized by risk or need for financial assistance, including grants for rural political subdivisions and municipalities with a population of less than 150,000;
Projects for which all required state or federal permitting has been substantially completed;
The statewide water public awareness program;
Water conservation strategies;
Water loss mitigation projects; and
Technical assistance for applicants in obtaining and using financial assistance from funds and accounts administered by the TWDB.
10. Where will the money for the Texas Water Fund come from and how will it be managed?
The Texas Water Fund will receive additional transferred funding from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, subject to the availability of revenue. Money in the Texas Water Fund will be held and invested by the Texas Treasury Safekeeping Trust Company.
The TWDB may not transfer money to a fund or account, other than the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas and the Texas Water Fund Administrative Fund, until the project application for which the money is to be used has received a financial assistance commitment from the TWDB governing Board. Additionally, the TWDB may only transfer money to a fund or account subject to legislative appropriation.
11. Is the Texas Water Fund a financial assistance program?
The Texas Water Fund is not a TWDB financial assistance program and cannot offer loans or grants directly. Rather, it will enable the TWDB to provide funding through existing financial assistance programs and the newly created New Water Supply Fund for Texas. Each program will have administrative rules, guidance documents, and in some cases an “Intended Use Plan” that outlines how the program will allocate and distribute funds.
12. Does the Texas Water Fund allow for grants in addition to loans?
Money appropriated to the Texas Water Fund will be transferred to allowable program funds and accounts, as approved by the TWDB governing Board. Once funds are transferred, all statutory and rule requirements applicable to each program will apply.
Programs that have authorization for grants (or principal forgiveness) include the:
Rural Water Assistance Fund
Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds
Economically Distressed Areas Program
Flood Infrastructure Fund
Agricultural Water Conservation Fund
Newly created New Water Supply for Texas Fund.
Some programs, such as the Texas Water Development Fund and State Water Implementation Fund for Texas, do not offer grants due to statutory or constitutional limitations.
13. What is the New Water Supply for Texas Fund?
The New Water Supply for Texas Fund is a special fund in the state treasury administered by the TWDB. Of the money deposited to the credit of the Texas Water Fund from the constitutionally dedicated revenue stream before September 1, 2047, the TWDB is required to allocate no less than 50 percent for transfer to the New Water Supply for Texas fund or the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas.
The New Water Supply for Texas Fund may be used for the following purposes (additional purposes added by Senate Bill 7 are in bold):
To provide financial assistance to political subdivisions of the state to develop water supply projects that create new water sources for the state, including:
desalination projects, including marine and brackish water desalination;
produced water treatment projects, other than projects that are only for purposes of oil and gas exploration;
aquifer storage and recovery projects;
water and wastewater reuse projects;
the required land has already been acquired;
a Clean Water Act Section 404 permit for the discharge of dredged or fill material has been issued by the United States Secretary of the Army;
a permit for the storage, taking, or diversion of state water has been issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality; and
the development of infrastructure to transport water or integrate water into a water supply system, other than groundwater produced from a well in this state that is not part of a project described by this subdivision.
To make transfers to:
the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas or
the Texas Water Development Fund II.
To make transfers to the Texas Water Bank Account, which was established to facilitate the transfer, sale, or lease of water and water rights throughout the state, including purchasing, holding, and transferring water rights in the name of the TWDB.
To make transfers to the State Participation Account of Development Fund II.
The TWDB is directed to undertake project financing through the New Water Supply Fund for Texas that will lead to 7 million acre-feet of new water supplies by December 31, 2033.
14. Does the New Water Supply Fund allow for public-private partnerships?
Yes, financial assistance may be provided from the New Water Supply Fund for a qualifying project under Chapter 2267, Government Code, which covers public-private partnerships. The project must comply with all requirements of that chapter of the Government Code. The applicant must be a political subdivision of the State of Texas.
15. What is the Statewide Water Public Awareness Program?
Senate Bill 28 directed the TWDB to develop and implement a statewide water public awareness program to educate residents about water. The program will consider the difference in water needs of various geographic regions of the state and will be designed to complement and support existing local and regional water education or awareness programs.
In 2025, the TWDB awarded a contract to fund a statewide water public awareness campaign in the form of a grant from the Texas Water Fund. Campaign development is underway with plans to launch in 2026. The TWDB will seek feedback on other TWDB-led initiatives to further public awareness of water.
16. How are TWDB financial assistance program funds disbursed?
The TWDB follows administrative rules and, in some cases, an Intended Use Plan for each financial assistance program eligible to receive funds; these outline the intended method for allocating funds for that program. Eligible entities will apply for financial assistance, and the TWDB will evaluate projects according to specific application requirements. Funds will be disbursed for projects that meet all requirements, rank within the amount of funds available, and receive a formal commitment from the TWDB governing Board.
17. How can I stay informed?
Subscribe to our “General Information” and “Financial Assistance” email lists to receive the latest information.
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According to ChatGPT, the 2025 Texas legislature this year devoted 2.7 times more money to increasing water supply than to mitigating flooding.
The water-supply funding aims to keep Texas growing, even as large sections of the state struggle with water shortages, drought, aquifer depletion and subsidence.
Dual-Purpose Funding
But some of the money allocated by the legislature to water supply can also be used for flood mitigation – if it serves a dual purpose, such as new reservoirs. This may be a way to reduce flooding and sustain growth at the same time.
Location of Winters Bayou Project approximately 10 miles upstream from Cleveland on the East Fork in San Jacinto County.
They chose the site for its ability to reduce flows in downstream damage centers, limited development within the footprint, and steep terrain that allows for increased storage volume.
But detention basins don’t qualify for water infrastructure funding under Texas Water Development Board SWIFT fund guidelines. SWIFT stands for State Water Infrastructure For Texas.
However, some changes in the name and design might make the Winters Bayou Project eligible.
Winters Bayou Project Might Qualify
Of all the projects listed in the San Jacinto Watershed Flood Plan, the Winters Bayou project was one of the largest.
A 54-ft tall concrete dam would create a 1.60-mile-long impoundment that captures runoff from Winters Bayou. It was conceived as a dry dam with five reinforced 10×10 concrete culverts and twin 300′ backup spillways that could hold 45,000 acre feet of floodwater (see page 180). To put that in perspective…
45,000 acre feet is about a third of the storage volume of Lake Houston.
The Winters Bayou project is already in the Lake Houston watershed. And the City’s Northeast Water Purification Plant on Lake Houston could purify the water.
But could a water-supply reservoir still serve a flood-control purpose? Perhaps with a different design.
The project made it into the final version of the 2024 state flood plan – as a flood-mitigation-only project. But it ranked #82 in the state. And its projected $134 million cost means it won’t be done for decades, if ever.
Perhaps given the state’s new water-supply priorities, a dual purpose reservoir would rank higher and get built sooner. Plus, the sale of water might help generate revenue that defrays expenses.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/24/25 based on a suggestion from Kingwood flood fighter Chris Bloch
9/18/25 – Just-in-Time Data! Harris County Commissioners have been begging for up-to-date information about the 2018 Flood Bond since February. Today, they will see a new Flood Bond Dashboard. It should enable them to make better, more timely decisions about flood-bond projects.
At times in the last few months, Commissioners requests became both blunt and brutal. But last night, HCFCD launched a new interactive dashboard on the 2018 Bond page of their website. The dashboard shows detailed information about the overall status of the bond and each project within it.
Drilling Down Through Data
The dashboard includes two main sections.
The first includes summary graphs. It also provides a path to information about every bond ID and project.
Selecting one or more Bond IDs in the first section pulls up a map of the project(s) in the second, bottom section.
Info boxes next to the map pop up and show additional information, including which stage of the project lifecycle the project is currently at. It’s a powerful and helpful tool that HCFCD intends to continue improving.
Take a Guided Tour
Below are some screen captures that illustrate the dashboard’s functionality.
Four main buttons across the top graphic let you drill down into information about the bond and projects within it.
Financial Summary
Clicking Financial Summary shows the total of secured funds plus where they came from.
Hovering over any one of the segments in the circle graphs translates percentages to absolute dollar amounts.
Project Summary
Clicking the Project Summary Button displays information about the total number of bond IDs and their project components.
Again, placing your cursor over a segment of a graph pulls up additional information about that segment.
Watershed Summary
The Watershed Summary table lets you compare spending to date and “funds remaining” within each watershed.
Project Overviews
The last button, Project Overviews, lets you drill down into any Bond ID and its associated projects to learn more information about them. Scroll up or down to select a bond ID or multiple IDs. Then check the one(s) that interest you.
Dragging left over the right hand part of the columns reveals more hidden columns.
In addition to the columns shown above, you can find information about the status of planning, engineering, and construction, as well as an ETA for construction.
Interactive Map
When you select a bond ID and then click the Map Query Button, the system highlights the location within the county.
Clicking on the location (represented by a dot) within the map then pulls up an info box that contains a narrative about the project. The box also includes lifecycle data and a close-up map of the project and its boundaries. See below. I checked Kingwood Diversion Ditch and then clicked on “Map Query.”
If you don’t know the Bond ID, start with the map and work in reverse. Clicking on one of the many dots on the map will still pull up the info box. From there, you can see the bond ID and then find the information in the table.
Other Related Information
The dashboard is still a work in progress. It launched last night. So give HCFCD a little time to work out any kinks you may find.
HCFCD plans to update the information quarterly and also issue a new Bond Update that incorporates dashboard information.
Check out the three summary reports at the top of the page:
Reportedly, commissioners’ staffs have used this information to eliminate some projects that had no or little benefit. They will recommend redeploying funding from those to remaining projects.
They also reportedly discovered that the budget shortfall was smaller than previously discussed and that they should be able to fund every project that already has partnership dollars attached.
9/16/2025 – Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) could soon be caught in a time squeeze.
Deadlines are fast approaching on hundreds of millions of dollars in grant money from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) via the Texas General Land Office (GLO). Yet HCFCD is pushing projected start dates for those projects further into the future. So, there may not be enough time to complete the jobs.
“As a rule of thumb, it typically takes two years to build a detention basin. But HCFCD has left itself with only approximately a year to build many with urgent deadlines.”
Construction Expert
And further deadline extensions likely will not be granted. When HUD granted HCFCD an extension on 10 of the 29 projects, HUD’s letter said, in essence, not to bother asking for another extension. A GLO spokesperson said, “The GLO doesn’t have the statutory authority to override HUD.”
Status of Grants and Deadlines
Yesterday, the Texas General Land Office (GLO) released the status of the 29 grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. They currently total $862.6 million.
The 29 grants fall into two categories: Disaster Relief (DR) and Mitigation (MIT).
HCFCD has an immovable deadline of February 28, 2027 for all Disaster Relief grants. That’s just 17 months away. And 9 out of the 10 that have not yet started won’t even go out for bids until next year. And one of those will be bid in the third quarter of next year, likely leaving only a few months to complete the $9 million project.
Let’s discuss the DR projects first. See the first group below.
Of the 11 projects in the Disaster Relief group, ten have already been approved and amended into the County’s contract. But only one has started construction. All the others haven’t even been bid yet. And won’t be for months.
Seven of Ten Remaining DR Projects Show Slippage in Bid Schedules
HCFCD periodically publishes “bid outlooks.” They tell potential contractors when HCFCD intends to advertise projects for bidding.
Comparing the June and August project bidding schedules shows that…
Seven of the remaining 10 have slipped three to nine months … in two months.
See table below.
Dates compiled from HCFCD Bid Outlooks for June and August (published in September).
How do you get this far and not have projects ready to bid immediately after approval? An HCFCD spokesperson said, “It’s quite a layered process” with approvals from other authorities, too, i.e., for environmental studies.
Regardless, only 17 months remain before an already extended deadline.
According to a GLO spokesperson, when HUD granted the deadline extension, the letter granting the extension basically said, “Don’t ask for another.” The GLO spokesperson also confirmed that GLO did not have statutory authority to grant an extension against HUD’s ruling.
So is there time to complete the Disaster Relief projects?
Arbor Oaks Project Illustrates Difficulty of Deadline
Only 17 months remain to bid and build 10 DR projects. And it typically takes 3 to 6 months just to:
Advertise a project for bids
Secure and review the bids
Get commissioners court to approve the bids
Finalize the contract
Issue a “notice to proceed”
Mobilize crews
That leaves roughly a year to build the projects. But the ten listed above could have even less time because of slippage in the bidding schedules.
Only one CDBG-DR job has started construction already: the Arbor Oaks Stormwater Detention Basin in White Oak Bayou’s watershed.
Commissioners Court approved the job for bidding on 5/8/2025.
HCFCD awarded the contract on 6/26/2025.
As of yesterday afternoon, the contractor was still mulching trees – more than 4 months after the job was first advertised.
No dirt has been removed yet. The pictures below show how the project looked on 9/16/2025.
Former Arbor Oaks subdivision near White Oak BayouExtent of clearing on 9/16/2025. Concrete removal was supposed to start yesterday, but did not by 2PM.The only activity on the site was tree clearing/mulching.
The diagram below shows what contractors still must build.
Two dry-bottom and two wet-bottom basinswill provide 221 acre-feet of stormwater storage.That’s a lot of dirt to move!
If HCFCD misses that February 28, 2027 deadline, the county could be on the hook for up to $34.2 million in HUD funds. And because that project got the earliest start, it has the highest likelihood of beating the deadline. What about other projects that won’t even be bid until there’s less than a year to bid and build them?
Because the DR projects have the most immediate deadlines, everyone has been focusing on those first. But the second group of 18 MIT projects also have deadlines.
All MIT funding allocated to the State of Texas after Hurricane must be turned into HUD by January 1, 2033. But the GLO needs 18 months to complete paperwork and package documentation for thousands of projects for HUD’s audit. So, the deadline for sub-recipients, such as HCFCD is July 1, 2031.
But there’s another wrinkle that puts even more pressure on sub-recipients to start projects soon. HUD wants the State to spend half the funds by January 1, 2027 – two months BEFORE the DR deadline.
How Real are the Deadlines?
There seem to be two different views of deadlines.
HCFCD’s current management, like a former Mayor of Houston, appears to believe that deadlines can be indefinitely extended.
The GLO views them as a contractual obligation, which if violated, could result in the taxpayers of Texas footing the bill for unnecessary delays.
According to the GLO, HUD changed its way of doing business after previous disasters such as Hurricane Ike, when some funds sat unused for years. So, after Harvey, HUD adopted, in essence, a “use it or lose it” policy with strict deadlines. Not everyone has gotten that message yet.
The potential loss of hundreds of millions of dollars for flood mitigation could make voters very unhappy.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/18/2025
2941 Days since Hurricane Harvey
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.
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9/14/25 – On Thursday, 9/18/25, Harris County Commissioners Court is scheduled to discuss the future of the 2018 Flood Bond. Again.
Item 117 on the agenda says, “Request for discussion and possible action regarding a report from the Flood Control District related to the 2018 Bond Program.” Unfortunately, no report is attached to the agenda. Reportedly, it is not yet ready.
That raises many questions: Do we have enough money to finish all the bond projects? If not, whose projects will be cut? What happens if you start construction, but don’t have money to finish it? Should we kill projects in some areas to construct projects in others?
No easy answers exist. Harris County Flood Control District, Engineering, the County Administrator and County Budget Director have tried all year to answer commissioners’ questions and have been meeting weekly for months to work out a plan that everyone can agree on.
Multiple Delays since February
On February 6, 2025, fireworks erupted in Commissioners Court over the inability to get data that could inform decisions about Subdivision-Drainage and Flood-Bond projects. Commissioners called it a “major crisis” and “an abysmal failure.”
They asked Dr. Tina Petersen, executive director of Harris County Flood Control, to come back in March with answers. But March turned into May, May into June, then July and August. And now, here we are in September.
What Commissioners Asked For
In February, Commissioners asked HCFCD to work with the County Engineer, Administrator and Budget Director to return to court on March 27 with “proposed options and recommendations using any and all county resources for closing the shortfall.” The analysis was to have included:
The entire program including all projects completed
Projects under construction with any potential changes in contract
Active projects awaiting funding
Remaining available funds for all projects now that the project budgets have been increased.
The May presentation slipped to June. Petersen still didn’t have a clear plan, but she hinted at a potential $1.3 billion shortfall. That’s a quarter of all funds raised to date – either through the bond or partner contributions.
In June, Petersen alluded to $1.3 billion shortfallin testimony to Commissioners.
Flood Control and the head engineers of each precinct have met weekly since then in an effort to identify a plan that everyone can agree to. The fact that the plan wasn’t attached to the agenda suggests they may not have agreed on it yet.
Uncertainty, Delays Could Jeopardize Additional Funding
Meanwhile, the uncertainty and delays could jeopardize even more funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) via the Texas General Land Office (GLO).
In 2021, GLO Commissioner George P. Bush announced a $1.1 billion allocation of HUD funds for flood mitigation and disaster relief in Harris County.
But that money is available on a reimbursement basis only…after the County completes approved projects.
The Mercer Basin now under construction is similar to those. It was supposed to take a year to build on an expedited basis. We are now at two years and counting. Construction is far from complete.
And the last of the 11 projects isn’t even scheduled to go out for BID until the SECOND quarter of next year.
I expect a lot of wailing and wringing of hands on Thursday. Unless they postpone the discussion again.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/14/25
2938 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Tina-Petersen.jpg?fit=1100%2C608&ssl=16081100adminadmin2025-09-14 20:42:392025-09-15 18:50:50Harris County Commissioners to Discuss Future of Flood Bond on Thursday
9/4/25 – Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) issued an update on its maintenance activity to Commissioners Court in a transmittal on 8/26/25. Without explaining exactly where (geographically) the money went, the 7-page overview details HCFCD’s increase in activity enabled by its November 2024 “Proposition A” maintenance tax.
The tax provides another $100 million annually dedicated to maintenance. See some of the highlights below.
Developing a Sustainable Infrastructure Practices Program
Scaling maintenance programs while addressing a Deferred Maintenance Backlog and expanding Citizen Services
Developing an Asset Management Program
It hopes to meet citizen’s maintenance expectations by Fiscal Year 2028.
Since the start of their “Major Repair and Replace” program, HCFCD has designed 65 projects, constructed 10, and completed two.
The number of “Moderate Repair and Replace” projects handled through “on-call contracts” increased from 3 to 11 so far this year. Spending on that program has nearly tripled from $2.7 million to $7.8 million.
New Equipment
HCFCD purchased $17 million of new equipment, including excavators, dozers, vehicles and chainsaws. The District has yet to take delivery of all the equipment but says, “This investment strengthens both preventive maintenance and repair efforts, allowing crews to work more efficiently and respond quickly to emerging needs.”
The District hopes to receive most of the equipment in Fiscal Year 2026.
Desilting Has Largest Percentage Increase, But…
In addition, HCFCD’s channel desilting efforts increased by 117%. Out of 2500 miles of channels in 23 watersheds, HCFCD went from desilting a total of 24.6 miles of channels to 53.5 miles. That’s a little more than 2% of the total mileage. But it is double the previous 1%.
The update does not address needed maintenance intervals. I hope that number increases. At that rate, it will take half a century before crews return to your channel.
Recruiting Challenge
Finding employees, especially equipment operators, to scale up operations has been challenging. Of the 54 new hires authorized by Commissioners Court, 22 positions have been filled and 11 offers are pending. “Recruiting has been challenging,” says the update. 24 job offers had to be withdrawn for various reasons.
Fast-Action Funding Grows by $330,000
Funding for HCFCD’s Fast Action Service Teams, which handle community concerns such as debris and fallen trees that block channels, has already increased from $1.04 million per year to $1.36 million per year.
New Computer System
To help run its Asset Management program, HCFCD is digitizing its computer systems and assets. The District hopes to complete and deploy a new Computerized Maintenance Management System by the end of 2026.
Consultant Search
HCFCD also is seeking a consultant to help scale its maintenance programs and address the backlog of deferred work. It hopes to conclude the review process, which started in May, by early Fall 2025.
Looking Ahead
HCFCD’s report concludes with these encouraging words. “The progress outlined in this report demonstrates the tangible benefits of sustained investment in maintenance and the significant return Proposition A has delivered for Harris County residents.”
“By combining new funding with strategic scaling of staff, equipment, and operational practices, the Flood Control District is rapidly addressing decades of deferred maintenance while laying the foundation for a proactive, resilient system.”
“As the Maintenance Matters program continues to grow, the Flood Control District remains committed to transparency, accountability, and community partnership. FY2026 will mark another year of historic investment, ensuring that Harris County’s flood risk reduction infrastructure is not only restored and maintained, but strengthened to serve future generations.”
For More Information or to File a Maintenance Request…
9/3/25 – A new study by City of Houston Controller Chris Hollins found that Houston is underprepared for disasters. FEMA ranks Harris County #1 nationally for hurricane risk. However, Houston has roughly half the disaster reserves of other cities studied and half the amount recommended by Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Best Practices.
It reviews the City’s disaster reserve funding policies and economic vulnerabilities that limit flexibility in disasters.
It also proposes strategies to make Houston more financially prepared for future disasters.
Houston Has History of Disasters
Houston has faced 25 FEMA-declared disasters since 1983 with frequency rising sharply during the last decade.
From Page 8
FEMA gives Houston/Harris County and Miami/Dade County the highest possible hurricane risk scores – a perfect 100. The scores reflect expected losses, social vulnerability and community resilience.
In recent years, this area exxperienced the second and tenth costliest storms in U.S. history (Harvey and Ike).
Economic Vulnerabilities
The report next looks at the causes of Houston’s economic vulnerability. They include:
Structural budget deficits
Property tax cap
Sales tax volatility
Public safety costs
State legislative policies
After a temporary boost from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) during Covid, Houston’s disaster fund will experience some of the sharpest declines in history.
From Page 11
A number of state and local laws, such as property tax caps, limit Houston’s revenue. Police, fire and debt consume 75% of the City’s budget, leaving little flexibility.
Disaster Reserve Funding
In 2024, the City’s disaster reserve fund peaked at a record high – $385 million above the minimum mandated by policy. However, that surplus has been drawn down to close budget gaps.
From Page 16
At present, Houston’s reserves lag behind peer cities and recommended best practices. The target as a percent of the total general fund in:
Houston is 8-9%
Dallas 19-20%
San Antonio 15-16%
Miami 20%
GFOA Best Practices 16.7%+
Recommended Policy Changes
The report recommends:
Raising the minimum fund balance to strengthen reserves
Raising the allocation percentage to strengthen the City’s safety net
Allocating excesses above the minimum to create a consistent funding mechanism
Clawing back dollars not dedicated to grow reserves without raising taxes
Separating economic and disaster uses for special funds to preserve disaster funds during economic downturns.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/3/25
2927 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Fund-Balance.png?fit=1786%2C976&ssl=19761786adminadmin2025-09-03 21:13:162025-09-03 21:16:15City Controller Finds Houston Underprepared for Disasters
8/11/25 – The correlation between flood damage and flood-mitigation spending by Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) keeps dropping, indicating an increasing influence of other factors, such as race, on spending.
At the end of 2021, the coefficient of correlation between flood-mitigation spending and flood damage was .84. Statisticians consider that a strong correlation.
By the end of Q1 2024, it had dropped to .67, a positive but moderate correlation.
By the end of Q2 2025, it had dropped further to .64.
What is Coefficient of Correlation?
Coefficient of correlation measures the strength of association between two variables, for instance hours spent studying and exam scores.
Statisticians consider a correlation of 1.0 extremely strong. It is the highest possible and means that for every unit of change in one variable, there is a corresponding unit of change in another. As the coefficient decreases, the strength of the relationship also decreases.
Values close to +1 or -1 (e.g., 0.7 to 0.9 or -0.7 to -0.9) indicate a strong relationship.
Values between 0.3 and 0.7 (or -0.3 and -0.7) suggest a moderate relationship.
Values below 0.3 (or -0.3) indicate a weak relationship.
Less than Half of HCFCD Spending Today Explained by Flood Damage
Squaring the coefficient of correlation yields the coefficient of determination. That tells you the proportion of the variance in the dependent variable that’s explained by the independent variable.
Squaring .64 yields 41%. So, flood damage today accounts for less than half of Harris County’s flood-mitigation spending.
Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis’ has relentlessly pushed variousprioritization formulas that rely increasingly on race while de-emphasizing damage and flood risk. In fact, his formula now totally ignores flood risk.
The major changes in his formula coincide with the drop in the correlation between flood damage and flood-mitigation spending. The 2022 Prioritization Framework marked the beginning of the huge drop in the correlation.
But in fairness, also understand that special circumstances may apply to investments, such as HCFCD’s Frontier Program. It buys land in developing watersheds for huge, regional detention basins, then sells capacity back to developers. Still…
Notice how the lines in the graph below diverge for some watersheds. Some have proportionally more dollars than damage and vice versa for others. Clearly, politics have skewed spending.
A higher correlation would show the two lines more closely matching each other.Also note that the damage figures include five major floods since 2001. They are extracted from HCFCD Federal Reports.
The watersheds where the two variables most greatly diverge reduce the coefficient of correlation.
Where does your watershed stand in the dollar derby? Do you think you’re getting your fair share?
Here are the actual dollars and damaged structures in a table format. The last column shows the dollars per damaged structure.
Coefficient based on Spending and Damage Columns.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/11/2025
2904 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Corellation-Damage-Dollars.png?fit=2254%2C1354&ssl=113542254adminadmin2025-08-11 22:14:272025-08-12 12:37:00Correlation Between Flood Damage, Mitigation Spending Keeps Dropping
