On 3/6/24, Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) revealed its preliminary recommendations for the Kingwood Diversion Ditch. The recommendations come out of a preliminary engineering report (PER) for the project. And HCFCD is still soliciting public comments.
Recommendations from Preliminary Engineering Report
HCFCD initially considered three alternative scenarios and dismissed one. It then spent most of last night’s meeting comparing the other two and discussing why it preferred one.
The proposed project alternative recommends:
Channel conveyance improvements to the Diversion Ditch
A diversion structure at the intersection of the Diversion Ditch and Bens Branch to take enough water out of Bens Branch to bring it up from a 2-year level of service to a 100-year level.
Bridge replacements at Kingwood Drive, Walnut Lane, Deer Ridge Estates Boulevard and the pedestrian bridge at Lake Village Drive
The ultimate goal of the Kingwood Diversion Ditch Project is to reduce the risk of structural flooding associated with the Bens Branch channel.
HCFCD
Improvements to One Channel Improve Another
The Kingwood Diversion Ditch is a man-made channel that was constructed prior to 1978. The channel diverted excess stormwater from Bens Branch and gave it an alternate route to the West Fork of the San Jacinto River.
The two channels largely operate as one unit. But HCFCD has room to expand the ditch and not Bens Branch. That’s because large portions of the Bens Branch Channel remain natural and are flanked by greenbelt trails, near and dear to the hearts of residents.
The Kingwood Diversion Ditch, however, has ample right of way and room for expansion. Even though, the Diversion Ditch operates at 100% of its design capacity, expansion of the Diversion Ditch can reduce the water surface elevation along Bens Branch without destroying the natural character of the stream.
The two alternatives that made the initial cut each recommended widening and deepening the Diversion Ditch channel. Exact dimensions/increases, however, will not become clear until final construction plans are developed.
Proposed widths for the bottom of the channel could vary from 10-80 feet. Top of channel widths could vary from 150-190 feet.
HCFCD said only that widths would vary along different portions of the channel and that, altogether both channels should be able to handle 100-year rains when the project is complete. The Kingwood Area Drainage Analysis revealed that portions of Ben’s Branch flooded in a 2-year rain.
The screen capture below shows benefits of the recommended alternative (#3).
HCFCD recommended Alternative #3 because of savings on maintenance.
Money Not Yet Identified to Fund Improvements
However, money does not currently exist to fund ANY of the three options. Almost seven years after Harvey, only $3.9 million has been committed. But costs are estimated at $54.5 million.
Screen capture from PER review meeting.
HCFCD emphasized that it always looks for funding. The District laid out a sequence of future events. Next steps:
Present the preliminary engineering report to commissioners court in two weeks.
Commission final design
Additional community engagement meeting
Secure funding
Begin construction
Need for Local Disaster-Mitigation Funding
The funding challenges, almost seven years after Harvey when the sense of urgency has dissipated, underscore the need for communities everywhere to plan for their own flood mitigation.
We can’t expect the federal government to ride to the rescue for every issue in every community. People in Kentucky don’t want to pay for our Diversion Ditch any more than people in Kingwood want to pay for a Diversion Ditch in Kentucky.
Switching gears, the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority will hold a separate meeting tonight at the Kingwood Community Center from 5-7PM to discuss plans for the second phase of Northpark Drive Expansion. Hope to see you there.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/7/2024
2382 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/20240306-Screenshot-2024-03-06-at-6.50.05%E2%80%AFPM.jpg?fit=1100%2C612&ssl=16121100adminadmin2024-03-07 14:38:022024-03-07 15:00:21Preliminary Recommendations for Kingwood Diversion Ditch Announced
Tonight, Harris County Flood Control (HCFCD) will discuss the results of a preliminary engineering review on the Kingwood Diversion Ditch at a virtual meeting from 6:30 to 7:30. The objective: to find the optimal alternative for:
Returning the Diversion Ditch to a hundred-year level of service
Pushing back the floodplain from homes and businesses
Reducing future maintenance costs
Controlling overall costs
Significant reduction in water surface elevation along Bens Branch and the Diversion Ditch.
For those of you who may not be familiar with ditch names, The Kingwood Diversion Ditch splits off Ben’s Branch just south of the new St. Martha’s Catholic Church, about a block north of the fireworks stand on Northpark (see below).
Where water gets diverted from Bens Branch (running diagonally through center of frame) in tree line. Diversion ditch center then goes under Northpark Drive, foreground, on its way to River Grove Park.
It then cuts south toward Kingwood Drive next to the HPD Fire Station, and then continues its way to the West Fork snaking its way through Trailwood Village and past Deer Ridge Park. It then joins the San Jacinto at River Grove Park.
White = Diversion Ditch. Red = Bens Branch. Green = Possible new outfall.
The Diversion Ditch got its name because it diverts water from Bens Branch (red above), which cuts diagonally through the heart of Kingwood. It therefore reduces flooding in all neighborhoods south and west of the red line.
That’s one reason why the Kingwood Area Drainage Analysis named it the most important drainage project in Kingwood. It affects more people than any other project in the entire area.
Features of Various Options
Features of the various options presented tonight will include:
Expanding conveyance of the Diversion Ditch
Adding a drop structure to reduce erosion
Creating a new outfall to the West Fork
New, wider bridges over the Diversion Ditch
Improved street drainage
Creating a natural stable channel design in certain areas with riffles and pools.
This is your opportunity to provide community input on the recommendations before final design begins.
How/When to Join Meeting
The Virtual Community Engagement Meeting will be held on:
Or by phone* at 855-925-2801 with Meeting Code: 6701
Organization of Meeting
The meeting will begin with a brief presentation to share project updates, followed by a moderated Q&A session with Flood Control District team members.
How to Submit Public Comments
Residents will be able to submit questions, comments and input before, during and after the meeting, which will be considered during project development. Any comments not addressed during the Q&A session will receive a response at the conclusion of the public comment period.
You may submit comments in any one of three ways from March 6, 2024 (tonight) to March 20, 2024.
On the Flood Control District’s website at hcfcd.org/F-14, or
Via phone at 855-925-2801 with Meeting Code: 6701
Any questions not addressed during tonight’s Q&A will receive a response from the Flood Control District after the event. Meeting information and video will be available on:
TxDOT, the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority (LHRA), City of Houston and Tax Increment Redevelopment Zone (TIRZ) 10 will solicit public comments at a Northpark Phase II Input Meeting, from 5-7PM Thursday, March 7 at the Kingwood Community Center.
A significant part of the effort to provide an all-weather evacuation route from Kingwood in the event of another superstorm, such as Hurricane Harvey.
Current Northpark Drive looking west toward 59. Major crossroad in center of frame is Woodland Hills Drive. Extent of project would go from bottom of frame to treeless area in distance.
Phase II will run from slightly west of the Kingwood Diversion Ditch to slightly east of Woodland Hills Drive. Part of the mile-long project falls in Montgomery County and part in Harris County.
Purpose of Project
The purpose of the project is to address current and increasing traffic congestion. Utility and drainage features will also be upgraded.
And to improve safety for bicyclists and pedestrians, the project will include a new pedestrian underpass and 10-foot wide sidewalks that connect to the Kingwood trail system.
The TxDOT announcement provides a few of the details:
To improve commute times, the roadway will expand to three lanes in each direction and include turn lanes.
To improve safety, lane width will also increase.
The proposed reconstruction will include new signals at the Woodland Hills Drive and Hidden Pines Drive.
To improve drainage and make Northpark passable in high water events so Kingwood residents have an all-weather evacuation route.
No Home Or Business Structures Expected to be Impacted at This Time
TxDOT does not anticipate impacting any home or business structures at this time. But strips of property that front on the roadway will need to be acquired. For additional details, see this TxDOT page or a schematic drawing on this LHRA page.
Meeting Details
LHRA and TxDOT will discuss plans for the next phase of the project. It will reach past Woodland Hills Drive.
Thursday, March 7, 2024 from 5-7 p.m. Kingwood Park Community Center 4102 Rustic Woods Dr. Kingwood, TX 77345
Part of Northpark Phase II
The Northpark Expansion project will not only move traffic faster, it will create an all-weather evacuation route for 78,000 people in the Kingwood and Porter areas. During Harvey, other evacuation routes were cut off.
Pictures of Major Features
The pictures below show the way things exist now. Captions will describe the changes.
West is Up. Note Walgreens on south side of NP (top left) and Exxon on north side (top right).Three lanes of traffic will continue outbound and continue past bottom of frame inbound. Turning lanes widened and added.Pedestrian underpass will be added between the Walmart Parking Lot (right) on the north and McDonalds/Executive Barber Shop (shown on the left). Road will be elevated as over other underpasses in Kingwood.
The underpass will improve safety for thousands of Kingwood Park High School, Kingwood Montessori, Creativity Shell, and Village Learning Center students.
Looking W along Northpark. Elevated roadway and new bridges over Bens Branch by St. Martha’s (upper right out of frame) will improve safety during high water events.
In addition, the road will be widened to at least three lanes, from US59 until approximately 1,000 feet east of Woodland Hills Drive.
Who Should Attend?
Any whose evacuation route was cut off during Harvey
Anyone who commutes along Northpark
Parents of Kingwood Park High School Students
Business owners in the Northpark Place Commercial Association
Anyone who flooded along Northpark, North Woodland Hills
Anyone who flooded downstream because of Bens Branch
Anyone who flooded along the Kingwood Diversion Ditch.
That’s because Northpark drainage is intricately connected with Diversion Ditch and Bens Branch Drainage.
Your input is vital to ensure the project remains consistent with your needs and community norms.
Please come. Speak now or forever hold your peace, as they say in wedding ceremonies. Many will to have to live with this project for the rest of their lives.
Preliminary Recommendations for Kingwood Diversion Ditch Announced
On 3/6/24, Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) revealed its preliminary recommendations for the Kingwood Diversion Ditch. The recommendations come out of a preliminary engineering report (PER) for the project. And HCFCD is still soliciting public comments.
Recommendations from Preliminary Engineering Report
HCFCD initially considered three alternative scenarios and dismissed one. It then spent most of last night’s meeting comparing the other two and discussing why it preferred one.
The proposed project alternative recommends:
The bridges at Northpark Drive will also be rebuilt, but as part of the Northpark Expansion Project.
Improvements to One Channel Improve Another
The Kingwood Diversion Ditch is a man-made channel that was constructed prior to 1978. The channel diverted excess stormwater from Bens Branch and gave it an alternate route to the West Fork of the San Jacinto River.
The two channels largely operate as one unit. But HCFCD has room to expand the ditch and not Bens Branch. That’s because large portions of the Bens Branch Channel remain natural and are flanked by greenbelt trails, near and dear to the hearts of residents.
The Kingwood Diversion Ditch, however, has ample right of way and room for expansion. Even though, the Diversion Ditch operates at 100% of its design capacity, expansion of the Diversion Ditch can reduce the water surface elevation along Bens Branch without destroying the natural character of the stream.
The two alternatives that made the initial cut each recommended widening and deepening the Diversion Ditch channel. Exact dimensions/increases, however, will not become clear until final construction plans are developed.
Proposed widths for the bottom of the channel could vary from 10-80 feet. Top of channel widths could vary from 150-190 feet.
HCFCD said only that widths would vary along different portions of the channel and that, altogether both channels should be able to handle 100-year rains when the project is complete. The Kingwood Area Drainage Analysis revealed that portions of Ben’s Branch flooded in a 2-year rain.
The screen capture below shows benefits of the recommended alternative (#3).
Money Not Yet Identified to Fund Improvements
However, money does not currently exist to fund ANY of the three options. Almost seven years after Harvey, only $3.9 million has been committed. But costs are estimated at $54.5 million.
HCFCD emphasized that it always looks for funding. The District laid out a sequence of future events. Next steps:
Need for Local Disaster-Mitigation Funding
The funding challenges, almost seven years after Harvey when the sense of urgency has dissipated, underscore the need for communities everywhere to plan for their own flood mitigation.
We can’t expect the federal government to ride to the rescue for every issue in every community. People in Kentucky don’t want to pay for our Diversion Ditch any more than people in Kingwood want to pay for a Diversion Ditch in Kentucky.
Still Time for Public Comment
You can see video of the meeting and the full presentation here. HCFCD will accept public comments through March 20:
Northpark Phase II Meeting Tonight
Switching gears, the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority will hold a separate meeting tonight at the Kingwood Community Center from 5-7PM to discuss plans for the second phase of Northpark Drive Expansion. Hope to see you there.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/7/2024
2382 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Diversion Ditch Meeting Tonight; Northpark Phase II Tomorrow
Tonight, Harris County Flood Control (HCFCD) will discuss the results of a preliminary engineering review on the Kingwood Diversion Ditch at a virtual meeting from 6:30 to 7:30. The objective: to find the optimal alternative for:
For those of you who may not be familiar with ditch names, The Kingwood Diversion Ditch splits off Ben’s Branch just south of the new St. Martha’s Catholic Church, about a block north of the fireworks stand on Northpark (see below).
It then cuts south toward Kingwood Drive next to the HPD Fire Station, and then continues its way to the West Fork snaking its way through Trailwood Village and past Deer Ridge Park. It then joins the San Jacinto at River Grove Park.
The Diversion Ditch got its name because it diverts water from Bens Branch (red above), which cuts diagonally through the heart of Kingwood. It therefore reduces flooding in all neighborhoods south and west of the red line.
That’s one reason why the Kingwood Area Drainage Analysis named it the most important drainage project in Kingwood. It affects more people than any other project in the entire area.
Features of Various Options
Features of the various options presented tonight will include:
This is your opportunity to provide community input on the recommendations before final design begins.
How/When to Join Meeting
The Virtual Community Engagement Meeting will be held on:
March 6, 2024
6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Join online at: www.publicinput.com/Kingwood2
Or by phone* at 855-925-2801 with Meeting Code: 6701
Organization of Meeting
The meeting will begin with a brief presentation to share project updates, followed by a moderated Q&A session with Flood Control District team members.
How to Submit Public Comments
Residents will be able to submit questions, comments and input before, during and after the meeting, which will be considered during project development. Any comments not addressed during the Q&A session will receive a response at the conclusion of the public comment period.
You may submit comments in any one of three ways from March 6, 2024 (tonight) to March 20, 2024.
Any questions not addressed during tonight’s Q&A will receive a response from the Flood Control District after the event. Meeting information and video will be available on:
This is in Addition to the Northpark Phase II Meeting
This is not the only flood-related meeting this week. So don’t get confused. There’s another one tomorrow night, March 7 from 5-7 in-person at the Kingwood Community Center to discuss Northpark Phase II. That one will be sponsored by TxDOT, LHRA, TIRZ-10, and CoH. Please join your neighbors for both meetings.
Posted by Bob Rehak on March 6, 2024
2381 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Reminder: Northpark Phase II Input Meeting Thursday, 5-7 PM
TxDOT, the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority (LHRA), City of Houston and Tax Increment Redevelopment Zone (TIRZ) 10 will solicit public comments at a Northpark Phase II Input Meeting, from 5-7PM Thursday, March 7 at the Kingwood Community Center.
A significant part of the effort to provide an all-weather evacuation route from Kingwood in the event of another superstorm, such as Hurricane Harvey.
Phase II will run from slightly west of the Kingwood Diversion Ditch to slightly east of Woodland Hills Drive. Part of the mile-long project falls in Montgomery County and part in Harris County.
Purpose of Project
The purpose of the project is to address current and increasing traffic congestion. Utility and drainage features will also be upgraded.
And to improve safety for bicyclists and pedestrians, the project will include a new pedestrian underpass and 10-foot wide sidewalks that connect to the Kingwood trail system.
The TxDOT announcement provides a few of the details:
No Home Or Business Structures Expected to be Impacted at This Time
TxDOT does not anticipate impacting any home or business structures at this time. But strips of property that front on the roadway will need to be acquired. For additional details, see this TxDOT page or a schematic drawing on this LHRA page.
Meeting Details
LHRA and TxDOT will discuss plans for the next phase of the project. It will reach past Woodland Hills Drive.
Thursday, March 7, 2024
from 5-7 p.m.
Kingwood Park Community Center
4102 Rustic Woods Dr.
Kingwood, TX 77345
The Northpark Expansion project will not only move traffic faster, it will create an all-weather evacuation route for 78,000 people in the Kingwood and Porter areas. During Harvey, other evacuation routes were cut off.
Pictures of Major Features
The pictures below show the way things exist now. Captions will describe the changes.
The underpass will improve safety for thousands of Kingwood Park High School, Kingwood Montessori, Creativity Shell, and Village Learning Center students.
In addition, the road will be widened to at least three lanes, from US59 until approximately 1,000 feet east of Woodland Hills Drive.
Who Should Attend?
That’s because Northpark drainage is intricately connected with Diversion Ditch and Bens Branch Drainage.
Your input is vital to ensure the project remains consistent with your needs and community norms.
Please come. Speak now or forever hold your peace, as they say in wedding ceremonies. Many will to have to live with this project for the rest of their lives.
For More Information
For more information about the project including construction plans, visit the project pages of the LHRA/Tirz 10 website. Or see these posts on ReduceFlooding:
Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/5/24
2380 Days since Hurricane Harvey