The Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service, working with local government organizations, has developed a free, customized program that might help you reduce water usage, costs, subsidence and flood risk. It’s called the WaterMyYard program.
A large percentage of the water used in urban areas goes to watering lawns. On average, the EPA estimates 30-60% of residential water irrigates lawns. Your percentage may vary depending on your location, distance inland, average temperature, rainfall, size of yard, etc. But in general, 50% is a good average estimate.
WaterMyYard uses local weather data in participating areas to provide free, weekly watering advice.
The system collects data from an extensive network of weather stations and rain gauges. It then correlates that data with evapotranspiration rates for major grass types; air and soil temperatures; rainfall; wind; and dew points so you can put the precise amount of water on your lawn that it needs to stay healthy.
Example: data for North Houston in the last 7 Days used as basis for calculations.
When you sign up for the service, you answer a few questions about the type of sprinklers you have and the inches per hour they spread on your lawn. Based on measured weather data, the system then sends you customized weekly water advice for your specific lawn and irrigation system.
The system takes the guess work out of knowing when and how much to water.
Texas A&M Agrilife Extension
For instance, it could tell you how much to cut back after a major rain or how much to increase watering during a dry spell.
If you don’t know how much water your system puts out per hour, don’t worry, you can change the amount after you sign up. You can use typical rates for different types of sprinkler systems. Or you can actually measure it by placing cans around your yard during watering cycles.
You can also add sprinkler systems, for instance, if you have one type for your lawn and another for flower beds and shrubs.
Testimonial: Water Usage Cut in Half
One user I know said he was able to cut his water usage by 50%. “I dropped home consumption in half and my lawn is still green and everything’s still fine,” he said. “Most of us just don’t have enough information. When we go into new homes, we just leave the sprinkler settings the way the last guy had them.”
“I really didn’t pay much attention to them,” he continued. “As long as my grass was green, I was good. But a lot of research out there says that we can be more efficient with that. And that’s what the WaterMyYard program does.”
With water rates constantly going up, it’s easy to see how eliminating wasted water, can save you money. But how does lawn watering affect subsidence and how does that affect flood risk?
Connection to Subsidence, Flooding
Large parts of the region still aren’t on surface water; they use groundwater. And if we use groundwater faster than it’s being replaced, we experience subsidence. Places in northwest Harris County sank 50 centimeters (almost 20 inches) between 2000 and 2022.
In a flat area like Houston, an inch per year can be significant. One subsidence expert said it can be enough to reduce the gradient of whole watersheds over a decade or two. That means stormwater doesn’t move away as quickly as it once did. So, in large rainfalls, flood peaks build higher faster.
Now consider this. If lawn irrigation accounts for half of residential water use, and if half of lawn irrigation is unnecessary, up to 25% of water we use could have stayed in the ground. And that could significantly reduce subsidence and flood risk while reducing your monthly water bill.
The sooner you act, the more you save. So sign up for WaterMyLawn weekly watering advisories today.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/23/2024
2398 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Subsidence-in-Houston-2000-to-2022.jpg?fit=1100%2C850&ssl=18501100adminadmin2024-03-23 17:25:382024-03-23 17:37:56Easy Way to Reduce Water Usage, Costs, Subsidence and Flood Risk
Houston’s Resilience and Climate Action report card for 2023 shows how much progress has been made in the last three years.
In 2020, three years after Hurricane Harvey, the City of Houston completed a comprehensive, and wide-ranging resilience plan. The latest report card also updates on the City’s Resilience efforts as well as its Climate efforts.
The two go far beyond flooding. Together, they attempt to institutionalize equity, resilience, and sustainability within all city functions including:
Equity and Opportunity
Mobility and Land Use
Buildings and Energy
Water
Disaster Management
Heat and Nature
Materials Management
Resilience Coordination
Houston’s Resilience and Climate Action report card includes a total of 297 specific actions. Eighty-four percent of the 201 actions in the resilience plan, and 72 percent of 96 actions in the climate plan are now complete or in progress. The graph below shows how they should play out in the next 25 years.
Sixteen green storm-water infrastructure projects were completed in 2022, bringing the total completed to 86 in three years.
The City kicked off a stormwater master planning effort to better analyze the performance of the City’s stormwater infrastructure, using updated rainfall data to identify and assess areas of the City with the greatest need for system improvements.
In 2023, The City and its partners broke ground on the first of four funded flood-mitigation infrastructure projects to reach the construction phase, the Inwood Forest Stormwater Detention Basin. North Canal Diversion Channel, Lake Houston Dam Gate Structure, and TIRZ 17 Regional Detention are the three other major flood mitigation projects in Houston funded by FEMA.
Other Resilience and Climate Achievements
Other resilience- and climate-related achievements in Houston’s Resilience and Climate Action report card included:
A 2020 greenhouse gas emissions inventory showed a 10% reduction from the 2014 baseline.
The City was awarded an A rating from the Carbon Disclosure Project once again in 2022.
Houston also achieved its Gold designation as a Leader in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Cities by the U.S. Green Building Council.
In 2022, the City and its partners planted more than 200,000 trees, bringing the total planted since 2019 to more than 1.4 million – or 31% of its 4.6 million tree goal by 2030.
Also in 2022, the Houston City Council approved the Nature Preserve Ordinance designed to protect 7,423 acres of natural habitat in City parks. These areas will help mitigate flooding, store carbon, reduce urban heat island effects, improve air and water quality, and provide educational opportunities for the public.
Twenty miles of high-comfort bike lanes were built in 2022 bringing the total miles to 406 out of a goal of 500 miles – 81% complete.
The City adopted a Municipal Building Decarbonization and Benchmarking policy in 2022 and finalized initial benchmarking in 2023.
Houston Airport System started engaging in an Airport Carbon Accreditation program and began documenting benchmarks.
Houston kicked off the Climate Resilience Measurement for Communities project in partnership with the Resilient Cities Network.
By the end of 2021, annual local solar generation in Houston increased to 148,030 MWh. Solar demand is growing exponentially. Solar permitting doubled between 2019 and 2021 and increased another 66% in 2022.
Between 2022 and 2023, purchases of Electric Vehicles more than tripled the number of EVs in the municipal fleet. The City is also increasing investment in publicly accessible charging stations.
The City signed an MOU with the Houston Community College to train 500,000 Houstonians in resilience.
The Houston Recycling Collaboration started collecting “all plastics,” including styrofoam, bags and films.
2024 Goals
Having read many reports like these, you quickly learn to distinguish things that happen on paper from things that happen on the ground.
Among exciting goals for 2024, four stood out in that regard.
The launch of a tree planting portal to coordinate community efforts.
Heat mitigation efforts
Green stormwater infrastructure and urban prairie plantings
Building pilot resilience hubs.
I don’t mean to shortchange other efforts. The City is also pursuing grants and partnerships which will be important down the road.
To see Houston’s Resilience and Climate Action report card, click here.
To learn more about the Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Sustainability, click here.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/22/24
2397 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Climate-Resilience-Progress.jpg?fit=1100%2C565&ssl=15651100adminadmin2024-03-22 19:17:362024-03-22 19:28:32Houston’s Resilience and Climate Action Report Card
The Texas General Land Office (GLO) is currently conducting a final review on more than $498 million in grant applications from Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) and Harris County Community Services Department (CSD). That’s out of a total allocation of $1,072,033,863 allocated to Harris County. And that means projects for almost half the Harvey money allocated to Harris County will soon go to Washington for a final review by HUD.
Additional applications for the rest of the money will soon follow the projects listed below. They will be submitted “on a rolling basis,” according to Brittany Eck, a GLO spokesperson.
The GLO administers all HUD funds in the state of Texas.
GLO Working Side by Side with Harris County
GLO has a “Strike Team” embedded at HCFCD headquarters, working side by side with both CSD and HCFCD to eliminate any delays on the HUD applications. The billion dollars allocated to the county falls into several different programs, each with different deadlines and complex rules.
“We are currently in the ‘Eligibility Phase,’ which is the most critical, but also the most time consuming. During this phase we must ensure that the projects proposed sync with HUD regulations in terms of LMI beneficiaries, environmental impacts and more,” said Eck.
No Performance Benchmarks Missed So Far
“It is important to note that Harris County has not missed a performance benchmark yet on the HUD applications. The GLO is working with Harris County to ensure all administrative paperwork is completed in accordance with federal regulations. This protects both Harris County and the State of Texas from incurring costly ‘findings’ during the post-project audit process.”
A finding during a post-project audit could potentially cause HUD to claw back part of its grant money. So it’s vitally important to ensure all regulations are followed to the letter.
Three Main Batches of Money
The three main pots of money include:
Harris County CSD – $208,152,174 in CDBG-MIT funds
HCFCD – $322,033,863 in CDBG-DR funds
HCFCD – $541,847,826 in CDBG-MIT funds
That brings the total of original allocations to $1,072,033,863.
Since this involves the government, it also includes acronyms. So let me explain some of the terms.
CDBG stands for Community Development Block Grants. These grants provide communities with resources to address a wide range of development needs, providing projects meet one or more of HUD’s three defined national objectives. Namely, a CDBG project must:
Benefit to low- and moderate- income (LMI) persons
Aid in the prevention or elimination of slums or blight and/or
Meet an urgent need (UN), especially one impacting public health and safety.
But what about the rest of those acronyms?
DR stands for Disaster Relief
MIT stands for Mitigation.
What’s the difference? According to HUD, CDBG-DR grants provide housing, infrastructure, and economic revitalization assistance to impacted areas. The CDBG-Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) program provides additional funding to lessen the impact of future disasters.
To learn more about HUD applications for the specific Harris County projects, see below.
Harris County CDBG-MIT
Harris County Community Services Department was allocated $208,152,174 in CDBG-MIT funds for infrastructure, planning, and project delivery.
The contract was executed on 08/31/2022. All projects in this batch of funding must close out by 8/31/27.
The $208 million breaks down into three subcategories.
Infrastructure programs – $154 million
Planning programs – $37.5 million
Project delivery – $16.7 million
Infrastructure Programs
Of 11 projects initially proposed in this category, the three largest in terms of dollar amounts – totaling $75M of the $154M – have been submitted for preliminary review.
$37,500,000.00
Pine Trails Subdivision Drainage Improvements Involves upgrading approximately 63,650 LF of drainage systems and developing two (2) detention ponds in Harris County Precinct No. 2. 66.97% LMI
$20,545,326.00
Ralston Acres Subdivision Drainage Improvements Involves upgrading approximately 15,250 LF of drainage systems and developing two (2) detention ponds in Harris County Precinct No. 1 and Ralston Acres Subdivision. Income Surveys TBD
$16,954,674.00
North Forest Subdivision Drainage Improvements Involves upgrading approximately 19,700 LF of drainage systems and developing one (1) detention pond in Harris County Precinct No. 1 and the North Forest Subdivision. Income Surveys TBD
As of 3/19/24
Planning Programs
Four projects – costing a total of $16.5M out of the $37.5 million – have been submitted for preliminary review out of the 23 proposed planning projects.
$500,000.00
Harris County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan The Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management is seeking to update the Harris County Hazard Mitigation Plan. The plan will develop strategies and action items to minimize vulnerabilities and damages and include 37 participating jurisdictions.
$12,500,000.00
Drainage Master Plan for Unincorporated Harris County The planning project will evaluate drainage infrastructure capacity status and deficiencies in Harris County’s unincorporated areas. It will also guide the identification and implementation of mitigation alternatives to reduce flood risk.
$500,000.00
Halls Bayou Watershed Flood Risk Analysis Study The scope of the Halls Bayou watershed study is to analyze the best available data incorporating the Halls Bayou watershed flood risk reduction-related project and to evaluate existing program benefits using the new Atlas 14 precipitation data to identify additional potential flood reduction needs within the watershed.
$3,000,000.00
The Evacuation Routes Study The Evacuation Routes Study aims to enhance transportation resilience in road-flooding-prone areas of Unincorporated Harris County.
As of 3/19/24
Project Delivery:
$16,652,174 of the $208,152,174 County allocation will be used to administer the funds for projects.
HCFCD Disaster Relief
HCFCD was allocated $322,033,863 in CDBG-DR funds for infrastructure projects.
HCFCD submitted 13 projects costing a total of $317,494,724.78 for CDBG-DR grants and is putting up local funds in the amount of $45,899,821 for those same projects. All of the applications have been officially submitted and are being reviewed for HUD eligibility completeness by the GLO.
The HCFCD/CDBG-DR contract was executed on 11/27/2023 and must be closed out by 3/31/2026. The 13 projects include:
$20,361,143.56
Arbor Oaks Stormwater Detention Basin To construct one 431-acre-feet stormwater detention basin within the White Oak Bayou watershed. 60.55% LMI
$20,247,760.00
Isom Stormwater Detention Basin To construct one 550-acre-feet regional stormwater detention basin within Halls Bayou. 74.23% LMI
$8,692,644.00
Lauder Stormwater Detention Basin To construct one 341.47-acre-feet stormwater detention basin within Greens Bayou. 78.10% LMI
$20,361,143.56
Brookglen Stormwater Detention Basin To construct one 33.45 acre-feet stormwater detention basin within Armand Bayou Watershed. 52.54% LMI
$25,390,047.00
Kluge Stormwater Detention Basin – Phase 3 To construct one 350 acre-feet stormwater detention basin within Little Cypress Creek watershed. 14.25% LMI but qualifies under Urgent Need
$77,899,107.00
Greens Bayou Mid-Reach Channel Conveyance Improvements To rehabilitate 19,008 LF of channel conveyance along Greens Bayou. 78.61% LMI
$18,878,499.00
Cypress Creek Channel Rehabilitation, Main Stem, Batch 5 To rehabilitate 7,500 LF of channel conveyance along Cypress Creek. 49.18% LMI, but qualifies under Urgent Need
$36,710,019.00
Dinner Creek Stormwater Detention Basin ‐ Phase 1 To construct two (2) detention basins, northwest and southeast of Dinner Creek. 52.36% LMI
$7,642,742.00
Barker Reservoir Channel Rehabilitation, Repair Package 2 To rehabilitate 18,528 LF of channel conveyance at 19 different sites along Barker Reservoir. 21.64% LMI but qualifies under Urgent Need
$9,742,750.00
Stormwater Detention Basin along Jackson Bayou To rehabilitate 2,025 LF of channel conveyance and construct one (1) 15 acre-feet stormwater detention basin within Jackson Bayou. 60.78% LMI
$23,496,000.00
Addicks Reservoir Channel Rehabilitation & Restoration, Repair Package 3 To rehabilitate 49,296 LF of channel conveyance at 49 sites along the Addicks Reservoir. 37.04% LMI but qualifies under Urgent Need
$23,844,000.00
East TC Jester Detention Basin – Compartment 1B To construct one 725 acre-feet stormwater detention basin within the Cypress Creek watershed. 36.14% but qualifies under Urgent Need
$12,293,732.00
Keegans Bayou Stormwater Detention Basin Near Old Richmond Road – Phase 1 To construct one stormwater detention basin within the Brays Bayou watershed. 56.71% LMI
As of 3/19/24
HCFCD CDBG-MIT
Harris County Flood Control District was allocated $541,847,826.00 in CDBG-MIT funds for infrastructure hazard mitigation projects.
Five projects – totaling $73 million – have been submitted for preliminary HUD eligibility completeness review out of the 19 mitigation projects originally proposed.
Halls Bayou Channel Conveyance Improvements Downstream of Hopper (HALLS HOPPER) Includes widening approximately 4,525 LF of the existing channel along the left (east) bank from downstream of Hopper Road to just upstream of Pinewood Village Park. 70.03% LMI
$10,427,946.00
Hahl North Stormwater Detention Basin (Hahl North) Includes construction of one 220 acres-feet of stormwater detention basin adjacent to Halls Bayou and the widening of approximately 2,100 LF of the existing channel along Halls Bayou. 73.65% LMI
$17,300,036.00
West TC Jester Stormwater Detention Basin Will create one 414 acre-feet stormwater detention basin in the Cypress Creek watershed. 36.13% LMI but qualifies under Urgent Need
$11,987,888.00
Taylor Gully Channel Conveyance Improvements Includes approximately 13,118 LF of stormwater drainage channel improvements in the affected stretch of channel. 20.92% LMI but qualifies under Urgent Need
$30,007,445.00
Boudreaux Stormwater Detention Basin – Phase 1 Will build one 458 acre-feet stormwater detention basin west of Holderrieth Road along Willow Creek. 33.59% LMI but qualifies under Urgent Need
Altogether, the HUD applications must benefit at least 50% LMI individuals according to HUD regulations governing these funds.
Taylor Gully looking S from the Montgomery County Line. Up to 600 homes flooded twice here in 2019, after Perry Homes clearcut 270 acres without installing the required detention basin capacity.One of the HUD applications seeks to improve the channel.
Even though some projects drop below the 50% threshold, as a group they meet the requirement. Those that fall below the threshold also qualify under HUD’s Urgent Need mandate.
Extensions Requested, But Not Yet Confirmed
GLO has requested extensions for all these projects. While HUD reportedly seems favorable, written confirmation has not yet been received. That places a premium on HUD applications that can be executed quickly.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/19/24 based on information provided by the Texas GLO
2394 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230124-DJI_0785.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2024-03-19 16:42:062024-03-19 21:41:51GLO Reviewing HUD Applications for Harris County Projects Totaling Half Billion Dollars
Easy Way to Reduce Water Usage, Costs, Subsidence and Flood Risk
The Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service, working with local government organizations, has developed a free, customized program that might help you reduce water usage, costs, subsidence and flood risk. It’s called the WaterMyYard program.
A large percentage of the water used in urban areas goes to watering lawns. On average, the EPA estimates 30-60% of residential water irrigates lawns. Your percentage may vary depending on your location, distance inland, average temperature, rainfall, size of yard, etc. But in general, 50% is a good average estimate.
Grass is the most watered crop in America. And many of us overwater our lawns, running up water bills needlessly.
How WaterMyYard Program Works
WaterMyYard uses local weather data in participating areas to provide free, weekly watering advice.
The system collects data from an extensive network of weather stations and rain gauges. It then correlates that data with evapotranspiration rates for major grass types; air and soil temperatures; rainfall; wind; and dew points so you can put the precise amount of water on your lawn that it needs to stay healthy.
When you sign up for the service, you answer a few questions about the type of sprinklers you have and the inches per hour they spread on your lawn. Based on measured weather data, the system then sends you customized weekly water advice for your specific lawn and irrigation system.
For instance, it could tell you how much to cut back after a major rain or how much to increase watering during a dry spell.
If you don’t know how much water your system puts out per hour, don’t worry, you can change the amount after you sign up. You can use typical rates for different types of sprinkler systems. Or you can actually measure it by placing cans around your yard during watering cycles.
You can also add sprinkler systems, for instance, if you have one type for your lawn and another for flower beds and shrubs.
Testimonial: Water Usage Cut in Half
One user I know said he was able to cut his water usage by 50%. “I dropped home consumption in half and my lawn is still green and everything’s still fine,” he said. “Most of us just don’t have enough information. When we go into new homes, we just leave the sprinkler settings the way the last guy had them.”
“I really didn’t pay much attention to them,” he continued. “As long as my grass was green, I was good. But a lot of research out there says that we can be more efficient with that. And that’s what the WaterMyYard program does.”
With water rates constantly going up, it’s easy to see how eliminating wasted water, can save you money. But how does lawn watering affect subsidence and how does that affect flood risk?
Connection to Subsidence, Flooding
Large parts of the region still aren’t on surface water; they use groundwater. And if we use groundwater faster than it’s being replaced, we experience subsidence. Places in northwest Harris County sank 50 centimeters (almost 20 inches) between 2000 and 2022.
In a flat area like Houston, an inch per year can be significant. One subsidence expert said it can be enough to reduce the gradient of whole watersheds over a decade or two. That means stormwater doesn’t move away as quickly as it once did. So, in large rainfalls, flood peaks build higher faster.
Now consider this. If lawn irrigation accounts for half of residential water use, and if half of lawn irrigation is unnecessary, up to 25% of water we use could have stayed in the ground. And that could significantly reduce subsidence and flood risk while reducing your monthly water bill.
The sooner you act, the more you save. So sign up for WaterMyLawn weekly watering advisories today.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/23/2024
2398 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Houston’s Resilience and Climate Action Report Card
Houston’s Resilience and Climate Action report card for 2023 shows how much progress has been made in the last three years.
In 2020, three years after Hurricane Harvey, the City of Houston completed a comprehensive, and wide-ranging resilience plan. The latest report card also updates on the City’s Resilience efforts as well as its Climate efforts.
The two go far beyond flooding. Together, they attempt to institutionalize equity, resilience, and sustainability within all city functions including:
Houston’s Resilience and Climate Action report card includes a total of 297 specific actions. Eighty-four percent of the 201 actions in the resilience plan, and 72 percent of 96 actions in the climate plan are now complete or in progress. The graph below shows how they should play out in the next 25 years.
Flood Resilience
Flood resilience highlights included:
Other Resilience and Climate Achievements
Other resilience- and climate-related achievements in Houston’s Resilience and Climate Action report card included:
2024 Goals
Having read many reports like these, you quickly learn to distinguish things that happen on paper from things that happen on the ground.
Among exciting goals for 2024, four stood out in that regard.
I don’t mean to shortchange other efforts. The City is also pursuing grants and partnerships which will be important down the road.
To see Houston’s Resilience and Climate Action report card, click here.
To learn more about the Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Sustainability, click here.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/22/24
2397 Days since Hurricane Harvey
GLO Reviewing HUD Applications for Harris County Projects Totaling Half Billion Dollars
The Texas General Land Office (GLO) is currently conducting a final review on more than $498 million in grant applications from Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) and Harris County Community Services Department (CSD). That’s out of a total allocation of $1,072,033,863 allocated to Harris County. And that means projects for almost half the Harvey money allocated to Harris County will soon go to Washington for a final review by HUD.
Additional applications for the rest of the money will soon follow the projects listed below. They will be submitted “on a rolling basis,” according to Brittany Eck, a GLO spokesperson.
The GLO administers all HUD funds in the state of Texas.
GLO Working Side by Side with Harris County
GLO has a “Strike Team” embedded at HCFCD headquarters, working side by side with both CSD and HCFCD to eliminate any delays on the HUD applications. The billion dollars allocated to the county falls into several different programs, each with different deadlines and complex rules.
“We are currently in the ‘Eligibility Phase,’ which is the most critical, but also the most time consuming. During this phase we must ensure that the projects proposed sync with HUD regulations in terms of LMI beneficiaries, environmental impacts and more,” said Eck.
No Performance Benchmarks Missed So Far
“It is important to note that Harris County has not missed a performance benchmark yet on the HUD applications. The GLO is working with Harris County to ensure all administrative paperwork is completed in accordance with federal regulations. This protects both Harris County and the State of Texas from incurring costly ‘findings’ during the post-project audit process.”
A finding during a post-project audit could potentially cause HUD to claw back part of its grant money. So it’s vitally important to ensure all regulations are followed to the letter.
Three Main Batches of Money
The three main pots of money include:
That brings the total of original allocations to $1,072,033,863.
Since this involves the government, it also includes acronyms. So let me explain some of the terms.
CDBG stands for Community Development Block Grants. These grants provide communities with resources to address a wide range of development needs, providing projects meet one or more of HUD’s three defined national objectives. Namely, a CDBG project must:
But what about the rest of those acronyms?
What’s the difference? According to HUD, CDBG-DR grants provide housing, infrastructure, and economic revitalization assistance to impacted areas. The CDBG-Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) program provides additional funding to lessen the impact of future disasters.
To learn more about HUD applications for the specific Harris County projects, see below.
Harris County CDBG-MIT
Harris County Community Services Department was allocated $208,152,174 in CDBG-MIT funds for infrastructure, planning, and project delivery.
The contract was executed on 08/31/2022. All projects in this batch of funding must close out by 8/31/27.
The $208 million breaks down into three subcategories.
Infrastructure Programs
Of 11 projects initially proposed in this category, the three largest in terms of dollar amounts – totaling $75M of the $154M – have been submitted for preliminary review.
Involves upgrading approximately 63,650 LF of drainage systems and developing two (2) detention ponds in Harris County Precinct No. 2.
66.97% LMI
Involves upgrading approximately 15,250 LF of drainage systems and developing two (2) detention ponds in Harris County Precinct No. 1 and Ralston Acres Subdivision.
Income Surveys TBD
Involves upgrading approximately 19,700 LF of drainage systems and developing one (1) detention pond in Harris County Precinct No. 1 and the North Forest Subdivision.
Income Surveys TBD
Planning Programs
Four projects – costing a total of $16.5M out of the $37.5 million – have been submitted for preliminary review out of the 23 proposed planning projects.
The Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management is seeking to update the Harris County Hazard Mitigation Plan. The plan will develop strategies and action items to minimize vulnerabilities and damages and include 37 participating jurisdictions.
The planning project will evaluate drainage infrastructure capacity status and deficiencies in Harris County’s unincorporated areas. It will also guide the identification and implementation of mitigation alternatives to reduce flood risk.
The scope of the Halls Bayou watershed study is to analyze the best available data incorporating the Halls Bayou watershed flood risk reduction-related project and to evaluate existing program benefits using the new Atlas 14 precipitation data to identify additional potential flood reduction needs within the watershed.
The Evacuation Routes Study aims to enhance transportation resilience in road-flooding-prone areas of Unincorporated Harris County.
Project Delivery:
$16,652,174 of the $208,152,174 County allocation will be used to administer the funds for projects.
HCFCD Disaster Relief
HCFCD was allocated $322,033,863 in CDBG-DR funds for infrastructure projects.
HCFCD submitted 13 projects costing a total of $317,494,724.78 for CDBG-DR grants and is putting up local funds in the amount of $45,899,821 for those same projects. All of the applications have been officially submitted and are being reviewed for HUD eligibility completeness by the GLO.
The HCFCD/CDBG-DR contract was executed on 11/27/2023 and must be closed out by 3/31/2026. The 13 projects include:
To construct one 431-acre-feet stormwater detention basin within the White Oak Bayou watershed.
60.55% LMI
To construct one 550-acre-feet regional stormwater detention basin within Halls Bayou.
74.23% LMI
To construct one 341.47-acre-feet stormwater detention basin within Greens Bayou.
78.10% LMI
To construct one 33.45 acre-feet stormwater detention basin within Armand Bayou Watershed.
52.54% LMI
To construct one 350 acre-feet stormwater detention basin within Little Cypress Creek watershed.
14.25% LMI but qualifies under Urgent Need
To rehabilitate 19,008 LF of channel conveyance along Greens Bayou.
78.61% LMI
To rehabilitate 7,500 LF of channel conveyance along Cypress Creek.
49.18% LMI, but qualifies under Urgent Need
To construct two (2) detention basins, northwest and southeast of Dinner Creek.
52.36% LMI
To rehabilitate 18,528 LF of channel conveyance at 19 different sites along Barker Reservoir.
21.64% LMI but qualifies under Urgent Need
To rehabilitate 2,025 LF of channel conveyance and construct one (1) 15 acre-feet stormwater detention basin within Jackson Bayou.
60.78% LMI
To rehabilitate 49,296 LF of channel conveyance at 49 sites along the Addicks Reservoir.
37.04% LMI but qualifies under Urgent Need
To construct one 725 acre-feet stormwater detention basin within the Cypress Creek watershed.
36.14% but qualifies under Urgent Need
To construct one stormwater detention basin within the Brays Bayou watershed.
56.71% LMI
HCFCD CDBG-MIT
Harris County Flood Control District was allocated $541,847,826.00 in CDBG-MIT funds for infrastructure hazard mitigation projects.
Five projects – totaling $73 million – have been submitted for preliminary HUD eligibility completeness review out of the 19 mitigation projects originally proposed.
Overall Contract Status: Contract executed 11/07/2023
Projected Closeout: March 31, 2028
Includes widening approximately 4,525 LF of the existing channel along the left (east) bank from downstream of Hopper Road to just upstream of Pinewood Village Park.
70.03% LMI
Includes construction of one 220 acres-feet of stormwater detention basin adjacent to Halls Bayou and the widening of approximately 2,100 LF of the existing channel along Halls Bayou.
73.65% LMI
Will create one 414 acre-feet stormwater detention basin in the Cypress Creek watershed.
36.13% LMI but qualifies under Urgent Need
Includes approximately 13,118 LF of stormwater drainage channel improvements in the affected stretch of channel.
20.92% LMI but qualifies under Urgent Need
Will build one 458 acre-feet stormwater detention basin west of Holderrieth Road along Willow Creek.
33.59% LMI but qualifies under Urgent Need
Even though some projects drop below the 50% threshold, as a group they meet the requirement. Those that fall below the threshold also qualify under HUD’s Urgent Need mandate.
Extensions Requested, But Not Yet Confirmed
GLO has requested extensions for all these projects. While HUD reportedly seems favorable, written confirmation has not yet been received. That places a premium on HUD applications that can be executed quickly.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/19/24 based on information provided by the Texas GLO
2394 Days since Hurricane Harvey