12/5/25 – The Gulf Coast Protection District (GCPD) and Texas General Land Office (GLO) announced yesterday the approval of two engineering design contracts for the largest coastal protection effort in the history of the United States – the Coastal Texas Project.
The two contracts represent a milestone in moving this historic initiative toward construction. Each contract covers a major component of the larger project.
Part I: Galveston Bay Barrier System
The Galveston Bay Barrier System (aka the “Ike Dike”) represents the largest element of the Coastal Texas Project. It accounts for 85 percent of the $35 billion estimated cost.
HDR won engineering design for Beaches and Dunes (Bolivar and West Galveston Beach and Dune System). Goal: ecosystem restoration to strengthen natural coastal barriers along the Bolivar Peninsula and West Galveston Island.
The Beaches and Dunes features will move into design first.
Part II: Bolivar Roads Gate System
The second element: the largest flood gate system in the world. Jacobs won the engineering design of The Gate (Bolivar Roads Gate System). It will span a two-mile-wide waterway between Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula.
Remember Ike
Those who lived in Houston in 2008 will likely never forget Hurricane Ike. It began as a Category 4 storm 800 miles wide. And it made landfall along the upper Texas Coast as a high end Category 2. The eye came right up Galveston Bay and crossed the Lake Houston Area. It pushed 15-20 feet of storm surge inland in Chambers County almost as far north as I-10.
Track of Hurricane Ike
Surge traveled deep inland through Galveston Bay, Clear Lake, and the Houston Ship Channel, flooding industrial sites and neighborhoods as far north as Baytown. Also, Ike spawned 29 tornadoes.
Luckily, the world’s largest petrochemical complex was on the dry side of the storm. West of the eye, winds pushed water back out to sea. Therefore, surge was lower.
Had Ike made landfall, a few miles farther west, the story could have been much different.
Importance of Projects
“We can no longer wait to implement this long-term resiliency strategy, aimed at safeguarding the largest port and petrochemical complex in the nation,” said GLO Commissioner, Dawn Buckingham, M.D.
“The State of Texas has appropriated nearly $1 billion to the Gulf Coast Protection District to advance projects offering multiple lines of defense to reduce the risk of coastal storm surges. With President Trump leading the way, I am confident our federal leaders will follow suit and fully fund the Coastal Texas Project, ensuring our national assets are protected from the threat of devastating storms.”
“These contracts are important because they move two major features of the Coastal Texas Project into design. Once designed, we can finally realize the full magnitude of these ideas and further engage local communities with details, not concepts,” said Coalter Baker, Executive Director, Gulf Coast Protection District.
Destruction on Bolivar Peninsula After Hurricane Ike. Scouring literally ripped streets and storm sewers out of the ground.Destruction on Bolivar Peninsula After Hurricane Ike. Not much was left standing. Many residents could not even find their property because the storm destroyed so much.
About the Gulf Coast Protection District
In 2021, the 87th Texas Legislature established The Gulf Coast Protection District (GCPD). Its purpose? To lead a unified and comprehensive coastal resilience strategy for the upper Texas coast. As the non-Federal sponsor for major elements of the Coastal Texas Project and the Sabine Pass to Galveston Bay Project, GCPD plays a pivotal role in delivering large-scale storm surge protection and coastal restoration.
Responsible for safeguarding approximately 5,220 square miles across five counties, GCPD leads the largest coastal protection initiative in U.S. history. For more information, visit the GCPD website.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/5/25
3020 Days since Harvey and 17 years, 3 months since Ike.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Hurricane-Ike-358-e1746218969261.jpg?fit=1100%2C732&ssl=17321100adminadmin2025-12-05 17:56:592025-12-05 21:23:11Engineering Contracts Announced for Largest Coastal Protection Effort in U.S. History
12/4/25 – The new 512-acre-foot Mercer Stormwater Detention Basin Project at FM1960 and the Hardy Tollroad is finally nearing completion. The project – originally expected to take a year – took more than three and a half.
The impending completion is good news. But the length of time it took is not. It raises serious questions for hundreds of millions of dollars of other projects with tight deadlines imposed by the federal government.
Before we get to that, let’s first look at Mercer.
Mercer Project Announced in June 2022
In June 2022, Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis announced the start of the Mercer project next to Mercer Botanic Gardens. He said the twin basins would be done on an expedited basis and take a year.
Photos taken this afternoon show that the excavation work appears to be done, but the landscaping work remains. Specifically, the sides and perimeters of the basins need to be planted with grass to retard erosion.
Close examination of the photos show that recent rains have already washed a significant amount of dirt from the slopes into the bottom of the twin basins.
The first photo shows the two Mercer basins from over Cypress Creek.
Looking S at Mercer Basins. Hardy Tollroad in upper right. FM1960 at top of frame.
Notice how the north basin is partially grassed in. The south basin has no landscaping yet. Neither basin has grass on the perimeter roads or back-slope interceptor swales.
Closer view of south basin (top) also shows erosion on slopes of north basin (bottom).Reverse angle shows erosion on slopes of north basin also. Note collection of sediment at bottom of ramp (lower right).Looking N from over FM1960. Wider shot shows erosion in foreground. Luckily, contractor has not yet demobilized equipment.
Implications for Other Projects with Tight Deadlines
As I write this, HCFCD is gearing up to construct eleven other projects related to HUD/GLO Community Development Block Grant Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR) grants. They total almost a third of a billion dollars. All eleven must be completed before February 28, 2027 – just 15 months from now.
Yet most of the projects won’t be advertised for bids until the first quarter of next year. And two of the projects won’t even be bid until the second quarter of next year according to HCFCD’s most recent Bid Outlook Calendar published on 10/15/25.
One is the $32.8 million East TC Jester Stormwater Detention Basin. The other is the $29.4 million Kluge Stormwater Detention Basin (not even shown on the calendar). Both fall into Commissioner Tom Ramsey’s Precinct 3.
Ramsey has requested “discussion and possible action on the Harris County Flood Control District Construction Bid Calendar.” See Item 495 on the 12/11/25 Commissioners Court agenda.
According to sources in the Flood Control District, it typically takes 3 to 6 months from the time a project is first advertised until dirt starts flying. That would not leave much time to complete the disaster relief projects. Accordingly…
HCFCD Requests $17 Million for Outside Help
Also on the agenda for December 11 are five items relating to staff augmentation for HCFCD. Items 299, 302, 303, 304, 305 request “engineering services to provide program management, project management, construction management, and inspection services for the development and implementation of CDBG-DR and CDBG-MIT projects.” They include five engineering companies and total $17 million:
Ardurra Group $5 million
Jacobs Engineering $1 million
WSP USA $1 million
BGE $5 million
Quiddity $5 million
I have posted ad nauseam about the slowdown at HCFCD. Let’s hope it doesn’t cost the County the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars.
The Institute for a Disaster Resilient Texas (IDRT), part of Texas A&M University (TAMU) has launched the Texas Disaster Information System (TDIS), a program funded by the Texas General Land Office. Their goal: to enhance disaster resilience throughout the state by bridging the gap between research and decision making.
TDIS’s vision is to ingest, store, and manage all disaster-related data for the State of Texas. According to team member and research scientist Dr. Andrew Juan, TDIS currently consists of several tools, applications and dashboards that help Texas communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters more effectively. To list just three examples:
Buyers Aware provides property-specific disaster risk information for potential homebuyers. It lets you see a property’s hazard risk, learn how that risk is calculated, download a detailed report, and explore mitigation strategies.
The Risk-Assessment-Mapping Portal enables planners to create maps and charts, and download data for local hazard-mitigation planning.
See sample screen captures below.
Buyers Aware aims to make potential home buyers more aware of their risk.The risk assessment mapping portal also visualizes risk, but lets users toggle layers showing how that risk affects fire stations, schools, police stations, hospitals, bridges, shelters, etc.
Matching Mitigation Projects with Funding
Other tools developed for related audiences and purposes can be found at this portal.
For instance, a Data and Models Query Tool gives planners and engineers the ability to search, discover, and reuse hydrologic/hydraulic models stored on TDIS.
Another tool helps community leaders seeking flood-mitigation assistance discover funding options and craft applications. It helps match projects on the drawing boards with likely funding opportunities. And its database already contains more than 6,000 funded or proposed structural and non-structural flood-mitigation projects across Texas.
Sample MATCH Screen (Mitigation Assistance for Tailoring Choices).
Individuals or organizations with ideas for new applications or who want to contribute their local datasets are encouraged to submit a request to the TDIS Working Committee for review and further consideration.
TDIS Funded Through 2027
According to Dr. Juan, the Texas Disaster Information System Program is funded through 2027. I hope it survives long past that.
The data and systems that they have made available in the last two years have already made a valuable contribution. You would expect nothing less from a world-class academic institution, such as Texas A&M.
Even though some of the maps may look close to those you’ve seen elsewhere, for instance Flood Insurance Rate Maps, they contain valuable information that make them more useful to more people.
And these tools will get even better with time.
Posted By Bob Rehak on 12/3/2025
3016 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/20251203-Buyers-Aware.jpg?fit=1100%2C616&ssl=16161100adminadmin2025-12-03 15:33:302025-12-03 16:38:44TAMU Information System Making Texas More Disaster Resilient
Engineering Contracts Announced for Largest Coastal Protection Effort in U.S. History
12/5/25 – The Gulf Coast Protection District (GCPD) and Texas General Land Office (GLO) announced yesterday the approval of two engineering design contracts for the largest coastal protection effort in the history of the United States – the Coastal Texas Project.
The two contracts represent a milestone in moving this historic initiative toward construction. Each contract covers a major component of the larger project.
Part I: Galveston Bay Barrier System
The Galveston Bay Barrier System (aka the “Ike Dike”) represents the largest element of the Coastal Texas Project. It accounts for 85 percent of the $35 billion estimated cost.
HDR won engineering design for Beaches and Dunes (Bolivar and West Galveston Beach and Dune System). Goal: ecosystem restoration to strengthen natural coastal barriers along the Bolivar Peninsula and West Galveston Island.
The Beaches and Dunes features will move into design first.
Part II: Bolivar Roads Gate System
The second element: the largest flood gate system in the world. Jacobs won the engineering design of The Gate (Bolivar Roads Gate System). It will span a two-mile-wide waterway between Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula.
Remember Ike
Those who lived in Houston in 2008 will likely never forget Hurricane Ike. It began as a Category 4 storm 800 miles wide. And it made landfall along the upper Texas Coast as a high end Category 2. The eye came right up Galveston Bay and crossed the Lake Houston Area. It pushed 15-20 feet of storm surge inland in Chambers County almost as far north as I-10.
Surge traveled deep inland through Galveston Bay, Clear Lake, and the Houston Ship Channel, flooding industrial sites and neighborhoods as far north as Baytown. Also, Ike spawned 29 tornadoes.
Luckily, the world’s largest petrochemical complex was on the dry side of the storm. West of the eye, winds pushed water back out to sea. Therefore, surge was lower.
Importance of Projects
“We can no longer wait to implement this long-term resiliency strategy, aimed at safeguarding the largest port and petrochemical complex in the nation,” said GLO Commissioner, Dawn Buckingham, M.D.
“The State of Texas has appropriated nearly $1 billion to the Gulf Coast Protection District to advance projects offering multiple lines of defense to reduce the risk of coastal storm surges. With President Trump leading the way, I am confident our federal leaders will follow suit and fully fund the Coastal Texas Project, ensuring our national assets are protected from the threat of devastating storms.”
“These contracts are important because they move two major features of the Coastal Texas Project into design. Once designed, we can finally realize the full magnitude of these ideas and further engage local communities with details, not concepts,” said Coalter Baker, Executive Director, Gulf Coast Protection District.
About the Gulf Coast Protection District
In 2021, the 87th Texas Legislature established The Gulf Coast Protection District (GCPD). Its purpose? To lead a unified and comprehensive coastal resilience strategy for the upper Texas coast. As the non-Federal sponsor for major elements of the Coastal Texas Project and the Sabine Pass to Galveston Bay Project, GCPD plays a pivotal role in delivering large-scale storm surge protection and coastal restoration.
Responsible for safeguarding approximately 5,220 square miles across five counties, GCPD leads the largest coastal protection initiative in U.S. history. For more information, visit the GCPD website.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/5/25
3020 Days since Harvey and 17 years, 3 months since Ike.
Mercer Stormwater Detention Basin Nearing Completion
12/4/25 – The new 512-acre-foot Mercer Stormwater Detention Basin Project at FM1960 and the Hardy Tollroad is finally nearing completion. The project – originally expected to take a year – took more than three and a half.
The impending completion is good news. But the length of time it took is not. It raises serious questions for hundreds of millions of dollars of other projects with tight deadlines imposed by the federal government.
Before we get to that, let’s first look at Mercer.
Mercer Project Announced in June 2022
In June 2022, Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis announced the start of the Mercer project next to Mercer Botanic Gardens. He said the twin basins would be done on an expedited basis and take a year.
Photos taken this afternoon show that the excavation work appears to be done, but the landscaping work remains. Specifically, the sides and perimeters of the basins need to be planted with grass to retard erosion.
Close examination of the photos show that recent rains have already washed a significant amount of dirt from the slopes into the bottom of the twin basins.
The first photo shows the two Mercer basins from over Cypress Creek.
Notice how the north basin is partially grassed in. The south basin has no landscaping yet. Neither basin has grass on the perimeter roads or back-slope interceptor swales.
Implications for Other Projects with Tight Deadlines
As I write this, HCFCD is gearing up to construct eleven other projects related to HUD/GLO Community Development Block Grant Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR) grants. They total almost a third of a billion dollars. All eleven must be completed before February 28, 2027 – just 15 months from now.
Yet most of the projects won’t be advertised for bids until the first quarter of next year. And two of the projects won’t even be bid until the second quarter of next year according to HCFCD’s most recent Bid Outlook Calendar published on 10/15/25.
One is the $32.8 million East TC Jester Stormwater Detention Basin. The other is the $29.4 million Kluge Stormwater Detention Basin (not even shown on the calendar). Both fall into Commissioner Tom Ramsey’s Precinct 3.
Ramsey has requested “discussion and possible action on the Harris County Flood Control District Construction Bid Calendar.” See Item 495 on the 12/11/25 Commissioners Court agenda.
According to sources in the Flood Control District, it typically takes 3 to 6 months from the time a project is first advertised until dirt starts flying. That would not leave much time to complete the disaster relief projects. Accordingly…
HCFCD Requests $17 Million for Outside Help
Also on the agenda for December 11 are five items relating to staff augmentation for HCFCD. Items 299, 302, 303, 304, 305 request “engineering services to provide program management, project management, construction management, and inspection services for the development and implementation of CDBG-DR and CDBG-MIT projects.” They include five engineering companies and total $17 million:
I have posted ad nauseam about the slowdown at HCFCD. Let’s hope it doesn’t cost the County the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/4/2025
3019 Days since Hurricane Harvey
TAMU Information System Making Texas More Disaster Resilient
The Institute for a Disaster Resilient Texas (IDRT), part of Texas A&M University (TAMU) has launched the Texas Disaster Information System (TDIS), a program funded by the Texas General Land Office. Their goal: to enhance disaster resilience throughout the state by bridging the gap between research and decision making.
TDIS’s vision is to ingest, store, and manage all disaster-related data for the State of Texas. According to team member and research scientist Dr. Andrew Juan, TDIS currently consists of several tools, applications and dashboards that help Texas communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters more effectively. To list just three examples:
See sample screen captures below.
Matching Mitigation Projects with Funding
Other tools developed for related audiences and purposes can be found at this portal.
For instance, a Data and Models Query Tool gives planners and engineers the ability to search, discover, and reuse hydrologic/hydraulic models stored on TDIS.
Another tool helps community leaders seeking flood-mitigation assistance discover funding options and craft applications. It helps match projects on the drawing boards with likely funding opportunities. And its database already contains more than 6,000 funded or proposed structural and non-structural flood-mitigation projects across Texas.
Individuals or organizations with ideas for new applications or who want to contribute their local datasets are encouraged to submit a request to the TDIS Working Committee for review and further consideration.
TDIS Funded Through 2027
According to Dr. Juan, the Texas Disaster Information System Program is funded through 2027. I hope it survives long past that.
The data and systems that they have made available in the last two years have already made a valuable contribution. You would expect nothing less from a world-class academic institution, such as Texas A&M.
Even though some of the maps may look close to those you’ve seen elsewhere, for instance Flood Insurance Rate Maps, they contain valuable information that make them more useful to more people.
And these tools will get even better with time.
Posted By Bob Rehak on 12/3/2025
3016 Days since Hurricane Harvey