Almost from the day voters passed the historic $2.5 billion Harris County 2018 Flood Bond Referendum, people started arguing over whose projects should be developed first.
This led to a debate about equity and passage of an equity prioritization framework that favors low-to-moderate-income (LMI) neighborhoods.
Activist groups in watersheds that have received hundreds of millions of dollars in funding now claim they have received none and blame it on racism and white supremacy. One group has even demanded the cancellation of projects in affluent watersheds so that even more money can be diverted to theirs in the name of “equity.”
Raw Data
Links below and to the right lead to articles about funding.
The information below was provided by Harris County in response to a Freedom of Information Act Request.
This spreadsheet contains spending data on capital improvement projects (not normal maintenance) by watershed as of the end of the first quarter of 2021. It is broken down as follows:
- Since 2000
- Since Harvey
- 1/1/2000 to 12/31/2009
- 1/1/2010 to 12/31/2019
It also includes breakdowns for items such as design, right-of-way acquisition, buyouts, and construction.
Finally, I also requested additional data about each watershed to help put the spending in perspective. For instance:
- Square Mileage
- Population
- Percentage of population with Low-to-Moderate Income (LMI)
- Number of Damaged Structures in Major Storms (Allison, Tax Day, Memorial Day, Harvey)
With this information, I compiled a master spreadsheet that showed spending, spending per square mile, spending per capita, damage by storm, total damage, and rank orders for each watershed during various periods.
Harris County Flood Control Capital Improvement Spending By Watershed since 2000.
I have also flown over the more “controversial” watersheds and photographed flood mitigation projects that “don’t exist” according to some activists and politicians arguing for an even greater share of the pie.
Analysis/Findings
With all this information, I have compiled a series of articles related to funding for those who wish to make informed decisions.
For more information and analysis of the data, see the links below and to the right.
- Flood Mitigation Funding: Halls, Greens Get $422 Million
- Funding Comparison of Low- and High-income Quartiles
- Funding Comparison of Watersheds Above and Below 50% LMI
- Funding per Square Mile
- Why Racial Rhetoric Distracts from Finding Flood Solutions
- Funding vs. Voter Turnout for Flood Bond: Implications for Future Bonds
- Responsibilities for Street Flooding vs. River Flooding
- Highest correlation between funding and damage
- Baseless claims of racism in allocation of flood funds
- Socially vulnerable zip codes receive 80% of Buyouts
Also, here are several articles with aerial photos that show what the money bought.
Will New Political Leaders Prioritize Flood Mitigation?
11/9/26 – The 2026 mid-term elections have the potential to hit the reset button on flood-mitigation priorities. Governor Abbott, GLO commissioner Dawn Buckingham, State Representative Charles Cunningham, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, and Congressman Dan Crenshaw are all being replaced by newcomers. Democrats now have a majority of the House in Austin, and both the […]
Models vs. Reality: Critical Omissions in SJRA Planning
11/7/26 – Computer models, if accurate, can aid in planning. But what happens if their assumptions are flawed. On 11/5/26, some of the brightest engineers in the region trotted out a presentation that showed the impact of releasing water before floods from both Lake Conroe and Lake Houston. They used computer models to calculate how […]
Floodplains: A Shifting Target and a Political Swamp
10/26/26 – Few people understand that floodplains are a shifting target. They are determined by LIDAR accurate to within a centimeter, certified by professional engineers, and enshrined in government regulations. At the end of that process, residents borrow billions of dollars for mortgages, often based on where a professional surveyor determines a line should appear […]
GLO Commissioner Announces Launch of $92 Million Mitigation-Reallocation Program
10/25/26 – Texas General Land Office (GLO) Commissioner Dawn Buckingham M.D. has announced the launch of a $92 million program to reallocate flood mitigation funding along with a call for projects in eligible Texas communities until November 18th. A 10/20/26 GLO press release says that Buckingham launched a Mitigation Reallocation Program (MRP). The effort will […]
Harris County Could Lose $113 Million in CDBG Funds Despite 1-Year Extension
10/19/26 – Update includes several changes to text to clarify origin and status of $113 million. See GLO clarification at bottom of post. 10/16/26 – GLO Commissioner Dawn Buckingham says she is moving $133 Million of Community Development Block Grant funds for Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) designated for Harris County to another county. [GLO disputes this. […]