HCFCD Archives - Page 18 of 25

Construction of HCFCD Greens Bayou Flood Mitigation Projects in High Gear

One of the largest watersheds in northern Harris County is Greens Bayou. It drains 212 square miles with a population of more than half a million people. It encompasses portions of the cities of Houston and Humble.

Greens Bayou and its tributaries have flooded homes and businesses numerous times in the last two decades. Tropical Storm Allison in 2001 and Hurricane Harvey in 2017 produced devastating floods thanks to large floodplains and high-density development.

An Equity Priority

As a result of high percentages of low-to-moderate income neighborhoods as you work your way east and south along the bayou, flooding in Greens received a high priority in the Harris County’s Equity Prioritization Framework.

Harris County Flood Control District currently has three projects in construction along Greens Bayou with more on the way. One of the three is virtually complete. When I photographed it today, I found contractors doing a final inspection. Here’s a rundown of current and future projects.

Greens Bayou runs roughly parallel with the North Belt before turning south and eventually joining Buffalo Bayou. Projects 1 and 3 are large scale detention projects under construction. Phase 1 of Project 2 is virtually complete.

Project #1: Cutten Stormwater Detention Basin

HCFCD is currently excavating a massive 235-acre stormwater detention basin near Cutten Road and State Highway 249. It will reduce flooding risks in the Greens Bayou watershed by taking in excess stormwater during heavy rain events and then releasing it slowly back to the bayou when the threat of flooding has passed.

*Map of the Cutten Detention site courtesy of HCFCD.*

The project is budgeted at $16.2 million. And it is approximately one-quarter complete. I took the pictures below on 4/20/21.

*Looking SW at the Cutten Basin with the Beltway 8/SH249 intersection in the background. Greens Bayou flows diagonally from the upper right to lower left.*

*Tunnels under Greens Road will let water flow from the northern section to southern*

*Looking NE across Hollister Road toward another section of the basin that will connect to the rest via tunnels.*

*A relentless carousel of trucks carries away one layer of the basin after another.*

Project #2: Aldine Westfield Stormwater Detention Basin

Further down the bayou, the Aldine Westfield Stormwater Detention Basin is located just north of Beltway 8 and east of Aldine Westfield Road. The first phase of this project is virtually complete. It sits in a no-fly zone for drones because of its proximity to Bush Intercontinental Airport. So you will have to make do with a ground-level construction photo stitched together in Photoshop from five separate exposures.

*Looking SE at Phase One of the Aldine Westfield Basin. Contractors have just finished planting trees to stabilize the slopes.* *Phase Two has yet to start. It will be to north (left) of this basin.*

*Phase One has just completed. Phase Two is in permitting.*

South and north segments are being constructed in two phases because of environmental permitting. Eventually, the two basin compartments will connect via a 48-inch pipe and will outfall into Greens Bayou.

The first phase above cost $7.7 million. The second will cost $11.3 million.
HCFCD

Because of the location just south of Bush Intercontinental Airport, this basin will not have a permanent pool. Reason: to avoid attracting waterfowl which could create a hazard to aviation.

The two basins will eventually hold approximately 1,250 acre-feet, or more than 407.3 million gallons, of stormwater that otherwise might flood homes and businesses during heavy rain events. The benefits of this project are best understood as part of a suite of projects – Progress Greens – that will work together to reduce flooding risks within the 213 square miles of the Greens Bayou watershed.

Part of Project Greens

Project Greens is a suite of flood damage reduction projects. The Harris County Flood Control District is taking the lead in some, with grant assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In others, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will design and construct the project, with partnership assistance from the Flood Control District.

All projects under the Progress Greens umbrella will function together to reduce flooding risks and damages for residents and businesses within the 213 square miles of the Greens Bayou watershed.

The Aldine Westfield Stormwater Detention Basin project is and will be funded both through the Flood Control District’s Capital Improvements Program and the 2018 Bond Program. If partnership funds are not available, the project will be funded totally from the 2018 Bond Program as a “Local Only” project.

Project #3: Lauder Stormwater Detention Basin

The Lauder Stormwater Detention basin is another 2-phase project. Phase One, just north of Lauder Road and west of JFK Boulevard, will cost $18 million when complete. Phase Two will cost another $20.5 million and be located west of Phase One in parts of the Castlewood subdivision which HCFCD has bought out. Harris County Commissioners Court accepted the Preliminary Engineering Report and authorized the design and construction of Phase Two of the stormwater detention basin.

*The photos below show the status of Phase One.*

When complete, the Lauder Stormwater Detention Basin will hold at least 1,200 acre-feet, or more than 391 million gallons of excess stormwater. According to HCFCD, the project will reduce risk in more common 10 percent (10-year) floods, but would be overwhelmed in a much larger storm.

While driving around this area, I noticed a new home ten-feet up on stilts, while older homes sat at ground level. Commercial and industrial development around Bush Intercontinental Airport has literally swamped this area. This Lauder Basin is also part of Progress Greens.

The photos below show the status of Phase One construction on 4/20/21.

*Looking north from the construction entrance at Lauder Road.*

*Looking East at the Lauder Basin construction staging area.*

The Lauder Stormwater Detention Basin project is being funded both through the Flood Control District’s Capital Improvements Program (for design) and through the 2018 Bond Program (for construction).

Total Cost for Greens Bayou Projects in Construction

Altogether, construction of these three projects will cost approximately $42 million. Phase Two of Aldine Westfield and Lauder basins will cost another $31.8 for a total of almost $74 million. Phase 2 of the Aldine Westfield construction will kick off this summer. And Phase 2 of the Lauder project will start next winter.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/29/2021

1330 Days since Hurricane Harvey

HCFCD Completes Removal of Another 10,000 Cubic Yards From Bens Branch

Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) contractors have completed removal of virtually another 10,000 cubic yards of sediment that had accumulated in Bens Branch between Rocky Woods Drive and Kingwood Drive. While a little cleanup work and equipment removal remains, we can call this job “well done.”

Scope of Work Completed

HCFCD widened and deepened half mile stretch of the creek/ditch. Flood Control also re-sloped the banks, straightened the flow lines, replaced backslope interceptor drains, restored the original conveyance of the ditch, and replanted grass.

Tens of Millions in Nearby Damages during Harvey

During Harvey, dozens of homes flooded along both sides of this channelized stream. So did Kingwood High School and the old H-E-B shopping center north of Kingwood Drive. The shopping center is still mostly vacant because of flood damage. And the Humble ISD spent $70 million to restore Kingwood High School which flooded to the second floor.

Approximately 1000 Truckloads of Sediment Removed

Given that your average dump truck holds about 10 cubic yards, contractors removed about a 1000 truckloads of sediment during this phase of the Bens Branch project.

While the truck traffic got intense at times, contractors finished months ahead of schedule. They originally scheduled completion for early July.

Before/After Photo Essay

The first photo below was taken in January before the start of the project. I shot the rest on April 16.

*Bens Branch at Rocky Woods in January 2021 before start of clean-out project.*

Bens Branch at Rocky Woods after completion of project on April 16, 2021. The greenish tinge on the slopes is hydro mulch. Hydro mulch is grass seed embedded in a gelatin which can be sprayed on the slopes. Nutrients in the gelatin help ensure that grass will begin to grow in the least amount of time possible, hopefully before heavy rains can erode the slopes.

*In fact, new grass shoots are already poking out of this ground. This new drain at Laurel Garden replaces one that had collapsed and become almost totally blocked*. *The average service life of galvanized corrugated metal pipe is up to 40 years.*

*New entrance to drain behind maintenance road on side of ditch.*

*Note the warning. Waste dumped in these drains blocks them and contributes to neighborhood flooding. Even if waste does not block the drain, it can wind up in Lake Houston or Galveston Bay.*

*Looking back upstream toward the new drain at Laurel Garden*.

*This shot dramatizes the proximity of Kingwood High School to the ditch. Looking downstream. Notice Lake Houston in the background in the upper left.*

*Looking downstream from the middle of the Bens Branch project toward Town Center.*

*Only removal of the temporary crossing and three pieces of equipment (lower left) remain.* *Every building in the background flooded during Harvey.*

No More Bens Branch Projects Scheduled At This Time

This was the fourth and final phase of Bens Branch restoration. Previous projects addressed Bens Branch from:

HCFCD says it has no plans at this time to address the portion from the Y to the West Fork near Kings Harbor.

No one can guarantee that this work will prevent a future flood, but it will certainly make one less likely.

Thanks to the women and men of HCFCD and their contractors who kept the Bens Branch project moving through the pandemic. And to the US Department of Agriculture’s National Resources Conservation Service which provided partial funding.

Thanks also to the Bear Branch Trail Association, Kingwood Service Association and Kings Forest CA. All helped provide access to the project area across their property.

Onward to other projects such as Woodridge Village Detention, Taylor Gully restoration, and Diversion Ditch expansion. More on those in future posts.

Posted by Bob Rehak on April 17, 2021

1328 Days since Hurricane Harvey

HCFCD Issues Flood Bond Update as of March 30, 2021

In the March 30, 2021 Harris County Commissioner’s Court Meeting, Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) gave a Flood Bond update. Here’s where projects in the 2018 Flood Bond program stand.

Overview

In the 30 months since the bond was approved by Harris County voters, the Harris County Flood Control District has used bond funds to:

Accept 25 grants totaling approximately $960 million with Bond funds providing around $259 million in local matching funds
Execute 326 engineering agreements totaling $241 million
Award 39 construction agreements totaling $296 million
Procure 19 staff augmentation agreements providing 113 contract staff members
Acquire nearly 340 properties at a value over $208 million for construction projects, floodplain preservation, and wetland mitigation banks
Make $115 million available to the Office of the County Engineer to manage and construct drainage improvements in nearly 100 subdivisions across Harris County
Conduct 140 community engagement meetings with over 11,413 attendees
Complete nearly 630 home buyouts at a value over $130 million with over 680 additional in process for a buyout (since Hurricane Harvey)
Complete over $125 million repair program to address damages to District infrastructure caused by Hurricane Harvey

19 Projects Completed, 372 Underway

The flood bond update shows that of the 19 projects completed so far, investigations, analyses and studies comprised 15.

Altogether there are 372 individual HCFCD projects in progress related to the Bond Program. The table below shows the stages of those projects.

*88% of all projects identified in the flood bond are currently underway and at some state of completion.*

Only 21 Projects Not Yet Started

Only 21 Bond projects have not yet started. They are all in the fourth quartile of the bond prioritization framework and will begin between July 2021 and March 2022. Of those, two are in the San Jacinto watershed: CI-61 (East Fork, West Fork, and Lake Houston Dredging) and F-15 (General Drainage Improvements near Atascocita).

Dredging included a $10 million match with estimated partner funds of $40 million.

FEMA/Army Corps, TWDB and City of Houston funds have covered dredging in the river to date.

Status of Lake Houston Area Projects

Other projects in the Lake Houston Area at least partially underway.

Luce Bayou and Huffman

Project underway include right-of-way acquisition, design and construction of general drainage improvements in the Luce Bayou Watershed and near Huffman (total $20 million). Luce Bayou right-of-way acquisition and floodplain preservation ($10 million) has also started.

Gates on Lake Houston Dam

Design and construction of additional gates on Lake Houston ($20 million) is nearing completion of the design phase. The City of Houston has taken the lead on that project but has made no announcements on it recently.

Other Projects Lake Houston Area Partially Underway

The San Jacinto Watershed Study ($625,000)
Funding for future partnership projects based on the SJR watershed study ($18.75 million)
Investigation of potential detention sites around the Glendale Dredge site in Partnership with the City of Houston ($50,000)
Conveyance improvements along Panther Creek ($10 million)
General drainage improvements east of Lake Houston ($10 million)
General Drainage Improvements near Kingwood ($10 million)

One Third of Projects Now Past Design Phase

*One third of all projects have already begin work outside.*

Ellis Not Content with 40% of Construction Going into Two Bayous in His Precinct

40% of all projects under construction are in Greens and Halls Bayou Watersheds, the two Precinct One Commissioner Rodney Ellis cares most about. He wants to slow down projects in other areas to focus more on projects in his area.

For a discussion of how the meeting went, check back tomorrow.

For the full Flood Bond update, click here. For future reference, this link is also posted on the Reports page under the Harris County Flood Control District, tab.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/30/21

1309 Days after Hurricane Harvey

Bens Branch Clean-out North of Kingwood Drive Already 40% Complete

As of this morning, Stuart Consulting Group (a project manager for Harris County Flood Control) estimates that clean-out of Bens Branch between Kingwood Drive and Rocky Woods Drive is 40% complete.

1500 Feet Complete from Upstream Starting Point

According to Jose Pedraza who works for Stuart Consulting, the contractor began work at the upstream/Rocky Woods Drive end of the site and is moving downstream. So far, they have completed about 1500 linear feet of work on both sides of the stream.

At the start of the project, surveyors found that accumulated sediment had severely constricted the conveyance of the channel.

*Ben’s Branch at start of project in January. The area between the red lines filled with sediment since Friendswood first constructed the ditch in the 1970s.*

*Looking south from between Rocky Woods and Valley Way Drive.* *This is how the section above looks today from a drone.* *Photo taken 3/13/2021.* *Note Kingwood High School in upper right.*

*Farther downstream, looking east toward Kingwood Town Center in background. Contractors have just started working on this reach of the stream.*

*Looking back upstream toward the west and Kingwood High School, you can see same reach from the opposite direction.*

Work to Date Has Included…

So far, the contractor has:

Conducted excavation and off-site disposal
Installed import fill, 3×5 granular fill, and grade 1 riprap
Graded channel side slopes on both sides of the channel for 1500 linear feet.

Expected Completion by July 4 or Earlier

Due to weather and other small delays, projected duration of the job increased from 150 to 168 days. Expected completion was extended to July 4, 2021. However, based on recent on-site inspection reports, work is now moving faster. So, with luck, the finish date may be pushed forward into June once more.

Preserving Property, Tax Dollars

Homes on both sides of this stream flooded during Harvey. So did Kingwood High School. The building flooded to the second floor. It suffered $67 million dollars in damages and lost another $10 million in contents.

Hopefully, this project will reduce flood risk. Conveyance of the channel had been reduced from a 100-year level of service to a 2-year level in some places. A 2-year level of service means that the creek will flood in a 2-year rain. The goal of this project is to restore the channel to its original conveyance capacity. That includes straightening, widening and deepening clogged parts of the channel.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/15/2021

1294 Days after Hurricane Harvey

What Next for Woodridge Village, Taylor Gully

When Harris County and the City of Houston closed on the purchase of Woodridge Village, flood victims in Elm Grove, North Kingwood Forest and along Taylor Gully were elated. Harris County purchased the land to create a regional floodwater detention basin. That immediately raised questions about what comes next and when?

Public Input

Although an exact date has not yet been announced, the Harris Count Flood Control District (HCFCD) plans to hold community engagement meetings in the near future.

The first will occur early in the development of the Preliminary Engineering Report (PER). The goals: to inform the community of each project’s purpose and receive community input during preliminary engineering.

A second meeting will occur once the final draft of the preliminary engineering report is complete. Its purpose: to present the results to community.

HCFCD will also communicate with local groups such as homeowner associations and the Kingwood Service Association in regularly scheduled virtual meetings as needed. Those will provide project updates and information about other Flood Control District efforts (e.g., buyouts, maintenance projects, smaller capital projects) in the Kingwood area throughout the PER process.

The Flood Control District will also identify opportunities to participate in regularly scheduled meetings and develop project-specific presentations to convey project information and proposed project features.

First Engineering Firm Already Selected

The engineering firm elected to develop the Preliminary Engineering Report for Taylor Gully improvements, IDCUS, will also consider Woodridge Village within its scope of work. IDCUS will consider what detention volume can be achieved on the Woodridge Village property and how that would affect the Taylor Gully project.

The Flood Control District plans to set up a separate project with a different consultant team to provide the detailed design services for the proposed detention basin.

Role of Rustling Elms Bridge in Flooding to Be Examined

Many residents have observed that the bridge over Taylor Gully at Rustling Elms seems to be a choke point that backs water up into surrounding homes. HCFCD will examine the role of the bridge in flooding. But, said Matt Zeve, Deputy Executive Director of HCFCD, “I cannot guarantee that the recommended plan will include any modifications to Rustling Elms.”

*Looking downstream at the Rustling Elms Bridge over Taylor Gully during peak of May 7, 2019 flood. Note how water downstream from the bridge is within banks, but water upstream is overflowing.*

The different heights of water above and below the bridge relate its design. See below.

*Looking upstream at same bridge at later date, you can see how the twin-culvert design severely restricts flow.*

However, retaining more water upstream might eliminate the need to make any costly changes to the bridge. Everything works together. It’s just too early to tell.

Other Changes Being Considered

The Flood Control District is considering a regional stormwater detention basin for the Woodridge Village site. A portion of the property will be owned by the City of Houston for a future wastewater treatment plant.

Looking south across the main portion of Woodridge Village toward homes that flooded twice in 2019. HCFCD will have the southern two thirds of this property (toward the top of the photo) to use for a regional detention basin.

Other amenities could be considered for the site, but would require a partner to construct and maintain those amenities. “The Flood Control District does not design, construct, or maintain amenities such as dog parks, trails, playgrounds, or sports fields,” said Zeve. However, HCFCD expressed a willingness to meet and work with community groups to discuss potential partnerships and make sure that input is included in design considerations.

Atlas 14 Will Form Basis of Design

Perry Homes sized detention ponds currently on the site to meet pre-Atlas-14 requirements. That means their detention capacity will fall about 30-40% short of Atlas-14 requirements. Montgomery County’s Atlas-14 requirements are lower than Harris County’s. When asked about this, Zeve responded, “HCFCD will use Atlas 14 rainfall rates for our designs even if the watershed area is not in Harris County.” That should provide some extra capacity that provides a buffer against additional upstream growth in the watershed.

Could Excavation Start Before Hurricane Season?

The Flood Control District will sometimes starts excavation on sites before final design plans are completed. HCFCD uses this program frequently to get a head start on excavation for large stormwater detention basins. “The District may not have enough time to get that program up and running by June 1, 2021, but we can certainly provide updates on this effort via our website,” said Zeve.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/11/2021

1290 Days since Hurricane Harvey

HCFCD Taylor Gully Repair Project Approximately One-Third Complete

On January 19, I posted about Harris County Flood Control District’s (HCFCD) second major repair project on Taylor Gully since 2019. Thirty-nine days later, HCFCD has completed about one third of the project. They have now started on the downstream side of the Maple Bend Bridge in Kingwood’s Woodstream Village.

Pictures of Work to Date

Here are pictures of the Taylor Gully repairs taken today, 2/28/2021.

*Looking upstream from Maple Bend Bridge at completed portion. Compare how this looks to a little more than a month ago.*

*Reverse angle, looking downstream from start of repairs toward Maple Bend Bridge.*

*Look at the size of that new storm drain. That should get water to the ditch in a hurry.*

*There’s another new, huge pipe downstream from the bridge. Compare the size of the old one on the opposite side of the creek.*

Purpose of Project

The purpose of the project: to repair erosion and side-slope failures; repair or replace outfalls; rectify flowlines; and rehabilitate existing backslope swale systems.

Erosion repairs include the placement of fill material, placement of 3″x5″ granular fill and the placement of grade #1 riprap.
Channel cross sections will be restored to the original design where feasible.
The oldest recorded drawing on file is for the proposed channels from Elm Grove Village to White Oak Creek completed in March 1982. Record drawings typically show a 6-foot wide channel bottom with 3:1 side slopes.

Separate From Preliminary Engineering Study Approved on 2/5

Before HCFCD leaves a project, they will establish grass on the side slopes to prevent erosion and more downstream sedimentation.

This project is separate from a Taylor Gully preliminary engineering study for capital improvements that was approved by Harris County Commissioner’s Court at its last meeting. The capital improvements could include more upstream detention on the Perry Homes Woodridge Village Property, which is still pending purchase 1.5 years after Imelda.

A previous study, the Kingwood Area Drainage Analysis, proposed improvements to Taylor Gully in October 2020.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/28/2021

1279 Days since Hurricane Harvey

For the Record: How Cold Did It Really Get?

While the recent cold snap didn’t set many all-time records, it will go down in the history books as one of the worst arctic blasts in Texas history. Especially when you consider how widespread the cold temps were. Jeff Lindner, Harris County Meteorologist, compiled this list for us.

“Historic cold impacted the state and region on Monday (2-15) and Tuesday (2-16),” said Lindner. “Most areas fell below freezing on the afternoon and evening of the 14^th and remained below freezing into Wednesday morning.”

“The entire state of Texas average temperature on 2-16-21 was 3.0 degrees the coldest it has been since 12-23-1989 when it was 1.3 degrees.”
Jeff Lindner, Harris County Meteorologist

BUSH IAH tied the record low of 13 from 1895
This is only the 5^th time the City of Dallas has fallen below zero in recorded history

“BUSH IAH was below freezing from 6:00 pm (2-14) to 3:00 pm (2-16) or 45 straight hours,” said Lindner.

Low temperatures recorded for Tuesday (2-16):

City	2-16
Wichita Falls	-8
Tyler	-6
Longview	-5
Nacogdoches	-3
Dallas	-2
Conroe	1
Madisonville	2
Huntsville	3
Dime Box	3
Bastrop	3
Caldwell	4
College Station	5
Navasota	5
Giddings	6
Austin	6
LaGrange	7
Trinity	8
Coldspring	8
Columbus	10
Woodlands	10
Cypress	11
BUSH IAH	13
Dayton	12
Eagle Lake	12
San Antonio	12
Copperfield	12
Kingwood	13
Anahuac	13
Ellington Field	14
Sugar Land	15
La Marque	15
Morgan’s Point	15
Hobby Airport	15
Pearland	16
Hempstead	16
Del Rio	18
Corpus Christi	19

Data courtesy of Harris County Flood Control District

*Paprika, my Spice Girl, found a good use for a beach towel in February.*

The last freeze in this blast will happen tonight. Over the weekend, temperatures will start to climb back toward normal.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/19/2021 with thanks to Jeff Lindner, HCFCD

1270 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Three Kingwood Flood-Mitigation Projects on Harris County Commissioners Court Agenda Next Tuesday

Harris County Commissioners posted their agenda for next Tuesday and it has three Kingwood flood-mitigation projects on it.

Preliminary engineering and final design services for improvements to:
- Taylor Gully
- Kingwood Diversion Ditch
Purchase of Woodridge Village to build a stormwater detention basin in Montgomery County.

In case you plan to watch the meeting, all three items fall under Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD). Unless commissioners take items out of order, HCFCD projects usually come second on the agenda after Engineering. Below: exact text of each agenda item.

Agenda Item Text

Item 79:

Recommendation that the Harris County Flood Control District be authorized to negotiate an agreement for engineering services with IDCUS Inc. to provide preliminary engineering and final design services for improvements to Taylor Gully on HCFCD Unit G103-80-03.1. (San Jacinto River Watershed, Bond ID F-14, Project ID G103-80-03.1-E001, Precinct 4).

Item 82:

Recommendation that the Harris County Flood Control District be authorized to negotiate an agreement for engineering services with Neel-Schaffer, Inc. to provide preliminary engineering and final design services for improvements to the Kingwood Diversion Channel on HCFCD Unit G103-38-00. (San Jacinto River Watershed, Bond ID F-14, Project ID G103-38-00-E001, Precinct 4).

Item 92:

Recommendation that the Harris County Flood Control (District) be given authorization to decree that this District project serve a public purpose and public necessity require that the Harris County Real Property Division be directed to acquire two (2) fee simple tracts for the public project known as Woodridge Village Stormwater Detention Basin on behalf of the District, for the purpose of stormwater detention, in Montgomery County.

Woodridge Village Plan

If purchased from Perry Homes, HCFCD will swap part of Woodridge Village – the northern 77 acres of the 268 total – with the City of Houston. The City wants to build a wastewater treatment plant there and has negotiated with the County to swap land elsewhere in the City that HCFCD can use to reduce the cost of flood mitigation projects. The land reportedly includes parcels along Halls and Greens Bayous. This swap represents a win/win that helps protect more people throughout the City and County.

Scope of Engineering Studies Still Unclear

Contracts for the engineering studies have not yet been negotiated. However, we do have clues in the Kingwood Area Drainage Assessment final report about what these projects might include. Last October, HCFCD talked about:

Widening and deepening Taylor Gully to increase conveyance and/or building the detention pond in Woodridge Village, which empties into Taylor Gully. So Woodridge and Taylor Gully are related; what happens with one will affect the other.
Widening the Kingwood Diversion Ditch all the way from St. Martha’s Catholic Church at the county line to the San Jacinto West Fork. The Diversion Ditch project also included building a detention pond to ensure no adverse downstream impacts. Finally, the Drainage Assessment recommended splitting the ditch near Deer Ridge Park. The split would convey part of the floodwaters straight to the West Fork instead of routing all through River Grove Park via a circuitous route that takes them under Woodland Hills Drive which has washed out in the past.

Red line is Bens Branch. White Line is Kingwood Diversion Ditch. Green line shows where Kingwood Area Drainage Assessment recommended splitting flow as it approached West Fork at bottom of frame. Detention pond location not yet finalized.

No Recommendations Certain Yet

Nothing is certain yet. Commissioners Court deferred the Woodridge Village purchase five times last year – in April, May, July, August and September.

And as for the engineering work, a close reading of the text above shows that HCFCD has not yet negotiated contracts. HCFCD simply wants permission to negotiate the agreements. “Once we receive authorization to negotiate the agreements from Commissioners Court, we can meet with the consultants and develop the scope, schedule, and budget,” said Matt Zeve, Deputy Executive Director of HCFCD.

Regardless, this is good news and welcome progress for flood-weary Kingwood residents still struggling with recovery. These projects put us three steps closer to solutions.

For the full agenda, click here.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/5/2021

1256 Days after Hurricane Harvey and 505 After Imelda

Mobilization Begins for Next Phase of Ben’s Branch Restoration

Last week, Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) began mobilizing for the restoration of the Ben’s Branch drainage ditch between Kingwood Drive and Rocky Woods. The work will involve removing accumulated sediment that has diminished the conveyance capacity of the ditch.

Engineers measure conveyance in terms of “level of service.” A 100-year level of service means that a ditch will convey a 100-year rain without overflowing. The Kingwood Drainage Analysis performed last year by HCFCD revealed that sediment had reduced the conveyance of Ben’s Branch to a 2-year level of service in places. This project will restore the ditch to its original contours.

*Looking north toward Rocky Woods. Most of the land between the two roads on either side of the ditch will be removed.* *Photo taken January 31, 2021.*

Looking WSW toward intersection of Kingwood Drive and West Lake Houston Parkway. Trucks will exit Ben’s Branch by the cell tower behind the old H-E-B. Note the orange walls of the new H-E-B in the upper left. Also note the new CVS still under construction in the upper right (yellow walls). Photo taken Jan. 3, 2021.

How trucks will exist the project. Looking northwest across two temporary bridges where the two parts of Ben’s Branch come together. Work will focus on the main part on the left. Photo taken Jan. 31, 2021.

*Temporary crossing for trucks coming down the west side of Ben’s Branch toward the exit on the east side by by old H-E-B. Photo taken January 31, 2021.*

Importance of Project

Along Ben’s Branch, as a result of flooding during Harvey:

Kingwood High School immediately to the west of this project flooded badly. The building suffered $67 million in damages. The school lost another $10 million in contents. Four thousand students had to be bused to another school for seven months.
Homes along both sides of the ditch flooded.
All four shopping centers in Kingwood’s Town Center flooded. Many businesses still have not returned.
Thirteen people died, included twelve seniors at Kingwood Village Estates. Six died from injuries sustained during evacuation and six from stress-related illnesses after returning and finding their homes destroyed.

*Looking south from northern end of project. Kingwood High School in upper right.*

History of Previous Ben’s Branch Projects since Harvey

Previously, HCFCD cleaned out the portion of Ben’s Branch from the YMCA on West Lake Houston Parkway north to Kingwood Drive. This is an extension of that project. HCFCD also cleaned out the portion from Northpark Drive to Kids in Action on Woodland Hills Drive. Flood Control could not obtain permission to excavate anything in the natural portion of Ben’s Branch between St. Martha’s Catholic School and Rocky Woods. However, HCFCD did clean out underbrush to let water flow faster through that area.

Scope of Current Work

For the current work between Kingwood Drive and Rocky Woods, HCFCD will start at the downstream end and work its way north. The work should take about five months. It involves removing more than 22,000 cubic yards of sediment, restoring the original banks of the ditch, and replacing a number of outfall pipes that have become blocked or damaged over time.

Once the work begins in earnest, HCFCD contractors will enter the northern side of the project at the end of Cedar Knolls and move south toward Kingwood Drive. There, they will exit the project behind the old H-E-B store. Crews will work around Kingwood High School start/stop times to reduce traffic snarls.

HCFCD considers this a maintenance project, not a capital-improvement project.

Related Projects in Kingwood

The Kingwood Drainage Analysis identified two much-needed capital improvement projects in Kingwood:

Expansion of the Diversion Ditch that runs from the new St. Martha Church down to Deer Ridge and River Grove Parks where it eventually enters the West Fork. The purpose of the Diversion Ditch project: to further reduce the flow of water into Ben’s Branch.
A project to reduce flooding along Taylor Gully. Two options have been discussed:
- Widening and deepening Taylor Gully itself
- Establishing a regional detention pond on the land owned by Perry Homes’ subsidiary Figure Four Partners.

HCFCD has not announced a timetable yet for either of those projects. Any work on Taylor Gully would depend on whether Harris County and the City are able to negotiate the purchase of Woodridge Village from Perry. Woodridge Village is the aborted development that twice flooded Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest Villages in 2019.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/3/2021

1253 Days since Hurricane Harvey

How to Find Active HCFCD District Capital and Maintenance Projects

If you’ve been wondering what Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) is up to, check out this interactive GIS Map on HCFCD.org. It shows all active capital and maintenance projects, their exact locations, and budgets. It’s one of several interactive GIS maps that can give you critical information about flood risks, flood maps, mowing schedules, and more.

Active Projects for January 2021

The map below shows active HCFCD projects for January 2021. HCFCD says it updates the maps in the first week of each month. Projects that start after that may not show up until the following month. Active projects include both capital (new construction) and maintenance projects.

Click on the map to launch the app. Click on any project listed on the left or corresponding number on the map to review project description, budget and location in all Harris County Commissioners Court Precincts.

You will find both the legend and filters in the upper right corner. Red circles represent capital projects and black circles represent maintenance projects. To focus only on one type, click the layer icon in the far upper right. Press one type of project or the other to deselect it.

*Active project viewer on HCFCD site. Note: not all of these projects involve flood-bond dollars.*

What Capital Projects Include

Capital projects include major projects that reduce flooding risks and damages by:

Increasing stormwater conveyance capacity in bayous and drainage channels
Excavating stormwater detention basins.

Stormwater detention basins reduce flooding risks and damages during heavy rain events by safely storing excess stormwater and slowly releasing it back to the bayou when the threat of flooding has passed.

More About Maintenance Projects

Maintenance projects include repair projects aimed at returning flood damage reduction channels and other infrastructure to their original designed level of performance by:

Repairing sinkholes, slope failures and other damage caused by erosion
Removing sediment that can reduce stormwater conveyance capacity.

Smaller maintenance projects grouped together under one construction contract are often given both individual Project Identification Numbers and an umbrella number that begins with the letter “Z,” since there is often more than one watershed involved in the group. “Z-packages” have numbers such as Z100-00-00-X223.

What Map Does NOT Include

This map does not include flood damage reduction studies or projects in other preliminary phases; smaller maintenance projects performed by Flood Control District work crews; or completed construction projects.

Equity?

One of the first things that strikes me about the January map is the lack of projects in the northeastern portion of the county. To be fair, two small maintenance projects have started in Kingwood since the map above was compiled. But still, a glance at the map shows that projects are heavily skewed toward the south, central and western sides of the county.

Example: The construction projects now underway on Brays, White Oak, and Hunting Bayous total more than $100 million. But there are ZERO construction projects underway in Kingwood, Humble, Huffman, Atascocita, Spring, Tomball, and Crosby – all areas hard hit by Harvey.

Fairness to all?

Commissioner’s Court has pushed the Flood Control District to start projects in lower income areas first based. A majority of commissioners worry that low income residents are less able to recover from floods. They also worry that money in the flood bond won’t cover all projects identified in the 2018 flood bond. Some have even talked about floating another bond.

Good luck with that if they don’t adopt a more equitable definition of “equity” which the 2018 flood bond promised!

Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/25/2021 based on public information provided by HCFCD

1145 Days since Hurricane Harvey

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