West U to hold public meeting on Poor Farm Ditch reconstruction project in February

West University Place and Harris County Flood Control District officials are planning a joint public meeting in February regarding the upcoming reconstruction project taking place by early summer along Poor Farm Ditch.

Residents are invited to attend the meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Feb. 3 at West U’s City Hall. During the meeting, HCFCD officials will share design details and inform residents on the project’s next steps leading through construction, according to a city announcement.

How we got here

The flood mitigation project aims to reconstruct Poor Farm Ditch in the Brays Bayou watershed between Bellaire and University boulevards to address its failing concrete lining, which has exceeded its useful life, according to HCFCD officials.

Digging deeper

HCFCD officials are addressing a longstanding failing concrete lining along Poor Farm Ditch and aim to reconstruct the channel with a concrete-lined trapezoidal cross section, according to agenda documents.

Design work on the human-made, concrete-lined Poor Farm Ditch has been underway since 2015, though studies into the stormwater conveyance channel date back to the 1990s, HCFCD officials said.

The cost

The $32.5 million in funding to improve Poor Farm Ditch was secured from multiple entities, including federal and state funding, two cities and Harris County.