In a nutshell
On Oct. 8, Harris County Commissioners Court approved a $700,000 grant to aid in Phase 2 of the Brookshire-Katy Drainage District’s study, with the district funding $300,000 through its property tax revenue.
The district, created by the state legislature, provides maintenance to creeks across 49,000 acres in southeast Waller County, which includes Cane Island Creek, Snake Creek, Willow Fork Creek and others that lead to Buffalo Bayou and Downtown Houston, said Stan Kitzman, general manager of the Brookshire-Katy Drainage District.
“A grant like we were able to receive from Harris County, to be able to partner with them, is huge in being able to help us do a better job over here in the Brookshire-Katy Drainage District,” he said.
The details
The district began Phase 1 of the study in early 2022 and finished in 2023. Phase 2 of the master drainage plan will determine how deep channels should be to hold rainfall and how much easement the district should obtain to make channel improvements.
"I don't know that there's ever been a master drainage plan as detailed as what we're doing, but we really wanted to to have something that provided this up-to-date, accurate information so we can make wise decisions when it comes to issuing permits and so the developers know what they're dealing with," Kitzman said.
The study should also help district staff mitigate flood risk for community members, Kitzman said.
"It should make them safer in their home," he said.
The big picture
Dan Dmytryshyn, Precinct 4’s director of engineering and construction, said it made sense for the county to partner with the district due to the impact the Katy-area creeks have on the Houston region.
“This area is developing quite rapidly,” he said. “The idea is that by doing a drainage master plan, we are able to identify key pieces of drainage infrastructure that can be developed along the developments. This way [it’s] helping to mitigate floods not only in new areas that are being developed but further downstream so that we don't overload the existing bayou.”
Zooming out
Harris County Precinct 4 allocated the funds to the drainage district as part of its inaugural 2023 Call for Projects, a program that allows local partners to apply for county funds to be spent in the community, said Rey Guerra, chief infrastructure officer for Precinct 4.
Dmytryshyn said the 2023 Call for Projects funded:
- $170 million in projects, using $88 million in precinct dollars and leveraging $82 million from partnerships
- Thirty two projects
- Projects for 20 organizations
What’s next
The Brookshire-Katy Drainage District began Phase 2 of the study in mid-October and aim to finish it by the end of 2025, said Buddy Brand, assistant general manager of the district.
Meanwhile, Harris County Precinct 4 will announce the projects selected for the 2024 Call for Projects in mid-November, officials said. The 2024 projects will be funded through the fiscal year 2025-26 budget.
