Funding for the Lake Houston Spillway Dam Improvement Project has reached a “critical point,” according to a May 17 newsletter from Kyle Sheldon, the president and CEO of Partnership Lake Houston.
The background: Since 2017, the city of Houston, Harris County, and state and federal officials have been working to address the shortcomings of the Lake Houston spillway dam that were highlighted during Hurricane Harvey. As previously reported by Community Impact, these efforts include a roughly $200 million design for improvements to the dam that would add an additional 11 gates to the existing four-gate structure, which was built in 1953.
By the numbers: According to Sheldon's letter, the city of Houston has:
- spent nearly $4.38 million on design for the Lake Houston Spillway Dam Improvement Project
- secured an additional $48 million from the federal government as well as $30 million in local funds
The entities are turning to the state to provide the final $150 million needed for the final design and construction of the new gates.
