House Bill 1532, authored by state Rep. Charles Cunningham, R-Humble, would create the Lake Houston Dredging and Maintenance District.
Following flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey in 2017, local, state and federal agencies have contributed roughly $222 million to remove more than 4 million cubic yards of sand and sediment from Lake Houston and its tributaries, officials with Houston District E council member Fred Flickinger’s office said.
Flickinger said the creation of a district would help sustain dredging efforts after the current efforts are completed.
“The work that’s currently being carried out is the last of the money that we got from Harvey,” Flickinger said. “We absolutely need something going forward.”
Additionally, Flickinger said the use of a district would lead to more efficient dredging operations because projects wouldn’t be constrained by restrictions imposed when using Federal Emergency Management Agency funding.
The Harris County Flood Control District manages waterways that lead into Lake Houston, but not the lake itself. HCFCD frequently works with partners across the region for these efforts where jurisdictions may fall close to each other, Emily Woodell, chief external affairs officer for HCFCD, said via a Jan. 30 email.
A closer look
During the 2023 legislative session, Cunningham introduced a nearly identical bill that failed to gain the approval of his colleagues. Former Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Humble, introduced a similar bill with several other representatives during the 2021 session that passed in the House but did not make it to a vote in the Senate.
Cunningham said the biggest issue the bill is facing is finding initial funding.
According to the bill, the state Legislature could appropriate up to $25 million per year to help with initial operations; however, the funding could only be provided through Sept. 1, 2027. While the district would not be able to impose any fees or new taxes, it would have the authority to issue bonds that would be paid off using revenue generated by the district.
The bill also states the district could apply for grant funding and generate revenue through the sale of any sand, gravel, marl, shell or mudshell obtained from dredging.
Bob Rehak, a local flood expert who runs the website ReduceFlooding.com, said the creation of a district could help streamline dredging operations once it’s able to generate its own funds.
“Imagine having to wait for an act of Congress to fill up your car with gasoline, then spending another two years applying for a grant,” Rehak said.
In the neighboring Spring and Cypress communities, the Cypress Creek Drainage Improvement District was approved by the Texas Legislature in May 2023 after being proposed for the first time, which is rare, CCDID President Calvin Cobb said.
Like the proposed Lake Houston district, the CCDID lacks powers of eminent domain and taxation, which Cobb said is likely why it was approved. However he noted this has created some challenges when trying to get projects funded.
What they're saying
- “When we have [flooding] events, the river rises and it breaches sand mines. The current carries all that down with it, but even without that, sediment comes into the lake 24/7," Fred Flickinger said.
- “From my perspective, it’s one of the most important bills introduced in this Legislature," Rehak said.
Work is still being completed on a $20 million dredging project encompassing 181 acres of the West Fork of the San Jacinto River, Flickinger said. Meanwhile, construction on the $155 million Lake Houston Spillway Dam Improvement Project is projected to begin in 2026 and finish by 2029.
Additionally, projects along the San Jacinto River account for about $89.1 million in funding from the HCFCD’s 2018, $2.5 billion bond program, according to the district’s July report.
What happens next?
To be signed into law and create the Lake Houston Dredging and Maintenance District, HB 1532 still needs to pass multiple stages in the Legislature. The bill will need to be approved by the Texas House and Senate before being approved by Gov. Greg Abbott, according to the Texas Legislature Online.
As of press time Feb. 20, the only action that has been taken on the bill since it was filed was transmitting it to the governor on Jan. 16, per the TLO.
If the bill is approved, Harris County and city of Houston officials would each appoint three members to serve on the district’s board of directors. The city and county would then need to agree on the appointment of the seventh member. Board members would serve staggered, four-year terms.
