To kick-start engineering studies for a proposed detention basin project in the Cypress Creek watershed, Harris County Water Control and Improvement District No. 110 is negotiating an interlocal agreement with the Harris County Flood Control District, the entities announced during an Oct. 26 meeting.
“It’s an ideal opportunity [that] has been presented to us for immediate action to be taken to curb flooding along Cypress Creek,” WCID 110 Secretary Vanessa Sommer said.
The studies will be conducted for three proposed stormwater detention basins located on the east side of I-45, south of Cypresswood Drive and north of FM 1960. The studies for the project are expected to cost $1 million, which will be funded equally by the HCFCD and WCID 110 and are expected to take about one year to complete, according to WCID 110.
WCID 110 leaders have been working toward this project since early 2019, according to the entity.
“This study is being expedited by an interlocal agreement with [the HCFCD],” John Davis of Langford Engineering said. “We’re trying to...speed this project up and get it on HCFCD’s—[and] hopefully the state’s [and] hopefully the [county] precinct’s—radar quickly.”
The first phase of construction of the basins would cost an estimated $11 million, according to WCID 110, which the entity officials said they are hoping would be funded through all impacted local utility districts and matching funds from the HCFCD. The total cost of constructing the three basins was estimated at $55.2 million by engineering firm Jones & Carter, which completed the Cypress Creek Program Implementation Plan. WCID 110 leaders are looking into federal and state funding options and potential funding from Harris County Commissioner precincts 3 and 1, which would be impacted by the projects.
“This one year lead time will allow for our district and supporters of this regional drainage project to explore options for obtaining funding for the $5.5 million in matching funds,” Sommer said.
The three stormwater detention basins targeted by the project were identified by the Cypress Creek Program Implementation Plan, which was released in January. Combined, the basins would provide about 1,057 acre-feet of water storage. One acre-foot equals 325,851 gallons, or enough water to cover an acre of land—about the size of a football field—one foot deep.
The basins targeted by WCID 110 and the HCFCD’s studies are basins 10, 11 and 12—dubbed Senger SDB South, North and West in the report.
“This area ... is an ideal location to construct regional drainage facilities to mitigate flooding along Cypress Creek on the east and west sides of I-45,” Sommer said.
Of the about 146 total acres to be designated for the project, the HCFCD owns about 60 acres, and Harris County owns the rest. No other land acquisition will be necessary for the project, according to WCID 110.
Basins 10, 11 and 12 would be built on about 47.09 acres, 41.27 acres and 10.7 acres of land, respectively.
As part of the project, the organizations could potentially work with the Texas Department of Transportation to build trails where needed, including a new trail under I-45 where it intersects with Cypress Creek.
This project is not connected to the Cypress Creek drainage district proposed in June by community group The Cypress Creek Flooding Task Force.
