The Harris County Flood Control District will construct two stormwater detention basins along Cypress Creek with a goal of protecting an estimated 40,000 people, officials said during a virtual community presentation June 17.

Batch 5 is the final installment in a series of Cypress Creek channel rehabilitation and detention basin efforts, which is mainly funded by a federal grant, along with the district’s $2.5 billion bond, approved by voters in 2018.

District officials said they will finish the project’s design by July and begin construction in 2026. Project completion is scheduled for 2028.

The operation is the fifth and last of the major scheduled maintenance projects along Cypress Creek. The project is estimated to cost $55 million, with $53.7 million coming from the federal Community Development Block Grant Program.

The big picture


Batch 5 is designed to reduce flooding in the Cypress Creek waterway by up to 1 foot. The stormwater detention basins will be able to hold 631 acre-feet, or 206 million gallons, of water—enough to fill 917 Olympic-sized swimming pools, Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey said during the virtual information session June 17.

“As part of our Precinct 3 top priorities, your safety is number one, and this includes protecting you from the negative impacts of natural disasters,” Ramsey said. “We are committed to finding solutions to this flooding problem in Harris County.”

Harris County is especially vulnerable to flooding because of the area’s flat land and clay soil, which doesn’t absorb water well, HCFCD Communications Specialist Herman Sanders said.

Batch 5 will consist of two packages to reduce flood risk, both located within the Cypress Creek watershed:


1. Channel rehabilitation at Kuykendahl Road and the Cypress Hill stormwater detention basin
  • Located north of Cypress Creek and east of Kuykendahl Road, this stormwater detention basin will be able to hold 148 acre-feet of stormwater. The package will also include 3,000 feet of modification to the main stem of Cypress Creek near Kuykendahl Road.
  • Update: The project is in the design phase.
  • Timeline: Construction is expected to finish in the fourth quarter of 2027.
2. Senger stormwater detention basin Phase 1 and channel rehabilitation at I-45
  • Located at the I-45 frontage road intersection of Cypress Creek, this stormwater detention basin will be able to hold 483 acre-feet of stormwater. The package will also include 4,300 feet of modification to the main stem of Cypress Creek east of I-45, north of Cypress Preserve Road.
  • Update: The project is in the design phase.
  • Timeline: Construction is expected to finish in the second quarter of 2028.