As a result, commissioners approved several motions for HCFCD to complete by Sept. 18, including restructuring priority projects from the 2018 bond list based on criteria such as existing drainage levels and social vulnerability indexes. The second motion was to create a new online dashboard that displays project schedules, funding sources and completion dates.
With 54 bond project packages completed, commissioners approved the direction of the remaining 116 project packages:
- Active: 75 project packages move forward fully funded
- Paused: 26 project packages await future funding
- Closing: 15 project packages determined not technically feasible
Active projects along Cypress Creek Watershed
Kickerillo-Mischer Preserve
- Project stage: Design phase
- Project scope: Maintenance repairs along erosion-damaged sites
- Cost: $22M in state funds
Senger Stormwater Detention Basin
- Project stage: Design phase; Construction in 2028
- Project scope: Channel rehabilitation
- Cost: $55M from federal funds, 2018 bond
Mercer Stormwater Detention Basin
- Project stage: Construction
- Project scope: Reduce Cypress Creek flooding
- Cost: $15M from federal funds, 2018 bond
Cypress Hill Stormwater Detention Basin
- Project stage: Design phase, Construction in 2027
- Project scope: Channel rehabilitation
- Cost: $55M from federal funds, 2018 bond
Paused projects along Little Cypress Creek Watershed
Schiel Stormwater Detention Basin
- Project stage: Planning
- Original bond allocation: $16M
- Spent-to-date: $5.1M
- Estimated resume date: 2028
Mueschke West Stormwater Detention Basin
- Project stage: Planning
- Original bond allocation: $10.5M
- Spent-to-date: $7.6M
- Estimated resume date: 2028
Mason Stormwater Detention Basin
- Project stage: Engineering
- Original bond allocation: $13M
- Spent-to-date: $9.8M
- Estimated resume date: TBD
Hegar Stormwater Detention Basin
- Project stage: Planning
- Original bond allocation: $10.9M
- Spent-to-date: $7.8M
- Estimated resume date: 2028
The project
Harris County residents who live close to the largest watershed in the county could see the benefits of a number of flood mitigation projects along Cypress Creek, including the completion of the Mercer stormwater detention basin in the Spring-Klein area before the end of 2025.
Spring-Klein business owner and resident Marc Priska said building out infrastructure is only part of the solution.
“I believe we are in good shape to handle the additional watershed once all improvements are completed,” Priska said.
A 2020 regional drainage study found that flooding in the area is mainly caused by rising stormwaters backing into tributaries along Cypress Creek.
HCFCD engineer Mondel Garcia said stormwater could be reduced to minor street flooding with more detention basins in the county.
“If you can reduce flooding to just a minor inconvenience, I think it’s all worth it,” Garcia said.
What they're saying
“We need to invest in our future, and we need to invest in flood resilience.” - Alan Steinberg, Houston Stronger chair
“Harris County promptly voted on the issue, made decisions regarding what areas needed the most attention and proceeded to build it out.” - Marc Priska, Spring-Klein business
owner
Digging deeper
Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey said during a Sept. 22 stakeholder town hall that out of the 15 canceled flood bond IDs, eight of them were located in his precinct, which covers unincorporated north Harris County.
Despite having to place a pause on projects, Ramsey said $1.5 billion has already been invested in completed stormwater detention and channel improvements throughout the county.
“This is really good engineering decisions being made to try to get projects moving,” Ramsey said.
Going forward
HCFCD officials, along with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, are completing the early stages of the Solutions for Advancing Floodplain Evaluation and Resilience Study, or SAFER Study, which aims to identify projects across 11 of the county’s 23 watersheds—including Cypress Creek—to pursue large-scale federal funding. The study builds on current initiatives and data-driven projects, including current and past capital projects.
At an Aug. 21 workshop, flood district officials said the multiyear, multiphase initiative will utilize community feedback to develop a strategy using tools such as detention basins, tunnels and floodplain risk analysis.
Once the final report is completed and submitted in 2027, pending approval in 2028, watershed projects can be identified and federally funded after Phase 5.
- Phase 1: summer-fall 2025, community engagement
- Phase 2: fall 2025-winter 2026, tentatively select project plan
- Phase 3: winter 2026-summer 2027, draft feasibility report
- Phase 4: summer 2027-fall 2027, final report submission to federal agency
- Phase 5: fall 2027-summer 2028, Congress authorizes plan
