Nearly two years after Hurricane Harvey, the Spring Creek Greenway Nature Center is slated to reopen this summer, Montgomery County Precinct 3 officials said.
In August 2017, heavy rainfall from Hurricane Harvey caused Spring Creek—the southern boundary of Montgomery County—to rise out of its banks, cresting at 111.45 feet—a record level set in 1994, according to the Harris County Flood Control District. The flooding resulted in widespread destruction, including the Spring Creek Greenway Nature Center.
“Approximately 4 feet of water flooded the Spring Creek Greenway Nature Center during rainstorms from Hurricane Harvey in August 2017, causing major damage and forcing its closure,” Precinct 3 spokesperson Andy DuBois said.
Located adjacent to the Peckinpaugh and Spring Trails preserves, the 11,000-square-foot Spring Creek Greenway Nature Center features a community center, the Sheriff Department’s Patrol District II office, a pavilion and nature trails.
The flooding from Hurricane Harvey has left the building closed to the community for nearly two years.
Rebuilding efforts
The Spring Creek Greenway Nature Center was not the only county building affected by Hurricane Harvey. The Robinson Road Community Center in Oak Ridge North has also been closed for the past several months while officials have worked to move assets from the Spring Creek center.
“Animals and displays that were at the nature center are temporarily being housed at the Robinson Road Community Center, making that facility unavailable for public use at this time,” DuBois said.
Montgomery County Precinct 3 Commissioner James Noack’s office also sustained damage during Harvey. The county has since negotiated with its insurance company regarding all damaged buildings, and the repair and restoration of the facilities has been ongoing, DuBois said.
“An expanded nature center is under construction with completion anticipated by the end of summer 2019,” DuBois said. “Renovation work will include the addition of a community center for use by residents on the east side of I-45.”
Once the Spring Creek Greenway Nature Center reopens this summer, the Robinson Road Community Center is likewise expected to reopen to the public, county officials said.
Other Precinct 3 community centers include the South County Community Center, located in The Woodlands, and the Oklahoma Community Center, located in Magnolia. Precinct 3 officials said more than 200 clubs use the facilities every year.
