Two-minute impact
During a town hall held in The Woodlands on April 28, residents were given a preview of the first two proposed projects being advanced by SJRA as part of the San Jacinto Regional Watershed Master Drainage Plan completed in 2020.
According to the study, which will be released in full May 9, the SJRA is recommending a total of two detention dams be constructed, one at Birch Creek and one at Walnut Creek in Waller County. The locations were selected due to calculated water flows downstream along Spring Creek, SJRA officials said.
Birch Creek Dam: $105 million
• Height: 35.4 feet
• Volume: 4,800 acre feet
Walnut Creek Dam: $193 million
• Height: 39.1 feet
• Volume: 7,300 acre feet
A $1 million feasibility study for the conceptual design and flooding impact for the dams was funded in 2022 by the Woodlands Water Agency, Harris County Flood Control District, the city of Humble and the Texas Water Development Board.
Diving in deeper
According to the report presented by SJRA engineers Matt Barrett and Andrew Moore, the location of the two dams is set to prevent between 4 inches and 3 feet of downstream flooding for 8,762 structures along the Spring Creek watershed, which extends from Tomball to Humble.
Barrett said the majority of local municipalities do not have any dedicated funds to move forward on the construction of the two dams. However, Barrett also said local municipalities would likely not be able to fund the project without state and federal funding.
“The goal of this study is to identify cost-effective, impactful flood mitigation projects in the Spring Creek watershed, and ultimately to be able to allow project sponsors to know what's the next step,” Barrett said.
Residents are encouraged to submit any comments on the proposed projects to the SJRA by June 9, and a final report will be sent to the TWDB by June 30 for official consideration for funding.
Barrett said the agency will also continue to seek out project sponsors while moving the project through state and federal authorization processes.
