Editor's note: This article has been updated to clarify the estimated cost of construction and project funding sources.
A nearly $30 million flood mitigation project in Kingwood is moving forward following actions taken by Harris County Commissioners Court and Houston City Council in late March and early April, respectively.
What happened?
Harris County commissioners awarded a nearly $29.39 million flood mitigation project to Brice Construction & Design LLC during a business court meeting March 31. During an April 7 meeting, Houston City Council approved the transfer of a $10 million Texas Water Development Board grant that the city received for the same project to the Harris County Flood Control District via an interlocal agreement.
The Taylor Gully Channel Conveyance Improvements and Woodridge Stormwater Detention Basin project aims to reduce the risk of flooding in Kingwood through a combination of channel conveyance improvements and a stormwater detention basin, per the HCFCD website. The project was identified as part of the Kingwood Drainage Analysis Study.
In addition to the $10 million TWDB grant, the project's construction is also being funded with a $6.75 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and $12.64 million in Community Development Block Grant-Mitigation funds.
HCFCD officials noted until the interlocal agreement is finalized and the application with the Texas General Land Office is updated for the CDBG funds, the $10 million isn't formally changed to match the budget. As of press time, the interlocal agreement was pending approval by Harris County Commissioners Court.
About the project
A stormwater detention basin will be constructed on a 267-acre site located within the former Woodridge neighborhood development, which is located near Woodland Hills Drive and Northpark Drive in Montgomery County, per the HCFCD website. The land is jointly owned by the city of Houston and HCFCD.
Upon completion, the two-compartment, wet-bottom detention basin will be able to provide a combined 1,127 acre-feet of stormwater storage.
In addition to the stormwater detention basin, channel conveyance improvements are also planned for Taylor Gully, which runs primarily through the Elm Grove, Mills Branch, North Kingwood Forest and Woodstream Village subdivisions. Per the HCFCD website, the conveyance improvements will occur starting upstream at the Montgomery-Harris county line and end downstream near Maple Bend Drive.
The project will be completed in two phases:
- Phase 1: Taylor Gully channel conveyance improvements and Compartment 1 of the Woodridge Stormwater Detention Basin
- Phase 2: Compartment 2 of the Woodridge Stormwater Detention Basin (dependent on funding)
Quote of note"This is much needed flood mitigation in the Kingwood area," Houston City council member Fred Flickinger—who represents Kingwood—said during the April 7 meeting. "This area didn't even flood during [Hurricane] Harvey; there was a new development that took place actually in Montgomery County that affected this area, and the county and the city got together and purchased that property before the land actually got developed—although after it was cleared—and this is going to go a long way and actually improve the situation of those people."
What's next
Construction on Phase 1 is expected to begin soon, Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey said via Facebook on April 8.
"I’m very proud to see this project moving into construction, and bringing critical flood improvements to Kingwood," Ramsey said in an emailed statement to Community Impact. "We’re also working on the design of the Kingwood Diversion channel, which we’ve secured construction funds for. Precinct 3 remains focused on reducing flood risk for the area and providing much-needed relief to its residents."
