Local · Trusted · Free
The Morning Impact — your neighborhood's most important stories, delivered every morning.
A Texas A&M study of Clear Creek revealed over 16.7 million cubic yards of accumulated sediment and thousands of hazardous objects obstructing the waterway.
The city of Friendswood, which is pierced by Clear Creek, is identifying ways to fund ongoing projects that will mitigate flooding and debris in the city’s waterways.
The details
Friendswood City Council heard a quarterly drainage report from Maura Blackburn, a graduate engineer for the city, at its Nov. 2 meeting.
The Harris County Flood Control District, or HCFCD, received bids in October for construction of a regional stormwater basin, which will be located near the intersection of Blackhawk Boulevard and FM 1959, Blackburn said.
While the basin’s construction is slated to begin in early 2027, Blackburn said the Galveston County Consolidated Drainage District had withdrawn its financial commitment to the $32 million project.
Friendswood is also building two other detention ponds to accommodate the future City Center development, according to a presentation Blackburn shared at the meeting. Excavations for both ponds are largely complete, and the city is working to build a bridge near the ponds and finish the project’s landscaping.
Adjacent to the City Center’s detention basins, the city is building a terracing and stormwater detention basin, which is a joint project between the city and HCFCD, according to the presentation.
What else?
Council member Robert Griffon presented findings from a study conducted by the Disaster Data Reconnaissance Center at Texas A&M University.
The study found thousands of pieces of debris in Clear Creek, including:
489 tires
1,928 trees
1 car
9 shipwrecks
According to the study, 80% of the sediment can be attributed to storm events and 20% to construction runoff.
Now, the GCCDD will partner with engineering firm HDR to evaluate the study, a move the district hopes will re-engage the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which departed from local Friendswood projects following disagreements over environmental considerations, Griffon said.
What they’re saying
Council member Michael Ross said the city needed to continue pursuing partnerships with regional entities in order to fund and build projects in Friendswood.
“This is a marathon, not a sprint,” Ross said. “There are multiple agencies that are involved. These aren't going to be local-only solutions for this, and we have to build coalitions and partnerships with those organizations to do this.”
