Tropical Storm Cindy could bring heavy rains to the Houston region, providing a crucial test for several ongoing flood control projects.
Meyerland residents have been struck twice in recent years by water overflowing the Brays Bayou, but Russ Poppe, executive director of the Harris County Flood Control District, says $40 million worth of work is already underway.
“It aims to divert more water from the channel into the storm water retention basin, that's upstream around Beltway 8, and we just initiated some control structure projects on Willow Waterhole which is right around Post Oak Boulevard,” he says.
Construction was halted Wednesday in preparation of TS Cindy. Meanwhile, work also is underway around the Addicks and Barker Reservoirs on Houston's west side.
“The last update I got from the Army Corps of Engineers, they should be complete with the construction of the new outlet structures around 2020, so another three years,” says Poppe.
More than $100 million also is being pumped into North Houston's Greens Bayou.
“There's a $60 million plus job that we are doing on two large stormwater detention basins in conjunction with a grant we got from FEMA, and we're also working with the Army Corps of Engineers on about a $60 million project that includes another stormwater detention basin in the Beltway 8 and Greens Road area,” says Poppe.
Poppe says a another detention basin for White Oak Bayou is being developed on the former Inwood Forest Golf Course near Antoine Drive.