Futureproo ng Cypress Creek From the cover
The big picture
Projects along Cypress Creek watershed
6 Mueschke West Storm- water Detention Basin • Project stage: Planning • Original bond allocation: $10.5M • Spent-to-date: $7.6M • Estimated resume date: 2028 7 Mason Stormwater Detention Basin • Project stage: Engineering • Original bond allocation: $13M • Spent-to-date: $9.8M • Estimated resume date: TBD 8 Hegar Stormwater Detention Basin • Project stage: Planning • Original bond allocation: $10.9M • Spent-to-date: $7.8M • Estimated resume date: 2028
• Project scope: Reduce Cypress Creek flooding • Cost: $15M from federal funds; 2018 bond 4 Cypress Hill Stormwater Detention Basin • Project stage: Design phase; construction in 2027 • Project scope: Channel rehabilitation • Cost: $55M from federal funds, 2018 bond
Active projects
Since early February, Harris County Flood Control District o cials and Harris County commissioners have assessed the status of various projects within the $2.5 billion 2018 ood bond program. By June, HCFCD Executive Director Christina Petersen told commissioners they had identi ed a $400 million shortfall in project funding. As a result, commissioners approved several motions for HCFCD to complete by Sept. 18, including restructuring priority projects from the 2018 bond list based on criteria such as existing drainage levels and social vulnerability indexes. The second motion was to create a new online dashboard that displays project schedules, funding sources and completion dates. With 54 bond project packages completed, commissioners approved the direction of the remaining 116 project packages: • Active: 75 project packages move forward fully funded • Paused: 26 project packages await future funding • Closing: 15 project packages determined not technically feasible “We are prioritizing projects that provide the greatest bene ts and building a bench of projects ready for future funding,” Petersen said.
1 Senger Stormwater Detention Basin • Project stage: Design phase; construction in 2028 • Project scope: Channel rehabilitation • Cost: $55M from federal funds, 2018 bond 2 Kickerillo-Mischer Preserve • Project stage: Design phase • Project scope: Maintenance repairs along erosion-damaged sites • Cost: $22M in state funds 3 Mercer Stormwater Detention Basin • Project stage: Construction
Paused projects
5 Schiel Stormwater Detention Basin • Project stage: Planning • Original bond allocation: $16M • Spent-to-date: $5.1M • Estimated resume date : 2028
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8
5
Klein
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6
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LITTLE CYPRESS CREEK
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West eld
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CYPRESS CREEK
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SOURCE: HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT, TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD COMMUNITY IMPACT
The project
What they’re saying
Harris County residents who live close to the largest watershed in the county could see the bene ts of a number of ood mitigation projects along Cypress Creek, including the completion of the Mercer stormwater detention basin in the Spring-Klein area before the end of 2025. Spring-Klein business owner and resident Marc Priska said building out infrastructure is only part of the solution. “I believe we are in good shape to handle the additional watershed once all improvements are completed,” Priska said. A 2020 regional drainage study found that ooding in the area is mainly caused by rising stormwaters backing into tributaries along Cypress Creek. HCFCD engineer Mondel Garcia said stormwater could be reduced to minor street ooding with more detention basins in the county. “If you can reduce ooding to just a minor inconvenience, I think it’s all worth it,” Garcia said.
Mercer stormwater detention basin Wetlands Project boundaries Basins
“We need to invest in our future, and we need to invest in ood resilience.” ALAN STEINBERG,
Detention outfall: The point where the ditch discharges the water into Cypress Creek
HOUSTON STRONGER CHAIR
Equalizer pipe: A subsurface pipe that connects two basins, allowing water levels to equalize
“Harris County promptly voted on the issue, made decisions regarding what areas needed
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the most attention and proceeded to build it out.” MARC PRISKA, SPRING KLEIN BUSINESS OWNER
$15.4 million federal grant awarded
End of 2025 estimated project completion
512 acre-feet of stormwater storage during heavy rainfall events
1.2 million cubic yards of dirt excavated
SOURCE: HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT COMMUNITY IMPACT
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