BY WESLEY GARDNER
Why it matters
Looking ahead
Spillway improvement project
2022
December 2022: The city moves forward with its current design to add 11 gates outside the existing dam structure after discovering a previous design would not have worked. December 2025: The city and CWA begin the 30-60-90 design process, with the 30% design portion covering all conceptual sketches involved. May 2026: The city and CWA submit the 60% design documents for the project, which will include more detailed plans. December 2026: The city and CWA submit nal design plans for the project and begin the permitting process. Summer 2028: Construction begins on the Lake Houston Dam Spillway Improvement Project. Winter 2030: Construction wraps up on the project.
Kim Fazzino, real estate agent with Imperato Fazzino Group, said she expects the planned improvements to the Lake Houston Dam to have a positive eect on property values in the area. Following Hurricane Harvey in 2017, Fazzino said most homes that were aected by ooding actually gained value. “The homes that ooded got completely redone,” Fazzino said. “Many of those homes needed a face-lift [prior to the ood].” Fazzino said she expects the improvements to the dam to increase consumer condence when purchasing homes in ood-prone areas. Fazzino also noted oods in Kingwood and around Lake Houston haven’t aected ood insur- ance rates for most homes in the area because they aren’t located in designated ood plains. “Flood insurance is based on whether you’re in the ood plain,” she said. “The majority of our homes that ooded were not in the ood plain, because we got ooded by [water from] Conroe.”
In August, Harris County commissioners authorized the issuance of a letter asking FEMA to prioritize and update ood plain maps. Updated maps were last expected in 2023, according to previous reporting, but they have been continually delayed. Fazzino said updated maps could result in new ood insurance requirements, but she said it would be dicult to discern who would be a¡ected until the new maps are approved. Concerning the dam spillway improvement project, Fred Flickinger, Houston City Council District E council member, said he was condent in the updated timeline. Huberty echoed Flickinger’s sentiment. “From start to nish, considering the size and scope, the project is moving as fast as humanly possible,” Huberty said. Olinger said construction on the project will take roughly 30 months.
2025
2026
2028
2030
SOURCES: COASTAL WATER AUTHORITY, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS COMMUNITY IMPACT
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LAKE HOUSTON HUMBLE KINGWOOD EDITION
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