Cypress Edition | February 2023

NEWS BRIEFS

Harris County Flood Control District completes 2 phases of bond projects along Cypress Creek

BATCH BY BATCH The Harris County Flood Control District completed the rst two portions—batch 1 and 2—of the Major Maintenance of Cypress Creek and Tributaries program in December to improve channel conveyance capacity by removing built-up sediment and repairing erosion damage in the Cypress Creek watershed.

BY EMILY LINCKE

stones to ght erosion, outfall pipes, maintenance holes and concrete channel linings. A $13.4 million project, Batch 1 included about 8 miles of work across seven channels south of Spring Cypress Road in the Spring area. Construction on this portion began in June 2020. Batch 2—a $3.3 million eort spanning nearly 6 miles of work across nine channels north of Cypress Creek near Hwy. 249—launched in August 2021. During renovations for Batch 1, over 2.12 million cubic yards of material were removed, and about 4 linear miles of pipe were installed. The HCFCD began construction on Batch 3 in summer 2022 with completion anticipated for summer 2024. This $10.8 million segment of the project includes nearly 6 miles of work across 12 channels in the Spring and Cypress areas. Construction on Batch 4 is expected to begin in early 2023 and will cover 4 miles of work across several tributaries.

Scope: 8 miles of work across seven channels Cost: $13.4 million Timeline: June 2020- December 2022 Batch 1

Scope: 6 miles of work across nine channels Cost: $3.3 million Timeline: August 2021- December 2022 Batch 2

In December, construction wrapped up on two groups of 2018 bond projects from the Harris County Flood Control District that focus on improving water ow along Cypress Creek and its tributaries, according to a news release. Batches 1 and 2 of the Major Maintenance of Cypress Creek and Tributaries program were completed ahead of schedule, HCFCD ocials said. Combined, the two phases used almost $17 million in bond funds, and a little over 13 linear miles of work were completed. The Major Maintenance of Cypress Creek and Tributaries program will be completed in four to ve total batches; batches 3 and 4 are in progress. This program is targeted at bettering “channel conveyance capacity” in the Cypress Creek watershed by removing built-up sediment and repairing erosion damage, according to the news release. Other work included replacing “riprap”

99 TOLL

249

1960

CYPRESS CREEK

SOURCE: HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT COMMUNITY IMPACT

Historic water rate reductions approved

Lone Star College System chancellor to retire Aug. 1

BY PEYTON MACKENZIE

months after the election of three new board members whose cam- paigns centered on bringing an end to water rate increases. “I am grateful that in just over a month of hard work since being sworn in, the directors worked with the sta and consultants to identify and implement an immediate savings to ratepayers while working on longer-term solutions to better utilize abundant water resources available to North Harris County residents,” President Mark Ramsey said in a statement.

The North Harris County Regional Water Authority approved a reduc- tion of water rates during a Jan. 9 regular board meeting for the rst time in the water authority’s history. The NHCRWA voted to reduce its surface water rates by $0.50, changing the rates from $5.05 to $4.55 per 1,000 gallons. The board also voted to reduce the groundwater pumpage fees from $4.60 to $4.10 per 1,000 gallons. The price reduction will go into eect Feb. 1, according to the NHCRWA website. This vote occurred

Stephen Head, the chancellor of the Lone Star College System, will retire Aug. 1. (Courtesy Lone Star College)

BY CASSANDRA JENKINS

Stephen Head, the chancellor of the Lone Star College System, announced he will retire Aug. 1 in a LSCS news release Jan. 10. Head joined LSCS in 1984 and became chancellor in 2014. Head said in the release he hopes to give the LSCS board of trustees plenty of time to search and select his replacement by making his

announcement early. A search com- mittee will be formed in addition to selecting a search consultant. “I am very proud of what we have accomplished and have watched the college evolve into one of the premier community colleges in the country,” Head said.

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