Poor Farm Ditch construction to be underway by summer From the cover
The project
Poor Farm Ditch project scope
City boundary
Construction zone
Impacted area
Construction of a vital ood control project across three cities is set to begin by early summer. The $32 million Poor Farm Ditch project aims to reconstruct a longstanding failing concrete lining along the human-made ditch. Design work on the project has been underway since 2015, though studies into the stormwater conveyance channel date back to the 1990s, Harris County Flood Control District o cials said. After more than 10 years of design work, Poor Farm Ditch is moving forward—with a boost in funding from city, county and federal dollars. Flood district o cials gave a formal update during a Feb. 3 public meeting at the West University Place administration building, detailing the ood mitigation project that runs from just south of Greenway Plaza to Brays Bayou through the cities of Houston, West University Place and Southside Place. Months earlier, during a Dec. 8 West University City Council meeting, Public Works Director Michael Leech said the work will last at least two to four years. This particular channel restoration project will start at the end of the channel along Bellaire Boulevard and move north toward University Boulevard.
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1,330 acres: Amount of stormwater drainage Poor Farm Ditch provides 100-year storm event: Capacity to carry the amount of stormwater produced in very intense rainfall events
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BUFFALO SPEEDWAY
West University Place
610
UNIVERSITY BLVD.
BELLAIRE BLVD.
W. HOLCOMBE BLVD.
POOR FARM DITCH
BRAESWOOD BLVD.
BRAYS BAYOU
BELLAIRE BLVD.
W. HOLCOMBE BLVD.
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SOURCE: HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT COMMUNITY IMPACT
Digging deeper
The context
Council member John Bertini said a third of West U homes in the oodplain are drained by Poor Farm Ditch. As decisions are being made, maintaining a high-performing ood project should be a priority, he said. “I have a hard time explaining to those thou- sands of homeowners, because we’re saving one or two trees, we are doing something less than ideal for the major drain artery,” Bertini said. “So, you know, trees are wonderful, but we can do without one or two to preserve the best possible ditch.” West U resident Mardi Turner lives one block away from the ditch and said she is excited about the ood control project moving forward and its impact on residents. “Poor Farm Ditch south of University [Boulevard] is literally falling on itself,” Turner said. “Kudos to [Harris County Flood Control District] for nally taking this on.” West U o cials said in December that they would notify at least 31 property owners a ected by the planned widening along the
Poor Farm Ditch north of University Boulevard has enough stormwater storage capacity to with- stand a 100-year storm event, but the channel’s capacity downstream toward Bellaire Boulevard would need to be enlarged by as much as 75% to withstand the same water capacity, according to a 2004 HCFCD feasibility study. Channel improvements By replacing failing concrete lining along the channel, the project will restore the channel to its original design.
West University Place estimated percentages of ood risk by year Taking into consideration ood reduction projects in the city and high-intensity rainfall events, research nonpro t First Street’s data model estimated a moderate risk for the city.
Hurricane Harvey in 2017 impacted 3,021 homes or 56.2% of properties.
2026 82.1% of properties 2041 80.7% of properties 2056 79.4% of properties
8-inch-thick reinforced concrete overbank pavement
Fencing
12-inch-thick main concrete channel
SOURCE: FIRST STREET COMMUNITY IMPACT
POOR FARM DITCH
city’s southern edge. By February, Leech said the handful of residents he spoke with sup- ported the changes needed to meet the county’s project requirements, such as fence encroach- ments that will need to be moved.
Limits of material to be removed and disposed of
Geo-composite strip drains
SOURCES: HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT, WEST UNIVERSITY PLACE COMMUNITY IMPACT
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