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Poor Farm Ditch Conveyance Improvements Project
Portion of Brays Bayou watershed, with Poor Farm and Kilmarnock ditches highlighted in green.
About the Project
Centrally located in Harris County between the cities of Southside Place and West University Place, Poor Farm Ditch (along with Kilmarnock Ditch) channels stormwater into Brays Bayou. The ditch's 50-year-old concrete lining from Bellaire to University boulevards has reached the end of its lifespan and is failing. The Harris County Flood Control District has made a number of spot repairs, but a long-term solution is necessary.
Study of the ditch first began in 2002-2003, with the Poor Farm and Kilmarnock Regional Study, which originally identified the need for improvements to Poor Farm Ditch. A technical study group convened for this study and a number of recommendations were made at its conclusion, including:
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Expanding the capacity of Poor Farm Ditch between University and Bellaire boulevards. |
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Replacing the Bellaire Boulevard Bridge. |
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Including 43 acre-feet of mitigation for Poor Farm Ditch. |
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Replacing the N. Braeswood/Beechnut Bridge |
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Removing and/or replacing the existing outfall culverts into Brays Bayou |
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Including 21 acre-feet of mitigation for Kilmarnock Ditch |
Significant Considerations Before Construction Begins
The Poor Farm Ditch Conveyance Improvements Project was initiated in August 2007. It is a preliminary engineering effort to identify possible improvements to Poor Farm Ditch. The project's goal is to identify the most effective plan for replacing Poor Farm Ditch. While under the best of circumstances reconstruction of a ditch can be an extensive and lengthy process, Poor Farm Ditch has an additional complicating factor: limited access and right-of-way in a dense, residential area. Approximately 100 homes are located along the channel between University and Bellaire boulevards, and residents have several concerns, such as the possible need for additional right-of-way, removal of fences and other structures and general construction inconvenience.
Preliminary Work Has Begun
Surveyors and consultants already have begun their work. To ensure stakeholder participation, the Harris County Flood Control District has organized a study group made up of both public officials and area residents, many of whom participated in the earlier study.
Recommended improvements and construction still must be submitted for funding and will take into account the concerns of those who are involved in any future design.
> Contact the District about the Poor Farm Ditch Project via e-mail
> See general contact information about the District
> Learn about more projects in the Brays Bayou watershed
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Poor Farm Ditch Conveyance Improvements Project
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