A 14.5-mile second phase of the selective clearing project, from near the Liberty/Chambers county line to the Huffman/Eastgate area, was completed in 2019. The second phase was estimated to cost approximately $1 million, for a total project cost estimated at approximately $1.5 million.
Legislation creating the Flood Control District in 1937 authorizes the agency to devise plans to reduce flood damages and to remove natural or artificial obstructions from channels and bayous. The Flood Control District either owns property in fee or holds drainage easements along both banks of Cedar Bayou through the project area. In areas with limited public access, the Flood Control District may seek a temporary right of entry from adjacent landowners to reach the channel.
Selective clearing involves identifying and removing downed trees or trees at imminent risk of failure along forested bayous and drainage channels. The work in the channel and on channel slopes is performed by hand, using chainsaws, machetes and ropes. Contractors travel the channel mostly on foot. A secondary focus of this operation is to leave as much of the native understory as possible, while providing maintenance access and clearing non-native species. This practice helps maintain or restore the channel’s ability to convey stormwater, and promotes a more native shade canopy that will require minimal maintenance.