F-71 Willow Creek Watershed Planning Project

F-71 Willow Creek Watershed Planning Project
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PROJECT DESCRIPTION

This effort resulted in a watershed-wide plan for major stormwater infrastructure improvements in the watershed of Willow Creek, HCFCD Unit M100-00-00. Completed in 2021, the Willow Creek Watershed Planning Project investigated flooding problems, identified ongoing and proposed flood mitigation projects, and evaluated and recommended potential projects to reduce the risk of flooding in this watershed.

Summary of Willow Creek Watershed Plan

Published February 22, 2021

The Flood Control District applied for and was awarded partnership funding for this project from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery program (CDBG-DR) awarded through the Texas General Land Office of the State of Texas to Harris County Community Services Department.

Planners worked with Harris County, municipalities and other agencies, both to clarify flooding issues in the watershed, and to improve coordination between Flood Control District regional projects and future local projects.

This type of Watershed Planning Project is a feasibility project, which means that results and recommendations are at a conceptual level. Each recommended project would need to be developed in more detail during separate preliminary engineering and design stages of the project lifecycle before proceeding to construction, which could be at least several years away. 

Taking a watershed-wide approach will ensure that future flood risk reduction projects work together and are sequenced appropriately to achieve the maximum benefits.

The Willow Creek Watershed Planning Project had a contract budget of $800,000. The 2018 HCFCD Bond Program includes Bond ID F-106, which allocated $15 million for ROW acquisition, engineering and construction of individual flood risk reduction projects in the watershed, and Bond ID F-36 which allocated $30 million for ROW acquisition and floodplain preservation.