Construction has begun on the second phase of a Harris County Flood Control District stormwater detention basin on Little Cypress Creek, part of a regional drainage infrastructure plan for an area of northwest Harris County.
Construction has begun on the second phase of a Harris County Flood Control District stormwater detention basin on Little Cypress Creek, part of a regional drainage infrastructure plan for an area of northwest Harris County.
The basin is located on the east side of Harris County Precinct 3’s existing 141-acre Zube Park, extending onto an 84-acre Flood Control District site between Roberts and Becker roads. (Please refer to the map below for project location.) On October 25, 2016, Harris County Commissioners Court awarded an approximately $1.5 million construction contract to low bidder Crystalline Development LLC. Work began in January and is expected to be completed by Summer 2017.
The Flood Control District is coordinating phased construction of the new basin with Precinct 3, which is contributing $600,000 to the project via a U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Department grant administered by the Harris County Community Services Department.
Formally identified as HCFCD Unit L500-01-00, the Zube Park basin is one of eight major stormwater detention basin construction projects under construction by the Flood Control District this calendar year.
Work will involve the excavation and removal of approximately 101,000 cubic yards of soil. The project also includes construction of a weir or spillway structure that also will serve as a pedestrian crossing over Little Cypress Creek as part of Zube Park’s expanding trail system. Weirs are a type of structure designed to control and direct stormwater from the channel or bayou into a detention basin.
Phase I Work, which was completed in 2016, established the top-of-bank outline of the basin along its south and east sides. The Zube Park basin is designed to ultimately hold approximately 195.5 million gallons, or more than 600 acre-feet, of stormwater during heavy rain events. Stormwater detention basins reduce flooding risks and damages during heavy rain events by safely storing excess floodwater and slowly releasing it back to the bayou or creek when the threat of flooding has passed.
Construction and Safety
The contractor will use large construction trucks, excavators and other equipment to perform work on the project and to remove vegetation and soil from the site. For public safety reasons, portions of the pedestrian trail in the southeast area of Zube Park will be temporarily closed for the duration of construction. While visiting Zube Park, the public is requested to respect all barriers and warning signs, be mindful of construction activity, and avoid construction equipment. Trucks will enter and exit the project site from Becker Road.
As part of the project, portions of the construction site will be cleared of trees and other vegetation. Many areas with large trees have been selected for preservation, and will be protected during and after construction.
Updates about the project are available at www.hcfcd.org. For questions or comments about the project, the public may call the Flood Control District's Project and Study Information Line, which is monitored daily, at 713-684-4040, or email [email protected].
ABOUT THE HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT
The Harris County Flood Control District provides flood damage reduction projects that work, with appropriate regard for community and natural values. With more than 1,500 bayous and creeks totaling approximately 2,500 miles in length, the Flood Control District accomplishes its mission by devising flood damage reduction plans, implementing the plans and maintaining the infrastructure.