May 10, 2017 8:00:00 AM CST

Harris County Flood Control District Announces First Public Meeting for Cedar Bayou Flood Risk Reduction Study

The Harris County Flood Control District will hold a public meeting for the Cedar Bayou Flood Risk Reduction Study from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 11, 2017, at the Crosby Community Center located at 409 Hare Road, in Crosby, Texas 77532. The purpose of this meeting will be to share information about the Cedar Bayou Flood Risk Reduction Study, gather feedback about flooding concerns in the Cedar Bayou watershed, as well as inform residents about the Flood Control District’s study process. Please note that the meeting location is located near the Cedar Bayou watershed (the geographical region that drains to Cedar Bayou); however, the community center was the best location for this meeting based on size of space needed.

Funding for the study is made possible by a $250,000 flood protection planning grant awarded to the Flood Control District by the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB). The Flood Control District has already committed an additional $450,000 towards the work effort.

The study will focus on the portion of the watershed that is in Harris County, so the Flood Control District and Precinct 2 will coordinate meetings with residents and business owners who live and work in this area and who have firsthand knowledge of flooding issues. Because the watershed lies in the boundaries of several jurisdictions, the study team will also coordinate with Liberty and Chambers counties, the cities of Baytown and Mont Belvieu, and various community groups with interest in the Cedar Bayou watershed.

As part of the Cedar Bayou Flood Risk Reduction Study, the Flood Control District will investigate Cedar Bayou and several of its tributaries in order to determine areas that frequently flood and the causes of those flooding issues. The team will:

• Identify flood risks and estimate potential damages due to flooding.
• Identify and evaluate potential flood risk reduction projects, such as channel modifications and regional stormwater detention basins.
• Assess the environmental features such as: habitat, wetlands, and stream functionality.
• Estimate the costs and benefits of the proposed projects.
• Develop an implementation plan that prioritizes the recommended projects.

The Cedar Bayou watershed is located in east Harris County. Cedar Bayou forms most of the boundary between Harris County and Liberty and Chambers counties, with about half of the watershed in Harris County and the remainder in the other two counties. Cedar Bayou flows south from its headwaters in Liberty County to its mouth at Galveston Bay.

Cedar Bayou Flood Risk Reduction Study information and updates will be posted at www.hcfcd.org/CedarBayouStudy. To ask questions about the study, contact the Harris County Flood Control District's Project and Study Information Line at 713-684-4040.