Addicks Reservoir

Addicks Reservoir

Projects in Addicks Reservoir

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Watershed Overview

Drainage Area Watershed Population Primary Streams
138 Sq. Miles 390,402 - Harris County portion (2020 Census Data) Bear Creek
Horsepen Creek
Langham Creek
South Mayde Creek

The Addicks Reservoir watershed is located in western Harris County with a small portion crossing into eastern Waller County. Rainfall within the 138 square miles of the Addicks Reservoir watershed drains to the watershed’s primary waterway, Langham Creek (U100-00-00). The Addicks Reservoir watershed occasionally receives a significant amount of natural stormwater overflow from the Cypress Creek watershed during heavy rainfall events. Stormwater runoff from this watershed drains through the Addicks Reservoir and eventually into Buffalo Bayou. Rural and agricultural uses have historically dominated the upstream regions of the watershed, but residential and commercial developments are rapidly growing. There are 159 miles of open waterways in the Addicks Reservoir watershed, including Langham Creek and its major tributaries, such as South Mayde Creek (U101-00-00), Bear Creek (U102-00-00) and Horsepen Creek (U106-00-00). Based on the 2010 U.S. Census, the estimated population of the Harris County portion of the Addicks Reservoir watershed is 295,694.

Together with Barker Reservoir, Addicks Reservoir was built in the 1940s as part of a federal project to reduce flooding risks along Buffalo Bayou, which runs west to east through downtown Houston. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) completed construction of Addicks Dam and the outlet facility in 1948. The Corps owns, operates, and maintains the reservoir, including leases or permits for some compatible recreational uses within the basin. Operation of the outlet facilities controls discharges from the reservoir into Langham Creek, then into Buffalo Bayou. Environmentally-sensitive areas and a wide range of wildlife habitats exist within the reservoir boundaries and along the upper tributary reaches that extend into the Katy Prairie.

How water flows in the addicks reservoir watershed