SJRA Flood Protection Studies Receive State Approval

CONROE, TX - The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) approved awarding nearly $1.4 million in grant funding from the state’s Flood Infrastructure Fund (FIF) to the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) for watershed-based flood protection planning studies.

SJRA has secured partnerships with numerous entities for the 50% local match required by the grants. Funding partners include City of Houston, City of Humble, Harris County Flood Control District, and various Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs). Additionally, SJRA will contribute in-kind project and grant management services and other support efforts to the studies. Any proposed large-scale flood mitigation projects that may come from these studies will require additional federal, state, or local funding sources.

“Hundreds of abridged applications were submitted by various entities across the State of Texas as part of this competitive process. We are very excited that these projects submitted by SJRA have now been approved for grant funding from the Flood Infrastructure Fund,” said Matt Barrett, SJRA Flood Management Division Manager. “The three large projects approved today are very costly, and having no dedicated funding source for flood mitigation projects, SJRA is extremely appreciative of the Texas Water Development and the regional partners who have stepped up to help fund these efforts to provide flood mitigation within the San Jacinto River Basin.”

Award announcement from Texas Water Development Board press release:

• $500,000 to the San Jacinto River Authority (Grimes, Fort Bend, Liberty, Montgomery, San Jacinto, Walker, and Waller counties) for a planning study that will provide critical data and tools to allow a more regional approach to reservoir facility operations. City of Houston and City of Humble are funding partners for this study.

• $500,000 to the San Jacinto River Authority (Grimes, Fort Bend, Liberty, Montgomery, San Jacinto, Walker, and Waller counties) to produce a conceptual-level design and define benefits and costs for two dams in the Spring Creek watershed. City of Humble, Harris County Flood Control District, Harris-Montgomery Counties MUD 386, Montgomery County MUDs 7, 46, 60, and the Woodlands MUD 1 are funding partners for this study.

• $375,000 to the San Jacinto River Authority (Grimes, Fort Bend, Liberty, Montgomery, San Jacinto, Walker, and Waller counties) to conduct a regional sedimentation study of the Upper San Jacinto River Basin. City of Houston, City of Humble, and Harris County Flood Control District are funding partners for this study.

The Flood Infrastructure Fund (FIF) program was made possible by Senate Bill 7 sponsored by Senator Brandon Creighton. Passed by the Legislature and approved by Texas voters through a constitutional amendment, the FIF program provides financial assistance in the form of loans and grants for flood control, flood mitigation, and drainage projects. In the two-stage process, SJRA first submitted an abridged application for each project. TWDB then ranked the projects and prioritized them within the overall available funding capacity and invited applicants of selected projects to submit full applications.  TWDB approved funding for one of SJRA’s projects in December, in addition to the three projects approved today.

Approved studies:

• Upper San Jacinto River Basin Regional Sedimentation Study will identify and create a plan for implementing potential sedimentation solutions in the Upper San Jacinto River Basin (Lake Houston watershed) by evaluating the input, output, and storage of sediment for the entire basin as well as for sub-watersheds within the basin.

• Spring Creek Watershed Flood Control Dams Conceptual Engineering Feasibility Study will perform a conceptual engineering feasibility study of two potential dam/reservoir locations within the Spring Creek watershed.

This project is proposed as a continuation or next phase of the Spring Creek Siting Study, a sub-task to the San Jacinto Regional Watershed Master Drainage Plan project performed by the Harris County Flood Control District and supported by SJRA and other regional partners.

• Lake Conroe – Lake Houston Joint Reservoir Operations Study will develop a joint reservoir operations and communications strategy for Lake Conroe and Lake Houston.

The City of Houston is currently in the preliminary design phase of a project to add new gates at the Lake Houston dam which could greatly increase the controlled release capacity of the dam.   The main goal of the plan is to determine the most efficient and safe operation of the two reservoirs in series by evaluating multiple individual components of operational strategy.  The project will include evaluation of the operational synergy between the two reservoirs, joint notification and communications protocols, pre-release, impacts on water supply, and the use of forecasting tools. This project is beneficial to both water supply and flood mitigation in the region.