Posted on March 19, 2018
By Mihir Zaveri, Chron
The Harris County Flood Control District is planning to remove silt that has built up in four waterways that flow into the Addicks Reservoir so the channels can hold more stormwater.
The $13.3 million project will remove approximately half a million cubic yards of sediment from the channels, which include Bear Creek, Horsepen Creek, Langham Creek and another channel just east of the Bear Creek Village subdivision.
Work is expected to begin on Monday March 19, starting with Horsepen Creek, which will also be targeted for repairs to damage along its banks.
The project means that more water will stay in the banks instead of spilling out into nearby homes in western Harris County neighborhoods.
The area was hit hard during the Tax Day Floods in 2016 and then drenched again during Hurricane Harvey.
It was not immediately clear how much silt has compromised the capacity of each of the channels, though flood control officials said it would likely vary along the length of each waterway. The study is supposed to help figure out which areas have the most build up, to target them for dredging.
“These projects are badly needed to help mitigate future flooding in several parts of the county,” Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said in a statement earlier this week.
Source: Chron
