Harris County, TX (June 9, 2023) — Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones was joined by the Harris County Flood Control District, Harris County Engineering Department, and Harris County Utility District No. 6 in a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the next step in improving street drainage and mitigating flood risks for the Bear Creek Village community.
During Hurricane Harvey, approximately 1,400 homes — nearly 60% of single-family residences — flooded in the subdivision.
“Today marks an important milestone toward improving flood resilience in Precinct 4 and Harris County,” said Commissioner Briones. “Together with our partners, we are taking decisive action to mitigate the risk of future floods and protect our residents and their families.”
The Harris County Engineering Department’s Recovery and Resiliency Division (RRD) will lead the $20.2 million project. HCED and Utility District No. 6 will each contribute $10.1 Million to advance the critical work of the RRD and the Harris County Flood Control District.
“This is another vital project in our neighborhood subdivision drainage program that helps keep Harris County residents safer from the risk of catastrophic floods. This $20 million drainage improvement project will provide a widespread decrease in water surface elevation throughout the subdivision, resulting in reduced flood risk for more than 200 structures,” said Dr. Milton Rahman, Executive Director of the Harris County Engineering Department.
Improvements include upsizing the storm sewer system, reconstructing driveways and street sections, adjusting waterlines and sanitary sewer lines, and constructing new drainage channels in the Addicks Reservoir on land owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
“Partnerships are foundational to our work as we build toward a more resilient Harris County,” said Dr. Tina Petersen, Executive Director of the Harris County Flood Control District. “We look forward to continued collaboration with both Harris County Precinct 4 and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers moving forward.”
The project will significantly upgrade street drainage and lower the flooding risk for the subdivision, enhancing the safety and well-being of residents.
“We are very excited about our joint project with Harris County and hope that it brings drainage relief to the Bear Creek community,” said Rebecca Watkins, President of Harris County Utility District No. 6.
Preliminary construction activities for “Stage A” began in May 2023. “Stage B” is still in the permitting process with the United States Army Corps of Engineers and construction activity will begin in the future.
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About Harris County Precinct 4: Precinct 4 is one of four precincts located in Harris County, Texas and boasts a population of more than 1.2 million people. Precinct 4 maintains 1,423 miles of roads and nearly 4 miles of bridges, eight community centers with more than 700,000 visitors annually, and 54 parks, with 13,455 acres of greenspace.