RIDING THE WAVES OF CHANGE YEARS OF SERVICE HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT

Transcription

1 RIDING THE WAVES OF CHANGE 60 YEARS OF SERVICE HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT

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3 Rivers were here long before man, and for untold ages every stream has periodically exercised its right to expand when carrying more than normal flow. Man s error has not been the neglect of flood control measures, but his refusal to recognize the right of rivers to their floodplain. Engineering News Record, Flood, Confluence of White Oak Bayou and Buffalo Bayou, Downtown Houston

4 Water has been a magnet for civilizations since the beginning of recorded history; so it s no surprise that in 1836, brothers Augustus C. and John K. Allen found the confluence of Buffalo and White Oak Bayous, on Texas coastal plains, a perfect place to settle. They promptly established what would become Houston s Downtown right on the bayou s banks. As fate would have it, they didn t see the whole picture or anticipate the waves of change. Not two waterways, but hundreds of streams and tributaries, lay like finely veined marble over the landscape that makes up the nearly 1,800 square miles of Harris County, Texas. Nor did the Allens know the climatology like we do today: Harris County receives average annual rainfall of 48 inches, with frequent, isolated downpours and an occasional tropical storm. Then there s the topography: all of this water drains naturally over nearly impenetrable clay soil and pool-table-flat terrain, flowing sluggishly through creeks and bayous that meander toward Galveston Bay. Long before 20th century development complicated the equation, serious flooding in Houston was as inevitable as earthquakes in San Francisco, blizzards in the Rocky Mountains or tornadoes on the Plains. 1

5 For more than 150 years, the people of Harris County have had a complex relationship with their bayous, cherishing them one moment but Petition submitted to the State of Texas requesting creation of the Harris County Flood Control District, March 4, 1937 battling them the next, ever persistent to balance their needs with the whims of Mother Nature. The county suffered through 16 major floods from 1836 to 1936, some of which crested at more than 40 feet, turning bridges into toothpicks and Downtown Houston streets into raging rivers. In spite of these troubles, Houston was also dripping with opportunity. Its new petroleum and petroleum products industries fueled a growing local economy. Development was swift and relatively unhindered by government controls. After the tremendously destructive floods of 1929 and 1935, however, citizens clamored for solutions. Estimated property damage in 1929 was $1.4 million, a staggering sum at the time. Losses more than doubled in 1935, when seven people were killed and the Port of Houston was crippled for months -- its docks submerged, its channel clogged with tons of mud and wreckage, its railroad tracks uprooted. Twenty-five blocks of the Downtown business district were inundated, as well as 100 residential blocks. If ever there was a county in need of flood assistance, this was it. Politically, the timing couldn t have been better. All across America during the 1920s and 30s, the federal government was financing huge water infrastructure projects, damming great rivers at a pace no previous civilization could have imagined -- converting deserts to fertile farmland with irrigation in the West, submerging farmland in the East to create reservoirs for power. Major projects were funded through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which for years employed the nation s only civil engineering experts. Houston s commercial future hinged on its ability to tap into this federal machine, but it needed a local agency to serve as a sponsor. On April 23, 1937, after local leaders submitted a petition with dramatic photographs of past flood devastation, the 45th Texas Legislature unanimously passed the bill which created the Harris County Flood Control District (the District). 2

6 The District was charged with the control, storing, preservation and distribution of Harris County s rivers, streams, tributaries and flood waters for domestic, municipal, flood control, irrigation and other useful purposes, as well as the reclamation and drainage of overflow land, the conservation of forests and the protection of navigation on the navigable waters. Although its primary purpose was to serve as the local partner for major Corps of Engineers projects, meeting these responsibilities entailed much more. Essentially, the only drainage-related facilities that didn t fall under the District s 1843 Flood submerged Downtown and all bridges All but one bridge swept away in flood Galveston hurricane. Worst natural disaster in U.S. Extensive flood damage. Buffalo Bayou hard hit Major floods. Brays Bayou hard hit hour rainstorm. All bayous overflowed. Major flood damage. San Jacinto River 30 above normal Tropical storm. Record rainfall and floods Major flood damage. Downtown buildings, power station, central water plant inundated. Ship channel clogged with silt and debris. umbrella were storm sewers and roadside ditches. Harris County, Texas 3

7 1935 Flood, Downtown Houston

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9 Between 1937 and 1950, Houston s population doubled from 300,000 to 600,000. Its inventory of plants and factories nearly tripled, as petroleum refineries, chemical plants and major industries were established along the Ship Channel. The Port of Houston ranked second only to New York in total tonnage.these industries were critical to America s war-time needs, and saving them from future floods added urgency to the District s mission. Thus, the District s first major projects built in conjunction with the Corps of Engineers were located upstream on Buffalo Bayou to protect Downtown and the Ship Channel: construction of the Addicks and Barker reservoirs, a pair of huge floodwater detention basins on the county s west side. Barker Dam was completed in 1945, followed by the Addicks Dam in Six miles of Buffalo Bayou were also straightened and channelized eastward from Barker Dam to what is currently the West Sam Houston Tollway. Total cost for the three projects was $11 million in 1945 dollars, with $2.9 million contributed by the District. The Corps of Engineers also recommended other improvements, but with cheap land and the growing popularity of the automobile, Houston s boundaries were expanding outward at a pace the government couldn t match. Flood control options were quickly limited by rapid development in the county. Striving to meet its citizens needs, the District identified a number of smaller problem areas and proposed its first bond issue in Working in conjunction with the Works Progress Administration and the City of Houston, the District planned 117 early capital projects. Man and nature have always been limited to two primary options for dealing with flood water: move it or store it. During this early period of engineering, the best alternative to damming streams was thought to be channelization: straightening, widening and deepening streambanks, sometimes lining them with concrete to speed the water s flow. These techniques were adopted extensively throughout Harris County. 6

10 By 1950, the District had cleared 5,000 acres of land along streams; channelized 1,260 stream miles; acquired 3,470 right-of-way tracts (75 percent of which were donated); and excavated 25 million cubic yards of earth. Mother Nature wasn t idle, either. Major floods were almost an annual event between 1940 and 1950: nine times, portions of Harris County were inundated. Particularly devastating were hurricane rains in 1945, which engulfed the area with nearly 16 inches in 24 hours -- the heaviest rainfall ever recorded in Harris County; and a 1949 thunderstorm that flooded homes along Brays and Greens Bayous. Jack Rafferty, Flood Control Engineer March, 1945 R. J. Putney, Flood Control Engineer Mar Apr Harris County Flood Control District created First HCFCD bond election Heavy rains over Brazos, San Jacinto and Trinity Rivers. 10,000 head of cattle lost. 400 families evacuated Barker and Addicks Dams authorized by Congress Thunderstorm. Five bayous/creeks overflowed Galveston hurricane. Extensive flooding Barker Dam completed. Aransas-area hurricane. Harris County s heaviest recorded rainfall: in 24 hours. Major flooding, evacuations Thunderstorm. Major flooding: Brays, Greens and Sims Bayous Addicks Dam completed Thunderstorm. Heavy flooding: Brays and Greens Bayous. Water in over 100 homes. Barker Dam Construction in the 1940s 7

11 Almeda Plaza Drive, Brays Bayou, 1960

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13 By mid-century, Harris County was a thriving metropolis. As development flourished with limited government interference, Harris County s natural flood plains were reduced artificially: With new subdivisions came curb and gutter streets, efficient storm sewers and new channels that hastened the flow of waters to the bayous. Unfortunately, the yardsticks for establishing sound design standards and for measuring the effects of development didn t yet exist. Also, most of the homes that flood today were built in natural flood plains and low areas during this era, prior to the creation of stormwater management and flood plain development regulations. The District continued to sponsor federal flood control projects, although competition for these moneys was increasing. Major channelizations with concrete lining included a 25.4-mile stretch of Brays Bayou in 1968, 10.7 miles of White Oak Bayou in 1971 and 11.4 miles of Vince and Little Vince Bayous in The District focused most of its bond issue capital on secondary channels and smaller projects, constructing numerous grass-lined channels. Included were 48 miles of Cypress Creek and 28 miles of Clear Creek in the early 1950s; 12 miles of Sims Bayou in the late 1950s and mid-1970s; and two miles of Buffalo Bayou (the Allen Parkway area) in This progress was not without controversy. Outraged at the removal of trees along the banks of Buffalo Bayou, a group of Harris County citizens founded the Buffalo Bayou Preservation Association. The tide of environmental awareness, today a major factor in flood control issues, was beginning to rise. In the decade from , when the District s inventory grew to include 2,500 miles of channels, annual expenditures swelled from $1.7 to $31.5 million. Maintenance demands also increased proportionally, from $1.3 to $15 million during these boom years. Despite the progress, flooding problems continued and grew more costly, with 21 damaging storms from One year in particular brought three separate disasters, and it was obvious to both the public and private sectors that future flooding was not merely a possibility, but an absolute.the only mysteries were when it would flood again and where. By 1966, the District and the City of Houston had created the first of 11 comprehensive master drainage plans covering the major watersheds. The plans established uniform drainage criteria, identified existing and possible future improvements and defined right-of-way requirements, contributing greatly to the coordinated development of watershed drainage. 10

14 H.R. Jensen, Flood Control Engineer Apr Jan Two floods, one from Hurricane Audrey. The State of Texas passed a precursor to the National Flood Insurance Program in 1965, authorizing Harris County to designate floodprone areas. Additional stormwater management tools and design standards were added to the tool box in 1973, when Houston and Harris County entered the National Flood Insurance Program, which is now administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). On November 24, 1980, Harris County Commissioner s Court approved an interim policy on flood control improvements and drainage criteria; it suggested that the methods of the past needed serious re-examination. For the first time ever, the word detention entered the local civil engineer s vocabulary as a consideration for individual land development projects. Detention facilities hold excess storm water runoff created by land development until peak flows pass and then release those stormwaters slowly as flood waters recede. T.R. Langford, Flood Control Engineer Jan Dec G.H. Smith, Director, Dec Oct Major flooding on Cypress, Spring Creeks; San Jacinto River; Sims Bayou. 230 families evacuated Hurricane Carla. Heavy flooding in south, southeast Harris County State passed Flood Hazard Area Legislation HCFCD and the City of Houston developed first master drainage plans Brays Bayou federal project completed homes and 42 businesses flooded White Oak Bayou federal project completed Two major storms. 700 families evacuated Two major storms. 10 drowned; 200 families evacuated. Harris County joined National Flood Insurance Program Major flooding in Pasadena, Deer Park, Baytown Three major thunderstorms. Texas Medical Center flooded. Eight deaths Three major floods, including Tropical Storm Claudette. New U.S. 24- hour rainfall record set in Alvin, Texas - 45 inches Vince Bayou federal project completed. Brays Bayou Federal Flood Control Project under construction,

15 1992 Flood, Katy Freeway at T.C. Jester Copyright 1992 Houston Chronicle

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17 In recent years, the business of flood control has evolved rapidly. Flood plain regulations, new technology, more efficient operations and stringent environmental codes have influenced the change. The mid-1980s, in particular, brought tremendous progress. In 1984, the District s interim drainage criteria was formalized in a manual that addressed channel and detention basin design, overland flow, utility and pipeline crossings, right-of-way determination, hydraulic structures and road crossings. Harris County received better tools for addressing flood issues in 1985, when FEMA introduced the county s first detailed flood plain maps and local communities upgraded stormwater management requirements. FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps, based on detailed engineering studies, were published for all 34 Harris County communities. Also during this period, Houston and Harris County updated their flood plain development regulations; and the District adopted a more assertive role, working with the development community on issues such as overland sheet flow, stormwater detention and 100- year regulatory flood plains. Two major Corps of Engineers projects sprang to life: the $120 million Clear Creek Flood Control Project was initiated in 1986, and the $320 million Sims Bayou Flood Control Project -- one of the nation s largest -- was initiated in Future large channelizations are not likely,for several reasons: Federal and state regulations now dictate designs that better protect water quality and the environment, and flood control philosophy has adapted to the expectations of today s environmentally aware citizenry -- finding other alternatives is simply the right thing to do. Whereas one solution may have been chosen to rectify a problem in the past, several techniques may be combined to address today s flooding threats: widening and deepening channels, building detention basins, improving flow where bridges and utilities cross channels, even buying out structures that lie hopelessly deep in the flood plain. In 1985, the regional flood control approach was introduced using many of these techniques, particularly regional detention basins. It became apparent that the regional approach is more effective and less costly in the long term. In 1997, the District had 38 regional detention sites in various stages of development (with many more planned), totaling 7,000 acres. Empty until a flood occurs, they provide multiple additional benefits -- as recreational open space, wetlands mitigation areas and wildlife preserves that bring desperately-needed green space to the urban landscape. Since 1980, expenditures for new detention basins and 14

18 increasing channel capacity have ranged from $20 million to $45 million per year. In the same period, operations and maintenance costs for these channels and regional detention basins increased from $15 million to $25 million. The early 1990s also brought streamlining to the District s organization. With engineering, maintenance and construction tasks privatized and better coordination between departments, the staff was reduced by nearly two-thirds, from 1,000 employees to 360. Debt payments from large bond sales in the 1980s had crippled the District financially and were eating up almost half of the total budget. To stretch capital project funding and eliminate the need for future bond sales, the District created a pay-as-yougo funding program that will dramatically increase capital project funding after 2001, as bond debts decrease. James B. Green, Director Apr Nov Executive Director Nov Aug Arthur L. Storey, Jr. Executive Director Aug Present 1980 Interim policy and drainage criteria adopted, including detention Thunderstorm. Flooding on Brays Bayou and near Hobby Airport Three major thunderstorms and Hurricane Alicia. Severe flooding across county Thunderstorms flooded Cypress Creek; Greens Bayou, White Oak Bayou. Design Criteria Manual adopted. Regional flood control programs and impact fees initiated First detailed Flood Insurance Rate Maps published for Harris County Clear Creek federal project initiated Thunderstorm. Homes flooded on Cypress Creek; Luce, White Oak Bayous; San Jacinto River Little Vince Bayou federal project completed Sims Bayou federal project initiated Major storm. Many bayous out of banks. Nearly 1,500 homes flooded. I-10 under water Major storm in southeast Texas. Many bayous overflowed. More than 3,200 homes flooded. White Oak Bayou Initial Phase Regional Detention and Channel completed Pay-as-you-go funding began HCFCD 60 Year Anniversary. Excavation of regional detention basin on White Oak Bayou,

19 Second Outlet at Clear Creek, 1998

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21 One aspect of flooding that never changes is its aftereffects. In humid Harris County, flood victims know a special kind of agony: the stench of mildewing sheetrock, the task of hauling out belongings to dry (or to the trash), the loss of personal treasures. Although we haven t suffered a regional flood since the 1940s, a major flood still occurs somewhere in Harris County about every two years. More flood insurance funds have been paid here than in any other National Flood Insurance Program-participating community. A county-wide flood would be even more devastating than the Great Midwest floods of That event damaged 75,000 structures across several states; nearly 60,000 structures are in the flood plains of just three of the 22 main channels in Harris County. The District s tasks for the future -- while certainly different from those of are no less complex, with a $4 billion web of flood control infrastructure in the ground. Balancing the use of land with its ability to store and convey flood waters is a continual challenge in what is now the nation s third-most populous county, encompassing the nation s fourthlargest city - Houston. Evaluation technology now enables us to better predict the effects of rainfall and runoff. The District also has access to information from 100 stream and rain gauges, a few with 100 years of storm records, which facilitate the planning of future projects. Unfortunately, only Mother Nature knows where the next major thunderstorm will strike, and limited funding places severe constraints on construction. A flexible master flood control plan with components that can be implemented in manageable pieces over time is essential. In 1998, the District pursued approximately 60 capital projects. About 40 locations per year undergo major maintenance: silt beds deposited by passing stormwater must be cleared, channel banks need repair, vegetation that retards water flow must be controlled. As the infrastructure ages, these expenses will increase significantly. The District s engineered-repair program now utilizes a primarily natural approach to improve the chances that channels, once repaired, will endure; and use of native vegetation to reduce erosion repair and maintenance expenses is expanding. One of the greatest challenges is to achieve needed flood control within the financial limitations the public allows. Pay-as-you-go financing will enable a full-scale capital program in the not-too-distant future that will save millions of future debt-service dollars -- and the District s commitment to make every taxpayer dollar count. 18

22 The changing relationship with the federal government is also a factor. When the District was created, the civil and environmental engineering professions were in their infancy, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers brought all of the experts and most of the money.today, local professionals contribute significantly to flood control knowledge. Currently, the District has taken the lead role in three federally-assisted projects -- on Brays, Hunting and White Oak Bayous -- to expand the potential of its partnership with the Corps of Engineers. A two-fisted approach -- continuing to partner with the federal government on the one hand and strengthening our own abilities on the other -- has become the District s operating objective. Regional partnerships with other public as well as private and non-profit organizations facilitate additional flood control projects and the multiple use of District land for flood control parks, hike and bike trails, grazing pastures, wildflower and tree plantings Flood aftermath, White Oak Bayou Copyright 1992 Houston Chronicle and sports fields. Not only does every dollar count, but every acre of watershed counts. 19

23 Greens Bayou Regional Detention Basin Control Structure Under Construction,

24 Brays Bayou Regional Detention Basin under construction, 1998 Brays Bayou Regional Detention Basin/Arthur Storey Park at the West Sam Houston Parkway, aerial view looking west Brays Bayou Regional Detention Basin/Arthur Storey Park pedestrian trail 21

25 Hunting Bayou Hunting Bayou Bear Creek 22

26 Championship Park, White Oak Bayou Downtown Houston, 1995 Buffalo Bayou Berry Bayou under construction,

27 White Oak Bayou Copyright 1992 Houston Chronicle San Jacinto River Flood, 1994 San Jacinto River Flood, 1994 Copyright 1994 Houston Chronicle Brays Bayou watershed Copyright 1994 Houston Chronicle 24

28 Sims Bayou Federal Project under construction, 1996 I m not a person who can sit still and let nothing happen....i ve been active with that project (Sims Bayou)... and Flood Control since 75, because that s the first time we flooded.... Somebody has to do something, and if I can, I ll try to make it happen. Vivian Harris, longtime Sims Bayou resident 25

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30 As you have discovered in these pages, flood control has always been a difficult balancing act in Harris County, Texas. As we celebrate our 60th year of existence, the Harris County Flood Control District oversees a gargantuan task: ours has become the nation s third most populous county, encompassing the nation s fourth-largest city. Thankfully, we understand more about how flood waters behave than our predecessors did, and we have better tools -- including development controls, technology and a variety of engineering methods -- to deal with issues that arise. More importantly, we ve learned that in the long run, it makes more sense to work with, rather than against, nature. Above all, the Harris County Flood Control District strives to create urban flood control infrastructure that works, with appropriate regard for community and natural values. Special thanks for research on this historical overview are due to Director Michael Talbott, P.E. and Chief Engineer Steve Fitzgerald, P.E. Every project illustrated on these pages -- whether from our earliest years or the late 1990s -- represents an earnest and diligent effort by a dedicated District staff to serve the people of Harris County. It s been 60 years well-spent. I also believe we are poised to ride the waves of change yet to come. Arthur L. Storey, Jr., P.E. Executive Director 28

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