KATY, Texas (Covering Katy News) — Harris County Flood Control District officials broke ground Tuesday on a $10 million project intended to reduce flooding risk in the Katy area by restoring channels upstream of the Barker Reservoir. The project, when finished, is expected to help protect thousands of homes and businesses in western Harris County.
The Barker Channel Rehabilitation and Restoration Project involves repairing erosion and slope failures, removing sediment buildup and blockages and restoring channel linings and outfall structures. District officials said the goal was to spend about $2 million every year for the next five years on the work.
"For years, critical maintenance across our flood control system was delayed due to a lack of dedicated funding," Dr. Tina Peterson, the district's executive director, said. "That has now changed. Thanks to the leadership of Commissioner Briones and her colleagues on commissioners court, we now have a reliable, sustained funding source to address long-overdue repairs and accelerate critical work to strengthen the infrastructure our communities depend on every day."
Eight sites to receive initial attention
Eight sites along the channel have been identified to date and will be funded through maintenance dollars approved by voters in November 2024.
Those eight initial sites, according to the district and Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones's office, are: I-10/Park Row, Cinco Ranch Greenway Village, Cornerstone Place, George Bush Park, Green Trails, Green Trails Oaks, Nottingham Country and Oak Park trails. Officials expect to identify and maintain other sites as work on the project continues.
Remembering Harvey, moving forward
Jan Adam, a Kelliwood Estates resident, said families suffered terrible losses during Hurricane Harvey in 2017, and the effects remained after the storm had passed.
"These repairs to Mason Creek represent more than construction," Adam said. "They represent protection, progress, and peace of mind for the families who live here."
State Rep. Mike Schofield, who represents the Harris County portion of Katy, was at Tuesday's ceremony and said he visited many people whose homes flooded not because the reservoirs overflowed, but because the channels that funnel water into the reservoirs were clogged and overflowed into the neighborhoods.
"The water never even reached the reservoir," Schofield said. "These projects to clean out these channels will help prevent our living rooms from flooding the next time we have a big storm. In this case, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
Briones said everyone has their stories about what happened during Hurricane Harvey.
"Know that we will continue to deliver on new capital flood mitigation projects and maintain our current infrastructure to maximize protection for the next big storm," Briones said. "Together, we are taking care of business along Barker Reservoir to deliver progress and protection to keep our families safe."
Who we are: Covering Katy News is independently owned and operated by professional journalists with more than 50 years of combined experience. Unlike many other local media outlets, we do not accept special purpose district funding — such as from MUDs, drainage districts or other taxing entities — nor do we accept funding from any government source, whether municipal, county, state or federal. We are self-sustaining — no outside investors — supported entirely by local advertisers. Our owner and publisher, Dennis Spellman, and his staff live locally, so we understand local issues. Since 2022, Spellman has also served county residents in a communications role for Fort Bend County Pct. 3. Since our founding in 2011, our editorial decisions have been made independently — and that will never change.