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HOUSTON - Houston has seen more than enough floods and natural disasters, which is why city officials announced they broke ground Monday on a new flood mitigation project.
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Mayor Sylvester Turner joined representatives of Harris County, Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the Houston Parks Board for the official groundbreaking of the Inwood Forest Stormwater Detention Basin project.
Inwood Forest Stormwater Detention Basin (Photo courtesy of City of Houston)
The former Inwood Forest golf course was purchased by the City of Houston in 2011 for the purpose of converting it into a regional detention, but the final design was impacted in 2017 because of Hurricane Harvey.
Since then, FEMA awarded hazard mitigation funds (HMGP) to help address the flood opportunities in affected communities, officials said in a press release.
So far, TDEM has awarded four projects including the North Canal Diversion Channel, Lake Houston Dam Gate Structure, and TIRZ 17 Regional Detention. Monday's groundbreaking event marked the first of these projects' construction phase.
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Residents counting on flood mitigation projects to work
**EDITOR'S NOTE: The video above is from a previous report** Last night's downpour and Wednesday's rain have not been enough to overtake Brays Bayou, which is really surprising because we know that's an area known for flooding. Fox 26 Houston's Maria Salazar has more with our team weather coverage.
An estimated $80 million in proceeds from the federal government combined with local funds will enable a complete conversion of the golf course into the regional detention.
"Houston can no longer afford to wait. In the past seven years, the City has experienced seven federally declared disasters, and as we are all aware, storms are coming with more frequency and more intensity," said Mayor Turner. "The Inwood project will provide flood damage reduction to over 4,400 structures in the White Oak Bayou and Vogel Creek watersheds."
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Meanwhile, Mayor Turner has also asked the Houston Parks Board to develop what officials called an "amenities package" to be incorporated into the detention project. The plan looks to include "miles of trails, pockets parks, pedestrian bridges, disc golf, and significant landscaping plantings, [which] will be funded through private and other donations."