Harris County Flood Control District’s (HCFCD) Zube Detention Basin and Conveyance Improvement Project began in 2015 and has officially opened the bidding of Phase 3 Construction Documents prepared by EHRA Engineering.
Phase 3 will lower the flowline of Little Cypress Creek by six feet and incorporate 9,300 feet of Natural Stabilized Channel in-stream structures. To lower the flowline, 492,000 cubic yards of material will be excavated for off-site disposal and 72,000 cubic yards of material for on-site fill. The current timeline for Phase 3 construction is around 18 months.
EHRA has a long history of assisting with the Zube Detention Basin project. EHRA designed the Ultimate Conditions for the detention basin and has assisted with two previous phases of construction.
The project is on-going as part of the Little Cypress Frontier Program, focusing on the 52-square-mile Little Cypress Creek Watershed in Northwest Harris County. The program itself is one component of HCFCD’s overall effort to plan for regional drainage infrastructure in advance of future land development.
According to the Harris County Flood Control District’s website, “The area, which is experiencing rapid development with construction of the Grand Parkway, lacks sufficient natural drainage to accommodate expected growth.” They have taken on an innovative approach to work in collaboration with landowners and developers to uncover the most cost-effective, mutually beneficial plan with the public and its future growth in mind.
The program calls for stricter stormwater detention requirements to mitigate runoff from new developments and will result in at least seven regional detention basins with a combined minimum storage of 14,000 acre-feet. The mission of the Harris County Flood Control District is to provide flood damage reduction projects that work, with appropriate regard for community and natural values.
EHRA Engineering is excited to see this project move onto the next phase!