County Commissioners Consider Flood Plan With Harris County, SJRA

From : Montgomery County

CONROE, TX -- Montgomery County commissioners plan to vote on an interlocal agreement with local entities to study the county's flood notification capabilities.

Montgomery County Judge Craig Doyal said the the county will partner with Harris County Flood Control District, the San Jacinto River Authority, and the city of Houston on the $2.7 million study.

The Flood Control District submitted the grant application to the Texas Division of Emergency Management on April 16th.

Montgomery County and the other partners will contribute funds toward what will be known as the San Jacinto River Regional Watershed study, according to the interlocal agreement. It will be discussed at Tuesday's meeting of the Montgomery County Commissioners Court.

Doyal said because of Gov. Greg Abbott's diligence, that up to $2 million in federal funds could be allocated for the study if the grant is awarded, through FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.

It requires a 25 percent match to be shared by the parties to the agreement; the county's portion would be $169,262.98. The total cost of the study is estimated to be $2,708,207.65.

"With this study we will gain a better knowledge of our Montgomery County streams and watersheds, a more complete flood warning system, and the ability to identify specific projects that could reduce the risk of flooding in the future," Doyal said. "I am thankful to U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, Gov. Abbott, and state officials for these funds, and I appreciate the spirit of partnership from Harris County, the Harris County Flood Control District and the SJRA to work together and help solve these regional flooding problems."

The goals of the study are to:

• Prepare a plan to integrate flood warning information from the flood control district, SJRA, Montgomery County and Houston into a shared system that can be utilized by all parties to make informed decisions; it includes expanding the flood warning system network;
• Coordinate with flood responders including Harris County Office of Emergency Management (OEM), Montgomery County OEM, SJRA, City of Houston, and potentially others, such as the Harris County Flood Control District’s Hydrologic Operations Department, to develop a consistent communications protocol and action plan;
• Recommend strategies to reduce flood risk and prepare a plan to implement the recommendations. Flood damage reduction options will likely include large regional detention ponds, channel improvements, vegetation and sedimentation removal, and property buy-outs.
• Develop programs and/or materials that educate the decision makers and the public on the extent of the San Jacinto River Basin, general drainage patterns, maintenance programs for the San Jacinto River and its tributaries, potential flood reduction projects, and where to find information relating to major stream flooding in the San Jacinto River.

The proposed study would examine Montgomery County watersheds, including Cypress Creek, Spring Creek, Preach Creek, Caney Creek, Lake Creek, the east and west forks of the San Jacinto and others. A proposed scope of the project is available here.

Doyal has had numerous conversations with state and federal officials during and after Hurricane Harvey, and has discussed the need to identify projects to help reduce flooding in Montgomery County. Earlier this year he visited Washington D.C. along with Commissioner James Noack to press for federal aid in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

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