White Oak Bayou Gets A Makeover…Again

Since 2000, White Oak Bayou has received $386.8 million in Harris County Flood Control (HCFCD), federal, and local partner funding. That ranks it #2 in dollars received among all 23 Harris County Watersheds, second only to Brays Bayou at $544.5 million. Data received via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, showed that these two watersheds alone have received close to a billion dollars out of $3 billion spent between 1/1/2000 and the end of the third quarter this year. Said another way…

Two watersheds out of 23 received about a third of all HCFCD flood-mitigation spending in the last 22 years.

Analysis of Data from FOIA Request

I flew over Brays Bayou earlier this year and documented all the construction there. Friday, I droned White Oak Bayou from FM1960 to south of West Little York, a distance of more than 11 miles.

White Oak is difficult to photograph because it zig zags and no roads parallel it the entire way. As with Brays, homes and apartments back up to it almost the entire way, largely concealing most of it from public view except near bridges.

Making Room for More Floodwater

In those 11+ miles, I photographed channel expansion work and new detention basins. I must say that the amount of construction is impressive. Below are 10 out of more than 120 photographs. I took them all on 12/17/2021.

Many Project Along Bayou Still Pending Buyouts

Even more impressive is the fact that many construction projects along the bayou are still pending. In places, whole subdivisions are being bought out to make way for more detention basins.

Of the $386 million spent in the last 22 years, $235 million has been spent on buyouts and right-of-way acquisition compared to $90 million for construction. HCFCD currently has $33 million in ACTIVE construction projects underway in White Oak Bayou.

The 2018 Flood Bond allocated more than $490 million for 16 projects in the White Oak Watershed. However, only $88 million has been spent since Harvey. So before HCFCD finishes bond projects, White Oak will have received another $402 million for a total of $788 million.

To learn more about HCFCD’s active projects in the White Oak Watershed, visit this page.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/18/2021

1672 Days since Hurricane Harvey

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