Halls Bayou Flooding Report to public at Oct. 25th meeting

NORTHEAST– The Harris County Flood Control District will hold a public open house on Tuesday, Oct. 25, to provide information about “Halls Ahead,” an accelerated flood damage reduction study within the Halls Bayou watershed that will incorporate community needs and interests.

The purpose of the open house is to inform the public about the study and solicit feedback. This is the first of three “Halls Ahead” public open houses that will occur in the next 12 months. The meeting will be Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011, at MacArthur High School, 4400 Aldine Mail Route Road, in the auditorium from 6 – 8:30 p.m.

“Halls Ahead” is an accelerated flood damage reduction study by the Harris County Flood Control District within the Halls Bayou watershed. During a 12-month period that started in August 2011, a team of experts in fluvial geomorphology and in hydrology, urban designers, environmental scientists and civil engineers began creating a flood damage reduction plan that incorporates sustainable design principles and considers enhancement of the urban and natural environment. Public input is a critical part of creating a successful plan that identifies needs in the Halls Bayou watershed.

The “Halls Ahead” study will accomplish two main objectives: The first objective is to identify flood damage reduction projects that can be designed and implemented as funding allows. The second objective is to identify opportunities to enhance the urban environment and provide neighborhood-friendly amenities, such as trails, parks and habitat restoration, that may be implemented through partnerships with community, civic or other organizations.

Members of the public are invited to attend the open house anytime between 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. The same information will be presented throughout the duration of the open house. Displays relating to the study will be available for public viewing, and Flood Control District representatives and their consultants will be available to provide information and answer questions about “Halls Ahead.”

No formal, oral presentation is planned, and all information will be provided in English and Spanish. All comments will be documented, reviewed and considered during the study.

In addition to its effort to identify future projects to reduce flooding risks and damages through the “Halls Ahead” study, the Flood Control District has already successfully reduced flooding risks along Halls Bayou. In 2008, the Flood Control District completed construction of a stormwater detention basin that can store roughly 300 million gallons of stormwater inside the city of Houston’s Keith-Wiess Park. In addition, the Flood Control District and the city of Houston are currently excavating a stormwater detention basin near Jensen Drive on the west side of U.S. 59. The District has plans to excavate a third basin along Halls Bayou near Jensen on the east side of U.S. 59.

For additional information about the “Halls Ahead” study, please visit www.hallsahead.org or email hallsbayou@hcfcd.org.