Residents hear details of Lauder Road Flood Control

MAP showing location of Phases 1,2, and 3 of the Lauder Road Detention Basin Project. See p. 8 for more maps.
MAP showing location of Phases 1,2, and 3 of the Lauder Road Detention Basin Project. See p. 8 for more maps.

ALDINE – Residents of the area learned details of the proposed Lauder Stormwater Detention Basin Project at a community engagement meeting held last Wednesday, June 26 at the BakerRipley East Aldine Campus. They also heard a progress report on Phase 1, and projections for Phases 2 and 3 from the Harris County Flood Control District representatives who made the presentation.

The flood remediation work is part of the $2 million 2018 Bond Program to alleviate flooding throughout Harris County.

Also speaking at the meeting was Pct. 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia, who voiced support for the detention basin project, and told the audience of about 100 persons that this was part of his plan for improvements in the Aldine area.

The Flood Control District made a slide presentation of the project, and then attendees were able to study the visual maps and other information on tables and display stands around the room. Residents were encouraged to make comments and contribute to the planning process. Community Input Forms were available for written comments, as well as discussion with many of the HCFCD staff. For those who want to submit comments later, this can be done at the website: www.hcfcd.org/C34.

The Lauder Stormwater Detention Basin project will be constructed in three phases and focuses on reducing flooding risks in the Greens Bayou watershed by safely storing excess stormwater during heavy rain events and slowly releasing it back to the bayou when the threat of flooding has passed. The basin will be designed to hold at least 600 acre-feet, or more than 190 million gallons of stormwater.

Phase 1 of the Lauder Stormwater Detention Basin is located on a 90acre property bordered by Greens Bayou on the north, Lauder Road on the south, the neighborhood property line west of Green Teal Lane on the east, and Greens Bayou tributary P1380100 on the west.

Project Status: Currently in the Design Stage, Phase 1 of the Lauder Stormwater Detention Basin will be a wet-bottom basin with a permanent pool, island and features designed to improve stormwater quality. Phases 2 and 3, which involve the future excavation of property from the former Castlewood Subdivision, are in the Preliminary Engineering Report (PER) stage.

Project Funding: The Lauder Stormwater Detention Basin project is being funded through the Flood Control District’s Capital Improvements Program (for Design stages) and through the 2018 Bond Program approved by Harris County voters on August 25, 2018 (for Construction stages). Total allocation for Phase 1 of this project is currently $16 million, as listed on the 2018 Flood Control Bond Project List.

Community Engagement is an important component of the Bond Program, and we invite your participation and feedback as the program is implemented.

What is a Stormwater Detention Basin?

Stormwater detention basins are a place to store damaging flood waters temporarily until the channels can safely carry the water away. As flat as Harris County is, most of our stormwater storage must be excavated. The Flood Control District uses stormwater detention extensively to reduce the risk of flooding throughout the county. Flood Control District basins are typically large regional facilities that may be several hundred acres in size. New developments often use stormwater detention to offset or mitigate the negative effect development may have on flooding (due to covering up soil with buildings and concrete and speeding up the rate water runs off an area).

For more information, please visit www.hcfcd.org/C34.