Reducing Flooding In Houston

[bachanon]

marshlands and "ox-bow" lakes are important to the buffalo bayou master plan, and flooding issues in general. these features are vital in low lying areas in order to capture and absorb water in the flood plain. development entities have ignored these natural features (instead creating cement rivers). in order to reduce flooding in the houston region we have to be able to contain flood waters and provide for quick absorption into subsurface water bodies/flows. Marshlands and ox-bow lakes allow for quick absorption of excess water.

i'm not sure if these features (artificial or natural) would solve our all of our flooding problems; however, the less water draining into the bayous the better off we, as a region, would be. IMHO

any additional information on these natural features and there functions would be interesting.

[Heights2Bastrop]

Here is a map of Northwest Houston from 1922. You can see White Oak and Buffalo Bayou and how convoluted they are. Compare that to the straightened, concrete-lined waterways of today. We have lost a great deal of

[Lowbrow]

Here is a map of Northwest Houston from 1922. You can see White Oak and Buffalo Bayou and how convoluted they are. Compare that to the straightened, concrete-lined waterways of today. We have lost a great deal of

[Heights2Bastrop]

Maybe that's where the steel mills were?

[N Judah]

I love that Shepherd and Washington area used to be called Smokytown. Why you think they changed that? 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I dunno. Maybe they made trips to Hempstead on a regular basis?

[editor]

If the marshland is created, it would be nice to have a pumping system to rapidly drain them, so if there's a hurricane headed to Houston, they can be drained to catch new runoff rather than just overflowing.

[tw2ntyse7en]

...

[kjb434]

If the marshland is created, it would be nice to have a pumping system to rapidly drain them, so if there's a hurricane headed to Houston, they can be drained to catch new runoff rather than just overflowing.

The marshland is supposed to stay flooded. The area above the water level but still in the banks is where the floodplain storage will occur. The marshland area is primarily for storm water quality. Marshlands have the incredible ability to cleanse water from streams by removing sediment.

I'm a civil engineer dealing specifically with hydraulics and hydrology. I deal with flooding issues daily and how to address them. I'm open to question and to help direct you to places to answer them if i'm not completely sure.

[Guest danax]

The marshland is supposed to stay flooded.  The area above the water level but still in the banks is where the floodplain storage will occur.  The marshland area is primarily for storm water quality.  Marshlands have the incredible ability to cleanse water from streams by removing sediment.

I'm a civil engineer dealing specifically with hydraulics and hydrology.  I deal with flooding issues daily and how to address them.  I'm open to question and to help direct you to places to answer them if i'm not completely sure.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I believe the process that you are describing is exactly the reason for creating the freshwater tidal marsh at Mason Park on the East End, where Brays Bayou cuts through it (part of Project Brays).

[kjb434]

Yes, the Army Corps of Engineers and Harris County Flood Control District working to gether on these. There is already one on Greens Bayou in the northeast corner of the Beltway and there is one on the Brays Bayou in the southwestern side of the city. These are pioneering projects in the US for urban marsh land.

The county is planning on buying out some some homes that were prone to flooding and will turn the acreage into marshland or regional detention facilities.

The county is really on the move. Once project Brays in completed, a few other major streams will follow suit.

[Croberts]

I'm a civil engineer dealing specifically with hydraulics and hydrology. I deal with flooding issues daily and how to address them. I'm open to question and to help direct you to places to answer them if i'm not completely sure.

I am new to this list, I hope you are still monitoring it! I have three questions

1)I noticed on the 1986 (approx) NHAP aerial photographs that the streamlined, paved portion of brays bayou simply stops in east houston before it gets to galveston bay. Didnt this simply transfer the flooding problem to east houston?

2) Also, has Houston discussed assessing individual landowners for their contribution to runnoff through paving over their land? Without taking this it seems we are still treating flood control as a free good provided by society to the individual-given that houston would flood anyway even if it was not urbanized.

3)Do you know when brays bayou and willow waterhole were paved?

4) Why is it called brays bayou? Was it always spelled brays rather than braes?