PROJECT OVERVIEW

The Cypress Creek watershed (K100-00-00) extends across northwest Harris County and into Waller County. There are 250-miles of open waterways in the watershed, including the main Cypress Creek channel and its major tributaries. The watershed took on nearly 30-inches of rainfall during Hurricane Harvey in 2017, which caused record-setting flooding along Cypress Creek and many of its tributaries. Since then, the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) has been on a mission to develop flood damage reduction projects that protect communities and wildlife habitats within the watershed. 

The HCFCD is taking a watershed-wide approach for flood risk reduction projects throughout the county. The Cypress Creek Implementation Program (the Program) was created to provide a holistic view of activity in the watershed and enable the HCFCD to deliver projects more strategically and efficiently.  

The Implementation Plan assessed the initial sites included in the Regional Drainage Plan and multiple additional site locations. Phase I Planning evaluated 49 sites in the Cypress Creek watershed for stormwater detention through two prioritization stages. Project sites were prioritized according to the HCFCD’s Prioritization Framework (updated July 2021) that evaluated criteria for Existing Level of Service (LOS), Flood Risk Reduction, Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), Project Efficiency, Partnership Funding, Long-Term Maintenance, Environmental Impacts, and Potential for Multi-Use.  

As a result, the Implementation Plan includes recommendations for the delivery and execution of 23 stormwater detention basin sites with approximately 14,000 acre-feet of storage. It also demonstrates the need to move ahead with these much-needed projects. It is the first step to providing flood mitigation benefits for the Cypress Creek watershed. 

SERVICE DETAILS

Our team is providing program management, engineering, and mapping technical support, and risk analysis services for the multi-phase program. 

Our team collaborated with the HCFCD to develop a roadmap and execution plan for flood risk reduction projects along with Cypress Creek’s most vulnerable areas. Planning the scope included the evaluation of hydrology and hydraulics flood models; conceptual design layouts; right-of-way coordination; environmental reviews; utility review; cost estimating and forecasting; program scheduling and prioritizations; stakeholder identification and support. Scope delivery will follow with the plan implementation for projects delivery and execution.