Flood Projects Take More Than Shovels: What Residents Should Know About Federal Flood Funding

Flood mitigation projects funded through federal programs often involve multiple steps before construction begins. Engineering, design, environmental review, bidding, permitting, land coordination, utility relocation, and federal approvals are all part of moving a project from planning into construction. While much of that work is not visible from the street, it can be essential to making…

May 5, 20260Comments

Projects

Barker Reservoir Maintenance Effort Gets Underway to Restore Critical Flood Control Infrastructure

Maintaining Harris County's flood flood resiliency systems requires ongoing work to restore channels, remove vegetation, and ensure infrastructure continues to function as designed long before the next heavy rain arrives. That work is now underway in west Harris County as the Harris County Flood Control District launches the Barker Channel Rehabilitation and Restoration Project, a…

March 20, 20260Comments

Projects

Keeping the Prairie Healthy: Prescribed Burns in Northwest Harris County

At the beginning of February, the Harris County Flood Control District conducted a prescribed burn on 440 acres of prairie and wetlands in northwest Harris County near the Katy Prairie. The burn was carefully planned and supervised by certified fire professionals to ensure it stayed safe and contained. Why This Work Is Important Prescribed burns…

March 2, 20260Comments

Projects

Supporting Flood Risk Reduction with Native Wildflowers

You may start to notice small green patches forming along some of our channels and stormwater detention basins. While they may look like weeds at first glance, they’re actually young bluebonnets. Bluebonnets begin as low-growing clusters of leaves called rosettes. They stay close to the ground through the winter months, building strength below the surface.…

March 2, 20260Comments

Projects

Turkey Creek Maintenance Update

The Harris County Flood Control District is currently working on an erosion repair project along Turkey Creek in the Memorial area. Turkey Creek is a tributary of Buffalo Bayou. It starts in Addicks Reservoir and flows about six miles southwest, passing under Interstate 10 (U.S. 90), the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad tracks, and the…

March 2, 20260Comments

Projects

Bering Ditch Maintenance Project Completed in Precinct 3

The Harris County Flood Control District recently completed important maintenance work along Bering Ditch in west Houston, within Harris County Precinct 3. The Flood Control District is responsible for maintaining more than 2,500 miles of channels across the county and regularly inspects the channels and makes repairs when excessive wear or damage is identified. For…

December 23, 20250Comments

Aerial view of a winding river in a sunlit landscape at sunset.

Community

How CDBG Funding Helps Reduce Flood Risk in Harris County

Strong partnerships are essential to building long-term resilience in Harris County. Through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, the Flood Control District can design and build projects that meaningfully reduce flood risk. These projects improve channel conveyance, create stormwater storage, and preserve floodplains that help mitigate flooding during major rain events. Many communities with…

December 17, 20250Comments

Projects

How the Flood Control District Protects White Oak and Buffalo Bayou’s Walls of Steel near Downtown Houston

Near downtown Houston, Buffalo Bayou flows through a narrow corridor surrounded by buildings, bridges, trails, and parks. Just upstream, White Oak Bayou joins Buffalo Bayou at their confluence at Allen’s Landing. Because there is not enough open land for wide, sloped banks, the Harris County Flood Control District uses steel sheet pile walls to hold…

December 15, 20250Comments

Projects

Caring for Harris County’s Sensitive Habitats

Across Harris County, some of the most important flood risk reduction work happens in places that look almost untouched. These natural areas include wetlands, stormwater detention basins with water quality features, projects with natural stable channel design elements, and diverse native plant areas teeming with life. This biodiversity provides habitats for a variety of ecosystems,…

December 12, 20250Comments

Projects

Maintenance Matters: What’s Ahead in 2026 and How You Can Help

This article continues our two-part series marking the one-year anniversary of Proposition A, the maintenance funding measure approved by voters in November 2024. In Part 1, we reviewed the major accomplishments achieved during Fiscal Year 2025. In Part 2, we look ahead to Fiscal Year 2026, explore what residents shared during the recent public meetings,…

December 9, 20250Comments