The information below pertains to a Harris County Flood Control District project that would affect Horsepen Bayou. Please feel free to comment as you feel so inclined. I know some of you paddle that Bayou on occasion.
Hello Bruce:
I noticed on the Houston Canoe Club website that your organization has used Horsepen Bayou for some of your trips. I am writing to you to make sure that you and your organization are aware of the changes that are planned for the bayou.
Horsepen Bayou is scheduled for a construction project that would drastically change the natural environment.
· Almost all trees and vegetation will be removed from both banks and the greenspace up to the homeowners’ property lines.
· The bayou is scheduled to be drained for dredging work and sleep slopes constructed along both sides.
· Limestone fill will be placed along the slopes.
· Wildlife will be displaced by the removal of their natural habitat.
· The area will essentially become a retention ditch for upstream flooding.
This project is being done by the Harris County Flood Control District. There are alternative options available for flood control that would not destroy the ecosystem and the natural beauty of the area. The recent completion of Exploration Green has not been calculated, in its entirety, into the flood reduction equation and might possibly make the need for additional mitigation unnecessary. Plus, there are options for retention ponds to be built upstream that could be utilized for flood control instead.
The project as it is depicted on the HCFCD website is drastically different from the actuality of the construction documents that were acquired from HCFCD via a Public Information Request. Both documents are attached for your reference. The construction drawings show exactly what will be done and the great degree of devastation that is planned.
A group of local homeowners is working to bring attention to this project and Save Horsepen Bayou. We hope you will join us in opposing the destruction of Horsepen Bayou. If you could contact the people listed below to express your support for saving the bayou and if you could encourage others in your organization to do the same, we would greatly appreciate it.
Tina Petersen, Executive Director, Harris County Flood Control District, 9900 Northwest Freeway, Houston, Tx 77092, 713-684-4000, Tina.Petersen@hcfcd.hctx.net
Commissioner Adrian Garcia, Harris County Precinct 2, 1001 Preston St, #924, Houston, TX 77002, 713-274-2222 or 713-755-6220, commissioner@pct2.hctx.net
Representative Dennis Paul, 17225 E. Camino Real Blvd., Suite 415, Houston, TX 77058, 281-488-8900, Dennis.Paul@house.texas.gov
Senator Mayes Middleton, 2101 Mechanic St., Suite 245, Galveston, TX 77550, 713-867-2832 or 512-463-0111, mayes.middleton@senate.texas.gov
Thank you for your help. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions you might have.
Regards,
Carol Calhoun Michalik
B104-00-00-E002 - Final Submittal Construction ...