Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) announced that the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) has been awarded $9.8 million in federal funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help repair Barker Reservoir Watershed from damages caused by Hurricane Harvey and restore channels, including Mason Creek and Upper Buffalo Bayou, to pre-Harvey levels of conveyance.

“Our community has worked together to recover from Hurricane Harvey’s devastating impacts, and there is still much work to do.  I am glad to be able to announce that more help is on the way with FEMA’s award of nearly $10 million to restore our bayous and creeks in the Barker watershed,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher.  “Dredging and restoration of our water conveyance systems will help protect homes and businesses in our district.” 

“The Harris County Flood Control District is excited to have been awarded nearly $9.8 million in federal funding from FEMA to restore capacity to channels that flow into Barker Reservoir, damaged as a direct result of Hurricane Harvey,” said Alan Black, HCFCD Director of Operations.  “The Hurricane deposited large quantities of sand and sediment along the banks and within the channels throughout Barker Reservoir Watershed.  The Flood Control District will oversee repairs to the drainage system to restore our infrastructure back to pre-disaster design, capacity, and function by removing more than 200,000 cubic yards of sediment.  That’s enough to fill roughly 20,000 dump trucks.” 

The Barker Reservoir Watershed includes several drainage channels in Texas’ Seventh Congressional District that are owned, operated, and maintained by the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD).  During Hurricane Harvey, an estimated volume of 206,863 cubic yards of sand and sediment was deposited along the banks and within the channels throughout Barker Reservoir.  HCFCD will use the federal funding for repairs to the drainage system to restore the facility back to pre-disaster design, capacity, and function.  The federal government is providing a 90% share of the total project cost, with a 10% local match.  The total project cost of $10.85 million will cover sediment removal from flood control district channels upstream of Barker Reservoir.