Excavation of Addicks and Barker reservoir flood pools? (Houston: insurance, homes)

[elnina]

More than two decades ago, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers determined that property owners in the reservoir pools of Addicks and Barker dams might sue the Corps if they were flooded but had a slim likelihood of success, a conclusion that supported decisions not to pursue upgrades to the aging dams at the time, a Corps document shows. They “analyzed the problem, they’ve correctly identified the problem, they know about the problem, and they decide again and again and again to do nothing and accept the risk of litigation".

The Corps in 1995 decided against pursuing plans to build a third reservoir, excavating Barker and Addicks deeper, building channels to carry water out of the reservoirs in the event of a severe storm or buying out homes upstream or downstream, because the cost could not be justified.
The documents, also show the Corps officials believed that a storm that could spill into homes would be so rare and irregular that it did not necessitate retrofitting the dams to avoid the potential flooding and litigation.
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/new...d-12714844.php

Now, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is quietly exploring the possibility of excavating dirt from Addicks and Barker reservoirs, reviving an oft-discussed proposal that would allow the reservoirs to hold more storm water and keep it out of nearby Houston neighborhoods:
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/new...id=chronstrrpc

[HookTheBrotherUp]

I'd think they'd have to make it quite deep to hold back all that water at once... also, most of the vegetation would have to be stripped. They may just be able to turn those reservoirs into seasonal lakes for recreation, win-win perhaps.

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by elnina

They “analyzed the problem, they’ve correctly identified the problem, they know about the problem, and they decide again and again and again to do nothing and accept the risk of litigation".

The Corps in 1995 decided against pursuing plans to build a third reservoir, excavating Barker and Addicks deeper, building channels to carry water out of the reservoirs in the event of a severe storm or buying out homes upstream or downstream, because the cost could not be justified.

Not doing any of this now is to do nothing and accept that insurance is going to keep paying for replacing flooded homes. It's foolish and irresponsible.

[perro_peluo]

I don't think it is as simple as excavating the reservoirs to make them deeper. The larger the water volume that potentially has to be held in place would likely require upgrades to levee system

[Dopo]

problem is not the reservoir ........ is the bayous capacity

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by Dopo

problem is not the reservoir ........ is the bayous capacity

You can dredge the bayou for miles or you can just expand a reservoir. Either way the water then has somewhere to go.

What I don't get is we treat the land here like it's unlimited in supply, but we insist on building right up against reservoirs and canals that have been proven to be inadequate for the needs of the region, on land that should probably be left for the water to go. It can't permeate the concrete that covers the former swamp or rice field that existed there in the paleoclimatology models that give us concepts like "500-year flood."

[Jack Lance]

What I got out of the links is the Army Corps of Engineers has a very callus attitude toward risk management . They surmised that accepting the cost of litigation was somehow preferable to not only building new projects, such as the third reservoir, but also to basic maintenance of existing flood control infrastructure. On top of that they kept these findings to themselves.


reprehensible indeed...

[jfre81]

It's more like it was assumed that it was preparation for some sort of farfetched apocalypse that'll never actually happen, and it turned out to not be so farfetched after all.

Basically the CoE did the equivalent of the homeowners who decided they didn't need flood insurance because they weren't in the flood plain.

[Celiene61]

It's just so hard to believe that the Army Corps of Engineers would put financial considerations ahead of human safety and personal property, no?

It's been going on forever, that is the main reason that the citizens need to do their due diligence and call these perps out.

Along with the commercial developers and residential builders who knew it was against better judgement to build in that area.

Money Talks, Bull$h*t walks.......old Texas oilman saying ( psst, Oscar Wyatt)

[Oskar_Z28]

Deepening the pool will not help alone if you can't get the water out fast. "Save the buffalo bayou"....? How about - clear the buffalo bayou of all trees and underbrush, widen it - there is room, slab it and allow the water to move downstream easier from both reservoirs. They've done it with other bayous.