Funding an issue for Woodlands drainage groups

The Woodlands Drainage Task Force met on Tuesday, April 10 to discuss post-Harvey updates from villages across the area. The Woodlands Drainage Task Force met on Tuesday, April 10 to discuss post-Harvey updates from villages across the area. Photo: Michelle Iracheta / Michelle Iracheta Photo: Michelle Iracheta / Michelle Iracheta Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close Funding an issue for Woodlands drainage groups 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

Residents who were flooded out of their homes during Hurricane Harvey could see drainage relief in their neighborhoods should their taxing entity choose to take advantage of a federal program that offers financial assistance to rural communities.

Monica Pierre, a representative with the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development, gave municipal utility districts a beacon of hope during a presentation at The Woodlands Drainage Task Force meeting on Tuesday, April 9. Pierre was offering MUDs and other agencies with drainage responsibilities in The Woodlands the opportunity to take advantage of a USDA loan guarantee for water and environmental type projects.

“These are funds now. The bucket is there now,” Pierre said during her presentation before the Drainage Task Force, where board members and several dozen others were crowded into a room at The Woodlands Township office. “It’s not waiting on anybody to sign anything. We have money available. Let’s see if we can get it to you.”

Pierre said the USDA had about half a billion dollars to dispense to eligible entities for guaranteed loans and another $4.75 billion in grant funding.

At the conclusion of her presentation, the audience erupted into applause and thanked Pierre, who again urged the individual MUDs to apply for financial assistance.

Nearly eight months after Harvey drenched some parts of Montgomery County with more than 30 inches of rain, MUDs and other agencies with drainage responsibilities in The Woodlands have been diligently studying ways in which to mitigate future flooding.

During Tuesday’s meeting, Donnie Reed of LJA Engineering gave the audience a glimpse of how Harvey flooding affected the neighborhoods along Spring Creek near Glenloch and Grogan’s Point. The 2D model presented as a video gave a time-lapse view of water elevations in the neighborhoods during Harvey in real time.

Jim Stinson, general manager of The Woodlands Joint Powers Agency, said the model didn’t reveal any real surprises, because the agency had already run its own topographical simulation.

“What this model will do is give us an opportunity to go back and give us ‘What ifs,’” Stinson said. “What if we did this? What would be the results and how would it either improve or impact the high water surface elevation.”

By imputing data into the simulator, engineers could determine what the impact would be to a neighborhood if they decided to add a detention basin upstream that held back a certain amount of cubic feet per second, Stinson said.

“If you put a levee along this area, it will protect us during a Harvey-like event,” Stinson said, referring to suggestions made by some homeowners. “Well that may be true but then if we put that levee in—how will it impact adjacent properties across from the levee or upstream from the levee?”

Last week, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called on the San Jacinto River Authority to better protect the communities along the San Jacinto River and to find ways to mitigate flooding, a task that the authority has never handled.

Jace Houston, general manager of the SJRA, said one of the biggest challenge the various groups face is funding, as it is not set up to collect taxes from the communities it services.

“We have always had authority to do flood control,” Houston said. “What we don’t have is the funding.”

So while the task force is looking at facts, graphs and water elevations to find ways to prevent another Harvey-like disaster, any potential projects will require lots of money, Houston said.

And that’s where the USDA rural development funds come in, Pierre said. There is a caveat, however, she added.

Erika Archie, public information officer for USDA Rural Development, said funding for taxing entities through the USDA’s Water and Environmental Programs is contingent on several factors.

“Funding is provided once an viable application is developed and an eligible project has been identified,” Archie said. “Funding amounts vary and are determined on an individual project basis. Eligible areas must have less than 10,000 in population and can be cities, towns or unincorporated areas.”

Jackie Chance Sr., general manager of the Montgomery County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1, suggested that the MUDs come up with a single project and apply as a group to the receive the federal funds, but Pierre shot that idea down suggesting instead that the group coordinate with the SJRA to fund a project.

Stinson said he likes the idea.

“The area that we are thinking about improving is actually owned by the SJRA,” Stinson said. “So we will look for options and opportunities for partnering with them to apply for funds. It does impact a handful of MUDs. The details haven’t been worked out yet, but we are very encouraged about the potential.”

michelle.iracheta@chron.com