Harris County commissioners will consider extending federal deadlines for three flood-control basins Thursday, including one under construction in the Spring-Klein area.

The Oct. 29 Commissioners Court agenda includes amendments to agreements with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that would give the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) more time to finish the projects without returning unspent grant money, Community Impact Newspaper first reported.

The extensions would apply to three detention basins with no change in funding, according to agenda documents:

  • East T.C. Jester Stormwater Detention Basin: extended through April 1, 2027
  • Halls Bayou Blue Bell Detention Basin: extended through April 1, 2027
  • Meyergrove Stormwater Detention Basin: extended by six months and 18 days

The East T.C. Jester basin sits at Cypresswood Drive and T.C. Jester Boulevard in the Cypress Creek watershed. That project matters to Spring.

Construction on its $18.6 million first compartment broke ground in August, according to the HCFCD. The east side of the project covers about 128 acres across three compartments and is expected to provide roughly 1,000 acre-feet of stormwater storage. A fourth compartment on the west side would add another 44 acres and about 200 acre-feet, according to the HCFCD. The HCFCD thanked Commissioner Tom Ramsey and the Precinct 3 team for supporting the project.

The Halls Bayou Blue Bell basin aims to reduce flooding along the Halls Bayou main stem near Interstate 45, according to the HCFCD project page. The HCFCD is working with the Texas Department of Transportation on that project.

Commissioners will also consider extending two U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) agreements. One would add 92 days for the HCFCD to finish Hurricane Beryl debris removal. Another would add 181 days to build three stormwater detention basins and make minor tributary improvements. None of the extensions change the grant amounts.

$533,000 floating island study

In a separate agenda item, commissioners will consider a $533,444 agreement with the University of Houston to study floating vegetated islands. Agenda documents describe the islands as an "innovative water quality and habitat enhancement feature."

The three-year study would place the islands at the Reverend William and Audrey Lawson Park stormwater detention basin, a roughly 22-acre site in the Clear Creek watershed, according to the HCFCD. Researchers would evaluate whether the islands work as a water-quality management practice for detention basins. A grant from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality would provide additional funding, per agenda documents.

The Commissioners Court meeting begins at 9 a.m. Thursday at 1001 Preston St. in downtown Houston. Residents can also watch a livestream on the county website.