DETAILS The North Canal project will reduce the risk of flooding downtown and reduce flood damage to upstream areas along White Oak and Buffalo Bayous. The project consists of three components: a high-flow diversion channel, an overflow channel, and channel improvements. The North Canal is at the confluence of White Oak and Buffalo Bayous, with the South overflow channel downstream. The channel improvements provide increased conveyance capacity and flood damage reduction to areas along White Oak Bayou.
MAP
How is this project funded? This project is part of the Federal Emergency Management Administration's (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). The Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) is the recipient of HMGP funding, and the City is the sub-recipient. The funding for project costs is based on a 35.15% federal and 64.85% local cost share. The City is partnering with the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD), the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), and Memorial Heights Redevelopment Authority on the behalf of Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone Number 5 (TIRZ No. 5) to implement the Project
Current project status. The City of Houston kicked off its design consultant (HDR Engineering, Inc.) and began the City of Houston (COH) Final Design phase on July 7, 2023. COH Phase 2 Final Design is anticipated to require approximately two (2) years to complete. It builds off of the efforts from Preliminary Design with a continual refinement of the design at 60%, 90%, and 100% milestone design submittals. Design refinement is achieved through additional site-specific investigations, including topographic survey, utility, bathymetric, geotechnical, Environmental Site Assessment Phase 2, cultural resource, and archeological. Refinement of the design and completion-related studies will produce a final construction plan set and bidding package. Additionally, in November 2023, the City anticipates awarding a contract to a firm to support Real Estate acquisition. The project has benefited from support from the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Targeted Brownfields Assessment program, which has completed field sampling at all project areas and issued draft Environmental Site Assessment Phase II reports; finalizing those reports is anticipated by the first quarter of calendar year 2024. Design is anticipated to be complete by the end of 2025, then Construction in the summer of 2026 through the end of 2029.
DETAILS The North Canal project will reduce the risk of flooding downtown and reduce flood damage to upstream areas along White Oak and Buffalo Bayous. The project consists of three components: a high-flow diversion channel, an overflow channel, and channel improvements. The North Canal is at the confluence of White Oak and Buffalo Bayous, with the South overflow channel downstream. The channel improvements provide increased conveyance capacity and flood damage reduction to areas along White Oak Bayou.
MAP
How is this project funded? This project is part of the Federal Emergency Management Administration's (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). The Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) is the recipient of HMGP funding, and the City is the sub-recipient. The funding for project costs is based on a 35.15% federal and 64.85% local cost share. The City is partnering with the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD), the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), and Memorial Heights Redevelopment Authority on the behalf of Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone Number 5 (TIRZ No. 5) to implement the Project
Current project status. The City of Houston kicked off its design consultant (HDR Engineering, Inc.) and began the City of Houston (COH) Final Design phase on July 7, 2023. COH Phase 2 Final Design is anticipated to require approximately two (2) years to complete. It builds off of the efforts from Preliminary Design with a continual refinement of the design at 60%, 90%, and 100% milestone design submittals. Design refinement is achieved through additional site-specific investigations, including topographic survey, utility, bathymetric, geotechnical, Environmental Site Assessment Phase 2, cultural resource, and archeological. Refinement of the design and completion-related studies will produce a final construction plan set and bidding package. Additionally, in November 2023, the City anticipates awarding a contract to a firm to support Real Estate acquisition. The project has benefited from support from the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Targeted Brownfields Assessment program, which has completed field sampling at all project areas and issued draft Environmental Site Assessment Phase II reports; finalizing those reports is anticipated by the first quarter of calendar year 2024. Design is anticipated to be complete by the end of 2025, then Construction in the summer of 2026 through the end of 2029.
Share Can design mitigation be included in the North Canal project to discourage/prevent homeless encampments in the future? The current encampment situation in the vicinity of the Yale/Heights bridges along the WOB is out of control. People should NOT be living under bridges creating the current unsanitary, trashed and graffitied conditions that exist there today. I will add the crime element that also exists as well.
HCFC needs to address this current status NOW and design to prevent it...
on FacebookShare Can design mitigation be included in the North Canal project to discourage/prevent homeless encampments in the future? The current encampment situation in the vicinity of the Yale/Heights bridges along the WOB is out of control. People should NOT be living under bridges creating the current unsanitary, trashed and graffitied conditions that exist there today. I will add the crime element that also exists as well.
HCFC needs to address this current status NOW and design to prevent it...
on TwitterShare Can design mitigation be included in the North Canal project to discourage/prevent homeless encampments in the future? The current encampment situation in the vicinity of the Yale/Heights bridges along the WOB is out of control. People should NOT be living under bridges creating the current unsanitary, trashed and graffitied conditions that exist there today. I will add the crime element that also exists as well.
HCFC needs to address this current status NOW and design to prevent it...
on LinkedinEmail Can design mitigation be included in the North Canal project to discourage/prevent homeless encampments in the future? The current encampment situation in the vicinity of the Yale/Heights bridges along the WOB is out of control. People should NOT be living under bridges creating the current unsanitary, trashed and graffitied conditions that exist there today. I will add the crime element that also exists as well.
HCFC needs to address this current status NOW and design to prevent it...
link
Can design mitigation be included in the North Canal project to discourage/prevent homeless encampments in the future? The current encampment situation in the vicinity of the Yale/Heights bridges along the WOB is out of control. People should NOT be living under bridges creating the current unsanitary, trashed and graffitied conditions that exist there today. I will add the crime element that also exists as well.
HCFC needs to address this current status NOW and design to prevent it...
Bikedawg
asked
6 months ago
Howdy Neighbor!
The North Canal project scope of work in the Yale-Heights area is to widen White Oak Bayou in limited areas, in the vicinity of the Yale St and Heights Blvd bridges and west of Studemont at I-10. The proposed improvements place a vertical wall along the limits of the channel widening and will include a safety rail along the existing hike & bike trail near the border. This wall will effectively prevent easy access to the channel waterway below the trail (and bridges), so it can be viewed as a deterrence.
Additionally, some signings may be installed to discourage homeless habitation of these spaces, but ultimately, this is a law enforcement issue. Thank you for contacting Engagehouston.org!
