History of the Brays Bayou Association
Special to the Braeswood Place Homeowners Association by
Bob Schwartz, Marilyn Estates representative, and President of the Brays Bayou Association
C. J. Yeomann, Editor, Marilyn Estates Association Newsletter
Russell Schexnayder, Brays Bayou Association Member
Hurricane Alicia hit in August 1983, followed in September by a major thunderstorm with 9 inches of rain, which resulted in extensive flooding in the area. About 1,800 homes were flooded, many in Meyerland. Bob Marshall of Meyerland called a number of people to work together to reduce the risk of future flooding, and the Brays Bayou Association was formed early in 1984.
To fund the organization, Marshall raised about $60,000, largely from Meyerland residents. Ann Lee of Maplewood South/North was the first president. Bob Marshall, Burt Olive, Ed O'Rourke, Bob Parrott, Jo Moore and I are among several others to have served as president.
The early days - getting to work
There was a lot of finger-pointing about who was responsible for the 1983 flooding. The Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were soon in the organization's sights. The BBA funded a study by Professor Phil Bedient, and BBA and several developers co-funded an engineering study by Pate Engineers.
The studies suggested the merits of stormwater detention and included a bidirectional diversion channel, which involved Sims Bayou so that rain falling in either watershed could be drained by both. This never got much traction because the people in Sims, after years of very unhappy flood experiences, couldn't be sold on the merits of the concept.
In addition, HCFCD didn't want the responsibility of managing flow in the diversion channel, so that concept was not pursued.
In the late 1980s, Commissioner's Court replaced HCFCD Director Jim Green with Art Storey. This changed the District almost immediately - it became more open; it solicited public input and paid attention to what it received.
Around 1988, Harris County Commissioner's Court proposed a countywide bond issue for a variety of county needs, among them flood control. The BBA considered the proposed figure for the flood control component, which was in the range of $67 to $88 million - woefully insufficient.
The organization went to Commissioner's Court and suggested $250 million would be more appropriate. The Court agreed and BBA said it would campaign in support of the bond issue.
BBA sponsored a large public meeting where attendance was estimated at 750. The bond issue passed with about 62 percent approval.
Working together during the '90s
In the early '90s, HCFCD contracted a study on the Brays Watershed to determine the best strategy to reduce flooding risk for the upper part of the watershed. At the same time, Ken Bentsen, our area Representative in the U.S. Congress, began to solicit input from HCFCD, BBA and others, concerning issues affecting flooding in the Brays Watershed.
Up to that time, all major flood control projects were handled by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - including planning, design and construction. Projects typically took 30 years from concept to completion. This is a very long time for a fast-growing city such as Houston.
Art Storey made a compelling case that, done by a "competent local authority," these "projects could be done in half the time and at half the cost."
Rep. Bentsen was sold and the Water Resources Development Act of 1996 (WRDA 96) included language permitting a competent local authority such as HCFCD to plan, design, and construct local flood control projects under Corps of Engineers oversight and monitoring, according to federal rules, regulations and guidelines. Then the project could receive federal reimbursement up to about 50 percent.
Several demonstration projects in California and Texas were listed in WRDA 96. The three Texas projects were all in Houston; Brays, Greens and Hunting Bayous.
Also included was language permitting aesthetic considerations to be incorporated in flood-control projects. This was a major change in the way federal flood control projects could be undertaken, and had a major, positive impact on the future Project Brays.
Origins of Willow Waterhole project
In late 1996, Russell Schexnayder proposed to the Westbury Area Improvement Corp. and BBA that a stormwater-detention site be constructed adjacent to Willow Waterhole Bayou. This site would help revitalize the unrestricted commercial/light industrial part of the Westbury Super Neighborhood, and it would reduce the risk of flooding in the entire watershed.
BBA was sold on the idea and voted to fund a technical and economic feasibility study with a local engineering firm. When brought to HCFCD's attention, Storey said he would fund the study with some of his discretionary funds. He basically said, "If you are so willing to put your money where your mouth is, I'll fund it."
Stormwater detention facilities were viewed at that time as "a hole in the ground with a fence around it." Since detention facilities are dry most of the time, Schexnayder also suggested emplacing a park on the facility. Kevin Shanley of the SWA Group, who had been advocating this dual-use concept for several years, was engaged by BBA to prepare sketches illustrating how the concept could be implemented in the unrestricted part of Westbury. These sketches would soon prove very valuable.
The timing was right. Because the Brays study was already underway, Brays Bayou was chosen as the first of the demonstration projects in Texas to be undertaken.
For the purposes of the study, the 31 miles of Brays were broken into some 15 "reaches." Each was evaluated with scenarios to determine the best plan. The detailed cost/benefit analysis showed that a large detention facility on the Westbury site, along with channel-widening and bridge replacements from the mouth of Brays west to Fondren Road, produced the best results for the downstream part of Project Brays.
The resulting high benefit/cost ratio enabled the Project Brays plan to compete successfully with other flood control projects elsewhere in the country for federal funds. When the Corps of Engineers approved the resulting plan, it became eligible for federal reimbursement.
More recent developments
Storey was later elevated to Executive Director of Infrastructure for Harris County and Mike Talbott replaced him as HCFCD Executive Director, reporting to Storey. Talbott has followed Storey's initiative with aggressively increased sensitivity to "green" in addition to aesthetic considerations as they apply to flood control projects.
In March 2000, Texas Parks and Wildlife published an urban parks initiative, indicating it wanted to move quickly to award grants. There was little time to prepare an application. However, City of Houston Parks and Recreation Department grants-writer Karen Cullar became aware of Shanley's Willow Waterhole park concept.
Cullar incorporated Shanley's plans into a grant application submitted at the end of March. Such applications typically take 12 to 18 months to percolate through the bureaucracy. A surprise phone call the following month indicated the grant would be approved. And just five months after the program was announced, a $750,000 grant was formally accepted by Houston City Council in August 2000.
In May 2000, Commissioner's Court had approved Project Brays. A formal launch ceremony was held on the site in November, attended by many notables from the city, the county, the state and federal government.
While the BBA was strongly supportive of emplacing a park on the detention site, its charter was primarily directed toward reducing the risk of flooding. BBA felt that it could not commit the effort needed for park development and supported establishing another organization dedicated to that effort. The Willow Waterhole Greenspace Conservancy (WWGC) was chartered as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization in 2001.
BBA continues to work closely with HCFCD and the City of Houston on various flood risk-reduction issues. It has worked closely with the city on changes to Chapter 19 of the Code of Ordinances dealing with flood-prone areas, and other regulatory documentation.
The Houston-Galveston Area Council has exhibited an increasing concern for environmental issues. BBA has been establishing links with those involved on issues affecting flooding by inviting speakers to our meetings and staying in contact.
BBA also interacts with organizations such as The Park People, Trees for Houston, The Bayou Preservation Association, The Quality of Life Coalition, and the Citizens Environmental Coalition. The people and organizations interested in and involved in "green" and environmental issues are like a family that seems to gets larger every day. BBA will continue being active on issues that relate to or involve flooding.
Please refer to the following Websites for additional information:
www.hcfcd.org
www.projectbrays.org
www.wwgc.org
www.houstontx.gov/parks/willowwaterhole.html
www.houstontx.gov