Pump Station Updates

Steep Bank Pump Station Expansion Update

The construction of the expansion to the Steep Bank Creek Storm Water Pump Station is progressing.  The current capacity of the pump station is 80,000 gallons per minute. The expansion will add 150,000 gallons per minute of additional capacity.  The project was on schedule to be completed in June of 2022. However, global supply chain issues with electrical equipment necessary for the completion and operation of the expansion have caused the project’s completion to be pushed to August or September 2022 based on current estimates.  Equipment that used to be available in days is taking weeks and equipment that took weeks is taking months for delivery.

The pump station is currently available to pump 80,000 gallons per minute and the District’s mobile pumps with a total capacity of 81,000 gallons per minute have remained deployed and are available for use should they be needed.  The mobile pumps will remain deployed until the expansion of the pump station is complete, and possibly beyond.

Lost Creek Pump Station Update

Fort Bend County LID 19 applied for and received a  zero % interest rate loan from Texas Water Development Board (TWBD) for the planning, design, and construction of the new storm water pump station in the Steep Bank Creek service area. First Colony LID, and Fort Bend County MUD 115 participated in sharing the financial burden of this project. We are very grateful for this participation.

The pump station will provide an additional 200,000 gallons per minute of capacity to the Steep Bank Creek service area, with backup power for the system to be used in case of the grid power failure.  The geotechnical investigation and survey work are completed.  The environmental work associated with the project has been completed and is being reviewed by the TWDB.  Design, including mechanical, structural and electrical, are currently underway and anticipate 90% completion by the end of the summer 2022.  Following plan reviews by the TWDB, County and City of Missouri City, we plan to publicly bid the project in 1Q 2023 and construction to follow shortly after that.  It is estimated that construction will take 18 months once started.

Update on the Flat Bank Channel Erosion and Repairs

As we all know, the Flat Bank Channel (which you cross over a bridge when you drive from LJ Parkway to Sienna) has suffered many areas of erosion over the past few years. So far these do not pose any imminent danger to our levee system. However, these erosion locations need to be repaired, for the safety of the levee system. Although the Channel is owned and maintained by Fort Bend County Drainage District (FBCDD), LID 19’s Board of Directors has been paying close attention to this issue.

According to FBCDD, the delays in the repair work have largely been attributable to federal funding and approvals fort the project.  Below is a rough timeline of events, as reported by FBCDD:

A large reason for the delay is due to the initial recommendation for the use of Scourlok gabion baskets by FEMA. Engineers worked with the Scourlok manufacturer and a soils engineer to determine that FEMA’s initial design to use Scourlok was found to be overly expensive due to the amount of excavation and back fill required. Additionally, the lower limits of excavation could have jeopardized the integrity of the levee. A geologic investigation and soils analysis determined that a revised design to eliminate the Scourlok baskets, flatten the side slopes, decrease the excavation, and use rock riprap to stabilize the toe.

If you have any questions or concerns about the Flat Bank Channel project, please contact the FBCDD or submit an inquiry on LID 19’s website.

Migration of Feral Hogs

As you are likely aware, there is a migration of feral hogs that periodically find themselves in the confines of LID 19. LID 19’s Board has received a few requests from residents regarding the hogs and what can be done about them. It is important to note that the LID’s primary responsibility is to protect the levees. In some parts of our LID and throughout the county, LIDs have erected hog fencing to prevent the animals from gaining access to levees where they can cause damage and threaten the integrity of a levee. As a side benefit, the barriers have been successful in limiting their access to homes.

The hog fencing can help, but it is an open system. Hogs, if desired, can travel to the LID 19 interior simply through roads. This means that there is no foolproof barrier method. To help prevent their interest in your property, please consider the following:

  1. Turn back irrigation settings at your home so the grounds are not so soft and easy to root through.
  2. Treat your yard for grubs, worms, insects and reptiles quarterly to eliminate the hog’s food sources – this is what the LID 19 does to keep the hogs from digging into the levees.
  3. Remove all acorns from your lawn if you have oak trees throughout your property.
  4. Make sure you have no standing water in your yard that hogs will use as a drinking or bathing source.
  5. Hogs do not like the light at night. Something as simple as solar stake lights in the yard have proven to deter hogs from locations. Predator guards placed at hog’s eye level might be effective
  6. Do not leave any food outside. This is for human or pet foods.
  7. Ensure that your trash is well secured and not accessible.

In addition to contacting the HOA, it is also advisable that you write to your county and state representatives. The feral hog problem is not contained just in LID 19, and a regional effort is needed. They need to hear from you to know it is an issue of note.