HOUSTON – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston
District will hold a public meeting March 9, 2016, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at
Bear Creek Community Center, 3055 Bear Creek Drive, Houston, TX 77084, to
update area residents and business owners about the Addicks and Barker Dam
Safety Program, the 2016 Addicks and Barker construction plans and the proposed
Section 216 Study.
The USACE Galveston District awarded a contract in the amount of $71,902,340 to Granite Construction Company in 2015 for construction of new outlet structures at the Addicks and Barker Dams in west Houston.
"The primary objective of the Dam Safety Program is to maintain public safety by ensuring that dams we own and operate are safe and that risks to the public are minimized,” said Col. Richard P. Pannell, Galveston District commander. “It is important to keep those who live and work around Addicks and Barker dams and reservoirs informed.”
The Corps implemented interim risk reduction measures over the last five years to reduce risks and increase safety of the dams. In addition to the interim solutions, a Dam Safety Modification Study was completed and construction began in February 2016.
“First and foremost, these dams are not in danger of failing,” Pannell said. “Addicks and Barker are dry reservoirs about 90 percent of the time, and they undergo daily, weekly and annual inspections and monitoring. While the likelihood of overtopping or failure is very low, the fact the dams protect the nation’s fourth largest metropolitan area makes the consequences to life safety relatively high risk.”
The public meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. Corps, construction and partner representatives will be available to answer questions immediately following the presentation as well as provide comments in writing.
“Addicks and Barker dams, which were constructed in the 1940s to protect downtown Houston from flooding in response to devastating floods that hit Houston earlier in the century, have been protecting the Houston metropolitan area for nearly 70 years,” said Pannell. “We’ll continue to work with our local flood control and emergency management partners to ensure that the structures function as intended.”
For those who are unable to participate in the public meeting but wish to provide feedback, log on to
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SR6QZR3. Keep apprised of construction updates at
http://geospatial.swf.usace.army.mil/AddicksBarker2/index.html.
For additional information about the Addicks and Barker Dam Safety Program, please visit
www.swg.usace.army.mil; email
addicksandbarker@usace.army.mil or call 409-766-3004 or find us on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/GalvestonDistrict.