HOUSTON
(April 18, 2016) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District, is closely
monitoring the Addicks and Barker dams and reservoirs in West Houston as part
of stage one of an extended watch that calls for an increased surveillance of
the flood risk management structures.
“The
Addicks and Barker dams and reservoirs are performing as intended, which is to
reduce the flood levels along Buffalo Bayou and protect the City of Houston,”
said Col. Richard P. Pannell, USACE Galveston District commander. “Public
safety is our number one priority as we work with our partners –the City of
Houston, Fort Bend County, Harris County and the Texas Department of Public
Safety – to monitor the dams and reservoirs.
The
Corps remains in contact with the Texas Department of Transportation, the Fort
Bend County Emergency Operations Center and the Harris County Flood Control
District to provide status updates as the impoundment of rainwater in the
Addicks Reservoir could result in flood water impacting State Highway 6 between
Clay Road and Interstate 10, which is located inside of the reservoir.
The
USACE Galveston District staff will continue to closely monitor conditions and
provide updates as the situation changes.
Constructed
in the 1940s, both reservoirs are normally kept dry to preserve their overall
capacity to impound storm water and reduce flood levels in Buffalo Bayou. When
a rain event occurs, the gates are closed on the Addicks and Barker dams to
reduce flooding below the reservoirs. When the downstream runoff has receded to
non-damaging stages, reservoir operations resume, the gates are opened, and
water is released.
The
USACE Galveston District was established in 1880 as the first engineer district
in Texas to oversee river and harbor improvements. Its main missions include
navigation, ecosystem restoration, emergency management, flood risk management
and regulatory oversight.
To
learn more about the Addicks and Barker Dam Safety Program, visit www.addicksandbarker.info. For more news and information, visit www.swg.usace.army.mil. Find us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/GalvestonDistrict or follow us
on Twitter, www.twitter.com/USACEgalveston.