SWG-2007-00913 - Fort Bend County Drainage District - Fort Bend County

Full Public Notice    Project Plans    

The Big Creek New Floodplain Creation project in Fort Bend County is roughly 53,690’ in length, which is comprised of the Upper Reach and Middle Reach of Big Creek.  The Lower Reach project has been previously completed to the Brazos River in a similar manner.  Approximately 9,986 cubic yards of fill and 2,230 cubic yards of concrete will be used to reshape the creek’s floodplain and improve drainage.  The applicant has been working with Galveston District Regulatory staff for over a year to develop a plan that provides drainage improvement without losing stream function.  The plan maintains stream sinuosity and works to establish a floodplain bench with a natural bottom, rather than a straight cut with a concrete bottom.  The use of concrete has been minimized to those outfall discharge areas within the creek that are exposed to erosion.  Resource agencies inspected the completed section prior to final design of the proposed project.  The project consists almost entirely of pulling back existing side slopes to widen the bottom 15 feet to 20 feet, creating new floodplains of 30 feet and 40 feet that did not previously exist.  A sinuous streambed is proposed for the new bottom, along with installation of eight weir/pool complexes, and retaining one existing weir.  Four smaller weirs are proposed to be installed at the mouths of tributaries.  A benthic organism conservation plan for the existing bottom was performed.  Additionally, Big Creek will continue to flood out of its banks on a 10-year event; where it currently floods during a five-year event.