The US Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District, is holding a public meeting Wednesday, March 9, 2016,<\/a> to update the public about progress in repairing the Addicks and Barker dams on South Mayde Creek and Buffalo Bayou in rapidly developing west Houston.<\/p>\n The two earthen dams, completed in the 1940s, were labeled \u201cextremely high risk\u201d in 2009 when engineers noticed seepage around the dams\u2019 gates and ends following a heavy storm. The \u201cextremely high risk\u201d designation did not mean the dams were in danger of failing soon<\/a>. But the possibility of failure combined with the dams\u2019 location upstream of a major metropolitan area lifted the dams into the urgent category.<\/p>\n As a result, the reservoirs, which are dry reservoirs and contain one of the region\u2019s largest parks and recreation areas<\/a>, cannot be filled to capacity during storms, which impacts the way water is released from the dams before and after storms: faster and more often. (Correction: The Corps of Engineers says that the structural problems with the dams have had no impact on the capacity limit or release rates.<\/a>) <\/strong>This unnatural flow regime in turn impacts Buffalo Bayou downstream. (South Mayde Creek joins Buffalo Bayou just below the dams.) However, most of the flooding in Buffalo Bayou during heavy storms is caused by surface runoff from buildings, highways, streets, parking lots, and other paved surfaces below the dams, which are closed during rain events.<\/p>\n Barker Reservoir. Undated photo courtesy of USACE, Galveston District.<\/p><\/div>\n Until recently releases from the dams, combined with existing flow in the bayou, were limited to 2,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) as measured by the Piney Point gauge<\/a>. In 2010, however, the Corps received permission to increase the flow to 4,000 cfs<\/a> if necessary, the point beyond which severe flooding is expected to occur.<\/a> (See also dam operation<\/a>, pdf, page 2.)<\/p>\n Following the Memorial Day flood in 2015, the Corps began sustained releases reaching 3,000 cfs for the first time<\/a>. (See Item V, Minute 3:25, appearance by Flood Control District Director Mike Talbott before Harris County Commissioners Court, June 2, 2015.)<\/p>\n The public meeting on Wednesday will address the Addicks and Barker Dam Safety Program, the 2016 Addicks and Barker construction plans and the proposed Section 216 Study. The meeting will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Bear Creek Community Center, 16001 Clay Road, Houston 77084<\/p>\n![\"Barker](\"https:\/\/www.savebuffalobayou.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Barker-Reservoir.jpg\")
<\/a>