Nov. 14, 2017<\/p>\n
Excellent commentary from environmental lawyer Jim Blackburn<\/a> on the vote by Harris County Commissioners today (Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017) to go forward with contracts for detention basins in public forest alongside the channel of Buffalo Bayou<\/a>. Save Buffalo Bayou is quoted also.<\/p>\n Note that the KUHF reporter describes the issue as Not in My Backyard. No one on the Save Buffalo Bayou board or advisory board lives anywhere near this proposed project. This series of detention basins (not just one) will be built in a public park, public forest, riparian forest in west Houston. Creating only a modest amount of holding capacity (280 acre feet), they will not hold back water flowing into the bayou but will temporarily peel off water that is already in the bayou, and will have to be continually maintained and scraped of sediment.<\/p>\n Detention is important and vital. Bigger, wider floodplains are important. That means buyouts.<\/p>\n New motto: Stop Raindrops Where They Fall!<\/p>\n Public tax dollars should be spent where they will create the most benefit. Flood management policy should be focused on detaining stormwater before it enters our streams. The flood control district had the choice years ago of building bigger, more useful detention basins elsewhere. They chose not to do that.<\/p>\n Listen to the broadcast on Houston Matters, KUHF 88.7<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n KHOU reporter Adam Bennett’s report on the flood control proposal to remove trees on the forested public banks of Buffalo Bayou in Terry Hershey Park. The controversial plan, long in the works, is to create a series of basins to temporarily hold water overflowing from the bayou. Save Buffalo Bayou thinks the time to stop stormwater is before it gets into our streams. Forest provides valuable detention. Removing it makes no sense.<\/p>\n What would Terry do?<\/p>\n Watch the report on KHOU Channel 11.<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Flood control “improvements” will definitely destroy public forest along Buffalo Bayou in Terry Hershey Park. They’ve pulled an existing, long-opposed plan off the shelf to look like they are doing something, anything, about reducing flood damages. This won’t help. We are not in favor of trees because they look pretty. We’re in favor of trees because they help reduce flooding.<\/p>\n The Chronicle’s Mihir Zaveri’s report on the issue and the vote:<\/p>\n Commissioners Court on Tuesday voted unanimously to let the Harris County Flood Control District sketch out what exactly a study of that segment of the bayou would examine.<\/em><\/p>\n The Court would have to vote again to green light the actual study, which could recommend flood reduction measures, such as clearing trees and installing detention ponds.<\/em><\/p>\nAnd On the Tee Vee<\/h4>\n
And In The Houston Chronicle<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n