Project Description
On March 30, 2021, Harris County Commissioners Court renewed a five-year contract with the United States Army Corps of Engineers for construction of ongoing selective clearing operations along South Mayde Creek and Langham Creek within the Addicks Reservoir. The initial five-year agreement, which expired in December 2020, involved a 120-foot-wide selective clearing effort. As part of the new five-year agreement, the selective clearing effort will be expanded to 350-feet-wide. For more information on Selective Clearing operations, visit our Selective Clearing project webpage.
Under the new agreement, selective clearing operations along both South Mayde Creek and Langham Creek will begin in Spring 2021.
The primary focus of this operation is to ensure that natural channels included in the agreement function at peak capacity to convey stormwater from surrounding neighborhoods into the reservoir. This work is in addition to the Flood Control District’s cyclical mowing and maintenance program outside the reservoir boundaries. Selective clearing at Addicks Reservoir involves identifying and removing downed trees or trees at imminent risk of failure. The work is performed by hand, using chainsaws, machetes, and ropes. Contractors travel the channel on foot, through environmentally sensitive areas, with few if any roads. A secondary focus of this operation is to leave as much of the native understory as possible, while clearing non-native species.
Under the initial 2016 five-year agreement, selective clearing crews completed work along Langham Creek (Unit U100-00-00), from Addicks-Satsuma Road to Clay Road. The new agreement along Langham Creek extends from Addicks-Satsuma Road to Patterson Road, adding 2.1 miles of channel.
In addition, crews will conduct selective clearing activities along South Mayde Creek (Unit U101-00-00) from Greenhouse Road downstream to tributary U101-15-00, which feeds into South Mayde Creek, about 1.5 miles downstream of Barker Cypress. The boundary length along South Mayde Creek under the new agreement remains the same.
The maps below shows the location and boundaries of both creeks within Addicks Reservoir, which is included in the 2021 selective clearing agreement with the Corps. The work to maintain these channels is completed on an ongoing basis.