Study on drainage basin put on short hold
By BARRY HALVORSON bhalvorson@journal-spectator.com

A study of the Tres Palacios drainage basin will be postponed a few months to give the county time to apply to the Texas Water Development Board for a reimbursement grant.

That decision was made during Monday's meeting of the Wharton County Commissioners on the recommendation of Halff Associates Consultant Wes Birdwell.

Birdwell said his firm has also been in contact with Matagorda County concerning the study. Even if the county doesn't have any funds budgeted for drainage survey next year, he said, having Matagorda sign on would be beneficial.

"Having two entities making the application gives it strength," Birdwell said. "The Water Development Board isn't interested in project if there isn't cooperation between all the entities."

Birdwell said the county should learn if it is going to receive the grant sometime in March or April. The grant would reimburse the county 50 percent of the cost.

When started, the Tres Palacios study will extend from the U.S. 59 bridge in El Campo to 2.5 miles past the Matagorda County line.

While delaying the start of the Tres Palacios study, Birdwell said his firm has bumped up the proposed study of Jones Creek. In a phone interview, he said there are "a couple of railroad crossing" in that drainage basin and they want to get that information to the engineers of the Kansas City Southern Railroad for design purposes.

"We're hoping to work with them on engineering in specifics for improved drainage when they refurbish the line," he said.

Other proposed work for the coming year includes the continuing study of Waterhole and Lower Peach creeks and new projects studying Blue Creek, Jarvis Creek and Lower Caney Creek. Birdwell said there is hope to include Matagorda County in the Caney Creek study.

Watershed studies already completed include the three Mustang creeks (East, Middle and West), the Gardner Slough and San Bernard River in the northern part of the county including Boone Branch and Britt Branch.

Halff Associates is prepared to start rolling out the information gathered during the 2007 studies, he said, including computer models of baseline floods ranging from a two year to a 500 year flood. That modeling information is being used to develop best alternative drainage programs based on benefit to cost ratio (BCR).

He said any BCR equal to or greater than one will be considered for recommendation. The BCR compares the cost of any work to the cost of possible flood damage.

Alternatives being considered include improving creek and drainage channels and detention ponds.

For example, using a 10 year flood projection for Mustang Creek in the Louise area, with no improvements projections show 22 homes being flooded.

Implementing channel drainage improvements projects, projections show no homes being flooded.

In another item related to drainage issues, the commissioners approved discontinuing the installation of drop pipes that feed into the Colorado River.

Precinct 1 Commissioner Mickey Reynolds said the installation of the pipes to Conservation Service specifications was becoming a complicated process and costing the county money.

Redoing installations because of washouts and other problems has forced the county to absorb the cost.