Addicks, Barker reservoirs water releases decreased due to flood threat

HOUSTON – Residents living near the Addicks and Barker reservoirs are being asked to stay on alert as the possibilities of heavy rainfall and flooding exist this weekend.

Families in areas hit with floods last week were worried about rain expected for the weekend.

Water rushed into Mary Bessinger's home on Fox Springs Drive near Prairie Creek Drive a week and a half ago.

“It was up to here on my chest when I walked out and I was just terrified,” said Bessinger.

It destroyed most of her belongings.

“We've lost all of our appliances, all of our furniture, just everything inside the house is gone,” she said.

What's worse, the forecast said more rain is on the way.

“I'm leaving. I'm not staying through another one with water in the house. I can't do it. I can't swim and I'm scared to death of water,” said Bessinger.

Others in Bear Creek, like the Medina family, were also bracing for more heartache.

“We're feeling nervous because we got seven inches inside the house,” said Stacey Medina. “They were basically saying a little bit of rain and it's all gonna come back in so we're just gonna try to save what we can to put it up so it doesn't get ruined.”

They were all keeping a positive attitude.

“I just thank God I'm alive. It doesn't bother me that much,” said Bessinger.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is slowly decreasing the amount of stormwater being released from the reservoirs into Buffalo Bayou. The release started last week.

[MAP OF ADDICKS GROUND ELEVATION]

[MAP OF BARKER GROUND ELEVATION]

Both pools have dropped around a foot from their highs.

For current reservoir pool elevations, whether the gates are open or closed, and flow rates and water elevations downstream in Buffalo Bayou, go to Addicks Information or Barker Information

NEIGHBORHOOD IMPACTS

Harris County law enforcement officials are reporting water in some streets in the Bear Creek Village subdivision adjacent to Addicks Reservoir (near Clay Road). Officials are estimating approximately a week until water subsides back into the reservoir (without any additional rainfall). Those streets include:

• Mill Hollow Dr. 
• Red Willow Dr. 
• Hickory Downs Dr.
• Sandy Hill Dr.
• Thistlecroft Dr. 
• Sylvan Glen Dr.
• Hidden Springs Dr.
• Prairie Creek Dr.
• Pagehurst Dr.

No water has been reported in neighborhood streets adjacent to the Barker Reservoir.


ROADWAY IMPACTS

Addicks Reservoir:

  • State Highway 6 is closed from Clay Road to Park Row.  The Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) encourages motorists to use FM 529 as an alternate.
  • The north-south North Eldridge Parkway is impassable from Dairy-Ashford to Clay Road.
  • North-south Barker-Cypress Road is OPEN from Groeschke Road to South Parkview Road.
  • The east-west Clay Road is impassable from SH 6 to Brittmore Drive. TXDOT has coordinated with the Harris County Toll Road Authority to waive tolls at the Clay Road southbound entrance ramp to the Sam Houston Parkway toll road for the duration of this closure.
  • All internal roads in the reservoir, including Patterson Road, Bear Creek Drive and War Memorial Street, are impassable.
  • All recreational facilities are closed.

Barker Reservoir:

  • The east-west Westheimer Parkway is impassable through the reservoir, from FM 1093 to South Fry Road.
  • South Barker-Cypress Road from Westheimer Parkway to FM 1093 is impassable.
  • All recreational facilities are closed.

BUFFALO BAYOU IMPACTS

Higher than usual bayou levels for the next several weeks will affect these areas:

  • From State Highway 6 to Piney Point Road the bayou may be up to 5 to 6 feet above normal release levels and some low-lying trails in Terry Hershey Park will have water on them.
  • From Piney Point Road to Loop 610, the bayou may be up to 4 to 5 feet above normal release levels.
  • From Loop 610 to downtown, the bayou may be up to 3 to 4 feet above normal release levels and there could be water in low-lying sections of Buffalo Bayou Park.