Construction Begins on New Brickhouse Gully Detention Pond

HOUSTON–State Representative Dwayne Bohac (R-Houston) is pleased to announce that machinery has been moved on site and work has begun on the new Brickhouse Gully stormwater detention basin.

“I would like to thank the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD), Commissioners Court, and civic leaders for their steadfast determination and commitment to this important project,” Bohac said. “It’s a very exciting time for the communities of Oak Forest and Mangum Manor now that ground is finally moving.”

The construction contract valued at $1,969,417 was awarded to Lecon, Inc., a Houston-based construction company specializing in excavation work. The project is expected to be completed in approximately 10 months, weather conditions permitting.

The basin will be located on 16 acres on the west side of Highway 290 between West 43rd and West 34th streets. It is designed to reduce flooding primarily in the flood-prone Mangum Manor subdivision during a 10-year flood, a 25-year flood and floods of greater frequency. During heavy rains, the basin will safely store stormwater that might otherwise flood homes and businesses located downstream. Water will be released safely back into the channel at a controlled flow rate.

The basin also will contain water quality features, such as wetland plants like cattails and sedges. These will act as biofilters, removing sediment and pollutants from stormwater before it returns to the channel. The plants also will create a new wetlands wildlife habitat for the area.

“This project will go a long way toward alleviating many of the flooding issues that threaten our neighborhoods along Brickhouse Gully, particularly in Mangum Manor and Oak Forest,” Bohac said. “Civic leaders and other stakeholders have been working hard on this project, and we are now seeing positive results.”

Brickhouse Gully begins in the Spring Branch area and extends from Gessner and Clay roads, runs east between Clay (43rd Street) and Kempwood (34th Street) and intersects White Oak Bayou near Watonga in the Oak Forest community.