Tuesday, July 3, 2007

New Territory & Telfair Raising Levees

Telfair’s LID 17 and New Territory’s LID 7 are working full steam ahead to raise their levees to levels recommended by a Fort Bend County Technical Review Committee before FEMA releases preliminary flood maps in early 2008 which are expected to show many areas of the county to be in the 100-year flood plain. Although the maps wouldn’t become effective for perhaps another two years and the area wouldn’t be classified to be in a 100-year flood plain until that time, the two communities are taking proactive measures to avoid potential complications.
LID 17 is concerned that home sales in Newland Communities’ Telfair development could be effected by even an unofficial, floodplain designation. “We are shooting to get the recertification package to FEMA before the preliminary maps are released,” said the engineer for LID 17. They are also working on the levees to raise them six inches in order to meet the recommendations of the technical review committee which said that local levees should be four feet above the 100-year flood level. The west levee borders New Territory and is shared with LID 7. The New Territory LID agreed to give LID 17 the necessary easement to raise the levee and LID17 is incurring the construction costs, said the attorney. “We agreed to work together to reduce construction hours and noise,” she said.
It should take about four months to complete the west levee project, said the engineer.
That levee between the two communities will become redundant and unnecessary once LID 7 raises and completes the New Territory levee and once LID 17 ties into it at the southwestern corner, said the LID 7 engineer. However, LID 17 is working on raising the internal levee anyway because the preliminary flood maps will be released before the New Territory LID is able to raise their levees and they don’t want it noted that Telfair is in a 100-year flood plain.
According to the technical review recommendations, New Territory’s LID 7 will have to raise their south (along the river) and west (from Cambridge Park to High Meadows) about four feet. There is no levee behind High Meadows and in order to complete a U-shape, as required by FEMA, LID 7 is proposing to build an eight foot concrete wall from the point where the levee ends to 90-A. They prefer this type of levee over a dirt one because limited right-of-way in that area due to a power line and road would make it more expensive to build.
There is also work to be done to US 90-A where the levee will end. LID 7 will need to raise the east bound side and median of US 90A to a level that will match or exceed the level of the west bound side. TxDOT will construct the improvements, but at the LID’s expense, said LID 7 engineer.
In order to raise the dirt levee four feet, LID 7 will have to acquire from the NTRCA a 2.1 mile stretch of right-of-way along the south levee, said the engineer. In the June board meeting, the NTRCA directed Community Manager Dwayne Lowry to determine fair market value for the land and propose a sales price to LID 7.
The LID 7 attorney said the district has enough bonds authorized to fund the project, estimated to cost $8 million, and that they probably won’t have to raise LID taxes to do so. The engineer estimates it will take 12 to 18 months to raise the levees, which will probably leave them enough time to get the preliminary FEMA maps recertified before the final maps become effective.
LID 7 will likely schedule a public meeting on the subject of the FEMA maps and raising the levees, said the LID 7 attorney.

What Fort Bend Residents Need to Know about Flooding, Remapping, and Insurance


Why is FEMA re-mapping Fort Bend County? Is it because of Hurricane Katrina?
FEMA is revising the flood maps for Fort Bend County as part of their National Map Modernization Program which was started several years ago, said a FEMA representative. “The initiative is to update outdated maps for flood plain management purposes,” she said. “The issue of whether the levee provides base flood protection needs to be addressed” in the map modernization process, it says on the FEMA website.
Based on population growth and other criteria, Fort Bend County was selected to undergo map revisions about three years ago, said an employee with the Fort Bend Drainage District, well before Hurricane Katrina struck southwest Louisiana and Mississippi on August 29, 2005.
When was the last time FEMA mapped Fort Bend County?
The last floodplain study done for Fort Bend County was thirty years ago and utilized less accurate methods and technology. New Lidar data provides true ground elevations so the new maps will be very accurate.
Is the Brazos River getting higher and is New Territitory at more risk of flooding?
According to the Brazos River Authority’s measurements taken of the river height, river levels at Richmond have been stable over the last ten years, said a BRA representative. Flood stage at the Richmond location (the Brazos River Bridge) is 48 feet gage height. A 50-foot height is considered a major flood stage. The last time the Brazos River reached a 50 foot level was in 1994, said the spokesperson. The levees were not breeched during that event, she said. “There’s only been a handful of times in the last forty years that it has reached these stages,” she said.
Why do the levees have to be raised?
A study by FEMA contractor Michael Baker finds that the levees, designed to protect against a 100-year storm event, would be unable to do so. In other words, the levees must protect against a 1% annual chance of flood. So, in the 1% chance that we experience an extreme event, our area might flood.
What safety mechanisms are launched when the River approaches 48 feet?
The LID’s Operator, ECO Resources, implements emergency measures such as ensuring that the generators are well fueled in case of power outages so that the pumps can continue to work pumping water out of lakes and Ellis Creek. They make sure the flood gates are closed to prevent high water levels in the Brazos River from filling up Ellis Creek.
Should I get flood insurance?
FEMA does not require homeowners in New Territory to have flood insurance at this time but it is the only policy which will provide you with coverage (up to $250,000 for building repairs and $100,000 for contents) in the unlikely event that the area floods. Your basic homeowner’s policy does not provide coverage for damage due to flooding. It takes 30 days for flood insurance to go into effect so your home will not be covered if you purchase it shortly before a major storm event that results in flooding.
How can I get information about river levels?
For a 31-day graph and statistics of river levels and precipitation, as well as real-time data, measured at the Richmond site, go to:www.brazos.org and click on water levels and then river levels. Click on the part of the river in the lower basin.
This last month, the Brazos River at Richmond reached a maximum height of 42.5 feet for a few days in early June. Based on the last four years of records, the median height at the Richmond location is 12.66 feet.

New Territory and Telfair Raising Levees

Telfair’s LID 17 and New Territory’s LID 7 are working full steam ahead to raise their levees to levels recommended by a Fort Bend County Technical Review Committee before FEMA releases preliminary flood maps in early 2008 which are expected to show many areas of the county to be in the 100-year flood plain. Although the maps wouldn’t become effective for perhaps another two years and the area wouldn’t be classified to be in a 100-year flood plain until that time, the two communities are taking proactive measures to avoid potential complications.
LID 17 is concerned that home sales in Newland Communities’ Telfair development could be effected by even an unofficial, floodplain designation. “We are shooting to get the recertification package to FEMA before the preliminary maps are released,” said the engineer for LID 17. They are also working on the levees to raise them six inches in order to meet the recommendations of the technical review committee which said that local levees should be four feet above the 100-year flood level. The west levee borders New Territory and is shared with LID 7. The New Territory LID agreed to give LID 17 the necessary easement to raise the levee and LID17 is incurring the construction costs, said the attorney. “We agreed to work together to reduce construction hours and noise,” she said.
It should take about four months to complete the west levee project, said the engineer.
That levee between the two communities will become redundant and unnecessary once LID 7 raises and completes the New Territory levee and once LID 17 ties into it at the southwestern corner, said the LID 7 engineer. However, LID 17 is working on raising the internal levee anyway because the preliminary flood maps will be released before the New Territory LID is able to raise their levees and they don’t want it noted that Telfair is in a 100-year flood plain.
According to the technical review recommendations, New Territory’s LID 7 will have to raise their south (along the river) and west (from Cambridge Park to High Meadows) about four feet. There is no levee behind High Meadows and in order to complete a U-shape, as required by FEMA, LID 7 is proposing to build an eight foot concrete wall from the point where the levee ends to 90-A. They prefer this type of levee over a dirt one because limited right-of-way in that area due to a power line and road would make it more expensive to build.
There is also work to be done to US 90-A where the levee will end. LID 7 will need to raise the east bound side and median of US 90A to a level that will match or exceed the level of the west bound side. TxDOT will construct the improvements, but at the LID’s expense, said LID 7 engineer.
In order to raise the dirt levee four feet, LID 7 will have to acquire from the NTRCA a 2.1 mile stretch of right-of-way along the south levee, said the engineer. In the June board meeting, the NTRCA directed Community Manager Dwayne Lowry to determine fair market value for the land and propose a sales price to LID 7.
The LID 7 attorney said the district has enough bonds authorized to fund the project, estimated to cost $8 million, and that they probably won’t have to raise LID taxes to do so. The engineer estimates it will take 12 to 18 months to raise the levees, which will probably leave them enough time to get the preliminary FEMA maps recertified before the final maps become effective.
LID 7 will likely schedule a public meeting on the subject of the FEMA maps and raising the levees, said the LID 7 attorney.