FEMA approves initial funding for long-sought North Canal flood project

[Elderberry]

Houston Chronicle by  Zach Despart and Jasper Scherer 10/11/2019

The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Friday approved initial funding for a $131 million flood mitigation project that would cut a new channel in downtown Houston and improve several bridges over White Oak Bayou, allowing water to flow freely beneath them during floods.

The new channel, dubbed the North Canal Bypass and first envisioned in the 1970s, would reroute water just upstream from the convergence of Buffalo and White Oak bayous, where stormwater often builds up during storms. The new channel also would lower White Oak Bayou’s water level by four feet downtown.

FEMA on Friday committed $2.7 million to the project, which officials said would go toward engineering and design on the project. Eventually, FEMA is expected to contribute a total of $46 million once the city clears administrative hurdles, including as a cost-benefit analysis, said Alan Bernstein, spokesman for Mayor Sylvester Turner. The federal money eliminates the main obstacle that has prevented the project from progressing beyond the design phase, as none of the government agencies involved had volunteered to foot the whole bill.

More: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/FEMA-approves-initial-funding-for-long-sought-14515615.php

[PeteS in CA]

The need and means were recognized some 45 years ago, almost nothing has been done, and the Feds will still have to fund the damn thing? What'd Houston do? Import a bunch of California politicians and bureaucrats to run the city?

[thackney]

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers first recommended building a canal to divert water from White Oak Bayou in 1940.

Wow, been "fixing to" for quite a while.

[Elderberry]

Yeah the Army Corp of Engineers suggested it in 1940. They have suggested a lot of things, like make the Trinity River navigable to Dallas. Flood waters haven't over-topped that bank location until Harvey. But now they want to combine that work with bridge replacement.

[PeteS in CA]

1940? Dam(n). How much $$ damage did Harvey do compared even to the 202 cost of this project? And what if, allowing for WW2, Korea and recovering therefrom, this project had been done during the 1960s?

[Elderberry]

Like all of Harvey's damage wouldn't have happened if this one canal was put in.

[PeteS in CA]

Like all of Harvey's damage wouldn't have happened if this one canal was put in.

Fair enough, but how much would have been prevented vs. the probable $250M cost of the project (government projects pretty much always cost more than estimates)? And how much less would it have cost in 1965 without the enviros to obstruct and increase the cost via frivolous Luddite lawsuits?

[Elderberry]

Please let us know what you find out if it interests you so much.

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

Fair enough, but how much would have been prevented vs. the probable $250M cost of the project (government projects pretty much always cost more than estimates)? And how much less would it have cost in 1965 without the enviros to obstruct and increase the cost via frivolous Luddite lawsuits?

And would the savings be enough to offset over 50 years of interest on the debt?

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Yeah the Army Corp of Engineers suggested it in 1940. They have suggested a lot of things, like make the Trinity River navigable to Dallas. Flood waters haven't over-topped that bank location until Harvey. But now they want to combine that work with bridge replacement.

I certainly do not wish them to do that.

Don't know if you have read the current issue of Texas Highways on Caddo Lake, but its history is a litany of horror stories of how the Corps destroyed the lake and adjoining Bayous, stopped commerce along them, wildlife and fish, and pretty much screwed up this unique nature area.  The Corps efforts began in 1873 and the area has yet to recover from the devastation inflicted.

The latest attempt by the Corps was during the 1990s when it attempted to get permission to dredge the entire Big Cypress Bayou from Lake O the Pines to the Red River for creating barge traffic access.  This would have been catastrophic for the lake and waterways. Only through the efforts of a local native Don Henley of the Eagles was the effort finally defeated.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

The need and means were recognized some 45 years ago, almost nothing has been done, and the Feds will still have to fund the damn thing? What'd Houston do? Import a bunch of California politicians and bureaucrats to run the city?

I agree with you.  This seemingly is more of a state problem than a national one that demands the feds involvement.

Believe me, if Lyndon Johnson, the king of federal directing of funds to his native state, did not get the funds to do this as President, the project is likely not worth federal funding.

[PeteS in CA]

And would the savings be enough to offset over 50 years of interest on the debt?

Texas municipal and state bonds are not paid off in 20 tears or a similar time period? Somehow I doubt it.

Ignoring that, Harvey cost on the order of $125B, https://www.coast.noaa.gov/states/fast-facts/hurricane-costs.html , had this project prevented a mere 10% of that, $12.5B, the answer to your less than realistic question would be, "Yes." Even if only 1%, $1.25B, had been prevented had this been built in the mid 1960s that answer would still be, "Yes."

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

Texas municipal and state bonds are not paid off in 20 tears or a similar time period? Somehow I doubt it.

Ignoring that, Harvey cost on the order of $125B, https://www.coast.noaa.gov/states/fast-facts/hurricane-costs.html , had this project prevented a mere 10% of that, $12.5B, the answer to your less than realistic question would be, "Yes." Even if only 1%, $1.25B, had been prevented had this been built in the mid 1960s that answer would still be, "Yes."

FEMA is expected to contribute a total of $46 million

[PeteS in CA]

FEMA is expected to contribute a total of $46 million

I think you missed something in my post:

Ignoring that, Harvey cost on the order of $125B, https://www.coast.noaa.gov/states/fast-facts/hurricane-costs.html , had this project prevented a mere 10% of that, $12.5B, the answer to your less than realistic question would be, "Yes." Even if only 1%, $1.25B, had been prevented had this been built in the mid 1960s that answer would still be, "Yes."

[Hoodat]

The takeaway from this is that FEMA has the authority whether or not to spend money appropriated by Congress.  Which means that every Executive branch office is in control of its own spending. So the President can cut spending by simply not spending.  Congress can only appropriate the money; is can't actually spend it.