Houston Chronicle by Zach Despart Feb. 19, 2019
The Harris County Flood Control District is set to receive a $320,000 federal grant to study the feasibility of constructing deep underground tunnels to move stormwater to the Houston Ship Channel without overburdening the area’s bayous.
The grant, from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, will fund a four-month investigation to determine whether such tunnels would be a practical and cost-effective addition to the county’s long-term flood protection strategy. The flood control district has begun work on scores of projects funded by the $2.5 billion flood bond approved last summer, though none to date include underground tunnels.
“The study is basically to look at our ground conditions, including our groundwater table, and compare that to existing technology in the tunnel industry to see if there’s a match,†said Russ Poppe, executive director of the flood control district. “If that’s true, then we can start looking at costs, routes and opportunities we can potentially pursue.â€
Engineers envision a system in which tunnels at least 20 feet wide and 150 feet deep use gravity to move water from upstream bayous to the ship channel, in some cases a distance of 30 miles. The region’s flatness, in some areas less than one foot of elevation change per mile, presents a significant obstacle.
More:
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Harris-County-poised-to-receive-grant-to-study-13628727.phpSo tunnels would be better than wider and deeper bayous and ditches? A tunnel 150 feet deep would be below the water level of the Ship Channel. Are they going to pump this water?