2018 Bond Program
After Hurricane Harvey devastated Harris County, voters placed their trust in the Flood Control District by collaborating on and approving a $2.5 billion bond measure to to finance flood damage reduction projects. Using an objective process for prioritizing the bond projects, the Harris County Flood Control District has been working steadily to plan, design, and build these projects using bond funds while providing transparent project tracking of progress along the way.
With the majority of the projects now underway, the 2018 Bond Program includes funding for more than $1.2 billion in channel conveyance improvements, $400 million for building stormwater detention basins, $242 million for floodplain land acquisition, $12.5 million for new floodplain mapping, and $1.25 million for improving our flood warning system.
Whenever possible, the Flood Control District will leverage the bond funding to participate in partnership programs that could bring in billions in additional partnership funding. The total estimated value of all projects included in the Bond Program is nearly $5 billion.
Teams from the Flood Control District have also worked hand-in-hand with Commissioners Court, the Office of Management and Budget, and other county departments to establish the Flood Resilience Trust, which backstops partner funding needs in the 2018 Bond Program and provides certainty that no project will be delayed due to lack of partner funding. As additional partner funding is secured, funds included in the Flood Resilience Trust can and will be used for future flood resilience projects.
It’s critical to note that the establishment of the Flood Resilience Trust does NOT eliminate the need for partnership funding. The Flood Control District continues to aggressively and urgently pursuing additional funding opportunities at the federal, state and local levels.
PARTNERSHIPS
The Harris County Flood Control District has many ongoing projects throughout Harris County. Partnerships with federal and state agencies, local communities, and private interests play a vital role in many of those projects. While the bond was for $2.5 billion, the full cost of every project in the bond program as passed by Harris County voters is nearly $5 billion. From the outset, there was an anticipated need for funding partners to fully construct the projects on the list. Read more on Harris County Flood Control District partnerships.