The Cypress Creek watershed is located in northwest Harris County and extends into Waller County. Rainfall within the 267 square miles of the Cypress Creek watershed drains to the watershed’s primary waterway, Cypress Creek, indicated below as K100-00-00. There are 250 miles of open waterways in the Cypress Creek watershed, including Cypress Creek and its major tributaries.
By size, the watershed is one of the largest in Harris County. By population, it is the fifth-largest of the county’s 22 main watersheds, with an estimated population of approximately 347,000 (2010 U.S. Census).
Like much of Harris County, the Cypress Creek watershed is flood prone. The downstream or eastern portion of the watershed was developed prior to our current understanding of floodplains and restrictions on building in the floodplains. The upstream or western portion of the floodplain was developed later, with more robust development regulations requiring stormwater detention to prevent downstream flooding impacts.