Crews have started building an $11.7 million flood detention basin along South Mayde Creek near the Grand Parkway. The project will store stormwater upstream of Addicks Reservoir watershed neighborhoods hit hard by Hurricane Harvey.
The Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) confirmed that contractor mobilization and site preparation are underway for Phase One, My Neighborhood News reported. Construction crews are accessing the site from Stockdick School Road and Clay Road.
Phase One calls for two wet-bottom detention compartments: one south of Stockdick School Road and east of South Mayde Creek, and a second north of Clay Road and west of the creek. Together they will store roughly 161 acre-feet of stormwater. The flood control district compared that to 161 football fields covered by one foot of water.
These basins hold permanent pools of water, unlike dry basins that empty between storms. During heavy rain, they absorb additional runoff and release it slowly.
Funding
Harris County Commissioners Court awarded the $7.5 million construction contract to Texas Dewatering, a northwest Houston-based groundwater specialist, at its Aug. 25 meeting. The overall Phase One price tag of approximately $11.7 million covers right-of-way acquisition, design and construction.
The money comes from two pots. The HCFCD's 2018 bond program is contributing about $4.8 million. Federal disaster-recovery and mitigation grants, administered by the Texas General Land Office through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, are providing up to $6.8 million.
Harris County voters approved that $2.5 billion bond in August 2018, one year after Harvey flooded 600,000 vehicles and damaged 154,000 structures countywide, according to the HCFCD. Dr. Tina Petersen, the flood control district's executive director, said in a September 2025 update that the district is prioritizing projects that provide the greatest benefits.
Timeline and what's next
Planning for the basin dates to at least October 2021, when Commissioners Court approved a preliminary engineering report. Construction is expected to wrap up by the third quarter of 2027.
A proposed Phase Two would add a third detention compartment east of the southern basin. That expansion depends on resolving access constraints, the flood control district said.
Residents near Stockdick School Road and Clay Road should expect construction traffic through mid-2027.
