Addicks Reservoir

Addicks Reservoir
Location Houston, Texas,
United States
Coordinates 29°47′27″N 95°37′25″W / 29.790784°N 95.623556°W / 29.790784; -95.623556Coordinates: 29°47′27″N 95°37′25″W / 29.790784°N 95.623556°W / 29.790784; -95.623556
Type reservoir
Basin countries United States

The Addicks Reservoir and Addicks Dam in conjunction with the Barker Reservoir prevent downstream flooding of Buffalo Bayou in the City of Houston. Both reservoirs were authorized under the Rivers and Harbors Act of June 20, 1938, which were modified by the Flood Control Acts of August 11, 1938; September 3, 1954; and October 27, 1965.

Location

Addicks Reservoir is situated on the north side of Interstate 10, it extends slightly north of Clay Rd., and between Barker-Cypress Rd. to the west and Sam Houston Tollway to the east. State Highway 6 bisects the reservoir north to south. In addition to the Reservoir's flood damage reduction mission, recreation and nature observation opportunities abound through the approximately 26,000 acres (105 km²) of land that makes up Addicks and Barker reservoirs.

The Addicks Reservoir spillway is located at, 29°47′25.99″N 95°37′24.04″W / 29.7905528°N 95.6233444°W / 29.7905528; -95.6233444, and releases the remainder of Bear Creek just north of Buffalo Bayou.

Addicks Reservoir and Dam get their name from the former town of Addicks, TX.

Construction

Addicks Reservoir is formed by a rolled earthen dam 61,666 feet (18,796 m) long and above the streambed. A 12-foot-wide (3.7 m) gravel road extends along the top of the dam. The top of the dam has a maximum elevation of 122.7 feet (37.4 m) above the N.G.V.D. The maximum storage capacity of the reservoir is ,[1] The record high water level for the reservoir is 123,100 acre feet (151,800,000 m3), set on 4/24/2016.[2] Combined with the adjacent Barker Reservoir to the southwest, the total storage capacity is about 410,000 acre feet (510,000,000 m3).[3]

From 2008-2014, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District implemented $4.4 million in interim risk reduction measures (at Addicks and Barker dams) to address deficiencies until long-term solutions could be identified and executed. In 2014, staff completed a Dam Safety Modification Study to evaluate long-term repairs and address issues associated with the dams. Staff presented this information during a public meeting Oct. 29 at Bear Creek Community Center in Houston to discuss these plans and gather feedback. Construction is scheduled to begin May 2015 with an estimated completion date of 2019.

Deer carcass near the lake

Benefits

It is estimated the Addicks and Barker Reservoirs, along with other federal construction projects on Buffalo Bayou and its tributaries, prevent average annual flood damages of $16,372,000[4] to the city of Houston.

Recreation

Several parks are scattered throughout the reservoir, including Bear Creek Pioneers Park and hike/bike/horse trails. Traveling along the rim of the rolled earthen dam along the gravel road can provide a great vantage point for spotting wildlife within the reservoir as well as a surreal experience with the city lying on the other side.

References

  1. ↑ Addicks and Barker Reservoirs - Reservoir Information United States Army Corps of Engineers. Last accessed July 18, 2012.
  2. ↑ USGS National Water Information System. U.S. Geological Survey. Last accessed April 27, 2016.
  3. ↑ Addicks Reservoir, Handbook of Texas Online, 2008. Last accessed May 4, 2009.
  4. ↑ U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, Galveston District Archived June 18, 2009, at the Wayback Machine., Last accessed January 1, 2011

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/14/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.