Houston Chronicle

Trail planned after county repairs ditch

Flood control district focuses on erosion, maintenanc­e before contractor starts

- By Lindsay Peyton

A project to repair Anderson Ditch will be followed by one to create a hiking trail along the bank that will serve as a link to regional pathways.

The Harris County Flood Control District has placed a priority on addressing erosion and maintenanc­e needs in the ditch, which is west of Jones Road between Grant Road and Cypresswoo­d Drive, spokeswoma­n Kimberlye Jackson said.

“Over time, some spots had built up,” she said, explaining that blockages in the ditch can prevent water from moving properly. “We needed to get out there and do something.

“We’re just getting the ditch back to its original capacity to make sure it’s functionin­g the way it is supposed to be and to keep everything running smoothly,” she said.

“The blockages can be sediment that builds upin the ditch or a tree that’s down,” she said. “If there’s anything there, it can cause water to back up, which can affect roads in the area or somewhere upstream, getting in yards or in the worst case, their homes.”

In October, Harris County Commission­ers Court awarded approximat­ely $667,000 to Complete Concrete to perform

the work. Constructi­on began in late December and is expected to be complete this summer.

After that project is complete, the county’s Precinct 4 parks depart- ment plans to create a hiking trail on top of the west bank along the route of the flood control work.

The 8-feet-wide asphalt path will connect the intersecti­on of Grant and Jones roads to Cypresswoo­d Drive.

The $375,000 project will be built through a partnershi­p of Precinct 4 and Northwest Harris County Municipal District No. 9 with the help of a grant from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

The trail project should begin by the third quarter this year and be completed in 2017, said Dennis Johnston, Precinct 4 parks director.

The trail will be part of the Cypress Creek Greenway project and connect Matzke Park, Precinct 4’s westernmos­t park on Cypress Creek, to the 100acre Woods greenspace and beyond to the Kickerillo-Mischer Preserve, Johnson said.

Municipal Utility District No. 286 has trails in place from the south side of Cypresswoo­d Drive, and Precinct 4 will finish the 100-acre Woods trail connection from Jones Road over to the YMCA. The Anderson Trail connection will link them all to Matzke Park.

“Precinct 4 will also soon begin developmen­t of the Kickerillo-Mischer Preserve located just east of (Texas 249), and we are anxious to compete the link from there to Matzke Park,” Johnson said.

Park staff and expanded off-road Precinct 4 park patrols will provide security and maintenanc­e for the pathways.

Inthe flood control project, crews will also repair outfall pipes, which deliver stormwater from streets to channels.

“If the pipes are damaged in anyway, whether they are broken or dented, it can cause backups into the neighborho­od,” Jackson said. “Wewant to make sure all the pipes are clear.”

Workers will install buried chucks of concrete, to armor the slopes against further erosion.

The flood control district will clear some trees and vegetation to allow crews to mobilize equipment.

“They’ll be chopping down plants that are in the way, and then they will get to work,” Jackson said. “But we try to impact as few trees as possible.”

Large trucks used in the project will enter and exit the site from Grant Road, Archmont Drive and Cypresswoo­d Drive.

Jackson encourages residents to contact the district’s Citizens Service Center at 713-684-4197 to report damage on bayous and creeks, downed trees and blockages.

 ?? Jerry Baker / For the Chronicle ?? Repairs and improvemen­ts are underway along Anderson Ditch, which is west of Jones Road between Grant Road and Cypresswoo­d Drive.
Jerry Baker / For the Chronicle Repairs and improvemen­ts are underway along Anderson Ditch, which is west of Jones Road between Grant Road and Cypresswoo­d Drive.

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