Manvel constructing flood drainage pond
The city of Manvel and other entities are building a 117-acre detention pond to deter flooding on Texas 6 during heavy rains such as occurred when several feet of water from Hurricane Harvey blocked that evacuation route in 2017.
“It was where the city was hit especially hard during Hurricane Harvey,” Assistant City Manager Dan Johnson said of the area around the highway.
The city, Brazoria County drainage districts Nos. 4 and 5 and Brazoria County Conservation and Reclamation District No. 3 are working together to create the detention facility at the corner of Masters and Jordan streets. The pond will be some 13 feet deep and have 20foot wide berms to hold the water in.
The project will be done in at least two phases, with Phase 1 centering on rebuilding a ditch and constructing the berms.
First-phase construction is expected to continue through 2025, with the original estimate for the cost at $500,000.
In the project, the city purchased the land and will be responsible for fuel and site needs, while the drainage districts will contribute labor and equipment.
Had the job been contracted out, the cost of the entire project would have been about $40 million, according to the city.
When finished, the pond will be able to hold up more than 325.85 million gallons of water. Put another way, 117 acres is about the same footprint as 100 football fields.
In Harvey, which brought more than 40 inches of rain to the region, Manvel was cut off when residents trying to evacuate found they couldn’t because of flooding on parts of Texas 6 and Texas 288.
“This project means a lot to the city (because) not only because it will help us to keep our residents safer, but also because it’s encouraged collaboration with our drainage districts,” Johnson said.