Harris County is taking a major step forward in the fight against flooding. Commissioner Rodney Ellis joined federal, state and local leaders Monday morning to break ground on the Poor Farm Ditch Project \u2014 a $32.7 million investment aimed at protecting roughly 500 homes in West University Place and Southside Place.<\/p>\n
The groundbreaking ceremony took place at 9 a.m. July 13 at the Southside Place Police Department, located at 6309 Edloe St. in Houston.<\/p>\n
What the project will do<\/p>\n
The Poor Farm Ditch Project will modernize approximately 3,100 linear feet of an aging drainage channel within the Brays Bayou watershed. Plans call for widening the channel from about 30 feet to 40 feet and deepening it from 7.5 feet to 10 feet \u2014 increasing its effective flow area by more than 60%.<\/p>\n
The result: significantly reduced flood risk for hundreds of families in two of Houston\u2019s inner-loop communities.<\/p>\n
Who is behind it<\/p>\n
The project brings together a broad coalition of government partners. Joining Commissioner Ellis at the groundbreaking were U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, Texas State Rep. Ann Johnson, Southside Place Mayor Andy Chan, West University Place Mayor Susan Sample and Harris County Flood Control District Executive Director Marcus Y. Stuckett.<\/p>\n
How it\u2019s funded<\/p>\n
The $32.7 million project is funded through a local, state and federal partnership. Funding sources include federal Community Project Funding, Texas legislative appropriations, Harris County\u2019s 2018 Flood Bond, and direct contributions from the cities of West University Place and Southside Place.<\/p>\n
The collaboration highlights how multiple levels of government can come together to address one of the Houston area\u2019s most persistent challenges: flooding.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s next<\/p>\n
With the groundbreaking now complete, construction work on the channel modernization is set to move forward. Residents in West University Place and Southside Place can expect meaningful improvements to flood resilience in their neighborhoods as the project progresses.<\/p>\n
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