Fort Bend County Levee Improvement District 11

This project is a new storm water pump station to serve the Forest Green neighborhood. This area currently drains to the detention pond only by a gravity pipe. This new pump system will accommodate approximately 13.7 inches of rainfall in 24 hours with the pump station and storage volume. Status: Under Construction, anticipated completion of late January 2020.

Your tax dollars at work:

At the September 4, 2019, meeting, the Board of Directors (“Board”) discussed adopting a tax rate of $0.265 per $100 of tax valuation. Adopting this tax rate will cost the average homeowner approximately an additional $7.50 per month. The Board is proactively constructing new drainage and flood fighting improvements since Hurricane Harvey. These new improvements cost us $11,496,072.05. That has increased our tax rate from $0.2385 to $0.265.

Below is a brief summary for these new projects which enhance our drainage and levee protection system.

1. Back-up Sluice Gates for Pump Stations 1 & 2: This project adds sluice or “slide” gates inside the District’s outfall channels to serve as back-up gates that close off Brazos River flood water if the current “flap” gates fail, get damaged, or leak during a high river event. This project adds these gates to both the District’s storm water pump stations, along with motors to close them automatically. Status: Under Construction, anticipated completion by end of December.
2. Pump Station 1 Expansion: This project increases the District’s pumping capacity to accommodate approximately 11.2 inches in 24 hours. Strategic components will be also “oversized” to allow for additional future expansions if needed. Status: In Design, anticipated completion of June of 2021.
3. Pump Station 2 Pump Replacement: To match the design storm pumping capacity that will be reached with the pump station 1 improvements described above, we will increase the size of the pumps at storm water pump station no. 2. Status: Bidding, anticipated completion of April 2020.
4. Levee Raising to FEMA Standard + 6 feet: Currently, the District’s levee is between 3.5-4.5 feet higher than the current FEMA 100-year water surface for the Brazos River. This project will provide additional floodplain protection by raising the levee an additional 2-2.5 feet. Upon completion, the entire levee in Greatwood would have six feet (6’) of freeboard above the current FEMA 100-year floodplain level. As an added benefit, to generate the necessary dirt needed to raise the levee, we will dig from the current detention pond near the back entrance to Greatwood near the intersection of Riverbrook and Greatwood Parkway. This will add 25 acre-feet of detention storage to the system. Status: Awaiting Notice to Proceed for construction, anticipated completion of March 1, 2020.
5. Land for the Levee Raising: The District needs an extra 20’ strip of land owned by the City of Sugar Land and a private landowner to have room to build the levee higher. The District has had to condemn this land from the City. Status: In Progress.
6. Pump Station to Serve Forest Green Area: This project is a new storm water pump station to serve the Forest Green neighborhood. This area currently drains to the detention pond only by a gravity pipe. This new pump system will accommodate approximately 13.7 inches of rainfall in 24 hours with the pump station and storage volume. Status: Under Construction, anticipated completion of late January 2020.
7. Sluice Gates for TxDOT Storm Sewers: The project adds new sluice gates to the two TxDOT outfall pipes that drain into the District. The intent is to be able to “shut off” flood water from the I-69 access road into the LID 11 system during times of heavy rainfall. This project cannot proceed without TxDOT approval and we are asking for it. Status: Discussions with TxDOT, anticipated completion of September 2020.

The Board of Directors of Fort Bend County Levee Improvement District No. 11 (the “District”) hereby gives notice of a public hearing to be held on September 4, 2019, at 8:00 a.m., at Greatwood Community Association Building, 7225 Greatwood Parkway, Sugar Land, Texas 77479, to describe a public drainage project, that being the raising of the levee parallel to the Brazos River, which involves the taking or acquisition of undeveloped public park property owned by the City of Sugar Land (the “City”) at the west side of the Brazos River South of I-69. The District is trying to acquire a 20’ strip of land to increase the height of the levee.

The District has investigated all alternatives and has considered and taken steps to minimize any harm to the undeveloped park property owned by the City. All members of the public are invited to attend.

/s/ Michael Rozell, Secretary, Board of Directors