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News

Find the latest news about Buffalo Bayou Partnership and all the doings along Buffalo Bayou.

Oct 23

Buffalo Bayou Hurricane Harvey Update – October 2017

Dear Friends:

Since Hurricane Harvey, Buffalo Bayou Partnership has been focused on cleanup efforts along Buffalo Bayou.  We hope this update will provide you with valuable information, show you the challenges that we have been facing, and give you a glimpse of how hard our maintenance staff is working.

BUFFALO BAYOU PARK AND DOWNTOWN 
As we’ve mentioned previously, Hurricane Harvey left us with the tale of two parks.  The upper portion of Buffalo Bayou Park fared extremely well with very little damage, while the lower areas were greatly impacted.  Since Harvey, we’ve been hard at work clearing trails, stockpiling large amounts of sediment, removing trash and plastic bags from the trees and repairing lights.  Here is a rundown on where we stand:

Buffalo Bayou Park Concrete Trails (Sandy Reed Memorial Trail)
These trails are open from Shepherd Drive to Sabine Street.  However, we do have equipment working in nearby areas so please use these trails with caution.

Buffalo Bayou Park Asphalt Footpaths

  • Southside Portion Open:  Westside from Carruth Bridge to Rosemont Bridge
  • Southside Portion Closed:  Crosby Outfall to below Eleanor Tinsley Park and from Rosemont Bridge west to McGovern Cascade
  • Northside Portion Open:  West of Great Small Trees area to west of the Scurloock Foundation Overlook and Tapley Tributary to Sabine Street
  • Northside Portion Closed:  Jackson Hill Bridge to Tapley Tributary

Downtown Trails

  • Southside Trail Open:  Sabine Street to Allen’s Landing
  • Northside Trail Open:  Sabine Street to Preston Street (just below the Aquarium)
  • Northside Trail Closed:  Preston Street to University of Houston-Downtown

Please refer to our Buffalo Bayou Guide for locations

RESERVOIR RELEASES AND TRAIL EROSION
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ended the releases from the Addicks and Barker Reservoirs a week ago. Due to the high water levels we experienced for nearly six weeks, numerous footpaths in Buffalo Bayou Park have suffered erosion.  We are currently in discussions with Harris County Flood Control District representatives about needed repairs.  Other areas along the downtown stretch of Buffalo Bayou also experienced trail erosion.

 

SEDIMENT REMOVAL

The majority of our maintenance crew’s time has been spent removing silt and stockpiling it for hauling.  We have gone through a very thorough process to test the silt, following the policy guidance of the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD).  We were pleased to learn after testing that the silt can be handled without special measures, and so, beginning Monday, October 23 Sprint Sand and Clay, with the assistance of Millis Construction, the Buffalo Bayou Park construction contractor, will be hauling off the silt for disposal.  We expect the hauling to take several weeks.  Please note there also are numerous flood benches in Buffalo Bayou Park that were specifically designed for sediment collection.  Sediment removal in these areas is the responsibility of the Harris County Flood Control District.
TREES
Hundreds of trees all along Buffalo Bayou were impacted by Hurricane Harvey.  We are clearing downed trees, removing trash (particularly plastic bags), and standing up those that are leaning and can be saved.  In some cases, we will not know until spring if the trees will survive.

OTHER BUFFALO BAYOU PARK DESTINATIONS AND ACTIVITIES

  • Barbara Fish Daniel Nature Play Area:  Due to needed stair repairs, this site is currently closed.  We expect it to be open within the next three weeks.
  • Johnny Steele Dog Park:  This site is closed and will remain closed for several months.  Please know we are currently discussing adjustments to this area to prevent the on-going damage and the extensive maintenance hours it takes to maintain this site.
  • Bike and Canoe/Kayak Rentals:  As reported earlier, Bike Barn is fully operational at the Wortham Insurance Visitor Center while Bayou City Adventures has curtailed all boat rentals for the remainder of the year from the Lost Lake Visitor Center.
  • The Dunlavy:  Please stop by The Dunlavy when you are out and about in the park.  The popular café was up and running several days after Hurricane Harvey.
  • Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern:  We are happy to note that the history tours through this historic water reservoir are taking place Thursday-Sunday.  Visit our website at buffalobayou.org to purchase your tickets.

WAUGH DRIVE BRIDGE BAT COLONY
The bats at Waugh Drive Bridge are steadily recovering from Harvey’s flood, staying “Houston Strong.”  The bat colony was hit hard and the population is definitely lower, but bats are roosting in many of the bridge’s crevices again.  While the weather remains warm (above 50° F), the bats are emerging at or after sunset to hunt for insects across the night sky as usual.  Bats roosting at other nearby parking garages and buildings are joining the Waugh Bridge emergence farther down the bayou.

EAST SECTOR
East of downtown, Buffalo Bayou took quite a hit.  Several high banks significantly eroded and as a result, trails have been undermined or failed completely.  As part of our East Sector master planning project that kicked off in early fall, our hydrology consultants are working with Dr. Phil Bedient, a Rice University civil and environmental engineering  professor and director of the Severe Storm Protection, Education and Evacuation from Disaster Center (SSPEED), to develop an understanding of historical channel evolution and past storm events, develop a suite of combined rain/surge/rise conditions, and gathering, evaluating, refining and applying models.  This information will be very valuable when we begin our community engagement process at the beginning of 2018.  It also will inform design decisions relating to trail and park construction, and housing development along the bayou.

VOLUNTEERS
We have been truly gratified by the number of volunteers who have contributed thousands of hours to the Buffalo Bayou cleanup.  We could not be making as much as progress as we are were it not for the many individuals, corporate volunteers and school groups that are helping us.  If you would like to volunteer, please go to our website www.buffalobayou.org.

CONTRIBUTIONS
We also are thankful for the many people who have supported us financially.  In addition to generous Houstonians, we have had individuals from throughout the country send us very thoughtful donations and encouraging words, including the staff at Madison Square Park Conservancy in New York City.  When this group saw images of Buffalo Bayou in the media they sent requests to their members asking for donations to assist Buffalo Bayou Partnership with our cleanup.

In closing, please know we are working as swiftly as possible to bring back the beauty of Buffalo Bayou. We ask for your continuing patience and support.  For those interested in donating to Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s Harvey clean-up efforts, please click here.  Thank you.

Sincerely,

Anne Olson
President

For press inquiries, email Karen Farber, BBP VP of External Affairs, or call 713.752.0314 ext. 353.

News Coverage

  • 2021 Was . . . ? These Works of Art Help Make Sense of It. Texas Monthly, December 22, 2021
  • Six Art Galleries in Unexpected Places Smithsonian Magazine, December 15, 2021
  • Houston's best runs: 8 beautiful places to get fit and enjoy nature Houston Chronicle, December 9, 2021
  • Single for the holidays? Celebrate in style at these 13 Houston events Houston Chronicle, December 3, 2021
  • Texas bats eat thousands of pounds of insects nightly Victoria Advocate, November 18, 2021
  • These Simple Design Schemes Can Help Combat Climate Change for Coastal Cities Architectural Digest, November 18, 2021
  • On Crisp Fall Night, Friends of Buffalo Bayou Gather Outdoors to Toast Riverside Development Houston City Book, November 16, 2021
  • Protecting Houston’s Historic Waterways — Buffalo Bayou Partnership Parties Through the Cold Paper City, November 8, 2021
  • Underwater Works YOLO TV, October 8, 2021
  • We’re Going Batty: Bat-Watching in the Bayou City The Buzz, October 7, 2021
more

Press Releases

  • Light Up the Night Along Buffalo Bayou East March 15, 2022
  • Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s Time No Longer Wins International Art Award September 22, 2021
  • Three Houston Parks Team Up to Celebrate the Legacy of Jazz in Houston with Free Concerts and a Series Spectacular Featuring Mavis Staples August 6, 2021
  • Houston Endowment Awards Buffalo Bayou Partnership $10M Grant December 9, 2020
  • Immersive Installation by Anri Sala in the Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern November 23, 2020
  • Houston Celebrates Texas Arbor Day by planting 600 trees at Buffalo Bend Nature Center November 10, 2020
  • Carmen Herrera: Estructuras Monumentales (En Español) September 28, 2020
  • A “musical scavenger hunt” with ROCO and Buffalo Bayou Partnership September 21, 2020
  • Artful Anniversary: A series of virtual and visual arts events through the month of October to celebrate 5 Years of Buffalo Bayou Park September 10, 2020
  • Carmen Herrera: Estructuras Monumentales September 3, 2020
more

Monthly Newsletters

  • Buffalo Bayou eNewsletter - May 2022 May 4, 2022
  • Buffalo Bayou eNewsletter - April 2022 April 6, 2022
  • Buffalo Bayou eNewsletter - March 2022 March 2, 2022
  • Buffalo Bayou eNewsletter - February 2022 February 2, 2022
  • Buffalo Bayou eNewsletter - January 2022 January 11, 2022
  • Buffalo Bayou eNewsletter - December 2021 December 2, 2021
  • Buffalo Bayou eNewsletter - November 2021 November 1, 2021
  • Buffalo Bayou eNewsletter - October 2021 October 8, 2021
  • Buffalo Bayou eNewsletter - September 2021 September 1, 2021
  • Buffalo Bayou eNewsletter - August 2021 August 4, 2021
more

Banking on Buffalo Bayou

  • Banking on Buffalo Bayou - Summer 2021 June 2021
  • Banking on Buffalo Bayou - Winter 2020 January 2020
  • Banking on Buffalo Bayou - Spring 2019 May 2019
  • Banking on Buffalo Bayou - Winter 2019 January 2019
  • Banking on Buffalo Bayou - Summer 2018 July 2018
  • Banking on Buffalo Bayou - Summer 2017 August 2017
  • Banking on Buffalo Bayou - Spring 2017 March 2017
  • Banking on Buffalo Bayou - Winter 2016 December 2016
  • Banking on Buffalo Bayou - Summer 2016 July 2016
  • Banking on Buffalo Bayou - Spring 2016 March 2016
more

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