White Oak Bayou Association Watershed Report.(PDF)

Planning and Policy Initiatives:

What is the initiative? Participation in HCFCD's Charting: Buffalo & Lower White Oak, Construction of North Canal will lower WSE in lower WOB by 4 ft.

What was the progress during the past two months? Plan includes removal of old railroad bridge at Yale, reconstruction & elevating Yale & Heights bridges as well as West 11th Street, 18th Street and Beall Street bridges.
Hydrology Report for Removal of Concrete from Studewood to Downtown was prestented

Were there any problems or obstacles during this period? Funding

What are the plans to address the problems or obstacles? Partnerships

What are the immediate next steps anticipated for the initiative? Public Outreach

Anything else the board should be aware of, or take action on? Find Contributors

On-the-Ground Projects:

What is the project? Completion of the Heritage West bike trail.

What was the progress during the past two months? Completion is now underway.

Were there any problems or obstacles during this period? Frequent reminder phone calls.

What are the plans to address the problems or obstacles? n/a

What are the immediate next steps anticipated on the project? n/a

Anything else the board should be aware of, or take action on? n/a

Publicity:

Activity? White Oak Bayou Annual Meeting

Date? November 16, 2011 - 6:00 pm Historic Heights Fire Station

Coverage? Everyone is invited. Announcement to be e-mailed.

The White Oak Bayou Association has made recommendations on the following projects as part of the Charting Buffalo Bayou initiative:

1. Flood Damage Reduction Projects
    a. Downtown Channel Improvements - north bypass canal and widening Commerce St. channel
    b. Abandoned RR Trestle removals (mostly MKT)
    c. Increase main channel cross-section, by right of way acquisition and interlocal agreements
    d. Create main stem and tributary detention basins, in-line and off-line

2. Environmental Enhancement and Restoration Projects
    a. Create extensive reforestation zones from I-610 to Downtown along the upper banks of the bayou.
    b. Little Turkey Gully (E106) snapping turtle barrier removal (just upstream of TC Jester)
    c. Main Channel Restoration - Studewood to Downtown

3. Other Related Community Improvement Projects
    a. Trails: Memorial Park Buffalo Bayou to White Oak Connector Trail; Superneighborhood 22 Buffalo Bayou to White Oak Connector Trail; Olivewood Cemetery pedestrian bridge to proposed north bank trail; Little White Oak Bayou trail from main stem to Woodland Park

4. Related Public Improvement and Other Projects
    a. City Park TIRZ (#12) 18th Street bridge replacement project
    b. TxDOT 290/610 Interchange detention basins
    c. Right-of-way Conversion
    d. Eureka Yards Detention
    e. Central Post Office property on Buffalo Bayou

5. Right of Way Acquisition Information
    a. Buyout of land parcels between West 21st Street and West 11th Street
    b. Other parcels of land (adjacent to E106)

6. Education
    a. Watershed Signs on Highways and Major Thoroughfares
    b. Bayou Signs at Bayou Crossings
    c. Campaign to include Watershed Studies in School Curriculums

This document is a summary of recent and future activities on Little White Oak Bayou downstream from Loop 610 (see note below) to the confluence with White Oak Bayou. I would also like to share information that may facilitate connections between those of you who are interested in improving this stressed urban stream.

Juleena Masters, President, Montie Beach Civic Club, president@montiebeach.org
Blake Masters, Secretary, Greater Heights SuperNeighborhood, blake.masters@montiebeach.org
Sarah Melecki, Constituent Services Director, State Rep. Jessica Farrar, Sarah.Melecki@house.state.tx.us
Kevin Shanley, Chairman, Bayou Preservation Association, kshanley@swagroup.com
Evelyn Shanley, President, White Oak Bayou Association, ebshanley@comcast.net

The above listed persons met for a Little White Oak Bayou site visit on Link Road. Local property owners are concerned that they are losing part of their properties due to slope failures. Huge amounts of trash are deposited on the slopes and in the vegetation between Link Road and Coronado Street. TxDOT owns the Right of Way along this reach of the bayou and maintenance work has not been done for a very long time. Sarah Melecki negotiated with TxDOT and HCFCD for a maintenance commitment from either agency. Thanks to her persistence TxDOT agreed to a one-time maintenance of this particular section, primarily to fix erosion problems in July 2011. Hopefully, Harris County Flood Control District will eventually continue to maintain the TxDOT Right of Way, once legal hurdles are overcome.

Sarah Melecki is currently in negotiations with the Port of Houston to provide assistance with clean-ups in the Little White Oak Watershed.

Further downstream just south of Parkview (see attached map), HCFCD in cooperation with Precinct 2 and the City of Houston, performed a maintenance job that has been highly praised by several bayou aficionados, particularly Becky Houston, bghouston@aol.com who spearheads the "Woodland Park Revival".
John Randolph John.Randolph@hcfcd is the Precinct 2 Project Coordinator for Harris County Flood Control District and was involved in this project.

Sherry Bernard sherryb@ymcahouston.org is spearheading the Little White Oak Bayou Trash Bash near Moody Park on March 26, 2011 from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm (including lunch and door prizes). Location: 3725 Fulton (Moody Park Basketball Pavilion). She is hoping to have 500 volunteers this year. All volunteers must complete the attached Liability Form. Please spread the word in the watershed and beyond.

Note: Little White Oak Bayou extends northwest beyond Loop 610 North.

Bayou Web Site Information:
www.hcfcd.org
www.trashbash.org
www.bayoupreservation.org

White Oak Bayou Association Watershed Report.(PDF)

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"Protecting and restoring the richness and diversity of our waterways"