The Steep Bank Creek Erosion Repair is a project consisting of interlocking steel wire baskets filled with rock also known as gabions. The gabion structure is designed to protect against further erosion caused by the water flowing around the sharp turn in Steep Bank Creek.

Gabion Wall Structure

This project added two 8’ x 8’ sluice gates to the Outfall #2 structure located on the western edge of the southern levee system, three 6’ x 5’ sluice gates to the Woods/Acreage estates levee system outfall structure, and five 10’ x 10’ sluice gates to the north pump station outfall structure located in the southwest corner of the north levee system. These gates provide an emergency back-up system to the existing exterior flap gates currently located on these structures.

Channel 2, located in the south-central portion of the southern levee system, was widened in 2018 from a 10’ bottom width to a 55-70’ bottom width a distance of 5300’ (1.0 mile) from Sienna Parkway to the Main Channel. This increased the drainage and storage capacity of Channel 2 from 34 to 145 ac-ft., which is a capacity increase of 330%.

Channel 3, located in the western portion of the southern levee system, was widened in 2018-2019 from a 10-20’ bottom width to a 50-100’ bottom width. The channel was widened a distance of 10,560’ (2.0 miles) from Channel 3-3 approximately 3400’ west of Sienna Parkway to the south pump station. This increased the drainage and storage capacity of Channel 3 from 195 to 302 ac-ft., which is a capacity increase of 55%.

The district purchased an additional 10 gator pumps in August of 2018 to supplement 4 existing gator pumps that the District already owned. Each Gator Pump is capable of pumping up to 10,000 gallons per minute (gpm) which equates to a total temporary mobile pumping capacity of 140,000 gpm. These pumps can be moved around and relocated as needed.

The main channel located along the southernmost levee boundary was widened in 2019 from a 10’ bottom width to a 50-70’ bottom width for a distance of 8600’ (1.6 miles) from the south pump station to the southwest corner of Sienna Point. This increased drainage and storage capacity of the Main Channel from 173 to 357 ac-ft, which is a capacity increase of 108%.

The Sienna Plantation Levee Improvement District (“SPLID”) will hold a bond election on November 6, 2018. This bond election includes funds for projects intended to improve the levee and drainage systems to better handle future rain events like Hurricane Harvey and natural disasters.

Funds will cover projects to:

• Expand channels and clean out creeks;
• Install additional sluice gates, flap gates and backup gates at pump stations;
• Increase capacity of current pumping stations, construct additional pump stations, and harden these facilities against storm damage;
• Installation of real time flood monitoring system, including water surface gauge panels, internal and external water surface monitoring equipment, rainfall monitoring equipment, and a SCADA monitoring system;
• Improve access to North and South pump stations;
• Harden the external face of the levee along the Brazos River; and
• Stop river erosion from encroaching into the levee

If passed, the bonds will accelerate $139 million in levee system improvements with NO SPLID tax rate increase. If not passed, the projects will take more than a decade to build on a pay as you go basis.

Early voting for the 2018 SPLID Bond Election will be held from October 22, 2018 through November 2, 2018. Election Day is Tuesday, November 6, 2018.

Channel 4, located in the south-central portion of the southern levee system, is currently being widened from a 10’ bottom width to a 55’ bottom width with a lake storage system a distance of 2500’ (0.5 mile) from Sienna Parkway to Heritage Park. Also included in this project is a dry drainage channel improvement from Heritage Park Drive to the Main Channel. The dry channel is being widened from a 10’ bottom width to a 55’ bottom width a distance of 2600’ (0.5 mile). Construction has not begun.