HARRIS COUNTY, TX – Harris County Precinct 3 recently broke ground on the first of four T.C. Jester Stormwater Detention Basin projects to hold a significant amount of stormwater and prevent it from entering nearby homes, as part of the voter-approved 2018 Harris County Flood Control District Bond.

The T.C. Jester 1B Basin project is supported by significant investments from local, state, and federal partners, including $12 million secured by State Representative Sam Harless through the Texas Water Development Board, and $12.5 million through the Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery program and administered by the Texas General Land Office. Its inception began following years of public engagement meetings to ensure community input was incorporated into the overall plan for this region.

Once all four compartments of the T.C. Jester Stormwater Detention Basin are complete, they are expected to provide approximately 1,200 acre-feet of stormwater storage. That’s nearly 400 million gallons of water and equivalent to roughly 590 Olympic-size swimming pools.

“This project represents taking another step toward protecting people, homes, businesses, and our communities from flooding,” said Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom S. Ramsey, P.E. “When heavy rain comes, flooding can change lives in a matter of minutes. Projects like this are about giving families greater peace of mind when the next major storm arrives.”

The T.C. Jester Stormwater Detention Basin was recommended as part of a larger plan to create stormwater storage capacity in the Cypress Creek watershed. It is part of the Cypress Creek Implementation Program, which is a larger network of flood mitigation projects. Anticipated completion of the T.C. Jester 1B Basin is the second quarter of 2027. Northtex Construction serves as the construction contractor. To learn more about this and other nearby flood reduction projects, visit www.hcfcd.org/TCJester.