Brazos River Erosion Control Project

Construction Updates

August 2024

Fort Bend County Levee Improvement District No. 7 (FBCLID 7) residents may not be aware, but elevated water levels on the Brazos River has delayed construction for four months.

In August, the contractor was able to resume work on the six bendway weirs that extend into the river. The third weir is almost complete, and construction will soon start on the fourth weir.

Currently, the critical construction activity on the project is the placement of stone riprap on the riverbank. Over the past four months, the contractor was able to stockpile most of the stone that will be needed to complete the project. When the Brazos River returns to ordinary water levels in late August, riprap installation will resume.

The delays caused by flooding will extend the project completion date into early 2025, and a complete schedule update will be provided when the contractor is able to resume all construction activities. The latest construction videos are posted online.

May 2024

Elevated water levels on the Brazos River continue to delay critical construction activities. Since April 10 the contractor has been unable to work on installation of the bendway weirs or placement of stone riprap along the banks of the Brazos. Bendway weir #3 was almost complete in early April before the crane was forced to move to higher ground. Installation of stone riprap also stopped between weir #1 and #2 as seen in the photo below. Currently, the contractor can only haul off excess fill material and import additional rock while the Brazos River is elevated.

The latest construction videos from April and May are posted online. The ongoing delays may push the completion date into early 2025, and a schedule update will be provided when the contractor is able to resume all construction activities.

Brazos River Erosion Control Project (April 11, 2024 - prior to flooding)

Brazos River Erosion Control Project (May 9, 2024)

March 2024

The Brazos River Erosion Control Project (BRECP) is making significant progress despite the challenges posed by elevated river levels due to rainfall in late January. River levels will continue to be closely monitored by the project team though spring, as storms could bring in additional rainfall. Currently, the focus is on constructing the six bendway weirs which extend into the river; with two weirs already installed and work underway on the third, construction is steadily moving forward. These weirs will play a significant role in stabilizing the riverbanks and mitigating erosion along the Brazos River.

Furthermore, the excavation phase of the project site is nearing completion, creating a more gradual slope to the river bank. The contractor is using large trucks for removal of the stockpiled material and receipt of rock deliveries, which necessitates caution and awareness from commuters in the area; particularly when traveling along New Territory Blvd in the construction zones during project hours.

With approximately half of the new riverbank graded to its final elevation and rock placement now underway, protective measures to prevent future erosion are being implemented. Rock installation began at the Boulder Key, which protects the upstream end of the structure.

Aerial videos showcasing the construction progress from January, February and March of the Brazos River Erosion Control project are posted online to view construction progress.

Brazos River Erosion Control Project (looking upstream)

Brazos River Erosion Control Project (looking downstream)

December 2023

The LID 7 contractor has installed the temporary parking lot for the New Territory Dog Park, and it is open to the public. The main parking lot is now closed and will serve as the primary construction access for the duration of the project. The contractor will modify the parking lot entrance and build an access ramp over the levee to accommodate all construction traffic. Please remain aware of construction activity when traveling on this segment of New Territory Blvd.

The contractor has also finished tree clearing and started riverbank excavation at the upstream end of the project. Construction of the steel sheetpile weirs and delivery of stone riprap will begin in the new year, after the levee access ramp is complete. Construction is currently scheduled to be complete in December 2024. Videos of the construction progress from November and December are also available online.

October 2023

Construction Begins October 23

On June 20, the FBCLID 7 Board of Directors awarded a $43,446,987 construction contract for the Brazos River Erosion Control Project to Texas Dewatering, LLC. The contractor will begin construction the week of October 23, 2023. The first step is construction of a temporary parking lot for the New Territory Dog Park. The temporary parking lot will be accessible from New Territory Blvd., and it will be located between the Dog Park and Anderson Park.

After the temporary Dog Park parking lot is complete, the current parking lot and entrance from New Territory Blvd. will be closed to the public for the remainder of the project. Texas Dewatering will construct an improved access ramp over the FBCLID 7 levee and for the next year it will serve as the main Brazos River construction entrance. Thousands of truckloads of excavated material must be hauled off from the banks of the Brazos River and thousands of truckloads of rock will be brought in to armor the new riverbank. Please remain aware of construction traffic when traveling on this segment of New Territory Blvd. Construction is currently scheduled to be complete in December 2024.

July 2023

On June 20, the FBCLID 7 Board of Directors awarded a $43,446,987 construction contract for the Brazos River Erosion Control Project to Texas Dewatering, LLC. The District was notified in March about approval of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Phase II Hazard Mitigation Grant, and the bidding process began in April. The construction bids were opened on June 13, and the District received four qualified responses. Fortunately, all bids received were lower than the budgeted construction cost, so due to FEMA and State of Texas grants, the ultimate cost to FBCLID 7 taxpayers is still projected to be less than $4,000,000.

FBLCID 7 and Texas Dewatering, LCC are currently finalizing contract documents for execution and starting pre-construction coordination. The baseline construction schedule will be developed in July with goal of contractor mobilization in August. Additional details will continue to be posted online as the schedule is finalized. Construction is still projected to be complete in the fall of 2024, depending on weather and Brazos River conditions.

April 2023

FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Approved!

On March 28, 2023, FBCLID 7 was formally notified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that the Phase II Hazard Mitigation Grant was approved for construction of the Brazos River Erosion Control Project. FEMA’s grant to FBCLID 7 is approved for up to $48,300,000. In addition, the State of Texas is expected to contribute $12,000,000 to fund the local cost share that would typically be paid by FBCLID 7. The ultimate cost to FBCLID 7 taxpayers for construction of the Brazos River Erosion Control Project is still projected to be less than $4,000,000.

Now that FEMA awarded the Phase II Hazard Mitigation Grant, FBCLID 7 can start the construction bidding process. The current schedule estimates the construction contract will be awarded in June 2023 and construction will start in August. Construction is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2025, depending on weather and Brazos River conditions.

Phase I Complete - Brazos River Erosion Control Project January 5, 2023

Fort Bend County Levee Improvement District No. 7 (FBCLID 7) completed engineering and design for the Brazos River Erosion Control Project in February 2022.

This milestone ended Phase I of the District’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and the final design and other engineering documents were submitted to FEMA for review. FEMA must complete a successful review of all design documents before Phase II grant funding is awarded for construction. To be eligible for FEMA reimbursement, FBCLID 7 cannot start the construction bidding process until the Phase II grant is approved. The original project schedule assumed three months for FEMA Phase II approval, but the review has now taken more than 10 months.

The FBCLID 7 construction bidding process will begin as soon as Phase II grant approval is received from FEMA. The project schedule estimates at least 3 months between the start of bidding and a contractor mobilizing on the project. When the contractor mobilizes, it will take approximately one year to complete construction, depending on weather and Brazos River conditions. If the Phase II grant was awarded in January 2023, construction could begin as soon as April 2023 and be complete by May 2024.

Phase I Complete - Brazos River Erosion Control Project (February 11, 2022)

Fort Bend County Levee Improvement District No. 7 (FBCLID 7) has completed engineering and design for the Brazos River Erosion Control Project.

This milestone also completes Phase I of the District’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. As of this update, FBCLID 7 has submitted the final design and other engineering documents to FEMA for review. FEMA must complete a successful review of all design documents before Phase II grant funding is awarded for construction. To be eligible for FEMA reimbursement, FBCLID 7 cannot start the construction bidding process until the Phase II grant is approved. The original project schedule assumed two months for FEMA Phase II approval, but recent reviews are taking up to 3-4 months.

The FBCLID 7 construction bidding process will begin as soon as Phase II grant approval is received from FEMA. Furthermore, the project schedule estimates at least 3 months between the start of bidding and a contractor mobilizing on the project. When the contractor mobilizes, it will take approximately one year to complete construction, depending on weather and Brazos River conditions. The current schedule estimates construction beginning in August 2022 and project completion in August 2023. As noted previously, the project schedule will be controlled by FEMA’s Phase II review process over the next few months.

Project Budget

The current construction cost estimate for the Brazos River Erosion Control Project is $53,800,000, but FBCLID 7 anticipates that more than 90% of that cost will be reimbursed by FEMA and the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM). The FEMA grant will reimburse 75% of all eligible expenses, and typically the remaining 25% would be considered FBCLID 7’s local cost share. However, the District qualifies for additional assistance from TDEM which covers 75% of FBCLID 7’s 25% cost share. This means the ultimate cost to FBCLID 7 residents is approximately $3,400,000, or 6.25% of the total construction cost.

To date, FEMA has already approved almost $700,000 in reimbursements for Phase I engineering and design expenses. The project budget estimates more than $50,000,000 in FEMA and TDEM reimbursements will be received by FBCLID 7, and these funds will be used to pay off existing debt and fund future capital projects.

Project Design

The final layout for the Brazos River Erosion Control Project is included below with the main design elements highlighted. To begin, approximately 200,000 cubic yards of material will be removed from the Brazos River bank to provide a more gradual slope down to the water. This large amount of excavation will fill more than 20,000 dump trucks. Next, steel sheet pile will be driven into the bottom of the Brazos River to create six bendway weirs. The bendway weirs are design to “train” the river by gradually restoring bank erosion and shifting the centerline of the Brazos to the south and away from the FBCLID 7 levee. The sheet piles are protected by 30-inch stone rip-rap that is placed in the river and highlighted below in orange. The bottom, or toe, of Brazos River bank will then be lined with 24-inch stone riprap to construct more than 3,000 feet of Launching Stone Toe Protection (LSTP), highlighted in purple. If scouring and erosion continue below the water, the LSTP is constructed to fill any voids using more than 50,000 cubic yards of granite boulders. The upper slopes of the riverbank will be lined with more than 40,0000 cubic yards of 15-inch stone rip-rap to provide additional erosion protection, highlighted in green. Finally, a gated maintenance road will be added to provide access for future erosion repairs, highlighted in blue. After the project is complete, FBCLID 7 will also coordinate soccer field restoration with the NTRA.

Another Brazos River Erosion Control Project milestone was achieved in January 2022 when four CenterPoint power poles were removed from the transmission line that is located inside the project limits.

Brazos River Erosion Control Project Design

Example photograph of Stone Rip-rap (Homochitto River, MS)

Rendering of stone rip-rap and bendway weirs