Steep Bank Creek Pump Station Expansion

Fort Bend County Levee Improvement District No. 15 (LID 15) is continuing its partnership with Fort Bend County Levee Improvement District No. 19 (LID 19) to improve flood control in the Steep Bank Creek watershed, which includes the eastern portion of LID 15.  Both Districts recently entered a cost sharing agreement to expand the Steep Bank Creek Pump Station.  The pump station is in LID 19 on Thompson Ferry Road, but this flood control facility is jointly operated by LID 15 and LID 19.

Currently, the Steep Bank Creek Pump Station has four pumps that combined remove up to 80,000 gallons of water per minute (GPM).  Three new pumps will be added to increase the total pump capacity to 230,000 GPM.  The facility is also home to 12 mobile pumps that can produce an additional 80,000 GPM. The Steep Bank Creek Pump Station is also equipped with a natural gas-powered generator to run the existing pumps during a power outage.  The expansion project includes the installation of additional diesel generators to power the new pumps in the event of an outage.

Construction is expected to take one year to complete, so the expanded Steep Bank Creek Pump Station will be operational in Spring 2022.  Construction will be sequenced to ensure that the existing pumps are available throughout the 2021 Hurricane Season.

The pump stations in LID 15 are exercised monthly and are operated when the Brazos River reaches flood stages that automatically close the flood gates in the levee.  If it rains in LID 15 while the flood gates are closed, the pump stations are activated to remove runoff from inside the levee.  Look for future updates about the Steep Bank Creek Pump Station Expansion Project on the LID 15 website and Facebook.

Stormwater Protection

Stormwater runoff can impact the water quality of local streams, creeks, and bayous. As rainwater flows over residential and commercial rooftops, lawns and landscaping, construction sites, and roadways, the water can carry sediment and other pollutants into the streets and gutters. The storm sewer system collects rainwater and conveys it directly into local flood control ditches and waterways without filtering or cleaning any of the runoff water. Sediment, litter, pesticides, animal wastes, fertilizers, and other harmful pollutants from suburban and business areas, facilities, construction sites, or District operations can have major downstream impacts on local waterways and beaches. Rainwater runoff moves most of these pollutants from a residence, facility, construction site, or place of business through the storm sewer system, and into the receiving water. However, lawn watering can also transport these pollutants.

Runoff from over watering a lawn laden with fertilizer and insecticide, household chemical waste improperly disposed in drains, and animal waste buildup all contribute to toxins that can end up in drains and eventually to watersheds intended to protect against rising watersheds.

It takes minimal effort to keep our stormwater clean. For more information on simple things you can do to protect our waterways, please visit www.cleanbayous.org.

Hagerson Road Pump Station

Fort Bend County Levee Improvement District No. 15 (LID 15) recently completed construction on the new Hagerson Road Pump Station to facilitate drainage in the Snake Slough watershed.  The new pump station is located on Hagerson Road, about a half mile west of LJ Parkway.  This $4.6 million flood control facility includes four pumps that can remove up to 50,000 gallon of water per minute (GPM).  The pump station is equipped with a natural gas-powered generator if the pumps need to operate during a power outage.

With the completion of the Hagerson Road Pump Station, LID 15 now operates three pump stations.  The Alcorn Bayou Pump Station is located in the western portion of the District and has a total pump capacity of 150,000 GPM.  In partnership with Fort Bend County Levee Improvement District No. 19 (LID 19), the Steep Bank Creek Pump Station serves the eastern portion of LID 15.  The current pump capacity of the Steep Bank Creek Pump Station is 80,000 GPM, and 12 mobile pumps produce an additional 80,000 GPM.  In early 2021, LID 15 and LID 19 will start the Steep Bank Creek Pump Station Expansion Project to increase the pump capacity from 80,000 GPM to 230,000 GPM.  Look for future updates about Steep Bank Creek Pump Station Expansion on the LID 15 website and Facebook.

The pump stations in LID 15 are exercised monthly and are operated when the Brazos River reaches flood stages that automatically close the flood gates in the levee.  If it rains in LID 15 while the flood gates are closed, the pump stations are activated to remove runoff from inside the levee.

Hagerson Road Pump Station

Four New Pumps (12,500 GPM Each)