SJRA says upstream detention dams could cut Spring Creek flood levels but need state/federal funding; Bear Branch spillway flagged for immediate work

SAN JACINTO BASIN, TEXAS — Engineers from the San Jacinto River Authority told The Woodlands Township Board on an August 2025 evening that proposed dry‑bottom detention dams on Birch and Walnut creeks could meaningfully reduce flood elevations for the township but will require large state or federal funding and an identified project sponsor.

The presentation, led by Matt Barrett, SJRA’s lead engineer, summarized a multi‑year feasibility study for the Spring Creek watershed. Barrett said model refinements allowed the team to reduce dam heights (about 5–7 feet in the optimized layouts) and thus shrink projected upstream inundation (roughly 200–300 acres less than earlier layouts). “If both dams were constructed, there’s about 1,000 structures that we project would benefit and have reduced flooding,” Barrett said, adding that “about a 100 or maybe a little more than a 100 that would no longer flood if Hurricane Harvey were to happen again.”

Why it matters: the modeling shows measurable reductions in peak creek elevations inside township boundaries — Barrett summarized reductions of roughly 4–6 inches locally for the Walnut configuration and 5–10 inches where the two dams’ benefits combine. Those reductions can…