Township approves letters asking state and U.S. Army Corps to help Bear Branch drainage work

The Woodlands Township Board of Directors voted Sept. 18 to approve and sign letters urging state and federal participation in the Bear Branch dam modification and Panther Branch drainage projects.

Eric Peterson, who briefed the board, said the municipal utility districts approved funding for the full engineering design and identified additional scope that had not previously been funded. "The full scope will be moving forward now and moving as quickly as we can," Peterson said.

Chairman Brad Bailey asked that the letters carry signatures from all seven board members and that staff send them to the township's legislative delegation and the Texas Water Development Board. "I'd like that board letter to be a signature from all 7 of us if we can," Bailey said. The board moved and the motion carried to approve the amended letter and collect all signatures.

Todd Stevens presented a related request to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers asking for federal participation in the Bear Branch–Panther Branch drainage project, emphasizing the work's goal of reducing water levels in the Research Forest corridor to preserve emergency vehicle access during high-water events. The board approved sending the Corps letter with board signatures.

The board's actions were procedural approvals to transmit letters of support; no new funding commitment by the township was approved at the meeting. Staff said the townships' next steps are to finalize recipients and signatures and to submit the letters to state and federal contacts.

What happens next: staff will collect board signatures and send the letters to the named recipients; any formal state or federal funding decisions would be made outside the township board and would require subsequent approvals.