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Coastal Water Authority and city officials set 2025 design deadline for Lake Houston dam gates, outline funding and cost range
Summary
Coastal Water Authority board member Dan Huberty told a Kingwood town hall that design for new gates must finish by the end of 2025, with construction expected in 2027–29; officials cited a wide engineering cost range and a $127 million benefit‑cost figure used to pursue FEMA funding.
Dan Huberty, a newly appointed member of the Coastal Water Authority, told residents at a District 1 town hall in Kingwood that design work to add new gates at the Lake Houston dam must be complete by the end of 2025 to preserve eligibility for federal funding and keep the project on schedule.
"We have to be done with design by the end of '25," Huberty said, adding that the authority has already hired engineers and signed an interlocal agreement with the city to proceed. He said construction is planned to begin in 2027 with work expected into 2029, though he called those dates subject to approvals outside the authority's control.
The project team has discussed multiple design options; Huberty cited a 2022 Black & Veatch cost estimate that ranged "between $103,000,000 and $250,000,000" and said a formal benefit‑cost analysis ultimately came in "at about $127,000,000." Those analyses are part of the paperwork used to secure FEMA and other grant funding.
Huberty listed funding sources presented to the audience: a grant phase 1 of $11.7 million and phase 2 of $23 million; legislative appropriations of $30 million (87th Legislature) and $50 million (88th Legislature); $20 million from Harris County; and additional city funding. He said the authority will continue to pursue state and federal support and that some elements of the final cost and schedule remain dependent on federal approvals and contractor availability.
Residents at the meeting pushed back on the schedule. Diane Lansdown, a long‑time Kingwood flood‑prevention volunteer, asked whether the timeline left completion as late as 2029; Huberty and local officials said the dates reflect current engineering and FEMA approval steps and that some work will proceed in parallel where possible. Councilmember Fred Flickinger told residents officials plan to communicate timeline updates in newsletters and on the authority's website.
Why it matters: The dam and spillway control large flows into Lake Houston; officials said gates and related works are central to reducing flood releases that have driven severe local flooding in past storms. Huberty cautioned the audience that the existing structure is roughly 75 years old and that the planned work involves complex engineering, including placement of new gates in an embankment rather than simple replacement of existing gate hardware.
Next steps: Huberty said detailed design must be completed by the end of 2025, phase‑1 approvals are expected by May 2026, and construction procurement would follow; he asked residents to monitor the CWA website for frequent updates and said the authority will provide two‑week progress notes to the board. "If we're gonna have any issues, I would like to know now because it could jeopardize our FEMA funding," he warned.
