Barker Reservoir is a

flood control Flood control methods are used to reduce or prevent the detrimental effects of flood waters."Flood Control", MSN Encarta, 2008 (see below: Further reading). Flood relief methods are used to reduce the effects of flood waters or high water level ...

structure in

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

which prevents downstream flooding of

Buffalo Bayou Buffalo Bayou is a slow-moving body of water which flows through Houston in Harris County, Texas. Formed 18,000 years ago, it has its source in the prairie surrounding Katy, Fort Bend County, and flows approximately east through the Houston Ship ...

, the city's principal river. The reservoir operates in conjunction with

Addicks Reservoir The Addicks Reservoir and Addicks Dam in conjunction with the Barker Reservoir prevent downstream flooding of Buffalo Bayou in the City of Houston, Texas. Both reservoirs were authorized under the Rivers and Harbors Act of June 20, 1938, which wa ...

to the northeast, which impounds Mayde and Bear Creeks, two

tributaries A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage b ...

of the Buffalo. Both reservoirs were authorized under the Rivers and Harbors Act of June 20, 1938, which were modified by the Flood Control Acts of August 11, 1938; September 3, 1954; and October 27, 1965. George Bush Park, operated by Harris County, is located entirely within the reservoir. Houston annexed the Addicks area in 1972.Lee, Renée C.
Annexed Kingwood split on effects
" ''

Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With it ...

''. Sunday October 8, 2006. A21. Retrieved on July 6, 2011. Print version exclusively has the information cited; the information is ''not'' included in the online edition.

Location

Barker Reservoir is southwest of the intersection of

Interstate 10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country highway in the American Interstate Highway System. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate in the United States at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. This freeway is part of the originally pl ...

and State Highway 6, about one mile (1.6 km) south of Addicks in western Harris County. The Barker Reservoir spillway is located at . The Barker Dam and Reservoir is named for the community of Barker, Texas. In 1895, the Missouri, Kansas, and Texas Railroad laid tracks and began operating through Barker. The town was named for the track laying contractor Ed. Barker. Barker Reservoir SE

Construction

Barker Reservoir is formed by a rolled earthen dam long. A gravel road extends along the top of the dam. The top of the dam has a maximum elevation of above the N.G.V.D. and is 36 feet high in places. The maximum storage capacity of the reservoir is , Combined with the adjacent

to the northeast, the total storage capacity is about . From 2008 to 2014, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District implemented $4.4 million in interim risk reduction measures (at Addicks and Barker dams) to address deficiencies until long-term solutions could be identified and executed. In 2014, staff completed a Dam Safety Modification Study to evaluate long-term repairs and address issues associated with the dams. Staff presented this information during a public meeting October 29 at Bear Creek Community Center in Houston to discuss these plans and gather feedback. Construction is scheduled to begin May 2015 with an estimated completion date of 2019.

Benefits

It is estimated the Addicks and Barker Reservoirs, along with other federal construction projects on Lower Buffalo Bayou and its tributaries, will prevent average annual flood damages of $16,372,000 to the city of Houston. Addicks and Barker provide no flood reduction benefits to properties upstream of the dams and reservoirs.

Litigation

During and after Hurricane Harvey, 7,000 acres of private upstream land was submerged by floodwaters held back and controlled by the Addicks and Barker dams. A series of lawsuits were filed in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (CFC) after this flooding. The CFC selected thirteen property owners to serve as tests cases in a bellwether trial to determine liability. The CFC also appointed attorneys Armistead Easterby, Daniel Charest, and Charles Irvine as Co-Lead Counsel for upstream plaintiffs. Federal Claims Judge Charles Lettow presided over the May 2019 liability trial, which was held in Houston, Texas. On December 17, 2019, the CFC held that the upstream flooding constituted a Fifth Amendment taking.

Buffalo Bayou & Tributaries Resiliency Study Interim Report

In October 2020, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers published an Interim Report regarding the Addicks and Barker dams and reservoirs. The Interim Report states that high reservoir water levels resulting from the Army Corp's operation of the Addicks and Barker dams "pose unacceptable risks to health and human safety, private property, and public infrastructure," and that "future economic damages from flooding are likely" in the upstream area. The Interim Report further indicates that there is inadequate government-owned real estate for dam operations, as more than 20,000 homes and 24,000 parcels of privately-owned upstream land are within the areas subject to government-induced flooding. The total acquisition cost to acquire these lands would be approximately $10 billion.

References

External links

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Addicks, Texas, and Bear Creek
{{authority control Dams in Texas Geography of Houston Reservoirs in Texas Protected areas of Harris County, Texas United States Army Corps of Engineers dams Bodies of water of Harris County, Texas