She said with nature-based solutions, the ecosystem is the infrastructure- whether that’s through preserving a big tract of land or recreating nature in an urban environment, like with Exploration Green. "We’re seeing around the world, there’s more of an emphasis on these nature-based systems for flood mitigation," said Danielle Goshen with the National Wildlife Federation’s Texas Coast & Water program. And around Houston, nature-based projects have been gaining traction as a way to tackle the region’s flooding issues, while also providing public greenspace.
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Federal agencies like FEMA, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the EPA, all have guides on how to incorporate nature-based solutions. Green projects aren’t always prioritized for funding, but that’s changing. Unlike traditional gray infrastructure which uses concrete to quickly channel floodwaters into local water bodies, green infrastructure uses or mimics nature to slow down, absorb and filter rainwater where it falls. Lucio Vasquez / Houston Public Media One of the five retention ponds at Exploration Green in Clear Lake.Įxploration Green is frequently cited as one of the best examples of green infrastructure - both locally and nationally. When all five phases of Exploration Green are complete next year it will be able to hold half a billion gallons of water during storms - enough to save about 2,000 homes from flooding.
"I went up and hugged him and said ‘John, you saved my house,’" she said. Shortly after, DeMoss said she saw John Branch with the Clear Lake City Water Authority at church.
She said flooding from a storm in 2015 damaged her house when water seeped under the carpet.īut her house stayed dry during Harvey. The pond filled with stormwater, and based on insurance claims that had been filed during previous flood events, Branch said they estimated it saved 150 homes.īeverly DeMoss lived in one of those homes. "I couldn’t wait for the street water to go down long enough so I could hop in my pickup and come over and see, is it really working?" Branch said.Īnd he wasn’t disappointed. When it hit in 2017, the first pond was nearly complete. Others feared the water would turn it into a breeding ground for mosquitoes. "People didn’t think it would work," he said. "We’ve got a lot of talent in the Clear Lake area - rocket scientists and people that are great at coming up with ideas," said Branch. Ideas started piling in: wetlands to help clean the water, hike and bike trails, a bird habitat island. There was an abandoned golf course that seemed like the perfect location, and they wanted to do something unique. They also serve as a habitat for wildlife and a public space with walking trails.īranch said flooding was getting worse in Clear Lake, so they hired a consultant who recommended putting in detention ponds. Each pond can hold up to 100 million gallons of stormwater. David Sharp (left) & John Branch stand in front of one of the retention ponds at Exploration Green. It first started in 2005, according to John Branch, the president of the water authority’s Board of Directors. The project is a collaboration between the conservancy and the Clear Lake City Water Authority. There are six miles of walking trails looping around them, thousands of native trees and 200 different native plant species. When it’s not raining, the site’s ponds contain water to support native plant and animal life.
"The whole design of the retention ponds is to slow down the flow of water so you don’t get that surge of water hitting the local bayous," said Sharp. Once they’re full, the water will slowly drain into the bayous. During storms, the five ponds will each be able to hold 100 million gallons of floodwater. "You can see this is nothing like that."Ĭonstruction on the $43 million project’s fifth and final retention pond is set to wrap up next year. "What you’ll see most of the time is just a square hole in the ground with a chain link fence around it, and it really doesn’t support much in the way of life," said David Sharp with the Exploration Green Conservancy. It’s a public greenspace and nature preserve - it’s also a massive flood detention project. Red-winged Blackbirds chirp in the distance and rabbits hide in the tall grasses and reeds. On a muggy Monday morning at Exploration Green in Clear Lake, walkers are on trails that meander along natural-looking ponds.
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