Barker Reservoir is a flood control structure in Houston, Texas which prevents downstream flooding of Buffalo Bayou, the city's principal river. The reservoir operates in conjunction with Addicks Reservoir to the northeast, which impounds Mayde and Bear Creeks, two tributaries 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.

Barker Reservoir
Barker Reservoir Show map of Texas Barker Reservoir Show map of the United States
Location	Houston, Texas, United States
Coordinates	29.769674°N 95.646335°W / 29.769674; -95.646335
Type	Reservoir
Basin countries	United States

George Bush Park, operated by Harris County, is located entirely within the reservoir.[1]

Houston annexed the Addicks area in 1972.[2]

Location

Barker Reservoir is southwest of the intersection of Interstate 10 and State Highway 6, about one mile (1.6 km) south of Addicks in western Harris County.

The Barker Reservoir spillway is located at 29°46′10.86″N 95°38′47.09″W.

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.[3]

Construction

Barker Reservoir is formed by a rolled earthen dam 72,900 feet (22,200 m) long. A 12-foot-wide (3.7 m) gravel road extends along the top of the dam. The top of the dam has a maximum elevation of 112.5 feet (34.3 m) above the N.G.V.D. and is 36 feet high in places.[4] The maximum storage capacity of the reservoir is 209,000 acre-feet (258,000,000 cubic metres; 258 gigalitres),[5] Combined with the adjacent Addicks Reservoir to the northeast, the total storage capacity is about 410,000 acre-feet (510,000,000 m³; 510 GL).[6]

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.^{[citation needed]}

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. ^{[citation needed]}

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.[7] A series of lawsuits were filed in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (CFC) after this flooding.[8] The CFC selected thirteen property owners to serve as tests cases in a bellwether trial to determine liability.[9] The CFC also appointed attorneys Armistead Easterby, Daniel Charest, and Charles Irvine as Co-Lead Counsel for upstream plaintiffs.[10]

Federal Claims Judge Charles Lettow presided over the May 2019 liability trial, which was held in Houston, Texas.[11] On December 17, 2019, the CFC held that the upstream flooding constituted a Fifth Amendment taking.[12]

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.[13] 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.[14] 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.[15] The total acquisition cost to acquire these lands would be approximately $10 billion.[16]

References

External links

• U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Barker Reservoir
• Barker Reservoir from the Handbook of Texas Online
• Addicks, Texas, and Bear Creek