How many secrets do these waters hold? Welcome to the Barker Reservoir. It is not just a body of water. It is a critical piece of Houston’s flood control system. Let’s dive into the history and purpose of this essential reservoir.
The Barker Reservoir was built by the federal government in the 1940s. This was before I-10 existed. It was even before Houston sprawled this far west. The reservoir was designed to protect Houston from catastrophic flooding. The idea was simple. When heavy rain fell, Barker Reservoir could catch it. It would stop the water from flowing down Buffalo Bayou into west and downtown Houston.
Barker Reservoir works with a network of watersheds and bayous. These waterways traverse the region. They act like the veins of a leaf, leading to Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Mason Creek and upper Buffalo Bayou feed Barker Reservoir. The water then continues towards downtown.
The reservoir has three main structural components. There are earthen embankments. These are the highest walls. At Barker Reservoir, the embankments reach 112 feet. There is also a gated water control structure. This works like a heart valve. It can be opened and closed to control water flow. Two auxiliary spillways back up the gated structures. These spillways are like overflow holes in a sink. They prevent water from going over the top of the embankments.
Richard Long is the natural resources manager at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He explained the dam’s design. In an extreme event, water will go over the auxiliary spillway. It will never go over the main embankment. The dams are prepared for events beyond what we are experiencing right now.
Normally, water is held behind the earthen embankments. It then flows through the gated structures into creeks and streams. The dams control the flow into Buffalo Bayou. This keeps downtown Houston from flooding. Under normal conditions, Barker releases water into Buffalo Bayou.
But what happens during extreme weather events? Hurricane Harvey tested the limits of Barker Reservoir. The reservoir levels peaked at 101.5 feet during Harvey. High-volume controlled releases of water were necessary. This helped to avoid a larger catastrophe. It also emptied the reservoirs in anticipation of another storm.
When overflow is activated at Barker Reservoir, it heads to Buffalo Bayou. It can also affect Brays Bayou and Oyster Creek. Barker also has two ditches surrounding it. They are called Barker and Clodine. These act as support arteries. They collect water outside the reservoir. They then carry it to the bayou.
Development around Barker Reservoir has created challenges. Thousands of people have been displaced from their homes near the reservoir. They were built on vulnerable property. This property lies in what Long calls a gray area. When the reservoirs were built, the federal government acquired a certain amount of land. At that time, the surrounding land was undeveloped.
The Army Corps can hold approximately a 100-year-flood within the boundaries of the government property. People have built on land above the government property. But it is below the maximum possible pool level the dams can hold.
The capacity of the dam extends beyond the government property. The Army Corps handles a complex emergency situation. It controls high-volume releases to protect the city as a whole. Barker Reservoir plays a vital role in Houston’s flood control. It is a testament to engineering and preparedness.