Update on Levee Raising Construction Project

The First Colony Levee Improvement District No. 2 levee raising project is nearly complete.  We had sent our surveyors out to verify the elevations and found a small area that still needed additional fill to reach the 500-year flood protection level.  They have since brought in the additional fill and the surveyors are being sent out again to make a final inspection.  If the levee meets the required heights, we will immediately release the General Contractor (“GC”) to return the stockpiled topsoil to the top of the levee and then a hydro mulching crew will spread grass seed over the entire levee.  This is the start of the growing season, and we expect the grass to take off.

We would like to thank all the residents backing directly up to the levee during this process and tolerating the construction process.  The GC was instructed from day one, to keep the project neat and orderly and to keep the dump truck drivers under control.  He had water wagons posted to help control dust and street sweepers to clean up the dirt on the streets.  The GC had several meetings with the truck drivers, but a few still failed to heed the speed limit warnings that were given to them.  Temporary dirt speed bumps were installed on the levee and the GC purchased a radar gun to monitor their speed.  Drivers that exceeded the assigned speed limit were fired.  We know living next to a construction project is never fun and so we again thank you for putting up with this very important project.

The result of the recent construction is that our community is far better protected from the flooding that has started to come to Fort Bend County on an annual basis.  There is an enormous difference from where were at the 100-year flood protection level and now at the 500-year level.  We were very concerned about the progress made by some of the other levee Districts in our Sugarstone Perimeter system after Hurricane Harvey and we felt the need to better protect our Commonwealth Community, independent of the Sugarstone perimeter system.  Fort Bend County LID #2 which is the district just north of us has felt the same way and they too have been raising their protection level to the 500-year point.  We tie into their levee and together we form a very secure community.  Additionally, both Districts have increased our pumping capacity to meet the new Atlas 14 rainfall criteria for a 500-year rainfall event.  FCLID which abuts east side of FBCLID#2 has also recently raised their levee to the 500-year level.

We are very thankful for the cooperation of the residents of the Commonwealth during the past 3 months of construction and extremely appreciative for your goodwill.  We feel like we are now in a great position to survive the next high-water event and we have taken many steps to make back-ups to our systems that provide a high level of security for our homes in the Commonwealth.  We know it was a bit painful for those backing up to the levee but its all over and we are in a much better position.

Sincerely,
The Board Members of FCLID#2