Addicks Barker Reservoir

Upstream Reservoir Claims

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed the Addicks and Barker reservoirs with flood pools around the reservoirs. Most of the time, these flood pools remain dry but are specifically designed to hold water in the event of major rainfall events. Because land inside these flood pools occasionally floods, the government began purchasing the land in the 1940s to prevent construction in areas with flood potential. However, the government did not purchase all of the land inside the flood pools, and thousands of homes were built within these flood pools over the years.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, the water level in the Addicks reservoir reached an elevation of 109.1 feet. Because the government only purchased land up to an elevation of 103.2 feet, residential homes along the edges of the Addicks reservoir above that elevation suffered serious flood damage. Similarly, the water level in the Barker reservoir flood pools reached an elevation of 101.5 feet, but the government’s property line only included areas up to 95 feet. By allowing floodwaters to pool in elevations exceeding their property lines, the government effectively seized thousands of properties and allowed for their destruction.