Releasing Water from Houston Dams, Army Corps Picks Least Bad Option

"With Tropical Storm Harvey dumping record rainfall on Houston, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers faced a dilemma as water volumes rose to perilous levels in its two reservoirs west of the city center.

The options: ordering controlled releases of water from the two dams, adding to flooding in already swamped neighborhoods; or holding tight and risk having water pour around or over the earthen dams, potentially rupturing them and causing far greater damage.

The Army Corps chose to let water out deliberately—at a rate of about 8,000 cubic feet per second, depending on how much rain continues to fall—through Buffalo Bayou, a river that cuts through downtown Houston. Even with the controlled release, Army Corps officials expect reservoir levels at the dams to rise throughout the week."

Cameron McWhirter and Erin Ailworth report for the Wall Street Journal August 28, 2017.