Montgomery County wants to unlock $51.5 million in federal funds to clear debris and vegetation from six waterways that drain through The Woodlands and surrounding communities.
Residents have until Wednesday, Sept. 30, to submit written comments on the project's environmental review. After that, the county plans to ask the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to release the money.
The San Jacinto Watershed and Tributary Barrier Flood Mitigation Project would remove vegetative blockages and other obstructions from portions of Lake Creek, Stewarts Creek, Caney Creek, Peach Creek, White Oak Creek and the San Jacinto River East Fork, according to a notice posted on the Precinct 3 website for Commissioner Ritch Wheeler. The goal is to restore full channel capacity. The project would also stabilize banks where significant erosion has set in.
Two of those waterways run directly through Woodlands neighborhoods. The Lake Creek segment stretches roughly 24 miles, starting 1,800 feet north of Johnson Road and ending at Sendera Ranch Drive. The Stewarts Creek segment covers about 15 miles, beginning at Shadow Lake and ending where it meets the San Jacinto River West Fork.
The remaining segments are farther afield but feed the same watershed: Caney Creek at roughly 44 miles, Peach Creek at 40 miles, White Oak Creek at 10 miles and the San Jacinto River East Fork at about 4.6 miles.
The money would come from Community Development Block Grant – Mitigation funds Congress appropriated in 2018 after Hurricane Harvey. The Texas General Land Office serves as the intermediary between the county and HUD. County Judge Mark J. Keough signed the notice as the certifying officer, according to the official filing.
The project has been in the environmental review pipeline since at least June 2026, when the county issued a separate floodplain and wetland notice for the same work.
Montgomery County's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management said the project will address roughly 134 miles of waterways in all. The environmental review record is available for in-person review at the office, located at 9472 Airport Road in Conroe, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and online at the county's recovery website.
Written comments must reach the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management by end of day Sept. 30. On or about Thursday, Oct. 1, the county plans to authorize the General Land Office to submit the release request to HUD. After that, the GLO will accept objections for 15 days, mailed to Heather Lagrone at the Texas General Land Office, PO Box 12873, Austin, TX 78711-2873, or emailed to [email protected].
