The Cypress Ditch mitigation project approved by Bellaire voters can move forward thanks to a $54 million investment by the State of Texas.
BELLAIRE, Texas — The City of Bellaire is getting a major boost in its ongoing battle against flooding.
State leaders have awarded $54 million to help fund the Cypress Ditch Flood Mitigation Project — a long-awaited effort that could also benefit surrounding communities, according to Bellaire city officials.
The funding, allocated in the state’s budget, follows decades of severe flooding in the region and years of planning at the local level.
“This is a springboard to a tremendous amount of work to tackle flooding in this area,” Bellaire Mayor Gus Pappas said. “We’re very happy to do it.”
The project will focus on widening the Cypress Ditch to move water out of Bellaire more quickly during storms. New detention areas will also be constructed to prevent overflow and reduce downstream impacts.
“If we can control our water and help reduce and mitigate the effects of flooding in our area, it will help everyone around,” Pappas said.
In 2024, Bellaire voters approved a $70 million bond package — $40 million of which was dedicated to flood control. Pappas said that local commitment played a key role in securing additional funding from the state.
He also credited the funding success to coordination between local leaders and state lawmakers, including State Representative Ann Johnson, State Senator Molly Cook, and the Harris County Flood Control District.
For residents like Elaine Schroller, who lives just feet from the Cypress Ditch, the new investment brings hope. Her first home in Bellaire flooded during Tropical Storm Allison in 2001. After rebuilding, her new home flooded again during Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
“I’m thrilled because our house is very close to the ditch,” Schroller said. “I know how much good the work on Brays Bayou did when they widened it, so I’m really, really excited about this.”
The flood control plan also includes a partnership with the City of Houston. As part of a land swap, Bellaire plans to repurpose the site of a former police substation and a wastewater treatment facility into additional detention ponds.
Moving forward, Bellaire’s wastewater services would be handled at a Houston facility if the Houston City Council approves the land swap.
City officials said next steps include detailed planning and design, with a goal to have parts of the project ready to break ground by the end of 2025.