The mid-reach portions of the existing Luce Bayou channel are pristine and provide a unique environment for this region. The preferred alternative route will avoid this unique environment of the existing Luce Bayou channel.
Six corridors were identified to convey water from the Trinity River into Lake Houston for the Luce Bayou Project. A preliminary alternatives analysis report was prepared to address environmental and engineering constraints for each of these alternatives.
Based on the evaluated criteria, two alternatives were identified as practicable, representing favorable construction cost with fewest environmental impacts. These two alternatives were carried forward for more detailed environmental and engineering analysis in order to identify the least environmentally damaging alternative. The preferred alternative included conveyance from the Trinity River to Lake Houston via a pipeline and a canal along a corridor south of Luce Bayou. Luce Bayou was eliminated as a conveyance alternative to avoid significant environmental impacts that would have occurred from channel reconfiguration.
Environmental Issues
Project scoping has identified the following environmental issues that will be addressed in the environmental document:
- Threatened and endangered species
- Flooding and area hydraulics
- Drainage
- Noxious and nuisance species
- Wetlands/floodplains and waters of the U.S. (minimize impacts)
- Project mitigation based on unavoidable impacts analysis
- Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge and other park or state lands of interest
- Bays and estuaries flows to Trinity Bay and Galveston Bay (Region H Galveston Bay Inflow Study - Appendix 4D)
- Cultural resources
- Agricultural land use
- Water quality