Rice's SSPEED Center Unveils Galveston Bay Park Plan
A Comprehensive Solution to Hurricane Storm Surge Threats
Rendering of Galveston Bay Park Plan (Credit: Rogers Partners)
The Houston-Galveston region, home to over 6 million residents, thousands of commercial and industrial facilities and the vital Port Houston, faces an escalating threat from hurricane storm surge. With hurricanes becoming more severe, existing storm protection measures, such as the Galveston Seawall and the Texas City levee system, may not be sufficient to protect the region from the catastrophic consequences of storm surge.
In response to this growing risk, the Severe Storm Prediction, Education and Evacuation from Disasters (SSPEED) Center at Rice University, in collaboration with a team of expert consultants including Rogers Partners architects and designers, engineering experts at Walter P Moore and economist Blake Eskew, have developed the Galveston Bay Park Plan ("GBPP"), an in-bay barrier and park system designed to provide enhanced storm surge protection and navigation and environmental benefits for the highly vulnerable west side of Galveston Bay.
Developed over nearly two years and funded equally by Harris County Flood Control District, the city of Houston, Port Houston and entrepreneur Joe Swinbank, the innovative plan aims to significantly reduce the risk of storm surge while integrating with Project 12, the next phase of navigation improvement for the Houston Ship Channel and the industrial community.
The GBPP fits seamlessly with the broader U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ ("USACE") Coastal Barrier Plan, also known as Ike Dike, which is a comprehensive proposal aimed at bolstering storm surge defenses across the bay area. Together, these two plans provide a dual layer of protection that benefits not only the residents and industries of the region but also its environment and future development prospects, said Jim Blackburn, co-director of the SSPEED Center.
Key features of the Galveston Bay Park Plan
The GBPP features a series of protective structures designed to mitigate storm surge impacts, especially for critical infrastructure along the Houston Ship Channel and surrounding areas. The plan’s centerpiece is a midbay levee system, which will extend up to 25 feet above sea level. The system would be built using material dredged from the planned deepening of the Houston Ship Channel (Project 12). This aspect of the proposal replaces the gates and pumps along Dickinson Bayou and Clear Lake that were suggested in the USACE plan.
Plan developers say this levee will serve as a comprehensive defense mechanism, offering greater protection for the communities of League City, Kemah, Seabrook, Morgan’s Point, Houston, Baytown and other areas along the Houston Ship Channel.
The GBPP also includes a public park feature to be developed in conjunction with longer term maintenance dredging that will provide over 10,000 acres of accessible land for outdoor recreation, helping to foster a stronger connection between local communities and Galveston Bay. A network of navigation gates will allow small craft to pass through the levee system, ensuring that both protection and usability are prioritized.
“By combining robust engineering with environmental restoration, the Galveston Bay Park Plan offers an innovative solution that protects the region while creating new recreational opportunities,” said Blackburn, also a professor in the practice of environmental law at Rice. “This plan addresses both immediate and long-term needs, providing flood reduction, enhancing navigation and boosting economic vitality — all while embracing the cultural and environmental value of the bay.”
In total, the GBPP is estimated to cost $7 billion and could be completed within 10 years of construction start. Modeling shows that the plan nearly doubles storm surge protection in critical zones like the Houston Ship Channel, Clear Lake and Texas City, and for a modeled Category 4 storm, water surface elevation was reduced by an additional 5 to 8 feet beyond the reductions achieved by the USACE’s plan alone.
“This plan is affordable, achievable and addresses the true scale of the risk,” said Philip Bedient, director of the SSPEED Center and the Herman and George R. Brown Professor of Engineering at Rice. “It works in perfect tandem with the Corps’ Coastal Barrier Plan and provides a path forward that every coastal community in the U.S. could learn from. By providing enhanced storm surge protection, restoring and enhancing the environment and creating public recreational spaces, the GBPP represents a sustainable, long-term approach to safeguarding both people and infrastructure.”
A growing threat to Houston-Galveston’s economy and environment
As the frequency and severity of major storms continue to rise, the need for enhanced protection has become critical. The region, which includes some of the nation’s most vital energy infrastructure — including 14% of U.S. crude oil refining capacity — faces devastating risks.
In 2008, Hurricane Ike veered off course at the last minute, narrowly avoiding a catastrophic hit to the Houston Ship Channel. A ProPublica story later declared that such a disaster wasn’t a question of if but when. That “perfect storm” scenario remains a looming threat, and with climate change fueling stronger, more frequent hurricanes, the risk of a Category 3, 4 or 5 hurricane striking the Texas Gulf Coast has never been greater.
“This would be the worst environmental and economic disaster in United States history,” Blackburn said. “We’re talking about multiple refineries and chemical plants exposed to storm surge and the potential release of hazardous materials, millions of gallons of oil and chemicals spilling into Galveston Bay as well as airborne toxins impacting communities downwind. The human and environmental toll would be unprecedented.”
One of the most significant findings included in the plan, determined via sophisticated computer modeling, is that the La Marque-Texas City area is more vulnerable than previously understood. Storm surge from the south and west, not just the bay, could bypass traditional levees and inundate the region from behind, posing a serious threat not fully addressed in earlier plans. The GBPP team is already working on additional design elements for that scenario.
“We can’t keep planning based on the past 100 years,” Bedient said. “Our hurricane risk increase is rewriting the rules. That’s why the Galveston Bay Park Plan is so important — it’s flexible, forward-looking, doable and sized for these larger events that will be more common in the future.”
Swinbank put up $250,000 to support this project as did Port Houston, Harris County Flood Control District and the city of Houston.
“This project is a perfect example of common sense and good engineering,” Swinbank said. “It works with an existing navigation project to use its waste material to build the primary protection system. It fits with the Corps of Engineers’ larger coastal barrier project. It has multiple environmental and community recreational benefits. This is a 21st-century plan.”
Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia was similarly positive: “With what’s likely to be another active hurricane season upon us, it’s long past time to protect the Gulf Coast from powerful storms. As the leader of the precinct that is downstream from not just Harris County but also several other counties in greater southeast Texas, I know the dangers both residents and industry face from systems coming out of the tropics. I support the work of the SSPEED Center and the Army Corps to try to make the Galveston Bay Park happen. Harris County needs this project to protect people and our economy from storm surge.”
Image credit: Rogers Partners
Collaboration and long-term vision
The SSPEED Center has worked closely with the cities of Houston and Galveston, Port Houston, Harris County Flood Control District, Texas General Land Office, USACE and other key stakeholders to develop the GBPP. While its implementation is still under discussion, initial steps are being taken to evaluate its feasibility and how it can integrate with the broader USACE Coastal Barrier Plan.
“Port Houston contributed to this study because we understand and support the need for greater coastal protection,” said Charlie Jenkins, CEO of Port Houston. “We applaud all those who are taking steps to identify potential solutions for our region.”
Coalter Baker, executive director of the Gulf Coast Protection District ("GCPD"), which would be the local partner for any federal project, described the plan as both practical and important.
“GCPD is committed to addressing the region’s storm surge risk,” Baker said. “While the GBPP remains under evaluation, the GCPD and its federal partners will closely examine how elements of this plan could complement ongoing protection efforts. Protecting lives, property and economic vitality is our mission, and innovative solutions like this could play an important role in achieving that goal.”