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Exploration Green in the news

Check this area for news articles about the Exploration Green project.

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Golf course turns to flood detention center

The Battalion - Texas A&M University, 10/23/2023

By Ashley Acuna

At the end of September, a flood detention site made from an old golf course completed its final phase with A&M’s help.

Exploration Green is a 200-acre mitigation and nature park in Clear Lake, Houston. The site was transformed from an unused golf course to a floodwater detention center to prevent the surrounding community from being flooded. 

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Disaster Assessment and Recovery Unit is a part of the Texas Community Watershed Partners, or TCWP, that controls the wetland — the backbone of holding the stormwater back. 

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After Hurricane Idalia, we must invest in disaster mitigation

Tampa Bay Times, 09/08/2023

Jessie Ritter, Josh Sewell

Published September 8

"NOAA estimates that U.S. coastal wetlands alone provide $23.2 billion in storm protection each year. Nature-based solutions can also provide the surrounding communities with a wealth of ecosystem services, like cleaner air and water, recreational opportunities, increased biodiversity and carbon sequestration. One example is the Exploration Green Project in Texas, which transformed a defunct golf course into a 200-acre nature park and stormwater detention center, providing significant flood-risk reduction."

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Great Texas Birding Classic Raises Thousands for Habitat Conservation

Texas Parks & Wildlife News, 09/05/2023

AUSTIN— The Great Texas Birding Classic, the biggest, longest, wildest birdwatching tournament in the country, raised $47,000 for projects benefitting native Texas habitats and species...

Winning Birding Classic teams get to select which projects to fund. This year, conservation grants were awarded to:

$10,000 Weeklong Conservation Grant (Statewide) – Selected by Two Eagles & a Chick, sponsored by Deep South Marine, LLC
Project: Native Tree Planting at Exploration Green – submitted by Exploration Green Conservancy
Project Location: Clear Lake/Houston, Harris County

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Exploration Green in Clear Lake final phase set for summer completion

Community Impact Newspaper 04/03/2023

By Jovanna Aguilar | 12:40 PM Apr 3, 2023 CDT
Updated 12:40 PM Apr 3, 2023 CDT

The final phase of Exploration Green, a project to convert a Clear Lake golf course into a nature conservatory with a series of detention ponds, will be finished this summer.

The Clear Lake City Water Authority, an entity that provides water, sewer and drainage services to the Clear Lake area, began the Exploration Green project in 2005. Phase 5, the final phase, was originally projected to be completed by the end of 2022 or early this year but was delayed due to weather, said John Branch, vice president of the CLCWA board of directors.

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Exploration Green's Clear Lake detention ponds will soon be complete, capture 500 million gallons

Houston Chronicle 02/09/2023

John DeLapp

Feb. 9, 2023Updated: Feb. 9, 2023 6:17 p.m.

The flood detention component of a $43 million project in Clear Lake that includes greenspace and trails is nearing completion.

The 200-acre Exploration Green, 16205 Diana Lane, occupies a former golf course that is being transformed into detention ponds that double as wetlands.

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TX Climate Change Mitigation Project Could Benefit Other Communities

Public News Service 01/19/2023

By Katie Watkins for Houston Public Media.
Broadcast version by Roz Brown for Texas News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News Service Collaboration

On a muggy Monday morning at Exploration Green in Clear Lake, walkers are on trails that meander along natural-looking ponds. Red-winged Blackbirds chirp in the distance and rabbits hide in the tall grasses and reeds.

 

It’s a public greenspace and nature preserve — it’s also a massive flood detention project.

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Flood control goes green: How Houston is using nature to combat flooding

Houston Public Media, 08/16/2022

KATIE WATKINS | POSTED ON AUGUST 16, 2022, 8:30 AM

On a muggy Monday morning at Exploration Green in Clear Lake, walkers are on trails that meander along natural-looking ponds. Red-winged Blackbirds chirp in the distance and rabbits hide in the tall grasses and reeds.

 

It’s a public greenspace and nature preserve — it’s also a massive flood detention project.

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Clear Lake's newest flood control is Exploration Green — a park to hold 500 million gallons of stormwater

Houston Chronicle, 08/01/2022

DIANE COWEN, STAFF WRITER

Aug. 1, 2022

 

A tern sailed gracefully across the shallow lake at Exploration Green, swooping in to snatch a wiggling fish from the water, while a hawk on a branch of a nearby loblolly pine scanned the land for its own next meal.

 

Not long ago, neither bird would have been at Clear Lake’s newest park, etched from a defunct 200-acre golf course and the product of nearly two decades of effort.

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Midland is not resilient against floods - Here's how we could be

Midland Daily News, 05/23/2022

Tess DeGayner, Midland Daily News

May 23, 2022

MIDLAND — A group of volunteers is moving towards building a more resilient community by addressing legacy flooding challenges...

Houston may have a solution for Midland's problem...

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HIDDEN GEM: Exploration Green
 

KHOU 11 News, 05/19/2022

Author: Brandi Smith

Published: 11:07 AM CDT May 19, 2022

Updated: 11:12 AM CDT May 19, 2022

 

HOUSTON — Exploration Green is a community project in Clear Lake that serves two purposes. When the weather is nice, it’s a place where neighbors can connect with nature. When storms hit, it keeps nature away from neighbors.

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Exploration Green Named Finalist for 2022 Governor’s Texas Environmental Excellence Award

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Website, 04/04/2022

The State of Texas' Environmental regulatory agency, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has named the Exploration Green Conservancy as a finalist for the 2022 Governor’s Texas Environmental Excellence Award in the Civic/Community category.

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New parks, recreation opportunities to join Bay Area

Community Impact Newspaper, 01/25/2022

By Colleen FergusonKelly Schafler | 5:45 PM Jan 25, 2022 CST | Updated 2:57 PM Jan 27, 2022 CST

A 200-acre Clear Lake project that began as stormwater detention at a former golf course has since evolved into both flood-mitigation structures and a local recreation destination. The remaining two sections of the five-phase nonprofit project, known as Exploration Green, are set to be complete by the end of 2022.

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Water Finance & Management, 10/28/2021

OCTOBER 28, 2021 BY WFM STAFF

Clear Lake City Water Authority (CLCWA) completed work on Phase 3A of Exploration Green, a massive 178-acre flood control project in southeast Houston. The water authority also selected SERCO Construction Group, Ltd. to construct Phase 3B of the project.

 

Exploration Green, named in honor of the community’s local exploration legacy and its proximity to Johnson Space Center, is transforming a former golf course into five massive detention ponds that can each hold 100 million gallons of stormwater (the equivalent of 750 Olympic-sized swimming pools). In addition, Exploration Green will also serve as a nature park comprising 105 acres of natural habitat with wetlands and native grass land areas, six miles of hike-and-bike trails, two athletic fields and other amenities.

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Phase 4 trails at Exploration Green in the Clear Lake area in the works, and other October updates

Community Impact Newspaper, 10/27/2021

By Colleen Ferguson | 6:00 AM Oct 27, 2021 CDT | Updated 1:10 PM Oct 27, 2021 CDT

Work on the various phases of Exploration Green, a 178-acre flood mitigation project and outdoor recreation spot in the Clear Lake area, has continued amid COVID-19, including a new parking lot and the planting of more greenery.

The land, which is a former golf course, is being converted into five detention ponds, each of which can hold 100 million gallons of stormwater. Visitors have access to athletic fields, walking and biking trails; the lakes and wetland areas are popular bird-watching destinations due to the various native species growing there, Community Impact Newspaper previously reported.

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Final Exploration Green detention areas expected to be ready in 2022

Houston Chronicle Bay Area, 09/09/2021

John DeLapp, CORRESPONDENT

Completion of final parts of a massive stormwater project that has already proven beneficial to Clear Lake residents is expected by the end of next year.

Exploration Green, 16203 Diana Lane, is a 200-acre Clear Lake City Water Authority project on the site of a now-defunct golf course. In all, five lakes will be excavated there to hold stormwater runoff. Each lake will cover about 40 acres and be about 18 feet deep and each is designed to hold 100 million gallons of water.

So far, two of the lakes and part of a third have been completed.

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Exploration Green completes new parking lot, continues work on remaining phases

Community Impact Newspaper, 08/03/2021

By Colleen Ferguson | 6:27 PM Aug 3, 2021 CDT | Updated 6:27 PM Aug 3, 2021 CDT

 

Despite the challenges of fundraising and construction amid the pandemic, Exploration Green officials and volunteers have made progress with the conservancy’s new parking lot and work on two more sections of land.

“As our world begins to return to somewhat normal, our volunteers are looking forward to a number of events and volunteer opportunities,” staff wrote in a July update. “Normal maintenance activities are resuming in the tree, wetland and prairie nurseries, with wetland and prairie grass planting opportunities already underway. Tree-planting opportunities are planned for this fall.”

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Q&A: Highlighting Houston women in engineering after the global International Women in Engineering Day

Houston Chronicle - Bellaire/River Oaks/West University

Ryan Nickerson, Staff writer, June 29, 2021Updated: June 30, 2021 11:17 a.m.

International Women in Engineering Day began in 2014 as a campaign from the Women’s Engineering Society. The event attempts to raise the profile of women in engineering and focus attention on the career opportunities available in the industry.

Now, INWED has grown into a global campaign, with virtual activities and webinars to celebrate the day, June 23, that everyone throughout the world can participate in.

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Exploration Green development continues; traffic increases amid COVID-19

Community Impact Newspaper, 02/02/2021

By Colleen Ferguson | 4:17 PM Feb 2, 2021 CST | Updated 4:17 PM Feb 2, 2021 CST

 

Leaders and volunteers at Exploration Green Conservancy—a former golf course turned stormwater detention pond between El Camino Real, Bay Area Boulevard and Space Center Boulevard—have continued construction, planting and maintenance on the conservancy’s five phases amid COVID-19.

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Exploration Green Featured as GBEP Success Stories on State of The Bay Interactive Website

Houston Area Research Council/Galveston Bay Estuary Program

Exploration Green was recently featured on the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) Galveston Bay Estuary Program (GBEP) State of the Bay: A Spotlight on GBEP Success website

Once on the website, click the Exploration Green tab at the top for the full story.  The web page features an interactive aerial photograph that allows the viewer to swipe across what the former Clear Lake Golf Course looked like before and the completed phases of Exploration Green look like now.

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Exploration Green planting sessions promise to be fun and muddy

Houston Chronicle Bay Area Citizen, 11/09/2020

The second phase of a major local flood-control project has wrapped up amid a record-breaking hurricane season.


Clear Lake City Water Authority recently completed work on the second phase of the 178-acre Exploration Green project on a former golf course, according to a press release from Houston-based Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam Inc., the project’s design engineer.

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Second phase of Exploration Green flood-control project in Clear Lake complete

Houston Business Journal, 10/13/2020

The second phase of a major local flood-control project has wrapped up amid a record-breaking hurricane season.


Clear Lake City Water Authority recently completed work on the second phase of the 178-acre Exploration Green project on a former golf course, according to a press release from Houston-based Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam Inc., the project’s design engineer.

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Clear Lake City Water Authority finishes work on Phase 2 of Exploration Green

Community Impact Newspaper, 10/07/2020

Clear Lake City Water Authority completed work on the second phase of Exploration Green, a 178-acre former golf course turned stormwater detention pond between El Camino Real, Bay Area Boulevard and Space Center Boulevard, according to a Sept. 30 media release.

Exploration Green was named in honor of the community’s local exploration legacy and its proximity to Johnson Space Center, per the release. Once finished, the conservancy will protect 2,000 to 3,000 surrounding homes from flooding in 12 to 15 inches of rain, leaders said.

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Flood control project protects community during hurricanes

WaterWorld, 10/01/2020

HOUSTON -- Clear Lake City Water Authority completed work on the second phase of Exploration Green, a massive 178-acre flood control project in southeast Houston.

 

The project, named in honor of the community’s local exploration legacy and its proximity to Johnson Space Center, is transforming a former golf course into five massive detention ponds that can each hold 100 million gallons of stormwater (the equivalent of 750 Olympic-sized swimming pools). In addition, Exploration Green will also serve as a nature park comprising 105 acres of natural habitat with wetlands and native grass land areas, six miles of hike-and-bike trails, two athletic fields and other amenities.

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Exploration Green gets $750,000 grant

Houston Chronicle Bay Area Citizen, 09/14/2020

A drainage and recreation area that was the Clear Lake area’s unsung hero during Hurricane Harvey is getting another financial boost to expand trails, add parking and restore habitat.

 

Exploration Green, which is estimated to have saved 150 homes from severe flooding during the epic rain event three years ago, is getting a $750,000 grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission to fund additional improvements..

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Three Houston area parks are about to get better

Houston Chronicle, 08/27/2020

While big-ticket projects inside the Loop tend to grab headlines, smaller neighborhood parks in the Houston area are also improving...

The Clear Lake City Water Authority will receive a $750,000 grant for Exploration Green, a 200-acre nature preserve within neighborhoods near the NASA Johnson Space Center. Proposed developments there include bike trails and facilities, dedicated open space, native landscaping, habitat restoration, interpretive signage and a parking lot.

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New stormwater wetland will reduce flooding, pollution

AgriLife Today, 08/24/2020

A natural way to reduce flooding

 

Monty Dozier, head of the AgriLife Extension Disaster Assessment and Recovery Unit, said wetland projects like this are an excellent example of using natural practices to mitigate flooding.

 

Aerial view of the Exploration Green project in Clear Lake City. (Photo by Joe Bibby)

Another example, Dozier said, is the Exploration Green project in which AgriLife Extension has been involved in Clear Lake City, near Houston. The project, which received a 2018 Excellence in Green Infrastructure Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and National Association of Flood and Stormwater Management Agencies, has transformed a former golf course into a 200-acre nature park and stormwater detention facility.

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Exploration Green continues summer progress amid COVID-19

Community Impact Newspaper, 08/18/2020

The chairman of Exploration Green Conservancy—a former golf course turned stormwater detention pond between El Camino Real, Bay Area Boulevard and Space Center Boulevard—said in an August email update that the project’s progress has remained steady in 2020 amid COVID-19.

Chair Frank Weary detailed the state of each of the conservancy’s five phases in the email update, adding additional funds will be needed fairly soon to continue development. Even with the setbacks of the coronavirus pandemic, volunteers have adapted to various circumstances and ensured steady progress, he said.

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Report: Natural Climate Change Mitigation Would Benefit Texas

Public News Service, 06/05/2020

HOUSTON - Texas is set to receive a significant chunk of money this year from the federal government to repair damage from Hurricane Harvey and multiple years of flooding, and a new report says much of it should be invested in natural and nature-based solutions.

Jessie Ritter is the director of water and coastal resources policy at the National Wildlife Federation, and an author of a new report that shows when weather and climate-driven hazard events occur, natural infrastructure has proven just as effective - and sometimes, more effective - than traditional infrastructure.

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Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam in National Engineering Competition

Storm Water Solutions, 03/27/2020

Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam (LAN) has earned a National Recognition Award for exemplary engineering achievement in the American Council of Engineering Companies’ (ACEC) 53rd annual Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) for its role in the first phase of the Clear Lake City Water Authority’s Exploration Green project in Houston, Texas.

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Exploration Green provides nature center in practical space

Community Impact Newspaper, 03/04/2020

Exploration Green, the Clear Lake City Water Authority’s project to turn a former golf course into a detention pond that will eventually hold 500 million gallons of stormwater, began as a drainage facility with added amenities. Now, the project is viewed as a nature conservatory that also helps drain stormwater, Exploration Green Conservancy Chair Frank Weary said.

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Clear Lake City Water Authority completes Phase 2 of Exploration Green

Community Impact Newspaper, 01/16/2020

The second of five phases is complete in Exploration Green, Clear Lake City Water Authority’s project to turn a former golf course into a pond that will eventually hold 500 million gallons of stormwater, according to a news release.

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ACEC Texas Awards Gold Medal to LAN for Clear Lake Flood Control Project

WaterWorld, 11/25/2019

HOUSTON NOV 25, 2019 --The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Texas awarded civil engineering firm Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN) a gold medal for its work on the first phase of the Clear Lake flood control project in Harris County. The award, given under the water resources category, will be presented during the ACEC Texas Engineering Excellence Awards Gala at the Four Seasons Hotel in Houston on March 30, 2020.

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ACEC Texas Awards Gold Medal to LAN for Clear Lake Flood Control Project

civil + structural ENGINEER media, 11/22/2019

The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Texas awarded civil engineering firm Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN) a gold medal for its work on the first phase of the Clear Lake flood control project in Harris County. The award, given under the water resources category, will be presented during the ACEC Texas Engineering Excellence Awards Gala at the Four Seasons Hotel in Houston on March 30, 2020.

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Saturday: 500 free trees available in The Market at Springwoods Village

Houston Chronicle, 11/14/2019

...Trees may not be the “be-all-end-all” solution to Houston flooding, but they can help mitigate, said Katherine Bravo Newton, projects director at Trees for Houston. She described a project in which Trees for Houston participated — Exploration Green, a detention pond in a flood-prone area near Clear Lake.

 

“It used to be a golf course,” Newton said. “They, over the years in phases, have been replanting trees in this area so that it didn’t turn into development like any sort of apartment of town homes or things like that. So, instead of laying down a slab on concrete, they’ve turned it into a high-functioning green space. Due to that — that adding in of more trees and less concrete saved some of those houses from flooding.”

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Tonight’s ‘Glow’ event a trick-or-treating opportunity at Exploration Green

Houston Chronicle Bay Area Citizen, 10/25/2019

As a fun, spooky way to showcase ongoing development at the Exploration Green greenspace and drainage detention facility, the conservancy for the facility is sponsoring a “Glow the Green” event tonight that will feature lantern-lit pathways, tours and trick-or-treat stations for children.

 

Set from 6-8 p.m. and also featuring Ritter’s Food Truck, Exploration Green Conservancy’s event at the park, at 16203 Diana Lane, celebrates ongoing development there. A walking trail developed during Phase 1 of work at the park will be illuminated, and guided tours will be available.

Read More

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Exploration Green wins Houston-Galveston Area Council award

Community Impact Newspaper, 10/22/2019

Exploration Green, a yearslong project to turn a Clear Lake golf course into a detention pond, has won a Houston-Galveston Area Council award, according to an Oct. 21 press release.

 

H-GAC gave the Exploration Green Conservancy an Our Great Region Award in the Excellence category. Our Great Region Awards recognize outstanding organizations making the 13-county region that makes up H-GAC a better place to live and work. The Excellence award is the highest tier of awards H-GAC offers for projects that advance H-GAC’s decadeslong plan to proposer the region, the release reads.

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Survey on improving Pasadena parks snares 1,000 responses

Houston Chronicle Bay Area Citizen, 10/11/2019

...One idea is to use retention ponds or drainage canals as green space.

“I’d like to partner with flood control (authorities) where there are these retention ponds and you can use the upper areas as parkland or open space,” Aplaca said.

 

That is already being done in the Clear Lake area, where the Exploration Green project is transforming a former golf course into a green space that also aids in stormwater retention.

“That’s a great project, and I am hoping to do something like that in Pasadena because we have several areas along Armand Bayou that could essentially be used as more parkland,” Aplaca said.

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Despite hiccups, Exploration Green on track for late 2021 completion - Updated Article with Graphic

Community Impact Newspaper, 08/09/2019

A couple snags and the weather have delayed the construction of Exploration Green, but the project is making good progress, Clear Lake City Water Authority officials said.

Originally, officials expected the project would finish in late 2021. That changed to late 2020 as of early 2019.

“The projects we’ve been able to do have been going faster than we thought,” CLCWA President John Branch said.

However, other delays have pushed the project completion date back to early to mid-2021, he said.

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Despite hiccups, Exploration Green on track for late 2021 completion

Community Impact Newspaper, 06/20/2019

A couple snags and the weather have delayed the construction of Exploration Green, but the project is making good progress, Clear Lake City Water Authority officials said.

Exploration Green is a former golf course that is now a detention pond located between El Camino Real, Bay Area Boulevard and Space Center Boulevard. Once fully built, the pond will hold 500 million gallons of stormwater, protecting an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 homes from flooding. The project includes tree and wetland nurseries that will be used to fill Exploration Green with plants and wildlife as it is constructed.

Phase 1 is complete, and residents are using its trails regularly. Phase 2, which was originally estimated to be finished this spring, is about 70% complete, CLCWA General Manager Jennifer Morrow said.

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Houston’s Exploration Green Honored with NWF-Allied World Resilience Award

National Wildlife Federation, 11/18/2018 (Press Release)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Recognizing a best-in-class example of using natural infrastructure to protect vulnerable communities, Houston’s Exploration Green is being honored with the National Wildlife Federation-Allied World Resilience Award. National Wildlife Federation President and CEO Collin O’Mara and Allied World President and CEO Scott Carmilani are presenting the inaugural award to the Clear Lake City Water Authority at the 2018 National Disaster Resilience Conference in Clearwater Beach, Florida, hosted by the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes.

Located in Houston’s Clear Lake City, Exploration Green is converting a former golf course into a 200-acre urban wetland and natural habitat. The project’s first phase acted as a sponge during Hurricane Harvey, protecting residents and their homes from potentially deadly flooding. Construction is divided into five phases and is set to be completed in 2021, ultimately creating retention ponds and wetlands, wildlife habitat, trails for recreation and commuting, and athletic fields.

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Work to resume at golf-course turned reservoir Exploration Green after pond construction delay

Houston Chronicle, 10/03/2018

After a month-long delay because of a Houston regulation regarding construction of ponds near airports, the way has been cleared for work to resume to add flood detention capability at Exploration Green, a former golf course near El Camino Real and El Dorado Boulevard in Clear Lake.

 

Construction of Phase 2 at Exploration Green, a joint effort by Clear Lake City Water Authority and the nonprofit Exploration Green Conservancy, halted in late August because a city ordinance says any detention reservoir within 3.5 miles of an airport in the city must be a “dry-bottom pond” that drains within 72 hours of filling. The ordinance stems from Federal Aviation Administration guidelines that consider birds attracted to ponds that continually contain water are a potential flight hazard to nearby aircraft, and Ellington Airport is less than 3 miles away.

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Exploration Green granted variance for project to continue

Community Impact Newspaper, 09/28/2018

Work on Exploration Green will continue after the airport board of adjustment last night granted the project a variance.

“Construction will restart as soon as [the]contractor can gear up,” John Branch, Clear Lake City Water Authority president, wrote in an email to Community Impact Newspaper.

About a month ago the CLCWA halted work on its detention pond project after Houston Airport System officials said Exploration Green violated city ordinance, Branch said.

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Could You Stop Chronic Flooding by Repurposing a Golf Course?

Public Works, 09/24/2018

Six years. That’s how long a Texas water authority battled redevelopers to turn a 178-acre golf course into a 500-million-gallon stormwater reservoir. Seven years after that victory, authority managers celebrated another: unveiling the first phase of a five-phase master plan to add 1,680 acre-feet of storage to Houston’s detention facilities.

Actually, they scored a victory before Phase 1 ribbon-cutting in March 2018. The project was 80% complete when Hurricane Harvey dumped 40 inches on the city, but that was enough to save 150 houses from flooding. Suddenly, there was enough political will to deliver a 15-year plan in five years. When finished in 2021, Exploration Green will protect 2,000 homes to 3,000 homes near the Horsepen Bayou flood plain.

Read More

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Bay Area residents prepare for future flooding

Community Impact Newsletter, 08/10/2018

Exploration Green

It is not just the county looking for solutions; at least one local entity is getting creative, finding inventive ways to combat flooding.

The Clear Lake City Water Authority—an entity responsible for water, sewage and drainage in Clear Lake City and surrounding areas before Houston annexed the municipality—has already seen results from a $30.5 million project it set in motion in 2011.

“Because we’re small, we can do a lot of things big entities can’t do or won’t do,” authority board President John Branch said.

Once a golf course, Exploration Green—which is located between El Camino Real, Bay Area Boulevard and Space Center Boulevard—is now a detention pond that water drains into during storms, helping to protect an estimated 150 homes from flooding during Harvey, Branch said.

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Exploration Green Receives 2018 Excellence in Green Infrastructure Award

Stormwater Solutions, 07/25/2018

Exploration Green Nature Park in Clear Lake City, Texas, received the 2018 Excellence in Green Infrastructure Award through the U.S. EPA and the National Assn. of Flood and Stormwater Management Agencies (NAFSMA). The wetlands in Exploration Green were designed to detain and slow floodwaters and clean the runoff from 95% of the storms that occur in the community. Additional provisions were added for a walking trail, lake, wetlands areas and other features.

 

The award was announced earlier this month at the NAFSMA annual conference in Santa Fe, N.M. The Green Infrastructure Awards Program was designed to recognize and spotlight storm water management projects throughout the country that are advancing and innovating green storm water infrastructure techniques.

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Exploration Green receives 2018 Excellence in Green Infrastructure Award

Agrilife TODAY, 07/23/2018

HOUSTON – A multifaceted project to help reduce flooding and provide recreation for  thousands of residents of Clear Lake City has received the 2018 Excellence in Green Infrastructure Award.

Texas A&M AgriLife entities have been major participants in developing Exploration Green Nature Park, located about a mile from the Johnson Space Center. Exploration Green was selected to receive the award through the 2018 Excellence in Green Infrastructure awards program. The program is a partnership of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and National Association of Flood and Stormwater Management Agencies, or NAFSMA.

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Exploration Green draws big crowd for grand opening

Bay Area Houston Magazine, 06/01/2018

An estimated 1,000 Bay Area residents were on hand to celebrate the long awaited grand opening of Exploration Green — the 200-acre green park developed at 16205 Diana Lane to save Clear Lake City homes and businesses from flooding during heavy rains.

 

As elected officials, community leaders, families and community groups gathered for the historic occasion, several who had worked on the project for a number of years — Clear Lake City Water Authority President John Branch and Vice President Bob Savely, Exploration Green Conservancy Chairman Frank Weary, Harris County Commissioner Jack Morman, State Rep. Dennis Paul, Jordan McGinty, representing Houston City Council Dave Martin, and CLCWA Director Gordon Johnson — officially opened Exploration Green with a tree planting ceremony.

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Houston-area flood-mitigation, green space project finishes first phase

Houston Business Journal, 04/20/2018

The first phase of a Clear Lake City flood-mitigation project is complete, and construction on the second phase will begin soon. 

Exploration Green — which is redeveloping a roughly 200-acre golf course — finished the first of five detention ponds and park area in March, a spokesperson for the project said. To celebrate, a grand opening event will be held April 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to the project’s website. Above, check out photos of the project.

“The purpose (of the event) is to encourage the public to come see how the project protects (the surrounding area) from flooding and provides new green space for the public,” said John Branch, the board president of Clear Lake City Water Authority, one of the major partners in the project. 

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Exploration Green

civil + structural ENGINEER, 04/01/2018

In the Houston suburb of Clear Lake, an almost 200-acre nature park called Exploration Green is underway, complete with wetland preserves and at least six miles of hike-and-bike trails. But what makes it special is the park’s primary function of mitigating flooding for the community through its five detention basins.

 

The recreation and detention site, once the Clear Lake City Golf Course, has been part of the community for more than 50 years. With increased development in the surrounding area in recent years, the old methods of managing runoff — outdated drainage channels — didn’t hold up.

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The Suburban Golf Course, Reconsidered For The Age Of Climate Change

Fast Company, 02/27/2018

Less than four years ago, the golf course at the center of Clear Lake City, Texas, looked like any other suburban golf course, with vast tracts of meticulously manicured lawns stretched across 178 acres of rolling hills. Golf courses are one of the least sustainable uses of urban green space, and like any of the thousands of golf courses scattered throughout the U.S.—which make up a whopping 45% of golf courses worldwide—Clear Lake City’s required an inordinate amount of water for maintenance and upkeep. But today, the golf course is something else entirely: a glimpse at the future of climate change resilience.

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How this small Houston community survived Hurricane Harvey when other parts didn’t

USA Today, 01/19/2018

HOUSTON — A small thunderstorm three years ago pushed more than a foot of floodwater into Stan Cook’s home in the small community of Clear Lake, ruining old home movies, destroying kitchen cabinets and causing more than $130,000 in damage.

So when Hurricane Harvey dropped biblical amounts of rain on the region in August, he braced for the worst. Yet, only an inch of water crept into his Reseda Drive home, soaking carpets but not much else.

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Clear Lakes's former golf course-turned reservoir holds up under Harvey

Houston Chronicle/Bay Area Citizen, 12/08/2017

Post Hurricane Harvey, residents and activists who fought to transform Clear Lake City's 178-acre golf course from a recreational tract to a detention pond were proved justified in their plan to protect the area from flooding.The suburb handled floodwaters better than most because of the repurposing of the former golf course.

The W-shaped reservoir is bounded by Reseda Drive on the north, Ramada Drive to the south and Diana Lane on the eastern edge. The project is a joint effort by Clear Lake City Water Authority and Exploration Green Conservancy, a nonprofit composed of active Clear Lake City area residents who want to see conservation, environmentalism and sustainable flood-measures in their area.

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DRAINAGE HOLE-IN-ONE

Storm Water Solutions, 12/04/2017

A golf course built more than 50 years ago has become the solution for flooding and drainage issues for the Clear Lake City Water Authority (CLCWA) in Houston.

Developed in the 1960s, the 178-acre golf course was a popular community amenity. The property is located between multiple subdivisions and is lined by residences. Even after the golf course closed, the residents continue to use the old golf cart paths for walking and jogging.

In 2005, when the owner decided to sell the property, local developers expressed interest in turning the golf course into a massive commercial development. With the community already experiencing drainage issues due to increased runoff from growth and development over the previous decades, drainage control was a high priority in the area, so residents approached the CLCWA, the local provider of water, sewage and drainage services. After hearing their concerns, in 2011, CLCWA purchased the golf course for $6.2 million and decided to convert it into a series of detention ponds to improve storm water management in the area.

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Reclaiming golf courses could help Houston fight the next Hurricane Harvey

Washington Post, 11/27/2017

Like many parts of Houston, Clear Lake City has a history of flooding. The area got an unexpected break when Hurricane Harvey dumped record rainfall,thanks to its decision years ago to sacrifice one of its golf courses to flood control. 

After 12 years of planning, crews in November completed the first of five construction phases of Exploration Green. Three months ago Harvey gave the budding project its first trial, and planners say it saved 150 homes from inundation.

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In search of a flood fix, one Houston community turned to a golf course

The Texas Tribune, 11/17/2017

HOUSTON — In 50 years living in Clear Lake City, Spyros Varsos had never seen the floodwater get so high. During a historic rainstorm two years ago, he watched anxiously as it quickly accumulated in the street outside his three-bedroom home. So this summer when even heavier rains drenched the greater Houston area in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, he was even more fearful.

But his home didn’t flood. For that, he credits some precautions he took of his own, like clearing debris from the drains on his street. What he said made an even bigger difference, though, was a nearby flood control project that wasn't even completed yet.

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Houston is tackling the threat of destructive hurricanes and flooding

Business Insider, 11/21/2017

Nearly three months ago, Hurricane Harvey brought 43 inches of rain to Houston, Texas, pummeling the city.

 

When the sun came back out, much of Houston and the surrounding area was in ruins. The storm destroyed between 30,000 to 40,000 homes, waterlogged around around a half-million cars, and damaged power lines for thousands of people.  The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is now spearheading $50 billion in relief efforts after Harvey and other devastating hurricanes that hit Florida, Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands this summer.

Scientists say that climate change will only continue to make storms more destructive.  At the same time, the Trump administration has seemed reluctant to discuss America's contribution to global warming. Nevertheless, flood-prone cities like Houston are increasingly searching for ways to make themselves less vulnerable for the next inevitable hurricane.

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Exploration Green protected from commercial development forever

Houston Chronicle – Bay Area, 10/20/2014

After nearly a decade of working to fulfill a vision of a Clear Lake public green space to alleviate flooding, foster nature conservation, clean run-off water and provide recreation opportunities, the Clear Lake City Water Authority has signed a Conservation Easement agreement with the Galveston Bay Foundation to conserve and protect the nearly 200 acres of the Exploration Green from commercial development in perpetuity. That means forever.

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2014: Big Year for Exploration Green

Houston Chronicle, 10/15/2014

Clear Lake area residents and visitors will soon start noticing changes in the community’s new 200-acre green space, Exploration Green. A flood detention, conservation, environmental enhancement and recreation area, already being recognized for its award-winning design, Exploration Green (EG) is progressing through planning stages and reaching a number of important milestones in the New Year.

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Tree and Wetland Nurseries Open House at Exploration Green Saturday, Oct 4

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The public is invited to an Open House for the Tree and Wetland Nurseries at Exploration Green, Saturday October 4, 9am-12pm held jointly by Exploration Green Conservancy, Trees for Houston, the Texas Coastal Watershed Program and Clear Lake City Water Authority. Tours will be offered and information provided about the nurseries which are growing trees and plants for the conservation and recreation area in Clear Lake area.

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Exploration Green breaks ground in Clear Lake

Houston Chronicle – Bay Area, 04/15/2014

After months of maps and power-point projections, Exploration Green took a more tangible step Saturday at its first on-site event in Clear Lake.The Clear Lake City Water Authority (CLCWA) held the official ground breaking ceremony at 16205 Diana Lane for the redevelopment project on the property of the former golf course.The community event marked the official beginning of Phase I of the green space/flood detention project and provided family-friendly festivities on the eve of Earth Day.

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Houston-Galveston Area Council awards Clear Lake’s Exploration Green

Houston Chronicle - Bay Area, 01/21/2014

Exploration Green and the Clear Lake City Water Authority were awarded the 2013 Planning Award by the Houston-Galveston Area Council last week, approved by the H-GAC board chaired by Houston Judge Ed Emmett. The influential government planning organization ranked the local partners’ planning for the Clear Lake green space at the top of nine public space development plans across the Houston region.

Exploration Green received the Parks and Natural Areas Award for the comprehensive planning of the flood control, recreation and conservation area in the Clear Lake area. H-GAC commended the local water authority’s leadership, stating the project serves as a model for other projects in H-GAC’s 13 county region.

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A Vision of Green for Houston

Houston Chronicle, 11/11/2013

The creation of parkland, trails and natural areas along our bayous will help protect and perserve water quality, natural habitat and native wildlife while at the same time promoting the overall health and welfare of the city. 

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Clear Lake's Exploration Green gets award from Keep Houston Beautiful

Houston Chronicle – Bay Area, 11/11/2013

In recognition of the Clear Lake City Water Authority's "tremendous efforts on behalf of our city", Keep Houston Beautiful honored Exploration Green flood control, conservation and recreation project with a special Certificate of Recognition from Mayor Annise Parker's 2013 Proud Partners Program and Keep Houston Beautiful at a recent ceremony.  CLCWA Vice President John Branch and Frank Weary, chairman of the Exploration Green Conservancy, accepted the award.

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Exploration Green takes steps closer to green space

Houston Chronicle, 10/25/2013

The nearly 200 acres of the former golf course in Clear Lake will soon be a green space designed to significantly decrease flooding in surrounding residential areas. Since buying the property in 2011, The Clear Lake City Water Authority is taking the next step in creating a water detention area and green space that will feature park amenities such as bike and hike trails and a haven for area wild life.

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Exploration Green: A new star in the Clear Lake area

Houston Chronicle – Bay Area, 08/26/2013

A new star is forming in the Clear Lake area where families of space explorers, oil explorers, and knowledge explorers will discover nearly 200 acres of green space available for recreation and much-needed flood control. The Clear Lake City Water Authority, supported by numerous partners, is creating a world-class flood detention system based on the analyses of experts in the field and a new green space in the heart of the Clear Lake, designed by conservancy professionals to shine like other beautiful new parks. The dual-use area will be named “Exploration Green,” akin to downtown Houston’s hugely successful Discovery Green.

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GBF Awarded Accreditation by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission

Galveston Bay Foundation

GBF is excited to announce that after an extensive evaluation, we have been awarded accreditation by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. GBF is among 230 land trusts from across the country, including seven in Texas, that have been awarded accreditation since the fall of 2008. Since its establishment in 1987, GBF has conserved over 3,300 acres of coastal habitat through property acquisitions and conservation easements and is working to substantially increase acreage conserved in the coming year.

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