Flood plain information - Cedar Bayou, Houston Metropolitan area, Texas.

Baytown, Texas, extends 11 miles up the west bank of Cedar Bayou from its mouth at Galveston Bay. Cedar Bayou meanders through relatively flat fores and agricultural land but is heavily developed along its lower reaches, and unprecedented growth of this area 30 miles east of Houston is causing increased urbanization along and in the bayou's flood plain. Cedar Bayou is subject to intense rain storms and thunderstorms as well as tropical hurricanes. Its relatively flat slopes and small channel capacity produce widespread flooding which lasts for days. In 1951 Harris, Liberty, and Chambers Counties jointly contracted to widen, deepen, and partially straighten the channel, but serious flooding continues with considerable property damage. A maximum probable flood (standard project flood) combined with hurricane tidal flooding in the lower 10-mile reach would produce a surge level of 18.0 feet a river mile 10 ( in a standard project hurricane). Maximum discharge would be 33.300 CFS with an overbank velocity of 1.2 feet per second, which would deposit considerable amounts of debris. Non-structural alternative to lessen flood damage, include zoning, subdivision regulations, building codes, flood proofing of structures already built, and development policies.