The West Lea Drainage Improvements project will be a multi-phased project that will incorporate improvements to the interior of the West Lea subdivision drainage system, the drainage ditch that conveys storm water from the subdivision, and Mary’s Creek which is the receiving stream.
Mary’s Creek will be reconstructed to install in-line storage through benching sections on the north bank of the channel. The extents of the channel benching will start from the weir at the West Mary’s Detention Basin to the channel crossing at Magnolia Pkwy. A total of approximately 3,800 linear feet of benching will be constructed with stop blocks placed at an interval of approximately 500 feet in order to keep the channel conveyance similar to the existing condition, thereby creating additional storage in the floodplain with the benched sections.
The Mary’s Creek benching project will coincide with the rehabilitation of the West Lea Ditch and drainage improvements within the West Lea subdivision. These improvements will not alter the runoff volume from the West Lea subdivision, only the timing of inflow into Mary’s Creek, reducing the contribution of runoff to Mary’s Creek during peak times. The benching section on Mary’s Creek will provide additional capacity without impacting the 100-year storm frequency.