The Brays Bayou watershed is located in the southwest portion of the City of Houston. Most of the watershed is located within City of Houston limits, with small portions falling in the cities of Bellaire, West University, Missouri City, Stafford, Meadows Place, Mission Bend, and Sugar Land. It is bounded by Buffalo Bayou to the north and Sims Bayou to the south. Terrain in the watershed is generally flat with Brays Bayou draining to the east into the Buffalo Bayou – Houston Ship Channel. The watershed within City limits is mostly developed, consisting primarily of small-lot, single-family residences. There are areas of heavy commercial development near Beltway 8 and I-69 as well as along I-610 where NRG Stadium and the Texas Medical Center are located.
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Modeling results indicate that structural flooding in frequent events is largely contained to low lying neighborhoods, including Alief and east Almeda Road. In more severe events, such as the 100- and 500-year events, widespread flooding can be seen along Brays Bayou as well as in nearby areas affected by the bayou tailwater.
During frequent events, flooding is primarily seen in the Alief neighborhood as well as in several areas east of Almeda Road. Flooding is due to undersized local infrastructure such as storm sewer and roadside ditch systems as well as low lying terrain that prevents water from reaching outfall locations. Depths of 1 to 5 feet can be see starting in the 2-year event within these neighborhoods. Elevated structures and road drainage mitigate some structural impacts; however, in more severe events, residents and businesses throughout Alief and areas west of Almeda Road experience widespread structural flooding.
