NHMUD

The Northampton MUD maintains nearly 50 acres of parks and trails that are available to all Northampton residents: Northcrest Park, West Park, and the Inway Trails. These parks include two lakes, waterfalls, trails, benches, picnic areas and playgrounds. A catch and release program allows fishing at the two lakes located at West Park and Northcrest Park.

These lakes provide not only beauty but serve as an important ecosystem such as habitat for aquatic life, waterfowl, turtles and ducks. Additionally, the West Park lake serves as a retention basin to manage storm water during heavy rain events.

In the coming months, you will notice a lot of activity at our two lakes. Soon we will begin maintenance and improvements which will help eliminate algae blooms and overgrowth of unwanted plant species, and will promote water clarification and augment aeration. These enhancements will be done in stages over several months.

Last year the trail and lake area at Northcrest Park was enlarged. In the next few weeks, the two sections of the Northcrest Lake will be joined. At that time a flocculant will be added to settle the clay turbidity in the new section. Iris and other species will be planted along the margin to prevent erosion. An aeration system will be added to the Northcrest Lake while at West Park, some selective clearing will take place to improve water flow from the south to north end of the lake.
Additionally, undesirable vegetation will be sprayed and a few weeks later the dead vegetation will be removed. The margins around the lakes will be replanted with several water appropriate species including blue and yellow iris, spike rush and bull rush grasses, and pickerel rush. These plantings will help stabilize the margins and prevent erosion. Further plantings will continue next spring.

TAKE A HIKE and watch the improvements in progress!

Storm water discharges in Texas are regulated by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). This system diverts water from driveways, sidewalks and streets into lakes, streams, rivers, wetlands or coastal waters. Anything that enters a storm drain system is discharged untreated into the waterbodies we use for drinking, swimming and fishing.

In addition, it is not uncommon along the Gulf Coast to get thunderstorms which can drop as much as 5 inches or more an hour. Not surprisingly, some residents may experience water rising into their yards during this type of event. Typically, storm drains are designed to handle as much as 3 inches per hour. If rainfall exceeds this, the streets serve to hold water and channel it into the storm drains as the capacity allows. Storm drains are maintained by Harris County Precinct 4 and Harris County Flood Control.

For the system to work properly, prevent flooding, and prevent pollution of our waterways, the inlets to storm drains must remain clear of debris. One of the most problematic occurrences is when a storm drain becomes clogged from residents blowing pine needles and yard clippings into these drain inlets. This type of debris also carries sediments which can cloud waterways, affect aquatic plant life, and destroy aquatic habitat. These excess nutrients cause other problems as well such as algae blooms. These algae blooms consume the dissolved oxygen in water leading to anoxic conditions which can lead to “dead” zones void of living biota. The dead biota decomposition removes more oxygen from the water. Bacteria will wash into our waterways as well. Additionally, animal waste is washed into the storm drains.

Not only do yard clippings affect our waterways and aquatic life, household hazardous wastes like insecticides, pesticides, paint, solvents, used motor oil, and other auto fluids can poison aquatic life. Land animals and people can become sick from eating diseased fish and shellfish or ingesting polluted water. Polluted stormwater affects drinking water sources such as Lake Houston. This, in turn, affects human health and increases drinking water treatment costs.

Texas State Municipal Solid Waste rules cite sweeping grass, leaves, clippings and yard waste can result in criminal penalties ranging from $50 to $25,000 per violation per day.

To report a clogged storm drain or violation, please contact Harris County Precinct 4 at 281-353-8424 or Harris County Flood Control at 713-684-4000. You may also contact Harris County Pollution Control Services at 713-920-2831.

Please help keep our storm drains clear by bagging yard debris and mulching then bagging clippings.