February 2023
Thelen Pump Station Expansion
Fort Bend County Levee Improvement District No. 2 (LID 2) has started construction to expand the Michael “Mike” Thelen Pump Station located at 1207 Colony Lakes Drive, Sugar Land, TX. The Thelen Pump Station serves the Ditch F watershed on the northside of LID 2, between Brooks Lake and the Southwest Freeway (US-59/I-69). The expansion project will add four additional pumps that more than double the total pumping capacity. Currently, the Thelen Pump Station houses four stormwater pumps that were replaced in 2020 and will remain in operation throughout construction. When complete, all eight pumps will be able to move over 215,000 gallons of water per minute.
The contractor will fully mobilize at the end of January and begin preparing the site for construction. One of the first major activities is driving steel sheet piles into the ground so the new pumping structure can be excavated safely. Any loud noise created during sheet pile driving will be limited to typical work hours (7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday). The project may take up to 16 months to complete due to major electrical components that require a long lead time to manufacture. The additional pump capacity is currently scheduled to be available by Summer 2024. Similar to previous LID 2 pump station projects, any building improvements will be constructed to blend into the residential neighborhood as much as possible.
Thelen Pump Station (view from First Colony Blvd.)
Ditch B & B-1 Widening
LID 2 has opened bids for the Ditch B & B-1 Widening Project that will create additional flood storage inside LID 2. These drainage channels currently require rehabilitation, including desilting and storm sewer outfall replacement. The project will increase the size of the channels as much as possible within the existing FBCLID 2 right-of-way. The construction contract will be awarded in February 2023 and the contractor is expected to mobilize by April. The project is scheduled to take almost a year to complete, so construction would be finished in early 2024.
André D. McDonald Pump Station: Construction Update
The new pumps at the McDonald Pump Station have been operational since 2021, which increases FBCLID 2 pumping capacity by 400%. FBCLID 2 is currently putting the finishing touches on the McDonald Pump Station now that the main construction contract is complete. The enhanced fencing in front of the pump station will be complete in February 2023 and new landscaping beds will be complete in March. FBCLID2 is also installing an operations center inside the new pump station building. A public open house for all residents will be scheduled during Spring 2023 after all construction is complete.
McDonald Pump Station Aerial View
Construction Renderings
McDonald Pump Station – View From Oakland Drive
McDonald Pump Station Building
McDonald Pump Station Impact
The graphic below demonstrates how the Third Pump Station will improve FBCLID 2 drainage. The chart shows water levels inside the FBCLID 2 levee during Hurricane Harvey and more recently during the May 7, 2019 flood. The chart also displays the impact on water levels inside the levee if the Third Pump Station was operational during each event.
Project Map
