Exploration Green’s 2026 Honor Highlights Clear Lake’s Flood Defenses

Exploration Green has earned a 2026 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Honor Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers, adding national recognition to a flood-control project woven into everyday life in Houston’s Clear Lake City community. Lead design engineer Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam announced the honor on May 27. For residents, the recognition offers a reason to look more closely at what the lakes and trails are designed to do. LAN’s 2026 award announcement.

The project’s construction history predates this year’s award. LAN says the final phase was completed in 2023, and the Clear Lake City Water Authority’s current project page confirms that all phases are complete and open to the public. LAN’s project history; CLCWA’s facility information.

How the lakes reduce flood risk

At the center of the project are five stormwater detention lakes with a combined storage capacity of approximately 500 million gallons, according to NOAA’s case study. The former golf course also provides wetlands, walking and biking routes, and open space. The design allows a substantial public landscape to serve both drainage and recreation needs. NOAA’s Exploration Green case study.

Detention works by giving runoff somewhere to wait. The Harris County Flood Control District explains that detention basins store excess stormwater during heavy rain and release it gradually as conditions allow. Holding water back reduces the amount arriving in downstream channels at once, helping reduce flood risk. Harris County Flood Control District’s detention-basin explanation.

At Exploration Green, the Conservancy says the ponds’ engineering controls their water levels and drainage without an operator managing them during rainfall. That makes the shape and function of the landscape part of the infrastructure. The Conservancy also identifies a CLCWA land steward with full-time responsibility for managing the Green. The Conservancy’s operating and sustainability information.

A community investment in open space

The site also reflects a decision about how Clear Lake would use a large piece of open land. CLCWA says residents approached its board when developers expressed interest in the former golf course. Engineering review, voter-approved funding and public meetings helped turn the property into a detention project with accessible trails, native vegetation and other community amenities. CLCWA’s account of the project’s development.

NOAA documents a financing approach that combined water-district bonds, grants, donations and volunteer contributions. Its case study also describes the Conservancy’s role in developing recreational and conservation features, and a conservation easement held by the Galveston Bay Foundation to protect the property from commercial development. Those arrangements help explain how a drainage investment became a lasting community landscape. NOAA’s funding and conservation overview.

What residents can do now

Maintenance continues after construction. The Conservancy lists nursery work, tree and wetland planting, habitat care, and educational activities among its volunteer opportunities. Its wetland program explains that plants help stabilize shorelines, slow runoff and intercept debris. Residents can check the organization’s calendar for specific opportunities and participation details. Exploration Green volunteer information.

Neighborhood habits matter alongside the major infrastructure. CLCWA explains that stormwater travels through drains to local waterways; it does not follow the household wastewater treatment route. Grass clippings can block drains and add nutrients to waterways. The authority recommends keeping yard waste out of streets and drains, collecting pet waste and disposing of chemicals properly. CLCWA’s stormwater guidance.

Residents who experience flooding can also use the flood-report form on CLCWA’s drainage page. The authority says those reports go to its engineering consultant to help direct inspections. A report gives engineers information about a specific location that the presence of a nearby detention project alone cannot provide. CLCWA’s flood-report form and instructions.