We recently went to Houston to film a documentary in association with the Buffalo Bayou Partnership and the Bayou Preservation Association.

Houston is a city build on a Bayou. Because it was developed in a flood plain, heavy rain can literally drown the city, and it has. In 1929 and 1935, two massive floods threatened to destroy this thriving community. The community asked the Army Corps of Engineers to help alleviate the devastating flooding. The government agreed and build two dams to help control the water system. This long sinuous river was dredged into a deep straight ditch and lined with concrete to quickly rush the water out to sea.

Common practice in the early 20th century, channelization turned out to cause more damage than good. The water wash rushed, but caused flooding downstream. The concrete prevented plants to take root damaging the local ecology. Moreso, this once-beautiful habitat was now a stale eye sore.

In the 60’s, a congressman refused to take funds from the federal government to continue channelizing the river. He would go on to become the President of the United States of America – George H. W. Bush.

Today, with new methodologies, the city of Houston is trying to restore the Bayou to assist with flood control and at the same time make it a thriving ecologically friendly habitat. New techniques such as detention ponds will alleviate flooding while allowing the river to maintain it’s natural sinuous state. Paths will allow residents to access the Bayou to recreate and exercise.

However, Houston is a growing city and with development comes a number of issues. How will Houston deal with it’s flood control problem while restoring the Bayou? How about the uncharted portions of the Bayou, shall they remain untouched or shall it be restructured to fit the needs of a growing community? These are questions asked in the documentary ‘Beyond the Bayou’.