LOCF Ponding Birdbathing Repair Standards - Lakes of Cypress Forest Community Association LOCF

LOCF Ponding / Birdbathing Repair Standards 5/21/2021

Prologue: Ponding / Birdbathing is a term that describes water accumulation in a Harris County street / roadway due to a local street condition.

No written repair standards/specifications exist for the issue of “ponding/birdbathing” on Harris County streets and roadways. Harris County Engineering, therefore, has provided guidance and approval of LOCF guidelines. LOCF has codified the Harris County Engineering responses into guidelines for LOCF to use in our gated community (private streets/infrastructure) as follows:

Ponding / birdbathing is common sight in Harris County after rainfall due to our flat terrain.
1. Many LOCF streets can be level (minimum/zero slope towards the drains)
2. 24 instances of typical “ponding/birdbathing” have been documented in LOCF‘s gated community after rainfall during Mid-December 2020. (see attached mapped locations).
3. 27 instances of “ponding/birdbathing” have been documented in LOCF‘s gated community after a 2 ½”rainfall during May 17, 2021. (see attached mapped locations).
4. “ponding/birdbathing” will be graded as Low, Moderate and Severe for these observed locations.

LOCF / Management will evaluate resident “Ponding/Birdbathing” complaints and characterize the severity. Action will be taken when “birdbathing “is classified as “severe” by LOCF / management.
1. Ponding/Birdbathing is characterized as “Low” when the RAIN water evaporates after 3+ days
2. Ponding/Birdbathing can be considered “Moderate” if the RAIN water has evaporated after 6 days.
3. Ponding/Birdbathing is considered “Severe” when the RAIN water produces ponding and it’s vertical depth exceeds 3” deep at the curb (measured vertically) and has not evaporated after 7 days.
4. Ponding/Birdbathing is never considered “Severe” if any lawn irrigation water contributes to the ponding/birdbathing. (from the resident’s property or his/her neighbors)

Ponding/Birdbathing is “moderate” if lawn irrigation runoff (by the resident or their upstream neighbors) contributes to maintaining birdbathing / ponding.

LOCF will consider “remedies” at its discretion for all Ponding/Birdbathing complaints classified by LOCF as “severe”.

As all of LOCF streets have met builder and Harris County standards for construction (and flood control). Minor flat spots may exist in LOCF streets. These local variations are acceptable to the construction standards.
LOCF may consider minor surface grinding of “high spots” to improve the flow/drainage.
Harris County permit may be acquired before any LOCF street repairs/modifications.
The LOCF resident may be required to fund the repair costs at LOCF’s discretion.

24 instances of typical “ponding/birdbathing” have been documented in LOCF‘s gated community after rainfall during Mid-December 2020.

27 instances of typical “ponding/birdbathing” have been documented in LOCF‘s gated community after 2 ½” rainfall during May 17, 2021.

Respectfully submitted,
Frank C Adamek, P.E.
President LOCF 2017-2022
May 21, 2021

Conclusion: Following review of the 27 locations of Ponding / Birdbathing, the following measurements were documented:

No instances of “severe” Ponding / Birdbathing in any of the 27 locations listed above were found due to rainfall. (Note: Irrigation systems may have contributed to some of the ponding size if they were left on during the rainfall.)
1. Specifically, None of the 27 ponds reached 3” depth or the level of “severe”.
2. ONLY one of the 27 instances exceeded 1” in depth; 26 instances were 1” or less in depth. These may be characterized as “Low” or “Moderate” depending on the rainwater evaporation rate.
No remediation action is required of LOCF Board/Management on this matter in 2021. Resident community may be notified by a posting on MyGreenCondo.
Future remedial action (2022-2050) may be required as streets degrade over extended periods of time.