The city of Houston and Coastal Water Authority are planning to add 11 new spillway gates to the Lake Houston Dam to increase its release capacity. Simultaneously, through a partnership between the city of Houston, the San Jacinto River Authority and the city of Humble, a study is being conducted to determine the most effective way to operate Lake Conroe and Lake Houston's dam gates once the 11 new gates are installed.

The project: Lake Conroe has five gates to release water, which compares to Lake Houston's current four. The SJRA is conducting this study to find the most effective way to prerelease water once the new gates are added.

How we got here: Lake Conroe was originally built in 1973 through a partnership between the SJRA and the city of Houston. 

Going forward: The study is currently estimated to be completed by December 2027, Barrett said.

Conroe ISD board of trustees on July 21 reviewed a report from Hedith Sauceda-Upshaw, the CISD Assistant Superintendent of Governance & Leadership Programs.
The framework is a draft of the district's initial priorities ahead of the 90th Texas Legislative Session, which begins in January.

The plan: Sauceda-Upshaw said that the reason CISD is beginning its priorities report early is that “if they wait until the lawmakers show up in Austin, then they are already behind.” Starting as soon as possible allows MISD the advantage of establishing relationships and dialogue with administrators, the community and lawmakers.

Diving in deeper: After discussing their needs with district administrators and teachers, CISD drafted five priorities for the upcoming 90th Texas Legislative Session:

• Employee pay and retention

• School funding “buckets" 

• Student discipline

• Accountability subgroups

• Local school facilities impact fees.

What else: Employee pay and retention is one of the higher priorities for CISD, as the district wants to prioritize keeping its staff and compensating them well for their work.

Conroe City Council unanimously appointed David Willard as city administrator July 23, moving him from the interim position into the city’s top administrative role.

What happened: Willard will officially become a city employee Aug. 10 with an annual salary of $325,000, Human Resources Director Andre Houser said.

The compensation package includes standard phone and vehicle allowances, contributions to the Texas Municipal Retirement System and the city’s standard sick leave and vacation benefits.

Willard will be an at-will employee without an employment contract or severance agreement.

What they're saying: “[I’m] very humbled that you've given me this opportunity, and very excited about it,” Willard said. “I'll do my best to provide the service and leadership to this community that you expect.”

How we got here: Council first voted June 25 to authorize Coon and city staff to negotiate with Strategic Government Resources for Willard to serve as interim city administrator.

Willard’s previous experience includes serving as city manager in Longview and Borger, assistant city manager in Odessa and Hutchinson County judge, as previously reported.

Need to catch up on Community Impact’s coverage from this week? Check out these trending stories across the northern portion of the Greater Houston area from July 17-24.

1. Layne’s Chicken Fingers opens 12th Houston-area location in Cypress

2. Mariachi Del Bosque to perform in The Woodlands

3. HCA Houston Healthcare Conroe names new chief medical officer

4. Nothing Bundt Cakes now open in Tomball

5. HCA Houston Healthcare Kingwood names new chief medical officer

6. Sam Houston State University opens new charter school in Spring

7. Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux tentative opening delayed in New Caney

Sandy Creek resident Georgia Bishop was out of town when 22 inches of rain fell on parts of northwest Travis County over the July 4, 2025, weekend. When Bishop returned home days later, her community was significantly changed.

What happened: Residents of the hard-hit Sandy Creek neighborhood described a “wall of water” that tore through their community last July, washing away homes, cars and roads. Nine people died in the flooding, including Bishop’s best friend, 16-year-old Felicity Jarmon.

The context: One year later, residents of the unincorporated Travis County community are still working to rebuild from last July’s catastrophic flooding. Central Texas has seen two straight years of intense, deadly flooding in July, leaving some residents on edge as they recover from last year’s disaster and mourn lost loved ones.

Community Impact spoke with Bishop and Kylie Nidever, whose neighborhood in Hunt flooded last year, on July 13, days before heavy rainfall hit large swaths of the state once again. Officials confirmed two deaths due to this year's floods, while 137 people died last July.