Luce Bayou InterBasin Transfer Canal

Ardurra served as program manager for the $120 million Lake Houston raw water conveyance project, successfully developing 23.6 miles of earthen open canal while managing five separate engineering teams comprising nearly 30 engineering consultants. As lead canal designer, the team delivered infrastructure improvements, including drop structures, water control gates, seven siphon crossings, bridge construction, and TxDOT coordination across three pipeline corridors.

The program management role required oversight of quality management, coordination with outside agencies, and project controls, including schedule and cost management, across multiple specialized consultant teams. Strategic earthwork management and corridor drainage analysis reduced construction costs while minimizing impacts on adjacent property owners, including rice farms and irrigation systems.

Key Program Management Achievements:

• Managed $120 million raw water conveyance program, developing 23.6 miles of earthen canal with comprehensive infrastructure systems

• Coordinated five engineering teams comprising nearly 30 consultants, including pipeline, SCADA, bridge, maintenance facility, and electrical power specialists

• Designed downstream segment infrastructure, including drop structure, water control gate, seven siphon crossings, bridge, and TxDOT crossing coordination

• Engineered five water level control gates, maintaining constant water depth - the largest control gates in Texas with automatic operation

• Managed strategic earthwork balancing, controlling construction costs through optimized cut-and-fill operations across the corridor

• Conducted comprehensive field investigations, including engineering surveys, soils testing, geotechnical fault investigation, and hydraulics modeling

• Coordinated extensive landowner relations, managing right-of-entry permitting and private bridge installation for affected properties

The project earned the 2023 Texas Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award, recognizing exceptional engineering innovation and program management excellence. The project demonstrates sophisticated coordination capabilities while overcoming unique technical challenges, including specialty gate procurement, drainage pattern optimization, and the minimization of agricultural system impacts.