Our area has experienced the following consequences of subsidence:
- Permanent elevation loss
- Increased flooding
- Damage to infrastructure like roads, bridges, homes, pipelines, and more
- Faulting
One of the most significant instances of subsidence occurred in the Brownwood Subdivision in Baytown, Texas. The Brownwood subdivision originally had over 400 homes built in the 1940s. As a result of large volumes of groundwater withdrawal, the area experienced up to 10 feet of subsidence, leading to some homes being inundated and others experiencing frequent flooding. Brownwood is now mostly underwater and has been turned into the Baytown Nature Center – a habitat for native plants and animals. The Houston History Magazine wrote an article in March 2019 that includes links to original video footage of the site and interviews with the residents of Brownwood.
Brownwood Subdivision in 1944 to 2002. Slide the arrows to see the impact of subsidence.