Buffalo Bayou Partnership

See Schedule OBuffalo Bayou Park - A strong public-private partnership including the Kinder Foundation, Buffalo Bayou Partnership (BBP), the City of Houston, and Harris County Flood Control District carried out an ambitious $58 million restoration project for the stretch of bayou from Shepherd Drive to Sabine Street. The project involved flood management, eco-restoration, new hike and bike trails and an array of park amenities. The park improvements were substantially completed for the Buffalo Bayou Park project in 2015, and BBP transferred ownership to the City. BBP maintains and operates the 160-acre Buffalo Bayou Park with funding from the Downtown Redevelopment Authority TIRZ #3. It is also responsible for maintaining the hike and bike trails and green spaces along the waterway from Sabine to Fannin streets with funding from Houston First Corporation and Houston Parks Board. To assist with ongoing maintenance and conservation efforts, BBP relies on thousands of volunteers and community service workers each year that remove weeds and invasive species, plant wildflowers, pick up trash, and remove silt from the trails after heavy rains.

Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern - BBP restored and repurposed this underground city water reservoir and opened it to the public in 2016. In addition to tours highlighting the history and architecture of this unique industrial site, BBP presents periodic art installations in the space.

Buffalo Bayou East Sector Implementation - Buffalo Bayou Partnership (BBP) is developing green-space and trails along the east sector of Buffalo Bayou - the area from McKee Street east to the Port of Houston Turning Basin.

Clean & Green Program - Removing trash and debris is central to BBP's mission of helping to restore Buffalo Bayou to an ecologically functional system and providing an enhanced amenity for the mental and physical benefit of Houstonians and visitors. The program, funded by the Harris County Flood Control District and Port of Houston, removes floatables from the water and along the banks of the bayou.

Buffalo Bayou Partnership Programming - BBP offers a wide range of recreational and cultural activities, including: - Buffalo Bayou Partnership Regatta: Annual 15-mile canoe and kayak race on Buffalo Bayou from Voss Road to Allen's Landing in Downtown Houston, held annually in March. - Kids Day: A free event filled with family fun, educational activities, music, food, park performers, and bayou boat rides, held annually in October. - Pontoon Boat Rides: Offered year-round and include bat tours, history tours, and private charters. - Walking Tours: Offered year-round and include public art tours, wellness walks, and nature tours. - Public Art: Each year, BBP offers an artist residency as well as events like Night Light, a free evening of video art created by local artists and presented along the bayou.

Hike and Bike Trails - A top priority of Buffalo Bayou Partnership is to build a continuous system of trails on the north and south banks of Buffalo Bayou from Shepherd Drive to the Turning Basin. This will give Houstonians and visitors approximately 20 miles of trails to run, walk and bike along the waterway. To accommodate residents and visitors who want to enjoy a walk or jog along the Shepherd Drive to Sabine Street stretch of the bayou, BBP added asphalt footpaths closer to the waterway.

Buffalo Bayou East Parks - In 2023, Buffalo Bayou Partnership began the maintenance of Buffalo Bayou East park projects as its first Buffalo Bayou East 10-Year Plan project neared completion. BBP will maintain and operate greenspace along the approximately 4-mile distance along Buffalo Bayou from U.S. 59/I-69 North to Turkey Bend and extending into the greater East End and Fifth Ward communities. BBP will accomplish this with funding from the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority (TIRZ #23) and the Fifth Ward Redevelopment Authority (TIRZ #18).