Dredgers Reach Rogers Gully Mouth Bar

When last I reported on Lake Houston dredging, the focus of operations had shifted from the East Fork to Rogers Gully. However, the dredgers were still stationed hundreds of feet offshore. According to State Representative Dan Huberty, shallow water forced them to dredge their way into the Gully. (See below.)

Compare Photos Taken Today

Now, 2.5 months later, the dredgers have reached the Rogers Gully mouth bar and have completed dredging most of it.

Aerial photos taken this afternoon show that all but a small portion has already been removed. The operation could be completed in the next week or two, weather permitting.

Pontoons ferry the spoils to a converted marina across the lake now used as a temporary placement area. From there, trucks take the spoils to a fill-dirt company on FM1960 near SH99 east.

Before Dredging Began

To appreciate the progress, compare the photo below taken two years ago.

Harris County Flood Control District had just finished dredging the area behind the cart bridge about a month before I took the shot above. But the City owns the part of the gully near the lake.

Where Next?

It’s not clear yet where the dredges will go next. They’re on a mission, with money that Huberty helped obtain from the legislature, to open up more ditches and streams that empty into Lake Houston. Blockages like the one at Rogers Gully can reduce the conveyance of streams. They create sediment dams that back water up. And that contributes to flooding homes and businesses behind them.

The City of Houston issued a request for proposals to create a long-range dredging plan for the lake. However, no plan has yet been published. News to follow when it becomes available.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/20/22

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