Breach at Hallett Mine Expanding
Correction: This sand pit in this post was sold by Hallett to Riverwalk Porter LLC on January 23, 2024.
A breach at the giant Hallett Mine on the San Jacinto West Fork that began in late January or early February is still open and expanding.
Two Pairs of Pictures, Two Weeks Apart
I first reported the breach on April 10. Below are pictures taken then and today.
In the pictures above, note the difference in the river bank on the left. It appears much more eroded. Also note the freestanding tree in the water on the right in the second photo that is not visible in the first.
Comparison of these wider shots shows more differences.
The first shots in each pair were taken when the water was up due to heavy rains upstream. The second shots were taken when the river was at its normal level (57 feet at SH99 as opposed to 66 feet).
In the shot immediately above, note the lack of vegetation on the sidewalls of the pond. That’s one indication that the height of water in this pond was much higher at one time.
Google Earth Image
This image from Google Earth shows water draining out of the pond on February 19.
Impacts on River
One boater I interviewed for this post last Wednesday when SJRA was releasing 530 cubic feet per second from Lake Conroe said he could normally get all the way to Conroe in his flat bottomed boat at that flow rate. But on that day, he was frequently hitting bottom.
This is consistent with the experience of boaters launching farther downstream in River Grove Park. There, the river depth is now just 1-2 feet in places. And that’s after it was dredged just four years ago.
The Kingwood Service Association is studying ways to keep its boat launch open. But the need for dredging is becoming more expensive and frequent.
I should add in fairness that the river creates a fair amount of erosion on its own and that Hallett isn’t the only mine on the West Fork with breaches in its dikes.
It is, however, the largest mine by far and has a history of dumping its waste into the West Fork. Searching on the keyword “Hallett” in this website reveals 30 posts that include references to the controversial mine.
It has now been approximately three months since the breach.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/28/2024
2434 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
