Flood Photos Raise Disturbing Sand-Mining Issues Again
Photos taken during last week’s flood raise disturbing questions all over again about sand mining so close to the San Jacinto.
Are:
- Dikes strong enough? No.
- Dikes high enough? No.
- Setbacks from the river far enough? No.
Can:
- Current flow through the mines? Yes.
- The river stir up sediment? Yes.
- The sediment escape the mines? Yes.
Will:
- Miners convince legislators that the answers above are false? Yes.
- More sediment in the river reduce conveyance downstream? Yes.
- Anything change? No.
The sand mining photos below show dramatically that the river breached dikes, flowed through pits, stirred up sediment and carried it downriver. I have hundreds more, but these make the point.
Photos Taken May 3/4, 2024
In the picture below, the drainage channel bisects two abandoned sand mines that sit just downstream of the massive Hallett mine (out of frame to the left). Note current flowing from left to right and mixing with the clearer water in the drainage channel.
This photo and those below say at a glance how much sediment is being washed through and out of the sand mines.
Sediment Contribution to West Fork
The West Fork will remain above flood stage through tonight. It will be interesting to see how much new sediment works its way downstream. We will need a new river survey to document that.
The SJRA may also have to revise the conclusions of its recent sedimentation survey.
Luckily, the City of Houston has just started another dredging program to remove another 800,000 cubic yards of sediment above FM1960 where the East and West Forks come together.
Good timing on that one.
Last question. Will the City be able to keep up with all the sediment coming downstream? No, in my humble opinion. At least not if we permit the sand mines to continue operating the way they do.
Gage readings at SH99 and US59 on the West Fork suggest that this was a 25 to 50 year flood. But the dikes should have been built to withstand a 100-year flood.
And while the mines above are built right next to the river, most other states require setbacks ranging from 100 to 1000 feet.
The Never-Ending Story
During Harvey, these same sand mines were implicated in contributing to the formation of sandbars downstream which reduced the conveyance of the West Fork. According to the Army Corps, the West Fork was 90 percent blocked in the area below. And that contributed to the flooding of thousands of homes and businesses.
We seem to have developed a system whereby taxpayers subsidize miners. That only seems to encourage them to adopt more dangerous behaviors.
As one long-time resident who lives near the mines told me, “If Hallett thinks they can get away with something, they will try.”
In the miners’ defense, they claim they support the area’s growth. But that also entails clear-cutting thousands of acres. And you guessed it! That creates more erosion that clogs our rivers with even more sediment. More on that tomorrow.
The question is not whether we can live without sand mining. It’s whether we can have more responsible sand mining and development practices.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/7/2024
2443 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.
