Another Sand Pit Captured, More Breached by San Jacinto West Fork

6/8/24 – Today, I discovered another sand pit captured by the San Jacinto West Fork. I also discovered two more pits with breached dikes. That makes at least four San Jacinto West Fork sand pits seriously damaged by the last storm.

The West Fork has now captured a pit that Hallett owned until earlier this year and another that it still owns.

Let’s look at each. See the photos below.

Photos Taken on 6/8/24

Pit Capture #1

I discovered the first pit capture in mid-May and photographed it again today.

*Looking from over West Fork at blocked channel and former Hallett pit. River now runs through the pit.*

Hallett sold this mile-long,, half-mile-wide pit to a real estate company called Riverwalk Porter LLC in January, just days before the first breach at the downstream end. The breach at the northern end, in the foreground above, happened in May.

Pit capture is a phenomenon where the river cuts through one side of a mine and out the other. Watch it happen in this table top experiment.

Pit Capture #2

I discovered a second pit capture today. The river punched through one side of the pit and now flows out the other. It’s taking a shortcut through the pit, rather than going around like it used to.

Note how the river curves way out to the upper left in the photo. The inside of that curve used to be what geologists call a point bar. Such areas usually contain finely sorted sand. And indeed, historical images in Google Earth show trucks pulling sand from river banks before Hallett started mining here.

*Hallett pit on another point bar, also captured by West Fork* *River flows from top to bottom.*

Ironically, this area was being considered by the SJRA for its sand trap study. They may have to reconsider that now.

Breach #1

Another pit purchased from Hallett by Riverwalk Porter LLC also drains directly into the West Fork. Nothing holds it back now.

*Looking West. Note* *breach in dike on far side of river. If you look closely, you can see a pipe at the bottom of the breach. The pipe dates back to the days Hallett owned this pit.*

The area around the pipe has expanded into a chasm.

Breach #2

Farther north, Heidelberg Materials Southwest Agg LLC owns another pit that now drains into the West Fork.

*Looking S from over West Fork (bottom left) toward Heidelberg Property.*

Historical satellite images of the Heidelberg property show that they started mining it decades ago. Then they sold the mine to another company and recently repurchased it. While this particular area is recovering, the company appears to be mining other areas around it.

And look what’s happening downstream from the breach above. Could this be a third pit capture in the making?

*Downstream at the same pond, the river looks as though it could soon punch through another narrow dike. Photo taken 5/22/24.*

If and when this happens, the river could then route itself through the pit above. That would make at least three pits captured on the West Fork.

There may be more breaches and pit captures that I have not yet found.

Geomorphic Processes Accelerated to a Human Time Scale

It’s interesting to watch geomorphic processes at work on a human time scale. It’s also disconcerting to know that without help from miners and the TCEQ – which did not establish setbacks of mines from rivers until 2021 – the West Fork would have much less sediment pollution.

See below.

West Fork sedimentation after upstream rainfall that rivaled Hurricane Harvey — *Confluence of Spring Creek (left) and San Jacinto West Fork (right), where all of the sand mine breaches above area.*

If you wish to lodge a complaint with the TCEQ, go to this web page. Last time I heard, they only inspect the river once every three years unless citizens file complaints.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/8/24

2475 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.