Inventorying Channel Blockages Could Help HCFCD
8/9/24 – Here’s an unsolicited idea that could help improve efficiency of the Beryl recovery process: inventorying channel blockages in your area. Then supply Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) with a comprehensive, consolidated list. It could save them time when time is critical as we head into the peak of hurricane season.
HCFCD maintains more than 2,500 miles of bayous, creeks and manmade drainage channels, along with dozens of large stormwater detention basins across Harris County. And damage from Beryl has affected the entire county. Reportedly, the extent of the damage has HCFCD maintenance staff stretched to the max.
Implications for Maintenance
Maintenance has reportedly become HCFCD’s major focus of activity at the moment. No one has bandwidth to spare. So, this may be one of those times when citizens can help. Not by cleaning out ditches and streams themselves; that’s dangerous. But by reporting problems more efficiently and effectively.
Rather than having five different people report five different blockages on the same stream at five different times, so crews make five trips, perhaps one, consolidated report would help.
A consolidated report could:
- Reduce the number of phone calls and emails to process, track and respond to
- Help prioritize the hardest hit areas
- Reduce the number of repeat trips to a single area
- Make scheduling crews easier
- Improve response time
- Reduce flooding from blockages that may not have been reported.
How to Report Problems
Last week, I posted about ways to direct HCFCD to problems quickly, especially when street addresses might not apply. For instance, consider creeks that cut through greenbelt trails.
About that time, Chris Bloch, a board member of the Bear Branch Trail Association (BBTA), sent me a dozen photos of blocked streams within his association.
He had reported them all to HCFCD simultaneously in one consolidated request. That inspired the idea for this post.
I’m sure flood control would like your help identifying blockages any way they can get it, whether requests are individual or consolidated. As a former business owner, I always looked for ways to operate more efficiently. This could be one of those times. Collectively, we have a simple way to help.
Walk your greenbelts looking for problems. Then produce a thorough, consolidated report that identifies channel numbers and locations, and submit it to HCFCD:
Contact hcfcd.org/service-request or 346-286-4197
Consolidated List Could Improve Efficiency
The Lake Houston Area has dozens, if not hundreds of community and trail associations that could help with this task.
So thousands of different HCFCD trips could be greatly reduced.
Below are five photos submitted by Bloch from among many more taken on the six miles of channels within BBTA’s boundaries. They come from ONE stretch of ONE creek. And Bloch reported them all at ONCE.
Calling on All HOAs and Trail Associations
Each blockage shown above could catch other trees floating downstream in future storms and create log jams that back water up and flood neighborhoods. They are invisible from the air, hidden by the dense tree canopy.
To help ensure blockages get addressed ASAP, every trail or community association should consider submitting a consolidated list of issues within their respective areas.
Walking 2,500 miles of channels is like walking across America. It ain’t easy.
Think how much time consolidated inventorying of channel blockages could save HCFCD staff who are already stretched thin.
Please share this post with your HOA and Trail Association board members in your area. Perhaps they can help identify volunteers, which may include scouts eager to earn hiking, photography community service and mapping merit badges.
2537 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 30 since Beryl
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/9/24
