West Fork Dredging Spoils Being Deposited Near Luce IBT Canal
12/21/24 – West Fork dredging spoils are being pumped across the East Fork and up Luce Bayou to where it joins the Inter-basin Transfer Project.
Just Outside of Floodplain
The first question I had after learning of the location was, “Is it out of the floodplain?”
Comparing drone photos taken today to FEMA’s Flood Hazard Layer Viewer and Harris County Appraisal District records shows that the placement area is just outside of the 500-year floodplain (shown as the tan-color below).
Part of Area Still Under Construction
As you can see above, the placement area was heavily forested before the start of dredging. DRC and its sister company, Callan Marine, are still clearing about half the land.
As you can see below, DRC and Callan have constructed a series of berms around the perimeter to hold the spoils. Phase One, (the finished basin) measures approximately 35 acres. Phase Two (the area being cleared and/or still populated by trees) occupies another 35 acres, according to Eric Bushnell, Callan Marine’s project manager.
The interior dikes in the pond above slow the water down so that sediment drops out of suspension. Once “clarified,” gates visible to the right of the 18-inch pipe above can be opened to let the water out.
Sending Clarified Water Back to the Lake
After heavy particles of sediment, such as sand, drop out of suspension, DRC and Callan need to return water to Lake Houston. They do that by opening the gates discussed above. Then, they drain the water down the channel, which you can see in the bottom left of the picture below.
Meaning of “Clarified” in this Context
“Clarified” is a relative term. The water isn’t perfectly clear like an ice cold pitcher of tap water. But it is much clearer than before. Large particles of sediment get trapped in the pond.
Remaining particles, usually clay, are so fine, they will likely never settle to the lake bed. Instead, they will float out into Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. They pose little to no flood risk.
Ownership of Land
According to Harris County Appraisal District, the parcel of land shown above extends all the way from the west end of Palm Drive to FM2100. FM2100 is concealed by the tree line in the upper part of frame.
Contrary to rumor, DRC and Callan did not purchase this land. According to Bushnell, they have an agreement with the landowner. Harris County Appraisal District shows the owner is 157 Huffman LTD.
It’s unclear at this point what 157 Huffman LTD plans to do with the land when the dredging project is complete in two years. The owner has not shared that information with Callan or DRC.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/21/24
2671 Days since Hurricane Harvey
