Almost three months to the day since dredgers moved from the East Fork San Jacinto to Rogers Gully, dredgers have totally removed the above-water portion of the stream’s mouth bar. Aerial photos taken on 6/2/22 show dredgers now deepening the channel up to the limit of the HCFCD’s excavation of Rogers Gully in 2020. Geologists […]
The 2022 Hurricane Season begins today – June 1. And as if on cue, the National Hurricane Center has already highlighted two areas to monitor. Neither storm will threaten the Houston area. But this should serve as a wake up call. If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to prepare your family […]
The controversial Laurel Springs RV Resort appears to have another problem with permit violations. The resort’s detention pond falls within the FAA regulatory limit and should remain “completely dry between storms.” But it’s not. How Building Permit Reads This notation is clearly marked on the resort’s detention and mitigation plan approved by the City of […]
Last week, one of the biggest issues in Harris County flood mitigation came into sharp focus for me: contrived ignorance regarding flood-bond spending. Three things brought it into focus: The completion of the $480 million Project Brays, the largest in Harris County Flood Control District’s (HCFCD) history. The Brays watershed has 58% low-to-moderate income (LMI) […]
On Tuesday, 5/24/22, the Flood Control District transmitted updates on two projects (MAAPNext and the 2018 Flood Bond) to Harris County Commissioners. New Flood Insurance Rate Maps (floodplain maps) should be released within the next six months. In related news, the entire northeastern part of Harris County is still getting less than one thousandth of […]
I often post about the loss of forests and wetlands to development and how that affects flooding. But the loss also affects wildlife. A new movie, Deep in the Heart: A Texas Wildlife Story, follows our ever-changing relationship with the natural world. It showcases our ability to destroy, conserve, and recover wildlife and habitat. The […]
Discovery will soon begin in the Texas Attorney General’s case against the Triple PG sand mine in Porter. The AG is suing the mine on behalf of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). TCEQ investigations documented repeated breaches of the mine’s dikes over a period of several years prior to filing the lawsuit. The […]
May 26, 2022, marked the official completion of a 40-year, $480-million flood-mitigation project in the Brays Bayou Watershed. Project Brays was the largest project in Harris County Flood Control District’s history. It included: 21 miles of channel modifications Construction of four stormwater detention basins that cover more than 800 acres Reconstruction of 32 bridges Miles […]
On May 24, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued its forecast for the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season. NHC expects an above-average hurricane season for the seventh year in a row. They say an ongoing La Niña and above-average sea surface temperatures set the stage for a busy season. NHC’s predictions reinforce the forecast issued last […]
A best practice in the construction industry is to build detention ponds before you clear all the land. In Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest, we saw what can happen when you don’t. Contractors cleared 277-acres before installing sufficient detention pond capacity. The result: hundreds of homes flooded needlessly. Twice. And silt poured into Taylor […]