4/1/26 – In my quest to summarize the most important “lessons learned” since Hurricane Harvey, here’s Lesson #3: Floodplain Encroachment. Floodplain encroachment is consistently rated one of the most important drivers of flooding worldwide. Think about it. If people didn’t build in floodplains, no one would flood. But that’s only part of the story. Floodplain […]
3/31/26 – Since Hurricane Harvey, one of the dominant themes of more than 3,000 posts on this website has been outdated rainfall assumptions and how flood-infrastructure design lags those assumptions. That design lag contributes to flooding nationwide. How Infrastructure Design Lags Rainfall Estimates Almost nine years after Harvey, Harris County finally has new “draft” flood […]
3/30/31 – According to numerous engineering studies, the single most consistent, anthropogenic (human-created) driver of flooding worldwide is expansion of impervious cover related to urbanization. How Impervious Cover Contributes to Flooding Any area growing in population adds roads and rooftops. When stormwater falls on them, it runs off quickly, unlike when forests or grass covered […]
3/28/26 – At the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) Board Meeting on 3/26/26, HCFCD Executive Director Tina Petersen updated the board on a number of Lake Houston Area projects including the Kingwood Diversion Ditch. She confirmed it is fully funded – through construction. However, design of the Diversion Ditch Project has not yet started. It […]
3/27/26 – On 3/26/26, the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) board heard the results of a feasibility study about creating “dry-bottom dams” on Birch and Walnut Creeks. The creeks are far upstream in the Spring Creek watershed in Waller County and were being studied for potential flood-mitigation benefits. The board made no decision in the […]
3/26/26 – A $29,387,654 bid from Bryce Construction & Design, LLC has been approved by the county purchasing agent to construct the Woodridge and Taylor Gully flood mitigation projects in Kingwood. See Item 45 on the agenda. Here is their bid transmitted to Commissioners Court. It was the low bid. To streamline approval of US Housing and Urban Development […]
3/25/26 – On 3/24/26, I photographed partially cleared property owned by HS Tejas LTD on West Lake Houston Parkway (WLHP) between the Kingwood YMCA and Kings Harbor. According to Dustin Hodges, Chief of Staff for District E City Council Member Fred Flickinger, the City has received no permit applications for developing the property yet. To […]
3/23/26 – The Texas Water Development Board recently issued a press release about the State’s Geographic Information Office (TxGIO) and Department of Information Resources (DIR) contracts. The concepts discussed in the article affect many growing areas in the San Jacinto watershed, which is plagued by political fragmentation. Dozens of counties, cities, and utility districts share […]
3/22/26 – The San Jacinto West Fork has migrated almost a mile closer to flood-prone Scarborough Development land near the giant Hallett Mine. State Agency Charged with Flood Mitigation Invests in Development of Flood-Prone Land In 2025, Scarborough Lane Development purchased 5,300+ acres of flood-prone land near the confluence of the San Jacinto West Fork, […]
3/21/26 – Yesterday, the first side panels for the Northpark Drive bridge walls started going up. By today, approximately a third of the northeastern wall was already in place. It’s exciting to see a plan coming together. The bridge will ultimately consist of three main sections: one ramp at each end, plus the clear span […]