I learned a new word today: solastalgia. I came across it while reading the UN Intergovernmental Panel 2022 Report on Climate Change. There it was on page 17 of the Technical Summary. Unequal Impact of Mental Health Challenges Section TS.B.5.2 says, “Mental health challenges increase with warming temperatures (high confidence), trauma associated with extreme weather […]
Four months after Laurel Springs RV Resort contractors started tying into the Lakewood Cove storm sewer system, they may finally finish the job in the next few days. I spotted them yesterday and today, digging a trench from the pumps to the pond. At their present rate of progress, and with gasoline prices spiraling out […]
Within the last week, the focus of dredging moved from the East Fork San Jacinto to the mouth of Rogers Gully on the west side of Lake Houston near the Walden Country Club. HCFCD conducted a dredging operation upstream from the Rogers Gully mouth bar in 2020. But the mouth bar itself is in Lake […]
Since development of the Laurel Springs RV Resort started last October, the Centerpoint easement below the development has turned into a small lake. It’s not clear at this point what caused the lake to develop. Several theories come time mind: increased runoff; sediment blocking drains; heavy January rains; poorly drained soils; illegal discharges; or some […]
New data obtained from Harris County Flood Control District via a FOIA Request breaks down flood-mitigation funding by watershed through the end of 2021. It shows where your flood-bond money is going. It also debunks some popular myths. Those include the oft repeated: Rich watersheds get all the funding; poor watersheds get none. Partner funding […]
Despite investigations by local, county and state authorities into construction practices at the Laurel Springs RV Resort near Lakewood Cove, contractors seem to have stepped up the pace of construction. They’ve also launched a major cleanup effort around the detention pond. Contractors triggered a cease-and-desist letter from the County Attorney, with the threat of a […]
Several readers recently asked for a an update on the demolition of the remaining Forest Cove townhomes on Marina Drive. Three clusters remain near the Forest Cove Community Center. The vacant townhomes destroyed by Hurricane Harvey have become magnets for gangs, graffiti, dope dealing and illegal dumping. The people who wrote me avoid using the […]
How soon we forget. Hurricane Harvey was just 4.5 years ago. Since then I have documented dozens, if not hundreds of questionable practices that erode margins of flood safety. It Didn’t Have to Be That Bad Harvey was the largest rainfall event in the history of North America. However, with better regulations and construction practices, […]
Sprint Sand & Clay has begun excavating a new Woodridge Village detention pond on the former site of Perry Homes’ aborted development. Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) signed an excavation and removal (E&R) contract with Sprint last November to remove up to 500,000 cubic yards for just $1000. In exchange for the dirt-cheap fee, […]
Since last month, dredgers have removed one island and have started on another in the massive complex of sand bars laid down during Harvey and Imelda on the San Jacinto East Fork where it meets Lake Houston. Current Location The sand bar already eliminated was toward the top and left side of the frame above. […]