3/9/2026 – On Tuesday 3/10/26, the UnionPacific Railroad (UPRR) will install new controllers for the Northpark Drive crossing gates. That means the rail crossing AND the Loop 494 intersection with Northpark will be under manual control for most of the day beginning at approximately 8 AM. TXDoT, UPRR, the City of Houston, and TIRZ-10/LHRA representatives […]
3/8/26 – The “Levee Effect” is a term coined decades ago in flood mitigation. Some call it the “Safe Development Paradox.” It explains how total flood damage can rise even though flood probability decreases. The Basic Mechanism Think of the word “levee” in this case as synonymous with several forms of flood-control infrastructure including levees, […]
3/7/26 – On 3/5/26 at the Humble Civic Center, the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) held the first of three meetings to discuss its Joint Reservoir Operations Study. In several respects, the meeting was a wake-up call: Theory of Pre-Release The idea behind “pre-release” is to release water ahead of a storm, so a reservoir, […]
3/5/26 – On Friday 3/6/26, eight advocacy groups will protest a proposed settlement in two lawsuits involving the controversial Colony Ridge development in Liberty County. The State of Texas and U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau alleged fraudulent marketing and sales practices by Colony Ridge. The proposed settlement would correct those moving forward. However, it does […]
3/4/26 – The San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) will hold a meeting at the Humble Civic Center to solicit public input on its Joint-Reservoir-Operations Study. Please come: Representatives from the SJRA, Coastal Water Authority, City of Houston, Humble, and the study consultant, Black & Veatch Engineering, will explain the study and field your questions. The meeting will feature […]
3/2/26 – In one of the most hotly contested primaries in recent memory, State Rep. Steve Toth is running against Congressman Dan Crenshaw in the newly redrawn Congressional District 2. I urge you to vote for Crenshaw who has consistently delivered flood-mitigation dollars for the Lake Houston Area. But that’s not the only reason. Speech […]
3/1/26 – Travis County District Clerk records show that the state’s case against the Triple PG sand mine in Porter is now dragging into Year 8. Meanwhile, breaches in the mine’s dikes remain open, allowing sediment-laden wastewater and stormwater to escape into the headwaters of Lake Houston, the source of water for more than two […]
2/27/26 – Within the next week, Northpark Drive expansion contractors will likely start paving the last sections of surface road across the UnionPacific Railroad Tracks and Loop 494. The completion of surface roads will clear the way to finish demolishing the old lanes now being used to get traffic across the tracks. And once the […]
2/26/26 – Exactly 8.5 years ago this week, the entire Lake Houston Area faced an existential threat by the name of Hurricane Harvey. Harvey killed 12 people in Kingwood Town Center, and flooded more than 16,000 homes and 3,300 businesses here. In my opinion, we can’t let that happen again. We need to find ways […]
2/25/26 – According to Precinct 3 Director of Engineering Eric Heppen, P.E., PMP, Harris County has issued a cease-and-desist order to the owner of property in the Cedar Bayou floodplain where TXDoT contractors were depositing dirt excavated from the Luce Bayou watershed. Precinct 3 Project Manager Jason Hains said trucks stopped depositing the fill yesterday […]