Expect heavy rains Wednesday night into Thursday – New Year’s Eve morning – as two powerful storm systems collide over Texas this week. One front will dip down from Canada, then another from California will ride up over it producing a variety of threats. The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center predicts a marginal risk […]
Andy Li and Kelly Schafler reported in Community Impact that Harris County Precinct 4 should begin construction on Phase 1 of Edgewater Park by mid-2021. Phase 1 includes a 19-acre park, parking lot, boat launch, fish-cleaning station, restroom, concession building, and detention pond. Cost: $2.3 million. Location: Between Hamblen Road and the San Jacinto West […]
On December 17, 2020, Jason Webster and Kimberley Spurlock, lawyers for the plaintiffs in the 2019 Elm Grove lawsuits, added a ninth defendant in their eighth amended petition. The defendant is Storm Water Solutions, LLC at 16110 Hollister Street in Houston. Complete List of Defendants Defendants now include: Developers: Perry Homes, LLC Figure Four Partners, […]
Drainage reports for the controversial Colony Ridge development in Liberty County misrepresent soil types in a way that underestimate runoff by as much as 6X to 9X. As a consequence, the massive development’s ditches and detention ponds are undersized. That contributes to downstream flooding. In addition, virtually all of the drainage reports supplied by the […]
During my life, I’ve explored 49 states. But the state I choose to call home is Texas, and there’s no place I’d rather live in Texas than the Lake Houston Area. That’s in large part due to our proximity to nature and our fierce commitment to preservation. This country has a lot to love. But […]
In 2016, one of the owners of the Colony Ridge Development in Liberty County tried to sue the former Mayor of Plum Grove for defamation. The developer alleged that the mayor bad-mouthed his development while making false statements. The judge ultimately dismissed the suit. But as part of the lawsuit, Louis W. Bergman, III, PE, […]
After three years of investigating flooding problems and a year of isolating during COVID, it’s time to rejuvenate. What better way to clear your head than with nature? So let me share some pictures with you. In August 2016, shortly after I retired, I spent five weeks driving my Chevy 10,562 miles to the Arctic […]
On December 7, 2020 I flew up and down the East and West Forks of the river and took these photographs over sand mines. The neon water is “naturally” occurring. By that, I mean I did not “Photoshop” the color to create the intense neon hues. What you see is what I saw through the […]
Many floodplain regulations focus on not restricting the conveyance of rivers. But the high dikes of many sand mines literally wall off half their floodplains. This can increase the frequency, duration, and severity of flooding opposite the mines as well as erosion of river banks. West Fork Mines at I-45 Provide Example The case of […]
Last year, New York State produced a series of model local laws to increase resilience. The 468-page document is a catalog of ideas for cities and counties to choose from. It covers everything from building in flood-prone areas to maximum lot coverage, land-clearing practices for new developments, stormwater controls, zoning, building elevation and more. For […]