Yesterday, I posted about how greater setbacks from rivers could improve safety for sand mines and downstream residents. Setbacks reduce the potential for erosion, sedimentation and consequent flooding. Here’s a related post that shows what happens when you try to build too close to rivers. First, understand that the closer you mine to the river, […]
Houston City Council Member Dave Martin announced today that the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) has authorized the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to remove sand and siltation from the Lake Houston mouth bar. History of Project In 2018, USACE first began removing debris deposited during Hurricane Harvey from the San Jacinto River […]
After a year and a half of investigating sand mining best practices around the US and the world, I concluded that Texas falls short of other states and countries on several measures. The single biggest opportunity for improvement: greater setbacks from rivers. Other states recommend from 100- to 1000-foot setbacks. Some prohibit building in floodways […]
Jim Blackburn, the noted environmental lawyer and Rice professor, will hold a meeting to review new ideas on storm surge protection in and around Galveston Bay. If you or one of your loved ones works at one of the petrochemical plants or refineries near the Bay or Ship Channel – or if you use the […]
Letter to the Editor RE: “Caution: SB 2126 Opens Door to Sand Mining in Rivers” Bob, Thank you for your work with Reduce Flooding to raise awareness about flooding and flood-related issues since Hurricane Harvey. You have done a tremendous job of helping to educate the public on the causes of flooding and providing status updates on […]
Best management practices for sand mining in many states say that miners should avoid clearing land until they’re ready to mine it. The roots of trees and grasses help stabilize soil during floods. Land Cleared, Then Three 500-Year Storms However, on Caney Creek in Porter, a sand miner cleared 60 acres right before three 500-year […]