In late December 2023, the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) released the third part of its massive, years-long sedimentation study. SJRA labeled the report “Technical Memorandum 3: Annual Sediment Supply and Storage.” Only seven more steps remain in the 10-step effort. The Larger Context The ten steps include: SJRA applied for a TWDB grant to […]
Kingwood Residences HTX II LLC is clearing 11.5 acres of land on West Lake Houston Parkway (WLHP) without the normal safeguards to control sediment-laden runoff. In recent weeks, concerned residents have emailed me multiple pictures like the ones below. Normally, contractors would protect storm drains by catching silt with sand bags placed in the gutters. […]
Excavation of the decorative ponds that will double as Northpark detention basins at US59 began this week. Contractors will stockpile the dirt in two places for now: behind Duncan Donuts and at a sand mine on Sorters-McClellan Road several blocks to the west. Contractors will use the dirt later to level the road surface and […]
After more than four years of traffic disruption, TxDOT announced it has completed construction of Loop 494 and Kingwood Drive improvements. Some cleanup and a small section of sidewalk construction remains. So does the switchover from old traffic lights to new. But those things are minor compared to the heavy lifting that started in late […]
Guess where the wetlands were? Today, I flew over Northpark Drive and Sorters-McClellan Road near the San Jacinto West Fork. I photographed a new development called Northpark South. Much of this land is in the floodplain. And much was also classified as wetlands for sixty years. Can you guess which portion? Here’s what the area […]
Today, Harris County joined the growing list of governmental agencies looking into Colony Ridge. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) have already concluded their investigations and filed Federal lawsuits against the troubled developer. On December 29, 2023, the New York Post reported that the Internal Revenue Service, Army Corps […]
Foot dragging by utilities has set the Northpark expansion project back years. What none seems to understand is that this isn’t just a normal road expansion project. It’s about creating a reliable, all-weather evacuation route for 78,000 people. The utilities see the project as a headache. Traumatized residents see it as a lifeline. And that’s […]
On Tuesday, 1/9/24, Harris County Commissioners court will consider a motion by Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey, P.E. to monitor the potential flooding, housing, and environmental impacts of Colony Ridge on Harris County. (See Item 282 on the Agenda.) Ramsey submitted a similar item for the 10/10/23 session of Commissioners Court. The Court took no […]
The Northpark Drive expansion project understandably slowed during the holidays. But Northpark tree moving started in earnest this week. Contractors have returned and started moving trees to clear the areas where two detention ponds will be excavated at 59. In other news: To learn more about each of these items, see below. Moving Day Arrives […]
Back in November 2023, Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) terminated its excavation and removal contract with Sprint Sand and Clay. The 2021 contract called for Sprint to remove up to 500,000 cubic yards of material from Woodridge Village. Had the full amount been excavated, it would have more than doubled the stormwater detention basin […]