8/27/26 – This week marks nine years since Hurricane Harvey, the wettest tropical cyclone on record in the United States. It dropped 60.58 inches of rain in Nederland, Texas, just east of Houston. Harvey also caused an estimated $125 billion in damages, making it the second costliest storm in U.S. history after Katrina.
Estimated rainfall totals from Harvey across SE Texasshow Houston in the bulls eye.
According to the National Weather Service, only around 10 percent of the river forecast points in southeast Texas remained below flood stage during the event, and…
Approximately 46 percent of the river forecast points reached new record levels.
In the wake of all that destruction, the public demanded better flood protection and officials responded. Here is a list of some of the major efforts.
Harris County voters approved a $2.5 billion flood bond in 2018 and HCFCD found another $2.7 million in matching funds.
The Army Corps of Engineers and City of Houston dredged more than 4 million cubic yards of sediment from the West and East Forks of the San Jacinto River.
Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority started expanding Northpark Drive to create an all-weather evacuation route for 80,000 people in the Kingwood Area.
Army Corps, Texas General Land Office and Gulf Coast Protection District laid the foundation for the Coastal Texas Project.
The Army Corps completed its dredging program and the City extended it. However, sediment from sand mines upstream has once again reduced the conveyance of rivers, streams and channels.
At the start of this month, directors were finally sworn in for the Lake Houston Dredging and Maintenance District. And they are in the process of developing a business plan.
Harris County Engineering, which enforces floodplain regulations, is essentially in disarray, due to loss of personnel and high turnover. Some employees have reportedly resigned within weeks of joining the department. As a consequence, contractors are dumping fill in floodplains with impunity.
After achieving mixed results on getting surrounding counties to adopt minimum drainage regulations, Harris County Engineering quietly dropped the effort. Since then, Colony Ridge in Liberty County has grown 50% larger than Manhattan. The developer has filled in wetlands, developed thousands of acres with no detention basins, and failed to line channels with grass to reduce erosion.
Mark Micheletti is now the sole downstream representative on the seven-person SJRA board. And State Rep. Will Metcalf introduced legislation to deny representation to downstream residents on the SJRA Board.
Most of the SJRA studies are still incomplete. And no recommendations have yet been implemented from any studies that are complete. The Spring Creek study, for instance, recommended the purchase of land which had already been sold and developed by the time the SJRA Board got a chance to consider it.
The City of Houston still hopes to add more floodgates to Lake Houston’s dam. However, changes in scope have inflated costs. They now exceed committed funding. The search for funding continues as engineering plans near completion.
In the quest to build a reliable evacuation route from Kingwood, Northpark Drive Phase I is nearing completion, estimated for 27Q1. Waiting in the wings: the Phase II extension to Woodland Hills. And a large detention basin south of St. Martha Catholic Church. In future floods, if Hamblen, Kingwood Drive and Mills Branch Road go under water, this should create a fast, reliable evacuation route. Estimated completion for everything: 2031.
The Coastal Texas Project issued a press release in March 2025 stating that the first component of the plan was starting design. I can find no updates to their website since then.
The Resilient Houston website appears to have been taken down. I can find no recent updates on the program.
FEMA published new draft flood maps for Harris County in March 2026. But they won’t become effective for two to three more years while they go through a public comment and review period. Surrounding counties have not yet released updated flood maps based on higher Atlas 14 rainfall totals. Meanwhile, more than 65,000 homes have been built in the region’s floodplains since Harvey, according to a Houston Chronicle investigation.
TWDB is now in its second flood-planning cycle. Regional Flood Planning Groups submit projects they identify for funding to help reduce flood risk. But there are far more projects than dollars to do them. In the first cycle, the regional groups submitted $46 billion worth of projects and the legislature appropriated $1 billion to fund them.
Conclusions
I draw several conclusions from these observations:
If another flood like Harvey happened now, it could be equally destructive.
Mitigation takes longer and costs more than taxpayers can afford.
So…homebuyers beware.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/27/26
3285 days (nine years) since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/5dayrainfalltotal_westgulfriverforecastcenter.png?fit=1182%2C544&ssl=15441182adminadmin2026-08-27 16:39:122026-08-27 16:45:30Flood-Mitigation Update Nine Years after Hurricane Harvey
8/26/26 – Contractors are currently installing liners in the two entry ponds that bracket Northpark Drive at US59. See the north pond below.
Photo courtesy of Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority.
The liner is a geomembrane made out of high density polyethylene. It takes at least 240 pounds/inch to break the liner.
Ponds Will Serve Two Purposes
To motorists, the ponds will look like decorative lakes at the entrance to the community. However, they also play another important role as stormwater retention basins.
The difference between the water surface level and top of bank represents capacity for excess stormwater storage. The increase in impervious cover associated with expansion of the roadway will create additional runoff and the ponds will help retain that, reducing flood risk.
Closing on Property for Well Will Be Key to Pond Completion
Closing on property for the well that would fill the ponds when rainwater doesn’t
The need to cover the pond liners to keep sunlight from damaging them.
The plan is to cover the liners with a foot of dirt. That should protect them from harmful UV rays.
De Leon previously said he hopes to close on the property for the well during the first week of October 2026 and have the ponds filled by the end of October.
According to De Leon, “We still have to get the permit approved by the subsidence district and schedule the sub-contractor to dig the well. Then we need electricity to operate it. If we get rain before all that happens, they could easily fill by themselves.”
Multiple Purposes of Pond Liners
The primary purpose of a pond liner in a decorative community-entrance pond is to keep the water in the pond rather than allowing it to infiltrate into the surrounding soil. But it serves several related functions.
Prevents seepage and water loss. This is especially important in sandy, gravelly, fractured, or otherwise permeable soils. Without a liner, maintaining the desired water level could require continual makeup water.
Maintains a stable appearance. Decorative ponds are usually designed around a particular water-surface elevation. A liner helps keep shorelines, fountains, waterfalls, and landscaping looking as designed.
Reduces operating costs. Less water has to be added to compensate for infiltration, which can substantially reduce water bills and pumping requirements.
Provides some isolation from groundwater and soil. A liner can limit exchange between pond water and groundwater and reduce the migration of dissolved minerals or contaminants in either direction.
Helps control vegetation and erosion. Liners can discourage deeply rooted aquatic plants and prevent the pond bottom from eroding.
When complete, the Northpark entries should look as beautiful as the Kingwood Drive entries. That will be a major upgrade for the entire community.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/26/26
3284 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/North-Entry-Pond-Liner.jpg?fit=1100%2C825&ssl=18251100adminadmin2026-08-26 16:43:202026-08-26 17:26:39Northpark Pond Liners Being Installed
8/25/26 – Just days after being sworn in, the five board members of the new Lake Houston Dredging and Maintenance District held their first working meeting on 8/24/26. They focused on developing an organization that could, in turn, develop a long-range plan.
Three of the five board members live in the Lake Houston Area, including the board chair. So, they are highly focused on getting dredges in the water as soon as possible.
Dredging District board (L to R): Sarah Burkey, William Simpson (chair), Derek St. John, Kathleen Jordan, Ken Kirchhofer (out of frame to right).Jordan lives in Kingwood. Simpson and Kirchhofer live in Atascocita.
Board Chair William Simpson set the stage by saying, “We’re basically starting from day one on this. Today, we want to strategize around how to move forward and then form some committees to start working.”
After a review of bylaws, they discussed:
Scope of work/maps/surveys
Estimate of costs
Funding plans
Schedule milestones
A procurement plan
Committees
Houston Public Works Set the Stage
David Wurdlow, Houston Public Works’ Sr. Assistant Director of Capital Projects and Grant Management, set the stage by talking about dredging costs and funding sources – both past and potential.
Since Harvey, approximately $175 million has been raised for dredging from a variety of sources and $168 million expended. That leaves approximately $7 million in the kitty.
Funding summary shows balance left in last two line items, which are not yet closed.
Utilizing those remaining funds would require an interlocal agreement of some sort with either Harris County or City of Houston.
Wurdlow next identified several possible sources for grants. He emphasized that many grants are designated exclusively for capital improvements and that, by definition, dredging is a maintenance activity. Outside of an emergency, such as Hurricane Harvey, that limits potential funding sources somewhat. However, several sources remain viable alternatives.
Since Harvey, more than 4 million cubic yards of sediment have been removed from the lake and its tributaries through a variety of programs.
Finally, Wurdlow discussed how dredging dovetailed with other flood-mitigation efforts underway in the Lake Houston watershed, such as the SJRA’s sedimentation, sand trap, and joint-reservoir-operations studies.
Identifying Elements of a Business Plan
The discussion then hopscotched through a variety of topics related to things necessary to develop a long-range business plan. They included, but were not limited to:
Hiring an attorney and a CPA
Determining ways to finance dredging efforts
Finding placement areas to drain spoils
Transporting dredged materials away from the lake
Working with developers who might use the spoils
Devoting long-range drainage plans
Agreeing on scope of work (i.e., maintaining current silt levels or improving them)
Limiting water-quality concerns related to dredging
Implementing sand traps to reduce incoming sediment
Finalizing goals (i.e., dredging XXX thousand cubic yards per year)
Agreeing on the core mission
Developing a procurement plan and web site
Identifying potential partners
Developing ways to communicate with the public and partners
Setting up board committees to handle all of the above
The discussion lasted an hour and thirty-eight minutes. The group had more questions than answers. But that was expected at this point. However, the board identified the key questions it needs to answer. And it developed a committee structure to deliver a workable business plan.
Future Meetings
The Lake Houston Dredging and Maintenance District plans to hold meetings on the third Monday of every month at the Humble Chamber at 11 am. The address is 110 W. Main St., Humble, TX 77338.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/25/2026
3283 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Dredging-District-Board-in-Action.jpg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=17331100adminadmin2026-08-25 16:47:312026-08-26 07:20:24Lake Houston Dredging and Maintenance District Kicks Off Planning Effort
Flood-Mitigation Update Nine Years after Hurricane Harvey
8/27/26 – This week marks nine years since Hurricane Harvey, the wettest tropical cyclone on record in the United States. It dropped 60.58 inches of rain in Nederland, Texas, just east of Houston. Harvey also caused an estimated $125 billion in damages, making it the second costliest storm in U.S. history after Katrina.
According to the National Weather Service, only around 10 percent of the river forecast points in southeast Texas remained below flood stage during the event, and…
Nine Years of Flood-Mitigation Efforts
In the wake of all that destruction, the public demanded better flood protection and officials responded. Here is a list of some of the major efforts.
Results to Date
What is the status of all these flood-mitigation efforts today? In the same order:
HCFCD has spent about $2.2 billion of the total $5.2 committed – 42%. Because of deadlines attached to some of the federal funds, the County could lose hundreds of millions of dollars and the head of the flood control district resigned under pressure. A new director is trying to pick up the pieces.
The Army Corps completed its dredging program and the City extended it. However, sediment from sand mines upstream has once again reduced the conveyance of rivers, streams and channels.
At the start of this month, directors were finally sworn in for the Lake Houston Dredging and Maintenance District. And they are in the process of developing a business plan.
Harris County Engineering, which enforces floodplain regulations, is essentially in disarray, due to loss of personnel and high turnover. Some employees have reportedly resigned within weeks of joining the department. As a consequence, contractors are dumping fill in floodplains with impunity.
After achieving mixed results on getting surrounding counties to adopt minimum drainage regulations, Harris County Engineering quietly dropped the effort. Since then, Colony Ridge in Liberty County has grown 50% larger than Manhattan. The developer has filled in wetlands, developed thousands of acres with no detention basins, and failed to line channels with grass to reduce erosion.
Under pressure from Lake Conroe boaters, the SJRA stopped automatic seasonal lowering of lake levels.
Mark Micheletti is now the sole downstream representative on the seven-person SJRA board. And State Rep. Will Metcalf introduced legislation to deny representation to downstream residents on the SJRA Board.
Most of the SJRA studies are still incomplete. And no recommendations have yet been implemented from any studies that are complete. The Spring Creek study, for instance, recommended the purchase of land which had already been sold and developed by the time the SJRA Board got a chance to consider it.
The City of Houston still hopes to add more floodgates to Lake Houston’s dam. However, changes in scope have inflated costs. They now exceed committed funding. The search for funding continues as engineering plans near completion.
CoH’s long-range dredging operational plan will depend on financing for the Dredging and Maintenance District which is still being studied.
In the quest to build a reliable evacuation route from Kingwood, Northpark Drive Phase I is nearing completion, estimated for 27Q1. Waiting in the wings: the Phase II extension to Woodland Hills. And a large detention basin south of St. Martha Catholic Church. In future floods, if Hamblen, Kingwood Drive and Mills Branch Road go under water, this should create a fast, reliable evacuation route. Estimated completion for everything: 2031.
The Coastal Texas Project issued a press release in March 2025 stating that the first component of the plan was starting design. I can find no updates to their website since then.
The Resilient Houston website appears to have been taken down. I can find no recent updates on the program.
HCFCD’s Resilience Plan is still in development.
FEMA published new draft flood maps for Harris County in March 2026. But they won’t become effective for two to three more years while they go through a public comment and review period. Surrounding counties have not yet released updated flood maps based on higher Atlas 14 rainfall totals. Meanwhile, more than 65,000 homes have been built in the region’s floodplains since Harvey, according to a Houston Chronicle investigation.
The Texas Water Development Board’s (TWDB) first statewide flood plan found that:
TWDB is now in its second flood-planning cycle. Regional Flood Planning Groups submit projects they identify for funding to help reduce flood risk. But there are far more projects than dollars to do them. In the first cycle, the regional groups submitted $46 billion worth of projects and the legislature appropriated $1 billion to fund them.
Conclusions
I draw several conclusions from these observations:
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/27/26
3285 days (nine years) since Hurricane Harvey
Northpark Pond Liners Being Installed
8/26/26 – Contractors are currently installing liners in the two entry ponds that bracket Northpark Drive at US59. See the north pond below.
The liner is a geomembrane made out of high density polyethylene. It takes at least 240 pounds/inch to break the liner.
Ponds Will Serve Two Purposes
To motorists, the ponds will look like decorative lakes at the entrance to the community. However, they also play another important role as stormwater retention basins.
The difference between the water surface level and top of bank represents capacity for excess stormwater storage. The increase in impervious cover associated with expansion of the roadway will create additional runoff and the ponds will help retain that, reducing flood risk.
Closing on Property for Well Will Be Key to Pond Completion
On 7/24/26, I wrote a brief update about the entry ponds. Two things were holding up completion.
The plan is to cover the liners with a foot of dirt. That should protect them from harmful UV rays.
De Leon previously said he hopes to close on the property for the well during the first week of October 2026 and have the ponds filled by the end of October.
According to De Leon, “We still have to get the permit approved by the subsidence district and schedule the sub-contractor to dig the well. Then we need electricity to operate it. If we get rain before all that happens, they could easily fill by themselves.”
Multiple Purposes of Pond Liners
The primary purpose of a pond liner in a decorative community-entrance pond is to keep the water in the pond rather than allowing it to infiltrate into the surrounding soil. But it serves several related functions.
When complete, the Northpark entries should look as beautiful as the Kingwood Drive entries. That will be a major upgrade for the entire community.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/26/26
3284 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Lake Houston Dredging and Maintenance District Kicks Off Planning Effort
8/25/26 – Just days after being sworn in, the five board members of the new Lake Houston Dredging and Maintenance District held their first working meeting on 8/24/26. They focused on developing an organization that could, in turn, develop a long-range plan.
Three of the five board members live in the Lake Houston Area, including the board chair. So, they are highly focused on getting dredges in the water as soon as possible.
Board Chair William Simpson set the stage by saying, “We’re basically starting from day one on this. Today, we want to strategize around how to move forward and then form some committees to start working.”
After a review of bylaws, they discussed:
Houston Public Works Set the Stage
David Wurdlow, Houston Public Works’ Sr. Assistant Director of Capital Projects and Grant Management, set the stage by talking about dredging costs and funding sources – both past and potential.
Since Harvey, approximately $175 million has been raised for dredging from a variety of sources and $168 million expended. That leaves approximately $7 million in the kitty.
Utilizing those remaining funds would require an interlocal agreement of some sort with either Harris County or City of Houston.
Wurdlow next identified several possible sources for grants. He emphasized that many grants are designated exclusively for capital improvements and that, by definition, dredging is a maintenance activity. Outside of an emergency, such as Hurricane Harvey, that limits potential funding sources somewhat. However, several sources remain viable alternatives.
Since Harvey, more than 4 million cubic yards of sediment have been removed from the lake and its tributaries through a variety of programs.
Finally, Wurdlow discussed how dredging dovetailed with other flood-mitigation efforts underway in the Lake Houston watershed, such as the SJRA’s sedimentation, sand trap, and joint-reservoir-operations studies.
Identifying Elements of a Business Plan
The discussion then hopscotched through a variety of topics related to things necessary to develop a long-range business plan. They included, but were not limited to:
The discussion lasted an hour and thirty-eight minutes. The group had more questions than answers. But that was expected at this point. However, the board identified the key questions it needs to answer. And it developed a committee structure to deliver a workable business plan.
Future Meetings
The Lake Houston Dredging and Maintenance District plans to hold meetings on the third Monday of every month at the Humble Chamber at 11 am. The address is 110 W. Main St., Humble, TX 77338.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/25/2026
3283 Days since Hurricane Harvey