6/5/25 – The Northpark Drive Expansion Project has been a beehive of activity recently.
A major traffic switch will happen Friday.
Crews have paved several blocks of new westbound lanes and are working their way toward the railroad tracks.
They have finished the first pit for boring under the UnionPacific tracks and are getting ready to place the boring machine into it. They have also started excavating the receiving pit on the west side of the tracks.
Contractors at the Northpark Enclave continue to work even as Montgomery County Precinct 4 is trying to set up a meeting between Montgomery County Engineering, City of Houston, EHRA (the Enclave’s engineering company), and HNTB (the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority’s engineering company). The purpose: to discuss concerns about potential overflow from the development’s retention pond during extreme weather events into the evacuation route for 78,000 people.
Lane Switch
Westbound traffic between Loop 494 and US59 will be routed to recently paved lanes on the north side of Northpark starting Friday, June 6.
According to Ralph De Leon, Northpark Expansion project manager, “Beginning June 6th at 9pm, Harper Brothers Construction will shift westbound Northpark Drive traffic to the newly constructed westbound lanes.”
The contractor will then install new storm sewer pipes and construct new concrete roadway between the eastbound and westbound lanes. This shift should last approximately 6 months. And no additional lane changes will take place during that time in that area.
De Leon provided this map to help motorists understand Friday’s change.
Beginning 6.6.25 at 9 PM
That same area looks like this from a lower angle.
Crews will reroute traffic to the lanes on the right with the orange traffic cones.
Westbound traffic now in the middle will move to the right and crews will begin work in the middle.
Paving
During the last few months, work on the north side of Northpark east of the railroad tracks has focused mainly on utility relocations and drainage installation. Now, crews are starting to pave that area working from east to west – toward the tracks.
Note the fresh concrete on the left below.
Looking East along Northpark DriveReverse angle. Looking W from same location. Crews are working on pavement prep work, i.e., rebar placement.
Boring Under Union Pacific Tracks
Steel pipe previously stockpiled south (left) of Northpark has been moved to the north side in preparation for the bore.Workers have completed the steel frame for the boring operation and poured a concrete floor for the bore pit.
They have also placed a section of railroad tracks into the pit. The boring machine will later be placed on the tracks.
On the far side of the tracks, you can see them starting to excavate the receiving pit.
Two steel pipes will run under the tracks side by side to convey storm water toward the Diversion Ditch from the area on the west side of Loop 494. As crews push each section in, they will weld a new section on.
Enclave Construction
Contrary to earlier reports, construction at the Enclave has not stopped during a peer review of the subdivision’s drainage.
Photo taken 6/4/25 at approximately 2 PMshowed activity throughout the site.
Victoria Bryant, Montgomery County Precinct 4 Project Coordinator says that she is trying to set up a meeting between the engineering companies, MoCo Engineering and the City of Houston.
Pictures below show activity on the site.
Culvert installation almost reached the development’s detention basinat 2PM on 6/4/25.More drainage being installed on 6/3/25Pipes going in the ground.Also on 6/3/25.
Drainage Concerns
Meanwhile, construction plans show that the detention basin could overflow into the only evacuation route for 78,000 people during extreme rainfall events.
Enlarged and cropped detail from construction plans.
But it doesn’t take a 100-year rainfall to create a 100-year flood in the Kingwood Diversion Ditch.
The photo below taken by Kingwood flood activist Chris Bloch during the May 2024 flood shows runoff in the Kingwood Diversion Ditch reaching above the bottom of the Northpark Drive Bridge, which was above the predicted 100-year flood level.
But the closest Harris County Flood Control rain gage showed that the May 2024 event that caused water to reach that high was approximately a 5-year rainfall by today’s Atlas-14 standard.
Photo courtesy of Chris Bloch
But there’s more. Plans for the bridge show that the bottom is at 75.76 feet.
About a half mile downstream, drainage from the Enclave and the rest of Kings Mill crosses under Russell Palmer Road and enters into the Diversion Ditch.
Water in the Diversion Ditch at the bridge was higher than the crown of Russell Palmer Road at the detention basin.
When water in a receiving ditch is higher than water in a connected detention basin, it creates back-pressure on the water in the basin. Water can actually flow into the basin from the ditch.
At a minimum, higher water in the Diversion Ditch would slow the water coming out of Kings Mill and the Enclave. That raises the height of stormwater in the detention basin(s) and keeps it there longer.
Also, note that the outfall pipe for the Kings Mills Detention Basins is at the BOTTOM of the Diversion Ditch. (See below.) That exacerbates the back-pressure issue.
Route of stormwater from Kings Mill Detention Basin (right) to Kingwood Diversion Ditch (left)
Conclusion: Mismatch Between Regulations and Reality
The Diversion Ditch has become seriously overburdened with runoff from subdivisions that were developed when the rainfall probability estimates used by Montgomery County were 40% lower than they are for this area today.
That may or may not cause the Enclave detention basin to overflow into Northpark during a REAL 100-year event. It will be interesting to see what the engineers determine. Only they can tell how high, how far, and how long the water will back up.
Chances are small that the Enclave detention basin will overflow into Northpark during an evacuation. But the stakes are huge.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/4/25
2836 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/20250604-NorthPark-Traffic-Switch-06-06-2025R.jpg?fit=1100%2C712&ssl=17121100adminadmin2025-06-04 20:17:332025-06-05 13:46:02Northpark Update: Lane Switch, Paving, Tunneling, Enclave
6/3/25 – The new 1,056-page Texas state budget includes more than $200 million for Houston-area flood mitigation projects and dredging.
The legislature allocated $50 million for Lake Houston dredging through the Texas Water Development Board and another $150 million for Houston/Harris County Area flood-mitigation projects.
That’s out of a total $581 million appropriated to TWDB for funding infrastructure, flood, wastewater and water-supply projects.
List of Other Local Flood-Mitigation Projects
Other Houston/Harris County flood-related projects include:
$54 million for the Cypress Ditch Regional Flood Mitigation Project
$2.5 million for Greens Bayou Watershed Channel Improvements
For the Lake Houston dredging district (HB1532) to succeed long term, the operation must make business sense. The legislation that formed the district stipulates it cannot impose taxes or fees. So operations must generate a funding stream from the sale of spoils for beneficial uses such as roads, development, and the Ike Dike.
However, in the near term, the dredging money allocated by the legislature could be used to help purchase dredging equipment and set up operations.
Many decisions lie ahead re: equipment, staging areas, staffing, sales of the spoils, maintenance, trucking, and more.
Frankly, I thought we might have to wait until the next session of the legislature in two years before we had a chance at seed money to launch the dredging district.
So, seeing the money in this state budget is a very pleasant surprise…as is the additional $150+ million for other flood-mitigation projects coming to the Houston region!
For More Information
To see the entire 1068-page state budget, click here. (Warning: 10 meg download.)
For the two pages relating to TWDB and flood mitigation projects, click here.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/3/2025
2885 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/20250114-DJI_20250114091626_0721_D.jpg?fit=1100%2C619&ssl=16191100adminadmin2025-06-03 19:12:472025-06-03 19:12:48New State Budget Includes $200 Million for Area Flood Projects, Dredging
6/4/25 Update: Construction has not yet stopped and it may not. It continues as City and County Authorities try to set up a meeting to review drainage plans with engineers.
6/2/25 – Construction has stopped, at least temporarily, at the Enclave, a new 11-acre residential development adjacent to the Northpark expansion project in Montgomery County.
Both Montgomery County and the City of Houston have asked engineers to review the drainage plans, which showed the development’s detention basin overflowing into the only evacuation route for 78,000 people during extreme weather events.
HNTB, the engineer for the Northpark Expansion project, is going to conduct a peer review of EHRA plans for the Enclave’s drainage. They need to hurry.
Detention Basin Already Dug Out
Photographs taken between 5/31 and 6/2/25 show that construction crews have already excavated the proposed detention basin. And they are starting to install pipes and junction boxes for drainage.
Looking E. Northpark on left. Detention Basin, partially filled with water from last week’s rains, is already excavated.
However, I have received word that both the City and Montgomery County have asked for construction to be paused for a new independent peer review of the development’s drainage plans.
Partial Update to Outdated Drainage Plans
The new development is technically part of Kings Mill, which had its drainage plans approved in 2012. But after Harvey in 2018, Montgomery County and the City of Houston both adopted Atlas 14 rainfall probability statistics, which are 33% higher than those used to design virtually all of Kings Mill’s infrastructure.
That means Kings Mill – which is 20 times larger than the Northpark Enclave – funnels much more stormwater toward the Kingwood Diversion Ditch than it was designed to handle.
Yet Enclave engineers designed its detention basin to hold only the difference between the old and new rainfall statistics. And only for 11 acres, not all 240.
Concerns about Capacity, Its Impact and Inconsistencies
Several other things have happened since approval of the 2012 drainage study.
The Northpark Expansion project started. A major goal: to create an all-weather evacuation route when Hamblen Road, Kingwood Drive and Mills Branch Road are cut off by high water.
The developer’s plans raised concerns about where Enclave overflow will go during an extreme event. (See construction diagram above.)
Construction plans showed inconsistencies between the initial drainage impact analysis and today, including the size of the Enclave.
The developer claims it can build ten homes to the acre with only 55% impervious cover, an extremely ambitious goal.
Photos Show Drainage Route to Kingwood Diversion Ditch
Photos below show the new Northpark Enclave development and the path that stormwater will take on its way to the Kingwood Diversion Ditch, which already has capacity problems of its own.
Hundreds of homes have flooded because of the ditch’s diminishing capacity as insufficiently mitigated new subdivisions began draining into it.
Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) has completed its preliminary engineering review of the Diversion Ditch. HCFCD is now in the process of selecting an engineering company to make final recommendations for improving the ditch. But it could take years to find the money to construct any recommendations that come out of the study.
So, MoCo and the City want to make sure they get this right. The photos below show how all the drainage will connect.
Looking SE over the intersection of Loop 494 and Northpark Drive at construction of the Northpark Enclave.Still looking SE. From the new development, stormwater will move to the giant detention basin in the upper center of frame.Contractors are already starting to install culverts that will carry runoff to the main Kings Mill Detention Basin.From the Kings Mill Detention Basin, stormwater will flow into the ditch that angles toward top and then makes a left turn toward Russell-Palmer Road in the upper left corner of the frame.Stormwater runoff goes a half mile east toward Russell-Palmer Road. Kings Mill’s drainage on left. Kings Manor’s on right.Looking S along Kingwood Diversion Ditch and Russell-Palmer Road. Kings Mill Ditch on lower right. Kings Manor Ditch above it. Both outfall under the road into the Diversion Ditch. Bridge at top of frame by water tower is Kingwood Drive.
Once contractors have drain pipes and culverts in the ground and start pouring concrete, it will be very difficult to make any changes. So, it’s good that construction has been paused now for peer review.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/2/2025
2834 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/20250601-DJI_20250601114737_0637_D.jpg?fit=1100%2C619&ssl=16191100adminadmin2025-06-02 19:50:342025-06-04 20:18:09Enclave Construction Stopped While Engineers Review Drainage
Northpark Update: Lane Switch, Paving, Tunneling, Enclave
6/5/25 – The Northpark Drive Expansion Project has been a beehive of activity recently.
Lane Switch
Westbound traffic between Loop 494 and US59 will be routed to recently paved lanes on the north side of Northpark starting Friday, June 6.
According to Ralph De Leon, Northpark Expansion project manager, “Beginning June 6th at 9pm, Harper Brothers Construction will shift westbound Northpark Drive traffic to the newly constructed westbound lanes.”
The contractor will then install new storm sewer pipes and construct new concrete roadway between the eastbound and westbound lanes. This shift should last approximately 6 months. And no additional lane changes will take place during that time in that area.
De Leon provided this map to help motorists understand Friday’s change.
That same area looks like this from a lower angle.
Westbound traffic now in the middle will move to the right and crews will begin work in the middle.
Paving
During the last few months, work on the north side of Northpark east of the railroad tracks has focused mainly on utility relocations and drainage installation. Now, crews are starting to pave that area working from east to west – toward the tracks.
Note the fresh concrete on the left below.
Boring Under Union Pacific Tracks
They have also placed a section of railroad tracks into the pit. The boring machine will later be placed on the tracks.
Two steel pipes will run under the tracks side by side to convey storm water toward the Diversion Ditch from the area on the west side of Loop 494. As crews push each section in, they will weld a new section on.
Enclave Construction
Contrary to earlier reports, construction at the Enclave has not stopped during a peer review of the subdivision’s drainage.
Victoria Bryant, Montgomery County Precinct 4 Project Coordinator says that she is trying to set up a meeting between the engineering companies, MoCo Engineering and the City of Houston.
Pictures below show activity on the site.
Drainage Concerns
Meanwhile, construction plans show that the detention basin could overflow into the only evacuation route for 78,000 people during extreme rainfall events.
But it doesn’t take a 100-year rainfall to create a 100-year flood in the Kingwood Diversion Ditch.
The photo below taken by Kingwood flood activist Chris Bloch during the May 2024 flood shows runoff in the Kingwood Diversion Ditch reaching above the bottom of the Northpark Drive Bridge, which was above the predicted 100-year flood level.
But the closest Harris County Flood Control rain gage showed that the May 2024 event that caused water to reach that high was approximately a 5-year rainfall by today’s Atlas-14 standard.
But there’s more. Plans for the bridge show that the bottom is at 75.76 feet.
About a half mile downstream, drainage from the Enclave and the rest of Kings Mill crosses under Russell Palmer Road and enters into the Diversion Ditch.
Water in the Diversion Ditch at the bridge was higher than the crown of Russell Palmer Road at the detention basin.
When water in a receiving ditch is higher than water in a connected detention basin, it creates back-pressure on the water in the basin. Water can actually flow into the basin from the ditch.
At a minimum, higher water in the Diversion Ditch would slow the water coming out of Kings Mill and the Enclave. That raises the height of stormwater in the detention basin(s) and keeps it there longer.
Also, note that the outfall pipe for the Kings Mills Detention Basins is at the BOTTOM of the Diversion Ditch. (See below.) That exacerbates the back-pressure issue.
Conclusion: Mismatch Between Regulations and Reality
The Diversion Ditch has become seriously overburdened with runoff from subdivisions that were developed when the rainfall probability estimates used by Montgomery County were 40% lower than they are for this area today.
That may or may not cause the Enclave detention basin to overflow into Northpark during a REAL 100-year event. It will be interesting to see what the engineers determine. Only they can tell how high, how far, and how long the water will back up.
Chances are small that the Enclave detention basin will overflow into Northpark during an evacuation. But the stakes are huge.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/4/25
2836 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
New State Budget Includes $200 Million for Area Flood Projects, Dredging
6/3/25 – The new 1,056-page Texas state budget includes more than $200 million for Houston-area flood mitigation projects and dredging.
The legislature allocated $50 million for Lake Houston dredging through the Texas Water Development Board and another $150 million for Houston/Harris County Area flood-mitigation projects.
That’s out of a total $581 million appropriated to TWDB for funding infrastructure, flood, wastewater and water-supply projects.
List of Other Local Flood-Mitigation Projects
Other Houston/Harris County flood-related projects include:
Dredging Program Must Make Business Sense
For the Lake Houston dredging district (HB1532) to succeed long term, the operation must make business sense. The legislation that formed the district stipulates it cannot impose taxes or fees. So operations must generate a funding stream from the sale of spoils for beneficial uses such as roads, development, and the Ike Dike.
However, in the near term, the dredging money allocated by the legislature could be used to help purchase dredging equipment and set up operations.
Many decisions lie ahead re: equipment, staging areas, staffing, sales of the spoils, maintenance, trucking, and more.
Frankly, I thought we might have to wait until the next session of the legislature in two years before we had a chance at seed money to launch the dredging district.
So, seeing the money in this state budget is a very pleasant surprise…as is the additional $150+ million for other flood-mitigation projects coming to the Houston region!
For More Information
To see the entire 1068-page state budget, click here. (Warning: 10 meg download.)
For the two pages relating to TWDB and flood mitigation projects, click here.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/3/2025
2885 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Enclave Construction Stopped While Engineers Review Drainage
6/4/25 Update: Construction has not yet stopped and it may not. It continues as City and County Authorities try to set up a meeting to review drainage plans with engineers.
6/2/25 – Construction has stopped, at least temporarily, at the Enclave, a new 11-acre residential development adjacent to the Northpark expansion project in Montgomery County.
Both Montgomery County and the City of Houston have asked engineers to review the drainage plans, which showed the development’s detention basin overflowing into the only evacuation route for 78,000 people during extreme weather events.
HNTB, the engineer for the Northpark Expansion project, is going to conduct a peer review of EHRA plans for the Enclave’s drainage. They need to hurry.
Detention Basin Already Dug Out
Photographs taken between 5/31 and 6/2/25 show that construction crews have already excavated the proposed detention basin. And they are starting to install pipes and junction boxes for drainage.
However, I have received word that both the City and Montgomery County have asked for construction to be paused for a new independent peer review of the development’s drainage plans.
Partial Update to Outdated Drainage Plans
The new development is technically part of Kings Mill, which had its drainage plans approved in 2012. But after Harvey in 2018, Montgomery County and the City of Houston both adopted Atlas 14 rainfall probability statistics, which are 33% higher than those used to design virtually all of Kings Mill’s infrastructure.
That means Kings Mill – which is 20 times larger than the Northpark Enclave – funnels much more stormwater toward the Kingwood Diversion Ditch than it was designed to handle.
Yet Enclave engineers designed its detention basin to hold only the difference between the old and new rainfall statistics. And only for 11 acres, not all 240.
Concerns about Capacity, Its Impact and Inconsistencies
Several other things have happened since approval of the 2012 drainage study.
Photos Show Drainage Route to Kingwood Diversion Ditch
Photos below show the new Northpark Enclave development and the path that stormwater will take on its way to the Kingwood Diversion Ditch, which already has capacity problems of its own.
Hundreds of homes have flooded because of the ditch’s diminishing capacity as insufficiently mitigated new subdivisions began draining into it.
Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) has completed its preliminary engineering review of the Diversion Ditch. HCFCD is now in the process of selecting an engineering company to make final recommendations for improving the ditch. But it could take years to find the money to construct any recommendations that come out of the study.
So, MoCo and the City want to make sure they get this right. The photos below show how all the drainage will connect.
Once contractors have drain pipes and culverts in the ground and start pouring concrete, it will be very difficult to make any changes. So, it’s good that construction has been paused now for peer review.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/2/2025
2834 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.