2/25/25 – Today, Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) began picking up remaining Hurricane Beryl Debris from Bens Branch in Kingwood. The cleanup effort began on Tree Lane across from Bear Branch Elementary. More than 600 children in grades K-5 attend school there.
The delayed cleanup effort illustrates the need for community leaders and Flood Control to work more closely together and document cleanup efforts, especially after disasters.
The Fog of Disaster
Beryl left a mess all across the Houston area. The massive cleanup effort involved HCFCD, the City of Houston, FEMA, private contractors, CenterPoint and more working months with little sleep. Responsibilities were inevitably bound to get mixed up on occasion and this was one of them.
HCFCD denies the piles of Beryl debris from Bens Branch were theirs, despite the protestations of local leaders who monitored cleanup efforts.
But Eric Heppen, Harris County Precinct 3’s Director of Engineering, said, “We’re past that now. We’re just going to pick up the piles.” Thank you, Commissioner Ramsey. And thank you, HCFCD.
I’m sure that will be a relief to parents who worried about the temptation the piles represented to young boys eager to test their climbing skills. One of the piles crews worked on today easily exceeded six feet in height.
Chris Bloch, a Bear Branch Trail Association (BBTA) board member, led the fight to get HCFCD to clean up piles at ten locations strung out along the forested portion of Bens Branch, which runs through the center of Kingwood.
Thirteen residents who lived near the stream died as a result of flooding during Hurricane Harvey. Ever since then, residents and the BBTA board have been hyper-vigilant about anything that could back water up in the stream. So, it is good to get this behind us.
Remainder of Piles Should Be Gone by Friday
Jessica Lazo, a HCFCD spokesperson for Precinct 3, said that HCFCD crews should remove the remainder of the debris by this Friday, 2/28/25.
The City removed two piles along Cedar Knolls last week. HCFCD will remove the rest.
First load of two piles near Bens Branch (seen in the background at top of frame) along Tree Lane.The right equipment makes it look so easy...…but its not.Note vines and smaller branches mixed with sections of tree trunks.
The photo above shows HCFCD working on the second load of Beryl debris from Bens Branch. After the first, the crew had to drive to the other side of the county to drop off the debris for recycling. According to an employee I interviewed onsite during the operation, few places at this time can handle mixed loads like this. By mixed, he meant large-diameter tree trunks and smaller branches.
So this could be a lengthy process. I’ll let you know when they complete the job.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/25/25
2737 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/20250225-DJI_20250225122804_0007_D.jpg?fit=1100%2C619&ssl=16191100adminadmin2025-02-25 16:13:052025-02-25 16:46:43HCFCD Picking Up Last of Beryl Debris from Bens Branch
2/24/25 – Yesterday, I posted pictures and video of a river of muck hundreds of feet wide that has poured out of Hallett Materials 170-acre settling pond into the San Jacinto West Fork…for a full year. Today, I’ll talk about the high cost of living downstream from that situation.
But Hallett has even more environmental issues. The West Fork now flows directly through one of the company’s other pits. It also flows through a third pit that Hallett sold to a residential developer just weeks before the dikes on the pit failed.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has not addressed any of those problems. It investigated one issue, ignored two others and issued no fines – despite a directive from Texas Governor Greg Abbott to “take action against sand mining operations violating regulations.”
Up the Down Escalator
It became clear after Harvey, that sand clogging the West Fork had contributed to epic flooding downstream from the sand mines. 16,000 homes and 3,300 businesses flooded in the Humble/Kingwood area.
The Army Corps said sediment had reduced the conveyance of the river up to 90% in places. But even after taxpayers bore almost $200 million of dredging costs, the river still has not returned to pre-Harvey conditions. More sand keeps coming.
Sand miners claim rivers naturally convey sediment. True. But that ignores the contribution of 20 square miles of exposed sediment in sand mines once protected by dense vegetation. Call the logic police.
Should we ignore industrial air pollution because bird poop falls naturally from the sky?
Meanwhile, downstream areas pay the price. Until we fix the problem of leaky sand mines, the river will continue to silt in as fast as we can dredge it.
See the photos below taken today at River Grove Park where the Kingwood Diversion Ditch outfalls to the San Jacinto West Fork.
Looking upstream. Outfall of Kingwood Diversion Ditch at River Grove Park on right. Compare what it looked like after Harvey.
Before the Army Corps completed dredging after Harvey, River Grove flooded five times in one six month period. The Corps liberated River Grove in December 2018.
KSA supplemented the Corps dredging and reopened its boat ramp in March 2020. Now, less than five years later, we need serious dredging again. See below.
Looking downstream. Note color of West Fork in this and succeeding pictures compared to water coming from Diversion Ditch.
Note: the water level is down slightly for a dam repair project downstream.
Closer shot shows deepest water is now measured in inches. Reportedly, only kayaks can now get through.However, the sand bars do make a convenient resting place for waterfowl.Overhead shot shows how much gap has filled in.
Dredging Estimated to Cost More than Half of KSA’s Cash Reserves
Last year, KSA obtained bids to dredge the outfall. However, the cost amounted to more than $800,000, more than half of KSA’s cash reserves at the time.
Since then, in my opinion, the sedimentation has worsened. So, dredging could cost even more now.
And this is just one ditch among many on the West Fork. All the more reason to reduce sediment coming from upstream sand mines.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/24/25
2736 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/20250224-DJI_20250224143051_0978_D.jpg?fit=1100%2C619&ssl=16191100adminadmin2025-02-24 21:08:142025-02-24 21:17:29The High Cost of Living Downstream from Sand Mines
2/23/2025 – The mammoth Hallett Sand Mine has been leaking continuously into the San Jacinto West Fork for a year, according to neighbors. I first reported this particular leak on February 9, 2024.
But it’s only one of several problems at the same mine. And the cost of dredging downstream from it is now approaching the annual budget of the TCEQ statewide.
Photos, Video Show Route and Volume of Leak
The leak comes straight out of Hallett’s settling pond and cuts across a service road. The sediment-laden water then flows through wooded property bordering neighbors’ back yards, which it has reportedly invaded from time to time.
From there, the milk-white muck travels to an abandoned sand mine now owned by a real estate developer. That mine’s dike was breached in 2020 after Harvey’s floodwaters severely weakened it in 2017.
As a result of the breach in the neighboring mine, Hallett’s sediment-laden water enters the West Fork without interference, and then travels downstream to Lake Houston, the source of drinking water for more than two million people.
In addition to raising water treatment costs for the City of Houston, such leaks have also been linked to sediment buildups that have reduced the conveyance of the West Fork and contributed to flooding in the Lake Houston Area.
See the pictures below taken today, 2/23/25.
Settling pond on left. Red line indicates path of wastewater through woods, an abandoned mine, and then into the West Fork.
Montgomery County Appraisal District records show that a Hallett sister company, JR Development, Inc. owns the property where the leak originates.
To fully appreciate the volume of the wastewater leaking out of the mine, see the video below. It runs a little longer than one minute.
I have also reported on separate leaks from this same pond into the same abandoned mine via additional routes in January 2021 and May 2024.
River Flowing Through Former Hallett Pit Now Owned By Riverwalk Porter LLC
In the same area, sand mining has created more problems. Across the river, a large mile-long sand pit formerly owned by Hallett ruptured shortly after they sold it to a residential developer named Riverwalk Porter LLC last year.
West Fork San Jacinto enters frame lower right and exits upper left. The large pit on the right used to be owned by Hallett. The river now runs through it, a phenomenon known as “pit capture.”
It still hasn’t been fixed and the river is no longer navigable without cutting through their private property. That pile of sand in the middle of the photo above is an estimated 8 to 10 feet above the river’s normal water line.
Neither does the report mention numerous other pit captures elsewhere in the river basin, including another at the Hallett Mine just upstream from this one. The four month investigation did not:
Result in any reprimands, letters of enforcement, or violations.
Refer to any water-quality measurements, even though the complaints concerned water quality.
Address other sand-mine dike beaches and emissions in the same area
Explore downstream impacts.
The TCEQ also failed to address pit captures in its latest Best Management Practices proposed for sand mines in the San Jacinto River Basin.
No wonder the TCEQ is called a “reluctant regulator.” In my opinion, this goes beyond willful blindness to intentional stupidity. The TCEQ’s annual budget is around $300 million. But the cost of dredging downstream from the Hallett mine is pushing $200 million and climbing.
Editorial comment to Governor Abbott: Wouldn’t it be more cost effective just to put TCEQ salaries straight into a perpetual dredging program?
River Still Flowing Through Another Hallett Pit Upstream
Another photo taken today shows that another Hallett sand pit farther north also remains captured by the San Jacinto River. The river has been flowing through the pit rather than around it since at least June of last year.
River flows from top to bottom of frame through pit.
TCEQ failed to investigate this pit when it investigated the other pit just a mile downstream.
Posted by Bob Rehak on February 23, 2025
2735 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/2025/02/Route-of-Leak.jpg?fit=1100%2C619&ssl=16191100adminadmin2025-02-23 21:52:102025-02-23 23:40:48Hallett Mine Leaking into West Fork for Full Year
HCFCD Picking Up Last of Beryl Debris from Bens Branch
2/25/25 – Today, Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) began picking up remaining Hurricane Beryl Debris from Bens Branch in Kingwood. The cleanup effort began on Tree Lane across from Bear Branch Elementary. More than 600 children in grades K-5 attend school there.
The delayed cleanup effort illustrates the need for community leaders and Flood Control to work more closely together and document cleanup efforts, especially after disasters.
The Fog of Disaster
Beryl left a mess all across the Houston area. The massive cleanup effort involved HCFCD, the City of Houston, FEMA, private contractors, CenterPoint and more working months with little sleep. Responsibilities were inevitably bound to get mixed up on occasion and this was one of them.
HCFCD denies the piles of Beryl debris from Bens Branch were theirs, despite the protestations of local leaders who monitored cleanup efforts.
But Eric Heppen, Harris County Precinct 3’s Director of Engineering, said, “We’re past that now. We’re just going to pick up the piles.” Thank you, Commissioner Ramsey. And thank you, HCFCD.
I’m sure that will be a relief to parents who worried about the temptation the piles represented to young boys eager to test their climbing skills. One of the piles crews worked on today easily exceeded six feet in height.
Chris Bloch, a Bear Branch Trail Association (BBTA) board member, led the fight to get HCFCD to clean up piles at ten locations strung out along the forested portion of Bens Branch, which runs through the center of Kingwood.
Thirteen residents who lived near the stream died as a result of flooding during Hurricane Harvey. Ever since then, residents and the BBTA board have been hyper-vigilant about anything that could back water up in the stream. So, it is good to get this behind us.
Remainder of Piles Should Be Gone by Friday
Jessica Lazo, a HCFCD spokesperson for Precinct 3, said that HCFCD crews should remove the remainder of the debris by this Friday, 2/28/25.
The City removed two piles along Cedar Knolls last week. HCFCD will remove the rest.
The photo above shows HCFCD working on the second load of Beryl debris from Bens Branch. After the first, the crew had to drive to the other side of the county to drop off the debris for recycling. According to an employee I interviewed onsite during the operation, few places at this time can handle mixed loads like this. By mixed, he meant large-diameter tree trunks and smaller branches.
So this could be a lengthy process. I’ll let you know when they complete the job.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/25/25
2737 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The High Cost of Living Downstream from Sand Mines
2/24/25 – Yesterday, I posted pictures and video of a river of muck hundreds of feet wide that has poured out of Hallett Materials 170-acre settling pond into the San Jacinto West Fork…for a full year. Today, I’ll talk about the high cost of living downstream from that situation.
But Hallett has even more environmental issues. The West Fork now flows directly through one of the company’s other pits. It also flows through a third pit that Hallett sold to a residential developer just weeks before the dikes on the pit failed.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has not addressed any of those problems. It investigated one issue, ignored two others and issued no fines – despite a directive from Texas Governor Greg Abbott to “take action against sand mining operations violating regulations.”
Up the Down Escalator
It became clear after Harvey, that sand clogging the West Fork had contributed to epic flooding downstream from the sand mines. 16,000 homes and 3,300 businesses flooded in the Humble/Kingwood area.
The Army Corps said sediment had reduced the conveyance of the river up to 90% in places. But even after taxpayers bore almost $200 million of dredging costs, the river still has not returned to pre-Harvey conditions. More sand keeps coming.
Sand miners claim rivers naturally convey sediment. True. But that ignores the contribution of 20 square miles of exposed sediment in sand mines once protected by dense vegetation. Call the logic police.
Meanwhile, downstream areas pay the price. Until we fix the problem of leaky sand mines, the river will continue to silt in as fast as we can dredge it.
See the photos below taken today at River Grove Park where the Kingwood Diversion Ditch outfalls to the San Jacinto West Fork.
Before the Army Corps completed dredging after Harvey, River Grove flooded five times in one six month period. The Corps liberated River Grove in December 2018.
KSA supplemented the Corps dredging and reopened its boat ramp in March 2020. Now, less than five years later, we need serious dredging again. See below.
Note: the water level is down slightly for a dam repair project downstream.
Dredging Estimated to Cost More than Half of KSA’s Cash Reserves
Last year, KSA obtained bids to dredge the outfall. However, the cost amounted to more than $800,000, more than half of KSA’s cash reserves at the time.
Since then, in my opinion, the sedimentation has worsened. So, dredging could cost even more now.
And this is just one ditch among many on the West Fork. All the more reason to reduce sediment coming from upstream sand mines.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/24/25
2736 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Hallett Mine Leaking into West Fork for Full Year
2/23/2025 – The mammoth Hallett Sand Mine has been leaking continuously into the San Jacinto West Fork for a year, according to neighbors. I first reported this particular leak on February 9, 2024.
But it’s only one of several problems at the same mine. And the cost of dredging downstream from it is now approaching the annual budget of the TCEQ statewide.
Photos, Video Show Route and Volume of Leak
The leak comes straight out of Hallett’s settling pond and cuts across a service road. The sediment-laden water then flows through wooded property bordering neighbors’ back yards, which it has reportedly invaded from time to time.
From there, the milk-white muck travels to an abandoned sand mine now owned by a real estate developer. That mine’s dike was breached in 2020 after Harvey’s floodwaters severely weakened it in 2017.
As a result of the breach in the neighboring mine, Hallett’s sediment-laden water enters the West Fork without interference, and then travels downstream to Lake Houston, the source of drinking water for more than two million people.
In addition to raising water treatment costs for the City of Houston, such leaks have also been linked to sediment buildups that have reduced the conveyance of the West Fork and contributed to flooding in the Lake Houston Area.
See the pictures below taken today, 2/23/25.
Settling pond on left. Red line indicates path of wastewater through woods, an abandoned mine, and then into the West Fork.
To fully appreciate the volume of the wastewater leaking out of the mine, see the video below. It runs a little longer than one minute.
I have also reported on separate leaks from this same pond into the same abandoned mine via additional routes in January 2021 and May 2024.
River Flowing Through Former Hallett Pit Now Owned By Riverwalk Porter LLC
In the same area, sand mining has created more problems. Across the river, a large mile-long sand pit formerly owned by Hallett ruptured shortly after they sold it to a residential developer named Riverwalk Porter LLC last year.
It still hasn’t been fixed and the river is no longer navigable without cutting through their private property. That pile of sand in the middle of the photo above is an estimated 8 to 10 feet above the river’s normal water line.
When the TCEQ investigated this pit capture last year, the Commission’s report did not even mention the term “pit capture.”
Neither does the report mention numerous other pit captures elsewhere in the river basin, including another at the Hallett Mine just upstream from this one. The four month investigation did not:
The TCEQ also failed to address pit captures in its latest Best Management Practices proposed for sand mines in the San Jacinto River Basin.
No wonder the TCEQ is called a “reluctant regulator.” In my opinion, this goes beyond willful blindness to intentional stupidity. The TCEQ’s annual budget is around $300 million. But the cost of dredging downstream from the Hallett mine is pushing $200 million and climbing.
Editorial comment to Governor Abbott: Wouldn’t it be more cost effective just to put TCEQ salaries straight into a perpetual dredging program?
River Still Flowing Through Another Hallett Pit Upstream
Another photo taken today shows that another Hallett sand pit farther north also remains captured by the San Jacinto River. The river has been flowing through the pit rather than around it since at least June of last year.
TCEQ failed to investigate this pit when it investigated the other pit just a mile downstream.
Posted by Bob Rehak on February 23, 2025
2735 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.