News - Reduce Flooding

Bens Branch Erosion Forces Installation of New Bridge

1/9/25 – The widening of Bens Branch caused by ever-increasing amounts of water coming downstream from new upstream developments has forced the Bear Branch Trail Association to replace an aging wooden bridge with a new $300,000 steel truss bridge.

*Old Bridge Between Cedar Knolls and Park Royal in Bear Branch Trail Association*. *Photo by Chris Bloch.*

*New steel-truss bridge in same area being hoisted into place today.* *Photo by Chris Bloch.*

The creek has widened from 32 to 50 feet since Tropical Storm Imelda in 2019. The new steel-truss bridge became necessary to accommodate the wider span.

Upstream Growth and Importance of Bridge

Contractors installed the new bridge about a hundred yards south of the Pines Montessori School on Cedar Knolls. It connects Park Royal in Bear Branch Village to Cedar Knolls in Kings Forest Village.

It is also a major connector for foot and bicycle traffic between the western and eastern halves of the 100+ mile Kingwood trail system.

Thousands of residents use it, including students going to/from Bear Branch Elementary, Kingwood High School and Pines Montessori.

The Bens Branch watershed extends northwest all the way up into fast-growing Valley Ranch area in Montgomery County. Over the years, ever-increasing amounts of runoff have widened the watercourse, undermining the supports of pedestrian and street bridges alike.

The Tree Lane Bridge about a 1000 feet upstream from today’s bridge replacement had to have its entire substructure refurbished last year because of excessive erosion. That was at least the third set of repairs since Imelda.

The pedestrian bridge also was pummeled by the power of moving water.

*Eroded support for old bridge. Photo by Chris Bloch.*

Erosion Also Undercut Trees

During floods in January, May and July last year, erosion also claimed hundreds of trees that fell into the creek, backing water up and contributing to flooding.

*Example of erosion just a few feet downstream from new bridge.*

*Trees hauled out of Bens Branch after Beryl remain stacked on Tree Lane waiting to be hauled away.*

Pictures of New Bridge Installation on 1/9/25

The next group of pictures shows the new bridge and its placement today.

*Before installation. The new 5,000 pound steel bridge will have concrete* *poured in the tray surrounding the deck.*

*The concrete abutments are sunk deep into the ground.*

*Overhead shot shows riprap stacked on both sides. It will protect the edges of the embankment next to the bridge from erosion.*

*Wooden “matts” had to be placed under the crane to stabilize it for the heavy lift in rain-soaked soil.*

*Then a forklift and a backhoe maneuvered the new bridge down the trail to the stream.*

*As the crane slowly lifted the bridge into position, workers guided it with ropes from a safe distance.*

*They guided the bridge by hand* *for the last foot or so to make sure it was squarely seated on steel posts embedded in the concrete.*

*One whack from a sledgehammer and everything locked into place.*

More to Come

Workers still have to:

Pour the concrete deck
Place the riprap
Finish the approaches to the bridge
Replant trees destroyed by heavy equipment.

The new bridge should help reduce erosion. The cross section under the bridge increased from 120 square feet before Imelda to 420 square feet with the new design – a 3.5X or 250% increase. That will make it easier for water to flow under the bridge without backing up, causing jetting, or flooding the nearby Montessori school.

The project should be complete by the end of January 2025.

Thanks go to more than 2,800 members of the Bear Branch Trail Association who paid for the new bridge and its engineering. And a special “thank you” goes out to three volunteer members of the BBTA board – Lee Danner, Chris Bloch and Chris Arceneaux. They supervised the installation today in driving rain and near-freezing temperatures. They exemplify a dedication to excellence and community service that makes Kingwood such a wonderful place to live.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/9/25 with help from Chris Bloch

2690 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Northpark Construction: From Mistletoe to Milestones

1/7/2025 – In the week after a holiday lull, Northpark construction is ramping back up and should reach some milestones later this week. According to the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority website:

A paving crew will begin pouring concrete for new lanes beginning Friday January 10th in front of PNC Bank between US and Loop 494 on the north side of Northpark.
Another crew will demolish the existing eastbound lanes of Northpark from Kings Mill to Russell Palmer Road.

In other news, crews will continue:

Installing reinforced concrete box culverts between Caliber Collision and the Extra Space Storage facility to accommodate new westbound access roads.
Switching water services from the Porter Special Utility District to the City of Houston.
Grading the area for a sidewalk between Loop 494 and US59 on the north side of Northpark.

See the pictures below, all taken on Tuesday morning, 1/7/25.

New Lanes and Sidewalk Between Loop 494 and 59

*New westbound lanes and a sidewalk will go in the area being prepped to the right of existing traffic.*

*Looking E toward 494 from same location.*

Culvert Installation under Westbound Turn Lanes

The first three shots below show the culvert installation east of 494 from different angles.

This will be the area where two westbound surface turn lanes split off from traffic continuing over a bridge that spans Loop 494 and the UnionPacific Railroad Tracks.

*Closer shot of current work area. The smaller pipe will drain lateral areas.*

*Close up of box culvert installation. Note size of culverts relative to men on both sides.*

Loop 494 North and South of Northpark

Elsewhere, new southbound lanes both north and south of Northpark have been completed.

*Looking N along 494 from over Northpark. Old lanes on right closed off and awaiting demolition.*

*Looking south across same intersection. Area on left is awaiting demo and reconstruction.*

For More Information

See the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority project web pages. For a history of the project, see these select posts on ReduceFlooding.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/7/25

2688 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Contractor Only Partially Complies with BMPs at Foster Elementary Reconstruction Site

1/6/2025 – Before New Year’s Day, I posted about the lack of best management practices (BMPs) at the Foster Elementary reconstruction site in Kingwood. A contractor let sediment-laden runoff escape the site, fill the street and flow into unprotected storm drains. Photos taken yesterday after a storm front passed show that it’s still happening.

Partial List of Sediment Control BMPs for Construction Sites

The EPA considers sediment a major source of pollution. And not following best practices to control it can clog storm drains, channels and streams, raising flood risk. I quote from the Agency’s brochure: “Sediment fills up storm drains and catch basins to carry water away from roads and homes, which increases the potential for flooding.”

To reduce the potential for flooding, the EPA recommends several best practices. They include, but are not limited to:

1. Silt Fencing around the perimeter to intercept and slow down runoff, so sediment can settle before water flows off the construction site.

2. Stormwater-Inlet Protection, such as sandbags, placed around stormwater inlets to capture sediment before it enters the storm drainage system.

3. Sediment Control Logs (Wattles) filled with straw or other materials to capture sediment before it leaves the site.

4. Mulching with organic materials such as straw, hay, or wood chips to help to protect soil.

5. Sediment Basins & Traps to capture sediment from runoff until it settles out of suspension.

6. Erosion Control Mats or Blankets to stabilize disturbed soil and prevent erosion.

7. Stormwater Diversion Channels to direct runoff to sediment-control ponds or a controlled discharge areas.

8. Construction Entrance/Exit Stabilization with gravel to minimize tracking of mud onto roads from construction vehicles.

9. Geotextiles to stabilize soil.

Slight Improvement, But Still Lacking

After the last post, the Humble ISD contractor did add straw wattles (#3 – sediment control logs) in front of the main construction site entrance.

But storm drain inlets remained unprotected. And part of the perimeter lacked silt fence.

As a result, sediment still escaped the site, entered the street, and entered the storm sewer. See the photos below taken by Chris Summers, a local resident and retired commercial photographer, after a recent storm front dropped .84 inches of rain on 1/5/25.

*Entrance to construction site shows wattle roll that was not present for previous storm.*

While that showed some improvement, other parts of the perimeter still lacked protection and let water escape.

*Wattle roll did not cover the critical area, letting sediment laden water escape into storm sewer.*

*Also, inlet not protected with sand bags*.

Summers says he took the photos above after the storm front on 1/5/25 passed through.

How much effort does it take to drop a couple sand bags next to a storm sewer inlet? Could it cost much more than coffee and a danish? There’s just no excuse for this.

Sound Off to the School Board

I have already emailed members of the Humble ISD school board and suggest you do, too. We have lots of good contractors in the area that know how to follow best practices.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/6/25 with photos by Chris Summers

2687 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.