11/09/2024 – A 900,000 cubic yard, $34 million Lake Houston dredging program announced in late 2023 may still launch this year, according to District E Houston City Council Member Fred Flickinger. Reportedly contributing to delays according to sundry sources at different times and places:
Floods in January and May that deposited additional sediment
Callan Marine has had their dredge, The General Pershing, docked on the San Jacinto West Fork south of the Forest Cove Pool since at least April 1 this year. Despite several delays, District E officials say the program should start in December.
Callan Dredge docked south of Forest Cove Pool on south side of West Fork.Dredge pipe assembled and stockpiled opposite dredge on north side of river.
The primary objective: to maximize storage recovery within Lake Houston’s conservation pool.
Area between FM1960 and Kings Point currently has one of the largest sediment build-ups.
Costello showed slides that projected the loss of 360-460 acre feet per year in the Lake. He also showed maps that showed where accumulated silt and sand intruded the most into the lake’s conservation pool. One of the worst areas was between FM1960 and the confluence of the East and West Forks south of Kings Point.
In the October 2023 town hall meeting, Costello also talked about beneficial secondary uses for the spoils. For instance:
Replenishing eroded farmland
Building the Ike Dike
Re-nourishing eroded beaches
Manufacturing concrete.
Mobilization and Delays
Costello, who was Mayor Sylvester Turner’s flood czar, left City employment after the change in administrations earlier this year.
Callan has also reportedly spent several months trying to identify the best location for disposal of the dredging spoils. Last week, they evidently reported to the City that they had purchased a site in Huffman.
Disposal of spoils is complex. It involves economic, environmental, floodplain, and operational issues. The closer to the operation, the better. That minimizes pumping costs.
But in licensing such sites, the Army Corps historically has expressed concern about sediment stored in a floodplain. They don’t want it to wash back into the lake. That could affect water quality and negate any benefit from dredging in terms of the lake’s storage volume.
Other possible delays included potential change in the scope of the project. Floods in January and May deposited additional sediment in Lake Houston and clogged the entries to stream/ditches that outfall into Lake Houston. For instance, the outfall of the Kingwood Diversion Ditch became almost totally blocked.
Because the cost of mobilizing a dredging program is large, it makes sense to do as much as possible while the dredge is here. The City applied for additional aid from FEMA but has not yet heard back yet.
Meanwhile, Callan’s dredge has remained idle for more than seven months. But City officials hope December could be the month when all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place.
Originally, Costello scheduled the project to last through November 2025.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/9/24
2629 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/20241109-DJI_20241109154358_0207_D.jpg?fit=1100%2C619&ssl=16191100adminadmin2024-11-09 18:42:362024-11-09 18:47:55Lake Houston Dredging Program May Still Launch This Year
11/8/24 – A trip down Northpark Drive today revealed that the focus of Northpark expansion work is shifting west from Russell Palmer toward Loop 494 and US59. The project will create the first all-weather evacuation route from Kingwood. Here’s where things stand.
Major Accomplishments since Last Northpark Post
Since my last Northpark expansion update, contractors for the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ 10 have:
Paved a new crossover at Russell Palmer Road
Removed about 1,600 feet of the of the old westbound lanes between Sherwin Williams and Loop 494
Begun repaving an expanded Loop 494 for about a block north and a block south of Northpark Drive to accommodate extra turn lanes.
Prepped the area on the north side of Northpark and west of 494 (Shell to Chick-Fil-A) for paving
Worked on new water connections for Northpark businesses.
See the five images below that correspond to the bullet points above.
New crossover at Russell PalmerFacing E along Northpark near Public Storage. Concrete from old lanes removed in preparation for new surface turn lanes adjacent to bridge.Looking S toward Northpark at new Loop 494 lanes Facing W along Northpark toward US59 at area being prepped for paving in coming weeksExample of water-line work.
The new water lines will enable the removal of old fire hydrants that stand in the way of roadway expansion.
Next Up for Northpark Expansion
A new look-ahead schedule posted today shows that in the next three weeks, work will include:
Continue working on waterlines
Do more dirt work from Culver’s to Chick-Fil-A
Install 6×5 reinforced concrete box culverts from the Quick Quack to the railroad tracks
Place Type C inlets on LP 494. (often used to collect runoff from large depressed areas or highway medians)
Place base from Culver’s to Chick-Fil-A
Prep driveways along west side of Loop 494 to tie into new paving
Prep for more paving on west side of Loop 494
Pour more Fast-Track concrete on west side of Loop 494
Mobilize to Russel Palmer to begin prepping both east- and westbound lanes from Russel Palmer to the end of the project.
Then, they’re back to adding more east- and west-bound lanes on Northpark.
Pictures of Upcoming Work
Expect to see major work in these areas before Thanksgiving.
Looking west toward UP tracks. Culverts waiting for installation before new surface turn lanes can be constructed next to bridge over tracks.Facing N along 494 toward Northpark. Pavement and driveways will be constructed the left of the new lanes above.Looking west on Northpark toward Russell Palmer from over Kingwood Diversion Ditch.
11/7/24 10 AM – Late-season Hurricane Rafael briefly intensified into a Category 3 storm yesterday as it crossed over Cuba. But since then it has gradually weakened. This morning, Hurricane Hunters measured the sustained wind speed at 100 MPH, making it a Cat 2 storm. Cat 2 ranges from 96 to 110 MPH.
Rafael in center near western tip of Cuba will be blocked from moving north by high pressure descending from Great Plains.Satellite image taken at 10 AM Houston time.
Recent aircraft fixes indicate Rafael is beginning a leftward (west) turn toward Mexico. NHC notes greater than average uncertainty concerning its track. But if Rafael keeps moving it that direction, the storm would move away from Houston and the northern Gulf of Mexico.
The current forward motion estimate is 9 MPH.
Further Weakening Predicted
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) predicts further weakening today as Rafael encounters minor to moderate wind sheer and drier air pushing down from the north. Flight crews have already noted that the eyewall has opened up to the south and southwest.
Rafael’s central pressure has risen slightly to around 971 mb. NHC expects the hurricane to move into an even drier airmass during the next few days. They say that despite the weakening, Rafael should remain a hurricane through the weekend.
Currently, hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 30 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 115 miles. In its latest update, NHC predicts that tropical storm force winds will not likely reach the Houston area. They say the chance of that is less than 5%.
Main Impact Will be High Waves
The main effect felt in southeast Texas will be high waves. At high tide, they could cause minor coastal flooding.
According to Harris County Meteorologist Jeff Lindner, with Rafael on its projected track, “…large long period swells of 6-10 feet will begin to reach the Texas coast this weekend. When combined with NE winds over the local waters, tides will increase to 3.5-4.0 ft above the barnacle level.”
“This is right on the cusp of coastal flooding thresholds along the upper Texas coast. During high tides into the weekend, some minor coastal flooding may be possible especially on the Gulf facing beaches where elevated wave action will be in place,” said Lindner early this morning.
For those who work offshore, waves could go even higher. At 10:12 AM EST, NHC issued an offshore waters forecast for the Gulf. It says that for the west-central Gulf (91W to 94W longitude and 22N to 26N latitude), seas could reach 16-24 feet in NE to E swells this Saturday.
NHC also says that swells generated by Rafael should spread across most of the Gulf of Mexico during the next several days. These swells will likely cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
Late Season Oddity
Lindner noted that it is rare for a hurricane this late in the season to move due west across the entire Gulf of Mexico. The only such similar instance, he says, was hurricane Jeanne from 1980 (Nov 12-15).
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/7/24
2627 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/145523_5day_cone_no_line_and_wind.png?fit=897%2C736&ssl=1736897adminadmin2024-11-07 10:40:112024-11-07 18:57:26Rafael Weakens, Turns West
Lake Houston Dredging Program May Still Launch This Year
11/09/2024 – A 900,000 cubic yard, $34 million Lake Houston dredging program announced in late 2023 may still launch this year, according to District E Houston City Council Member Fred Flickinger. Reportedly contributing to delays according to sundry sources at different times and places:
Callan Marine has had their dredge, The General Pershing, docked on the San Jacinto West Fork south of the Forest Cove Pool since at least April 1 this year. Despite several delays, District E officials say the program should start in December.
Program Announced in October 2023
At former Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martins October 2023 Town Hall Meeting, Steven Costello announced the objectives and scope of the dredging program.
The primary objective: to maximize storage recovery within Lake Houston’s conservation pool.
Costello showed slides that projected the loss of 360-460 acre feet per year in the Lake. He also showed maps that showed where accumulated silt and sand intruded the most into the lake’s conservation pool. One of the worst areas was between FM1960 and the confluence of the East and West Forks south of Kings Point.
In the October 2023 town hall meeting, Costello also talked about beneficial secondary uses for the spoils. For instance:
Mobilization and Delays
Costello, who was Mayor Sylvester Turner’s flood czar, left City employment after the change in administrations earlier this year.
Callan has also reportedly spent several months trying to identify the best location for disposal of the dredging spoils. Last week, they evidently reported to the City that they had purchased a site in Huffman.
Disposal of spoils is complex. It involves economic, environmental, floodplain, and operational issues. The closer to the operation, the better. That minimizes pumping costs.
But in licensing such sites, the Army Corps historically has expressed concern about sediment stored in a floodplain. They don’t want it to wash back into the lake. That could affect water quality and negate any benefit from dredging in terms of the lake’s storage volume.
Other possible delays included potential change in the scope of the project. Floods in January and May deposited additional sediment in Lake Houston and clogged the entries to stream/ditches that outfall into Lake Houston. For instance, the outfall of the Kingwood Diversion Ditch became almost totally blocked.
Because the cost of mobilizing a dredging program is large, it makes sense to do as much as possible while the dredge is here. The City applied for additional aid from FEMA but has not yet heard back yet.
Meanwhile, Callan’s dredge has remained idle for more than seven months. But City officials hope December could be the month when all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place.
Originally, Costello scheduled the project to last through November 2025.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/9/24
2629 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Focus of Northpark Expansion Work Moves Toward Loop 494
11/8/24 – A trip down Northpark Drive today revealed that the focus of Northpark expansion work is shifting west from Russell Palmer toward Loop 494 and US59. The project will create the first all-weather evacuation route from Kingwood. Here’s where things stand.
Major Accomplishments since Last Northpark Post
Since my last Northpark expansion update, contractors for the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ 10 have:
See the five images below that correspond to the bullet points above.
The new water lines will enable the removal of old fire hydrants that stand in the way of roadway expansion.
Next Up for Northpark Expansion
A new look-ahead schedule posted today shows that in the next three weeks, work will include:
Then, they’re back to adding more east- and west-bound lanes on Northpark.
Pictures of Upcoming Work
Expect to see major work in these areas before Thanksgiving.
For More Information
For a more detailed schedule of what will happen when, see the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority website.
For a history of the project, consult the ReduceFlooding posts below.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/8/24
2628 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Rafael Weakens, Turns West
11/7/24 10 AM – Late-season Hurricane Rafael briefly intensified into a Category 3 storm yesterday as it crossed over Cuba. But since then it has gradually weakened. This morning, Hurricane Hunters measured the sustained wind speed at 100 MPH, making it a Cat 2 storm. Cat 2 ranges from 96 to 110 MPH.
Recent aircraft fixes indicate Rafael is beginning a leftward (west) turn toward Mexico. NHC notes greater than average uncertainty concerning its track. But if Rafael keeps moving it that direction, the storm would move away from Houston and the northern Gulf of Mexico.
The current forward motion estimate is 9 MPH.
Further Weakening Predicted
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) predicts further weakening today as Rafael encounters minor to moderate wind sheer and drier air pushing down from the north. Flight crews have already noted that the eyewall has opened up to the south and southwest.
Rafael’s central pressure has risen slightly to around 971 mb. NHC expects the hurricane to move into an even drier airmass during the next few days. They say that despite the weakening, Rafael should remain a hurricane through the weekend.
Currently, hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 30 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 115 miles. In its latest update, NHC predicts that tropical storm force winds will not likely reach the Houston area. They say the chance of that is less than 5%.
Main Impact Will be High Waves
The main effect felt in southeast Texas will be high waves. At high tide, they could cause minor coastal flooding.
According to Harris County Meteorologist Jeff Lindner, with Rafael on its projected track, “…large long period swells of 6-10 feet will begin to reach the Texas coast this weekend. When combined with NE winds over the local waters, tides will increase to 3.5-4.0 ft above the barnacle level.”
“This is right on the cusp of coastal flooding thresholds along the upper Texas coast. During high tides into the weekend, some minor coastal flooding may be possible especially on the Gulf facing beaches where elevated wave action will be in place,” said Lindner early this morning.
For those who work offshore, waves could go even higher. At 10:12 AM EST, NHC issued an offshore waters forecast for the Gulf. It says that for the west-central Gulf (91W to 94W longitude and 22N to 26N latitude), seas could reach 16-24 feet in NE to E swells this Saturday.
NHC also says that swells generated by Rafael should spread across most of the Gulf of Mexico during the next several days. These swells will likely cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
Late Season Oddity
Lindner noted that it is rare for a hurricane this late in the season to move due west across the entire Gulf of Mexico. The only such similar instance, he says, was hurricane Jeanne from 1980 (Nov 12-15).
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/7/24
2627 Days since Hurricane Harvey