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
2/21/25 – The UnionPacific Railroad (UPRR) has started preparing rails that it will place in one 200-foot long section across 10 lanes of Northpark Drive traffic.
The closure of Northpark for the installation is still scheduled for March 5-7.
UPRR is prepping the rails in the old northbound lanes of Loop 494 immediately north of Northpark. I can’t wait to see how they maneuver a section this large into place. It will be like trying to lift something the length of 10 20-foot cargo containers placed end to end.
Work to Date on Rail Prep
So far, UPRR has fused individual sections of rail into two long sections and placed them side by side. They have also started to stack railroad ties next to the rails. Presumably, at some point, the rails will be positioned on the ties before they move together.
The 17-second video below dramatizes how long the sections of rail are. The drone is moving almost as fast as the white vehicle that enters the frame a few seconds in.
Video taken afternoon of 2/21/2025
Here’s an overhead perspective that lets you gauge length by the number of cars backed up at the red light.
Overhead shot shows length of rails between red brackets. Section equals the length of 11-12 vehicles waiting for red light.Workers had not yet completed laying all ties to the left end of the rails.
As I was leaving, another 18-wheeler showed up with more ties.
Shot from other end shows how flexible solid steel can be in long lengths.Note rail on left.
UPRR appears to have straightened the rail on the right so that workers can line up ties against it.
Welding the track in a single section improves strength and safety by reducing the risk of rails shifting. I will post more details about the track prep as the effort progresses.
The new track will stretch under and across ten full lanes of traffic. Those include:
Three lanes of westbound traffic over a bridge yet to be built
Three lanes of eastbound traffic over the same bridge
Two westbound surface lanes, one for turning north, the other for turning south
Two eastbound surface lanes, one for traffic entering from the north and the other for traffic entering from the south.
Northpark Closed March 5-7, But with U-Turn at Railroad
To put the track in place, UPRR needs to close down Northpark Drive in BOTH directions simultaneously to work with massive cranes.
Ralph De Leon, project manager for the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority, stressed that the remainder of Northpark Drive will remain open so that people may access businesses.
Just plan on getting across the tracks some way other than Northpark. Contractors will construct a U-turn just before the track closure so that people can get to/from nearby businesses, such as Dunkin’ Donuts.
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.
UPRR Getting Rails Ready for Northpark Closure
2/21/25 – The UnionPacific Railroad (UPRR) has started preparing rails that it will place in one 200-foot long section across 10 lanes of Northpark Drive traffic.
The closure of Northpark for the installation is still scheduled for March 5-7.
UPRR is prepping the rails in the old northbound lanes of Loop 494 immediately north of Northpark. I can’t wait to see how they maneuver a section this large into place. It will be like trying to lift something the length of 10 20-foot cargo containers placed end to end.
Work to Date on Rail Prep
So far, UPRR has fused individual sections of rail into two long sections and placed them side by side. They have also started to stack railroad ties next to the rails. Presumably, at some point, the rails will be positioned on the ties before they move together.
The 17-second video below dramatizes how long the sections of rail are. The drone is moving almost as fast as the white vehicle that enters the frame a few seconds in.
Here’s an overhead perspective that lets you gauge length by the number of cars backed up at the red light.
As I was leaving, another 18-wheeler showed up with more ties.
UPRR appears to have straightened the rail on the right so that workers can line up ties against it.
Welding the track in a single section improves strength and safety by reducing the risk of rails shifting. I will post more details about the track prep as the effort progresses.
The new track will stretch under and across ten full lanes of traffic. Those include:
Northpark Closed March 5-7, But with U-Turn at Railroad
To put the track in place, UPRR needs to close down Northpark Drive in BOTH directions simultaneously to work with massive cranes.
Ralph De Leon, project manager for the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority, stressed that the remainder of Northpark Drive will remain open so that people may access businesses.
Just plan on getting across the tracks some way other than Northpark. Contractors will construct a U-turn just before the track closure so that people can get to/from nearby businesses, such as Dunkin’ Donuts.
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 2/21/25
2733 Days since Hurricane Harvey