8/30/24 – Another month has flown by. Below are quick updates on six flood-mitigation projects in the area.
HCFCD Beryl-related Ditch Maintenance
According to Jeremy Phillips, Director of Harris County Flood Control District’s (HCFCD) Asset Management Division, “The quickest way to ensure we are including debris in our post-storm cleanup is to fill out a service request online. We send them to our maintenance staff. They, in turn, ensure our contractors pick up the reported debris.”
I reported four trees this afternoon in a ditch that runs through Kings Forest just north of Kingwood Drive.
Blockage of Ditch in Kings Forest
The second is more serious: a cluster of three trees that have fallen across the ditch about 50 feet upstream.
Three more trees blocking same ditch in Kings Forest just feet away
Such blockages can catch other debris floating downstream during heavy rains and form dams that back water up into homes. HCFCD has 2500 miles of channels to patrol. Help them help you. Report any problems you see on the web page above.
Emily Woodell, a HCFCD spokesperson, said, “Through our Beryl debris removal efforts, we are currently at 10,966 tons of debris removed from 14 different watersheds. Based on our debris estimates, we are approximately 33% complete with our countywide debris removal operation.” Harris County maintains ditches, streams and bayous in 23 different watersheds.
Northpark Expansion
The expansion of Northpark Drive will create an all-weather evacuation route from Kingwood for almost 80,000 people when Hamblen and Kingwood Drive are cut off.
The project has been delayed by utility conflicts, but those now have reportedly been resolved. The Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority posted a new 3-week lookahead schedule yesterday.
The big news: new concrete is not far off.
In the next three weeks, contractors will focus on completing dirt work, preparing the sub-grade, and setting up rebar.
All photos below were taken on 8/30/24.
Rebar is being stockpiled in several places along the route.Looking East from approximately where the bridge over the railroad tracks (behind camera position) will start. Drainage work continues at several locations throughout the project. Here, you’re looking N at the SW corner of Northpark and Loop 494.
Tree Lane/Bens Branch Bridge Repair
I last posted about the Tree Lane bridge repairs over Bens Branch on 8/11/24. In the last 19 days, Houston Public Works has poured a few more loads of concrete and partially installed some culvert for a storm-drain outfall. No one was at the job site today.
New outfall on southeast side of Tree Lane Bridge.
After Harvey, the San Jacinto River Authority engaged in several flood-mitigation projects with partners throughout the river basin. Projects included the San Jacinto River Basin Master Drainage Study, a Sedimentation Study, a Sand-Trap Study and more. Unfortunately, none have been acted on yet.
The SJRA also worked with several other entities on the State’s first Flood Plan and developed a seasonal-lowering strategy for Lake Conroe to help protect downstream residents.
However, the seasonal strategy turned into an ad hocActive Storm Management strategy under withering criticism and a lawsuit from the Lake Conroe Association. The new strategy contributed to the flooding of hundreds of homes in May. Thousands more nearly flooded. It was the second highest release in SJRA history, exceeded only by Harvey.
Today, SJRA published a newsletter supposedly informing readers about their flood mitigation progress. The first 279 words explained how they don’t have money to do anything. So, they’ve worked with partners and the partner’s money to produce studies…none of which have been acted on yet.
The last paragraph states, “The [Flood-Management] Division has received and utilized grant funding via the Flood Infrastructure Fund through the Texas Water Development Board for studies and projects which may lead to flood reduction benefits in the future.“
“The Division will continue to pursue flood mitigation opportunities and partnerships throughout the region, with the ultimate goal of serving and improving the lives of the public,” said the newsletter.
Editorial Comment: The SJRA needs to focus on actionability in its studies.
Dredging
The City of Houston announced the start of a new dredging project in Lake Houston back on April 1. After delays due to floods, flood damage and a potential change in scope, they now hope to start within 30 days. I last saw them assembling pipe at the Army Corps’ old site south of the West Fork and the Forest Cove Pool.
The original project was designed to remove accumulated sediment between Kings Point and the FM1960 bridge.
The potential change in scope is encouraging. Due to additional sediment coming down from upstream during several floods earlier this year, the City has applied to FEMA for more money to cover several additional projects around the lake.
One such project is cleaning out the mouth of the Kingwood Diversion Ditch at River Grove Park. It has become badly silted in.
Diversion Ditch blockage.
A spokesperson for the City said they hope to hear from FEMA on this and other projects shortly.
The idea is to do as many projects as possible while the equipment is here. That reduces mobilization charges as a percentage of each job. And mobilization is a major component of most dredging jobs.
South of Forest Cove Pool, dredgers were assembling pipe on 7/16 while awaiting word on the final scope of the flood-mitigation projects.
Flood Gates
Earlier this week, I learned that FEMA and TDEM approved a change to an interlocal agreement in April concerning 11 new tainter gates for the Lake Houston Dam. The Coastal Water Authority approved the change in July. And the Houston City Council will take it up in September.
Councilman Fred Flickinger is reportedly meeting with Public Works next week to see what can be done to serve residents better and faster.
That’s this month’s roundup of flood-mitigation projects affecting the Lake Houston Area and Harris County.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/30/24
2558 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 54 since Beryl
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/20240830-DJI_20240830140330_0742_D.jpg?fit=1100%2C619&ssl=16191100adminadmin2024-08-30 19:17:062024-08-30 19:20:09Flood Digest: Quick Updates on Six Flood-Mitigation Projects
8/29/24 – The City of Houston Solid Waste Department’s Beryl Storm-Debris Tracker shows that the department has completed the second pass of debris cleanup in virtually all of District E’s north sector. If you still have debris from the storm but don’t yet have it to the curb, you only have one more pass. So hurry. After that, the cost is on you.
About a month ago, the City launched the storm tracker to help residents understand when they can expect help.
Three Passes
The City promised “three passes” of debris pickup. This would give residents a chance to get all their debris to the curb for pickup. Curbs were so crowded during the first pass that not all the debris would fit within reach of the equipment.
Also, there were a limited number of tree service companies to help residents saw up trees and get them to the curb.
Three passes give contractors more time to help residents.
Citywide Status
The Beryl Storm-Debris tracker map below shows the status of cleanup citywide by sectors.
Purple = Second Pass Complete. Blue = Second Pass in Progress. Yellow = First Pass in Progress.
The Storm-Debris Tracker shows no gray areas left. Gray indicated areas that were still waiting for the first pass to begin.
To change between the first and second views shown above in the Storm-Debris Tracker, just zoom in or out.
Storm-Debris Tracker Statistics to Date
The City updates the map and associated statistics nightly at 8 PM. Today were are 34 days from the start of the effort. So far, the City has collected:
50,930 cubic yards of vegetative debris yesterday.
43,930 truckloads of debris to date.
2,139,624 cubic yards of debris to date.
The City estimates the combined impact of this year’s natural disasters in the Houston area to produce more than 4.5 million cubic yards of storm debris.
Prior to the July 4th Independence Holiday, the city successfully removed more than 1.7 million cubic yards of debris generated by the Derecho Storm. (Remember Beryl hit Houston on July 8. And within days, there were debris piles everywhere.)
For a full report on the damage Hurricane Beryl caused across the region (wind, flooding, surge, etc.) see HCFCD’s report on the storm.
Plan for Remainder of Cleanup
Over the next 60-90 days, the City will utilize all its available resources combined with supplemental disaster collection contractors to expedite the debris removal operations in neighborhoods throughout the city.
8/28/24 – In its July 10 board meeting, the Coastal Water Authority (CWA) unanimously approved a motion to move forward with final design for 11 new Lake Houston floodgates. Houston will now consider the same motion at its September 11th City Council Meeting. If approved, final engineering design of the gates will commence.
Separately, Houston Mayor John Whitmire appointed former State Representative Dan Huberty to the CWA board. Huberty, an early proponent of the gates project, may be able to help accelerate it moving forward.
The Most Talked About Flood-Mitigation Project
Since Hurricane Harvey seven years ago, I’ve authored 278 posts discussing additional Lake Houston floodgates. From the public’s standpoint, beyond a doubt, the gates are the most eagerly anticipated flood-mitigation measure considered after Harvey.
The most recent post appeared on 5/25 of this year after meeting with members of the Coastal Water Authority, Houston City Council and Houston Public Works at the dam. Not much has changed since then with the exception of some legal formalities.
The Coastal Water Authority Board met on July 10 to vote on an amendment to an Interlocal Agreement (ILA). FEMA and the Texas Division of Emergency Management previously approved the ILA amendment in April. It covers additional engineering services, the cost of final design, and changes from the initial scope of work.
The CWA board approved the ILA amendment unanimously. Final engineering of the new Lake Houston floodgates can now move forward with Black & Veatch as soon as the City approves it.
Minutes of the CWA meeting indicate that, before voting, members discussed potential downstream impacts. The minutes also noted that no significant impacts were found after extensive hydraulic modeling.
Next Up: City Council Vote on 9/11
The amended interlocal agreement will now go before Houston City Council on September 11th for consideration. If approved, final design of the gates could begin soon thereafter.
Need for Lake Houston Floodgates
The Lake Houston Floodgates Project will add 11 new gates to the dam in the earthen embankment to the east of the concrete spillway.
Approximate location for 11 new Lake Houston floodgates.
The new floodgates will increase the current discharge capacity by an additional 80,000 cubic feet per second (CFS). That roughly equals the discharge rate from Lake Conroe during Hurricane Havey – 79,000 CFS.
Currently, Lake Houston floodgates can only release 10,000 CFS. Increasing the discharge rate would enable the City and CWA to:
Coordinate pre-releases between Lakes Conroe and Houston before major storms without swamping the Lake Houston Area.
Discharge as much water from Lake Houston in 2-3 hours as they now do in a day.
Release water when approaching storms are much closer, reducing the risk of wasting water if storms veer away.
Create extra storage capacity in both lakes, reducing flood risk for residents around them.
Reduce flood peaks, helping protect residents between the lakes and downstream from the Lake Houston Dam.
Key to Active Storm Management
All these benefits are especially important because the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) has abandoned its seasonal lake-lowering strategy for Lake Conroe. The SJRA has gone to an as-needed lake-lowering strategy called “Active Storm Management” instead. Active storm management requires much more speed and agility than simply having extra storage capacity in the lakes ready and waiting when storm seasons begin.
Lake Houston Area residents got a taste of “Active Storm Management” without the extra gates in May this year. SJRA got surprised by a spring storm and started releasing water at 70,000 CFS. Hundreds of homes flooded downstream in Harris and Montgomery Counties. Thousands more nearly flooded.
The May floods highlighted the risks involved with ad hoc lowering of Lake Conroe. They also underscored the need for more Lake Houston floodgates to handle the extra water that SJRA may send downstream.
2556 days have now elapsed since the storm that motivated the Lake Houston floodgates project – without moving one shovel of dirt. That’s almost twice the time that it took to fight and win World War II – 1349 days.
I’m going to go way out on a limb here and say that there may be some room for improvement in the business processes surrounding flood mitigation.
Whitmire Appoints Huberty to CWA Board
On the good-news front, Mayor John Whitmire has appointed former State Representative Dan Huberty, a Lake Houston Area resident, to the CWA board. Huberty fought years for this project and helped land much of the early funding. He knows the people and already knows the project. He should be able to step in and start making an immediate impact.
Huberty has already had meetings with the CWA staff. He told me, “This will be my highest priority moving forward to meet the needs of Lake Houston Area constituents.”
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/28/2024
2556 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/20230812-RJR_2234-copy.jpg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=17331100adminadmin2024-08-28 21:17:342024-09-02 13:04:57Harvey’s Seventh Anniversary Update on Lake Houston Floodgates Project
Flood Digest: Quick Updates on Six Flood-Mitigation Projects
8/30/24 – Another month has flown by. Below are quick updates on six flood-mitigation projects in the area.
HCFCD Beryl-related Ditch Maintenance
According to Jeremy Phillips, Director of Harris County Flood Control District’s (HCFCD) Asset Management Division, “The quickest way to ensure we are including debris in our post-storm cleanup is to fill out a service request online. We send them to our maintenance staff. They, in turn, ensure our contractors pick up the reported debris.”
To report a problem, go to: Request Service or Report a Problem (hcfcd.org).
I reported four trees this afternoon in a ditch that runs through Kings Forest just north of Kingwood Drive.
The second is more serious: a cluster of three trees that have fallen across the ditch about 50 feet upstream.
Such blockages can catch other debris floating downstream during heavy rains and form dams that back water up into homes. HCFCD has 2500 miles of channels to patrol. Help them help you. Report any problems you see on the web page above.
Emily Woodell, a HCFCD spokesperson, said, “Through our Beryl debris removal efforts, we are currently at 10,966 tons of debris removed from 14 different watersheds. Based on our debris estimates, we are approximately 33% complete with our countywide debris removal operation.” Harris County maintains ditches, streams and bayous in 23 different watersheds.
Northpark Expansion
The expansion of Northpark Drive will create an all-weather evacuation route from Kingwood for almost 80,000 people when Hamblen and Kingwood Drive are cut off.
The project has been delayed by utility conflicts, but those now have reportedly been resolved. The Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority posted a new 3-week lookahead schedule yesterday.
In the next three weeks, contractors will focus on completing dirt work, preparing the sub-grade, and setting up rebar.
All photos below were taken on 8/30/24.
Tree Lane/Bens Branch Bridge Repair
I last posted about the Tree Lane bridge repairs over Bens Branch on 8/11/24. In the last 19 days, Houston Public Works has poured a few more loads of concrete and partially installed some culvert for a storm-drain outfall. No one was at the job site today.
This is the third attempt at repairs since 2019. The most recent started in February 2024. The original completion date was Spring 2024. Now it’s Fall 2024. Technically, Fall lasts until December 22. But there’s always 2025 as a fallback.
SJRA Projects
After Harvey, the San Jacinto River Authority engaged in several flood-mitigation projects with partners throughout the river basin. Projects included the San Jacinto River Basin Master Drainage Study, a Sedimentation Study, a Sand-Trap Study and more. Unfortunately, none have been acted on yet.
The SJRA also worked with several other entities on the State’s first Flood Plan and developed a seasonal-lowering strategy for Lake Conroe to help protect downstream residents.
However, the seasonal strategy turned into an ad hoc Active Storm Management strategy under withering criticism and a lawsuit from the Lake Conroe Association. The new strategy contributed to the flooding of hundreds of homes in May. Thousands more nearly flooded. It was the second highest release in SJRA history, exceeded only by Harvey.
Today, SJRA published a newsletter supposedly informing readers about their flood mitigation progress. The first 279 words explained how they don’t have money to do anything. So, they’ve worked with partners and the partner’s money to produce studies…none of which have been acted on yet.
The last paragraph states, “The [Flood-Management] Division has received and utilized grant funding via the Flood Infrastructure Fund through the Texas Water Development Board for studies and projects which may lead to flood reduction benefits in the future.“
“The Division will continue to pursue flood mitigation opportunities and partnerships throughout the region, with the ultimate goal of serving and improving the lives of the public,” said the newsletter.
Editorial Comment: The SJRA needs to focus on actionability in its studies.
Dredging
The City of Houston announced the start of a new dredging project in Lake Houston back on April 1. After delays due to floods, flood damage and a potential change in scope, they now hope to start within 30 days. I last saw them assembling pipe at the Army Corps’ old site south of the West Fork and the Forest Cove Pool.
The original project was designed to remove accumulated sediment between Kings Point and the FM1960 bridge.
The potential change in scope is encouraging. Due to additional sediment coming down from upstream during several floods earlier this year, the City has applied to FEMA for more money to cover several additional projects around the lake.
One such project is cleaning out the mouth of the Kingwood Diversion Ditch at River Grove Park. It has become badly silted in.
A spokesperson for the City said they hope to hear from FEMA on this and other projects shortly.
The idea is to do as many projects as possible while the equipment is here. That reduces mobilization charges as a percentage of each job. And mobilization is a major component of most dredging jobs.
Flood Gates
Earlier this week, I learned that FEMA and TDEM approved a change to an interlocal agreement in April concerning 11 new tainter gates for the Lake Houston Dam. The Coastal Water Authority approved the change in July. And the Houston City Council will take it up in September.
Councilman Fred Flickinger is reportedly meeting with Public Works next week to see what can be done to serve residents better and faster.
That’s this month’s roundup of flood-mitigation projects affecting the Lake Houston Area and Harris County.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/30/24
2558 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 54 since Beryl
City’s Beryl Storm-Debris Tracker Shows Cleanup Status by Neighborhood
8/29/24 – The City of Houston Solid Waste Department’s Beryl Storm-Debris Tracker shows that the department has completed the second pass of debris cleanup in virtually all of District E’s north sector. If you still have debris from the storm but don’t yet have it to the curb, you only have one more pass. So hurry. After that, the cost is on you.
About a month ago, the City launched the storm tracker to help residents understand when they can expect help.
Three Passes
The City promised “three passes” of debris pickup. This would give residents a chance to get all their debris to the curb for pickup. Curbs were so crowded during the first pass that not all the debris would fit within reach of the equipment.
Also, there were a limited number of tree service companies to help residents saw up trees and get them to the curb.
Three passes give contractors more time to help residents.
Citywide Status
The Beryl Storm-Debris tracker map below shows the status of cleanup citywide by sectors.
The Storm-Debris Tracker shows no gray areas left. Gray indicated areas that were still waiting for the first pass to begin.
To change between the first and second views shown above in the Storm-Debris Tracker, just zoom in or out.
Storm-Debris Tracker Statistics to Date
The City updates the map and associated statistics nightly at 8 PM. Today were are 34 days from the start of the effort. So far, the City has collected:
The City estimates the combined impact of this year’s natural disasters in the Houston area to produce more than 4.5 million cubic yards of storm debris.
Prior to the July 4th Independence Holiday, the city successfully removed more than 1.7 million cubic yards of debris generated by the Derecho Storm. (Remember Beryl hit Houston on July 8. And within days, there were debris piles everywhere.)
For a full report on the damage Hurricane Beryl caused across the region (wind, flooding, surge, etc.) see HCFCD’s report on the storm.
Plan for Remainder of Cleanup
Over the next 60-90 days, the City will utilize all its available resources combined with supplemental disaster collection contractors to expedite the debris removal operations in neighborhoods throughout the city.
To view the storm tracker visit: https://houstontx.gov/solidwaste/beryl_strm2024.html.
And remember, you no longer need to contact 3-1-1 to report storm debris. During each pass, crews will go down every street looking for it.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/29/24
2557 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 34 since Beryl
Harvey’s Seventh Anniversary Update on Lake Houston Floodgates Project
8/28/24 – In its July 10 board meeting, the Coastal Water Authority (CWA) unanimously approved a motion to move forward with final design for 11 new Lake Houston floodgates. Houston will now consider the same motion at its September 11th City Council Meeting. If approved, final engineering design of the gates will commence.
Separately, Houston Mayor John Whitmire appointed former State Representative Dan Huberty to the CWA board. Huberty, an early proponent of the gates project, may be able to help accelerate it moving forward.
The Most Talked About Flood-Mitigation Project
Since Hurricane Harvey seven years ago, I’ve authored 278 posts discussing additional Lake Houston floodgates. From the public’s standpoint, beyond a doubt, the gates are the most eagerly anticipated flood-mitigation measure considered after Harvey.
The most recent post appeared on 5/25 of this year after meeting with members of the Coastal Water Authority, Houston City Council and Houston Public Works at the dam. Not much has changed since then with the exception of some legal formalities.
The Coastal Water Authority Board met on July 10 to vote on an amendment to an Interlocal Agreement (ILA). FEMA and the Texas Division of Emergency Management previously approved the ILA amendment in April. It covers additional engineering services, the cost of final design, and changes from the initial scope of work.
The CWA board approved the ILA amendment unanimously. Final engineering of the new Lake Houston floodgates can now move forward with Black & Veatch as soon as the City approves it.
Minutes of the CWA meeting indicate that, before voting, members discussed potential downstream impacts. The minutes also noted that no significant impacts were found after extensive hydraulic modeling.
Next Up: City Council Vote on 9/11
The amended interlocal agreement will now go before Houston City Council on September 11th for consideration. If approved, final design of the gates could begin soon thereafter.
Need for Lake Houston Floodgates
The Lake Houston Floodgates Project will add 11 new gates to the dam in the earthen embankment to the east of the concrete spillway.
The new floodgates will increase the current discharge capacity by an additional 80,000 cubic feet per second (CFS). That roughly equals the discharge rate from Lake Conroe during Hurricane Havey – 79,000 CFS.
Currently, Lake Houston floodgates can only release 10,000 CFS. Increasing the discharge rate would enable the City and CWA to:
Key to Active Storm Management
All these benefits are especially important because the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) has abandoned its seasonal lake-lowering strategy for Lake Conroe. The SJRA has gone to an as-needed lake-lowering strategy called “Active Storm Management” instead. Active storm management requires much more speed and agility than simply having extra storage capacity in the lakes ready and waiting when storm seasons begin.
Lake Houston Area residents got a taste of “Active Storm Management” without the extra gates in May this year. SJRA got surprised by a spring storm and started releasing water at 70,000 CFS. Hundreds of homes flooded downstream in Harris and Montgomery Counties. Thousands more nearly flooded.
The May floods highlighted the risks involved with ad hoc lowering of Lake Conroe. They also underscored the need for more Lake Houston floodgates to handle the extra water that SJRA may send downstream.
2556 days have now elapsed since the storm that motivated the Lake Houston floodgates project – without moving one shovel of dirt. That’s almost twice the time that it took to fight and win World War II – 1349 days.
I’m going to go way out on a limb here and say that there may be some room for improvement in the business processes surrounding flood mitigation.
Whitmire Appoints Huberty to CWA Board
On the good-news front, Mayor John Whitmire has appointed former State Representative Dan Huberty, a Lake Houston Area resident, to the CWA board. Huberty fought years for this project and helped land much of the early funding. He knows the people and already knows the project. He should be able to step in and start making an immediate impact.
Huberty has already had meetings with the CWA staff. He told me, “This will be my highest priority moving forward to meet the needs of Lake Houston Area constituents.”
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/28/2024
2556 Days since Hurricane Harvey