3/13/26 – Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) has asked for a 20-month extension on the Kingwood Diversion Ditch Project scheduled to take 24 months. The original period of performance for the contract was from 4/1/24 to 4/1/26. But backup provided to Commissioners Court shows HCFCD doesn’t even expect to give the vendor a notice to proceed until 4/27/26.
The announced reason for the extension request: “…an unforeseen delay in project cost negotiations to remain within budget…”
“Who negotiates with a vendor for two years on a job with a two year deadline?”
The Kingwood Area Drainage Analysis recommended expanding the Diversion Ditch as the top priority in Kingwood in 2020.
Preliminary engineering on the project began in 2021. But then the Democrats on Commissioner’s Court forced a management change at HCFCD.
The preliminary engineering was supposed to take 330 days, but it took four years instead. Worse, after all that time, it was criticized for not reflecting actual conditions and obvious recommendations. HCFCD blamed the problems on vendor “personnel issues.”
But it took HCFCD another seven months from publication of the preliminary engineering report to the time they officially delivered it to Commissioners Court for formal approval.
Congressman Dan Crenshaw first requested a $1.6 million grant for Diversion Ditch design in 2021. It was approved in the fiscal year 2022 budget by Congress. Now, HCFCD is requesting a two-year extension until December 31, 2027.
From the identification of the need in the Kingwood Area Drainage analysis on 10/20/20 to the projected end date of 12/31/27, 2628 days will elapse (assuming no more delays).
To put that in perspective, the U.S. won World War II in 1348 days.
So, it will take almost twice as long to redesign a channel as it did to win World War II! That takes some real talent! I’m not sure it’s possible to walk a project any slower and not have Commissioners Court notice. To be fair, the Diversion Ditch IS more than three miles long!
Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/13/26
3118 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/20230401-DJI_0363.jpg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=17331100adminadmin2026-03-13 19:09:542026-03-20 14:19:22Kingwood Diversion Ditch Project Delayed Again
3/12/26 – According to the Office of the Harris County Engineer, TXDoT’s prime contractor on the FM2100 expansion operation and a subcontractor have been told to refrain from bringing additional fill into the floodplain of Cedar Bayou. Mr. Yancey Scott, PE, CFM, Assistant Director of Permits, said the County Attorney’s Office hand delivered a letter on 3/5/26 notifying them to stop placing fill in the floodplain.
I have not photographed them bringing any more fill into the floodplain since then. However, the situation does appear to be worsening. Someone is spreading the fill out over an area three times larger on the same property. Now, instead of reaching 20-30 feet up over approximately six acres, it’s being spread across 17 acres.
Imagine standing up in full bathtub, then lying down. You will displace more water when lying because your “footprint” increases. It’s the same with the fill.
History of Operation
For months, TXDoT contractors working on the FM2100 expansion project in Huffman were excavating a detention basin above the floodplain in the Luce Bayou watershed. From there, they trucked the dirt to the Cedar Bayou watershed and dumped it in the floodplain, reportedly without a permit. I first captured the dumping on camera on Feb. 5, 2026.
On Feb. 25, 2026, Harris County first shut down the operation. According to local residents, the contractor started hauling the dirt to an alternative site in Liberty County.
But by March 4, 2026, I photographed more trucks bringing more fill to the original property in the Cedar Bayou floodplain on Huffman Eastgate Road. This time they spread it out, though, in the northern part of the red box below.
Current effective FEMA Floodplain Map dated 6/18/2007. Aqua colored area is 100-year floodplain. Note how floodplain extends past Inter-basin Transfer Canal at top of frame.3/4/26.I witnessed a steady parade of dump trucks coming from the FM2100 excavation site and dumping their loadsnear the Inter-Basin Transfer Canal at top of frame.3/4/26.As fast as the belly dump trucks would empty their loads, a bulldozer spread them out.Meanwhile, more trucks dropped their loads on the southern edge of the red box in the floodplain. Both northern and southern areas were receiving dirt on 3/4/26.
I watched with an incredulous neighbor who had flooded repeatedly, as the steady stream of dump trucks dropped their loads.
Then on Sunday, March 8, I returned. The site was quiet. But I noticed a sizable portion of the original pile on the southern edge of the property was missing.
3.8.26. Sunday. Large Portion of fill had been relocated to area behind camera.3.8.26. Fill from upper right was added to new fill in lower left.
On March 10, Doug Begley, a staff writer for the Houston Chronicle published his expose of the operation.
Photos Taken on 3/12/26
On 3/12/26, I returned and learned what happened to that chunk of the southern pile. The contractors were spreading it out over the rest of the property along with previously deposited new fill straight from FM2100.
Cedar Bayou floodplain fill on 3/12/26. Original pile (right) is now being spread out over property to the north (l).3/12/26. Relocated Cedar Bayou floodplain fill is already higher than fence line. Note height of fill in distance relative to height of trees on left.3/12/26. Looking S toward the original pile.To put the volume of this fill in perspective, the height of that truck in the foreground is 11’3″. The excavator is completely above it, yet below the bulldozer at the top of the frame, which is still below the top of the pile in the upper frame.
Engineering Department Still Hasn’t Complied with FOIA Request
Floodplain regulations generally prohibit placing fill in either the 500- or 100-year floodplain. They also discourage moving fill from one watershed to another.
This operation reportedly began without a permit. To get a permit, the land owner had to submit a hydrologist’s report explaining how the fill would be mitigated.
I have tried without luck to obtain copies of the supposed report and permit for more than two weeks. At first, I was blocked from making a public information request on the Harris County Engineer’s website. By the time I could make the request, a week had elapsed. Now, almost another week has passed. And they haven’t started processing the request yet.
In the meantime, I talked to five county employees via phone or email, none of whom would (or could) send me the alleged permit and study. I also noted many conflicts between their stories as to the supposed dates of the permit, the cease-and-desist letter, engineer’s study, how/where to report violations, etc.
Only one thing is clear. We may never get to the bottom of all this dirt.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/12/26
3117 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.
3/11/26 – After every street flood, we often see floods of another sort: plastics littering our shorelines.
Today, a peaceful walk by the San Jacinto West Fork turned into a horror show when I saw thousands of plastic bottles, cups and food containers littering the shoreline. So, I did some research to see how it typically gets there.
West Fork TrashAccumulation. Thousands of plastic bottles, styrofoam cups and food containers.
Spoiler alert: it doesn’t all come from boaters or fishermen. And lest you think I’m anti-plastic, let me say upfront that I’m not.
Benefits of Plastics
Plastics have many benefits. For instance, they reduce food waste. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, about one-third of all food produced globally is lost or wasted (~1.3 billion tons annually).
However, plastic packaging plays a significant role in reducing losses in:
Transportation
Storage
Retail display
Household storage.
Think how much worse our hunger problems would be without plastics.
Thin, lightweight plastics also reduce packaging and transportation costs.
If Not Recycled…
But if not recycled, plastics can also have a downside. They can persist hundreds of years in the environment.
River systems like the San Jacinto act as plastic transport corridors.
They carry urban litter to estuaries and the Gulf of Mexico. Instead of decomposing biologically, plastics fragment into smaller pieces due to UV light and mechanical abrasion. These fragments accumulate in:
Oceans
River sediments
Floodplains
Agricultural soils
Groundwater systems
From there, they can enter the food chain via fish, birds, and other animals.
Runoff Flushes Plastic Litter into Rivers
The best available evidence indicates that urban runoff and storm-drain systems are among the dominant pathways for plastics to enter the food chain, especially in developed watersheds.
Floods dominate plastic transport. Hydrologic studies suggest plastic movement is extremely episodic.
One recent river monitoring study found that 90% of the annual plastic load moved during only 43 high-flow days in a year. Because storm drains generally bypass treatment, plastic moves directly from streets to rivers within minutes to hours of rainfall.
Problem All Over Houston
Houston City Council Member Fred Flickinger says the problem is serious all over Houston. He sent me an article about two men who clean the trash out of Buffalo Bayou using a small barge and a giant vacuum. “It’s a misconception,” says the article’s author, “that the trash comes from people littering directly into the bayou. The vast majority comes from more than 200 square miles of Houston streets that drain into Buffalo Bayou. … Some masses of plastic are so thick, they can be walked on.”
There’s a very simple answer to this problem:
Don’t throw your plastics in the gutter; recycle them.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/11/26
3116 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/DJI_20260311114348_0522_D.jpg?fit=1100%2C619&ssl=16191100adminadmin2026-03-11 17:52:222026-03-11 18:35:08Secondary Floods … of Plastics
Kingwood Diversion Ditch Project Delayed Again
3/13/26 – Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) has asked for a 20-month extension on the Kingwood Diversion Ditch Project scheduled to take 24 months. The original period of performance for the contract was from 4/1/24 to 4/1/26. But backup provided to Commissioners Court shows HCFCD doesn’t even expect to give the vendor a notice to proceed until 4/27/26.
The announced reason for the extension request: “…an unforeseen delay in project cost negotiations to remain within budget…”
See Item #148 on the agenda for March 19, 2026 and the explanation sent to commissioners and the EPA (the grantor).
Top Priority or Lowest?
The Kingwood Area Drainage Analysis recommended expanding the Diversion Ditch as the top priority in Kingwood in 2020.
Preliminary engineering on the project began in 2021. But then the Democrats on Commissioner’s Court forced a management change at HCFCD.
The preliminary engineering was supposed to take 330 days, but it took four years instead. Worse, after all that time, it was criticized for not reflecting actual conditions and obvious recommendations. HCFCD blamed the problems on vendor “personnel issues.”
But it took HCFCD another seven months from publication of the preliminary engineering report to the time they officially delivered it to Commissioners Court for formal approval.
Congressman Dan Crenshaw first requested a $1.6 million grant for Diversion Ditch design in 2021. It was approved in the fiscal year 2022 budget by Congress. Now, HCFCD is requesting a two-year extension until December 31, 2027.
From the identification of the need in the Kingwood Area Drainage analysis on 10/20/20 to the projected end date of 12/31/27, 2628 days will elapse (assuming no more delays).
To put that in perspective, the U.S. won World War II in 1348 days.
So, it will take almost twice as long to redesign a channel as it did to win World War II! That takes some real talent! I’m not sure it’s possible to walk a project any slower and not have Commissioners Court notice. To be fair, the Diversion Ditch IS more than three miles long!
Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/13/26
3118 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Cedar Bayou Floodplain-Fill Situation Worsening
3/12/26 – According to the Office of the Harris County Engineer, TXDoT’s prime contractor on the FM2100 expansion operation and a subcontractor have been told to refrain from bringing additional fill into the floodplain of Cedar Bayou. Mr. Yancey Scott, PE, CFM, Assistant Director of Permits, said the County Attorney’s Office hand delivered a letter on 3/5/26 notifying them to stop placing fill in the floodplain.
I have not photographed them bringing any more fill into the floodplain since then. However, the situation does appear to be worsening. Someone is spreading the fill out over an area three times larger on the same property. Now, instead of reaching 20-30 feet up over approximately six acres, it’s being spread across 17 acres.
Imagine standing up in full bathtub, then lying down. You will displace more water when lying because your “footprint” increases. It’s the same with the fill.
History of Operation
For months, TXDoT contractors working on the FM2100 expansion project in Huffman were excavating a detention basin above the floodplain in the Luce Bayou watershed. From there, they trucked the dirt to the Cedar Bayou watershed and dumped it in the floodplain, reportedly without a permit. I first captured the dumping on camera on Feb. 5, 2026.
Despite seemingly violating Section 4.07(e) of Harris County’s Floodplain Regulations, the operation had shifted into an even higher gear by Feb. 23, 2026.
On Feb. 25, 2026, Harris County first shut down the operation. According to local residents, the contractor started hauling the dirt to an alternative site in Liberty County.
But by March 4, 2026, I photographed more trucks bringing more fill to the original property in the Cedar Bayou floodplain on Huffman Eastgate Road. This time they spread it out, though, in the northern part of the red box below.
I watched with an incredulous neighbor who had flooded repeatedly, as the steady stream of dump trucks dropped their loads.
Then on Sunday, March 8, I returned. The site was quiet. But I noticed a sizable portion of the original pile on the southern edge of the property was missing.
On March 10, Doug Begley, a staff writer for the Houston Chronicle published his expose of the operation.
Photos Taken on 3/12/26
On 3/12/26, I returned and learned what happened to that chunk of the southern pile. The contractors were spreading it out over the rest of the property along with previously deposited new fill straight from FM2100.
Engineering Department Still Hasn’t Complied with FOIA Request
Floodplain regulations generally prohibit placing fill in either the 500- or 100-year floodplain. They also discourage moving fill from one watershed to another.
This operation reportedly began without a permit. To get a permit, the land owner had to submit a hydrologist’s report explaining how the fill would be mitigated.
I have tried without luck to obtain copies of the supposed report and permit for more than two weeks. At first, I was blocked from making a public information request on the Harris County Engineer’s website. By the time I could make the request, a week had elapsed. Now, almost another week has passed. And they haven’t started processing the request yet.
In the meantime, I talked to five county employees via phone or email, none of whom would (or could) send me the alleged permit and study. I also noted many conflicts between their stories as to the supposed dates of the permit, the cease-and-desist letter, engineer’s study, how/where to report violations, etc.
Only one thing is clear. We may never get to the bottom of all this dirt.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/12/26
3117 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.
Secondary Floods … of Plastics
3/11/26 – After every street flood, we often see floods of another sort: plastics littering our shorelines.
Today, a peaceful walk by the San Jacinto West Fork turned into a horror show when I saw thousands of plastic bottles, cups and food containers littering the shoreline. So, I did some research to see how it typically gets there.
Spoiler alert: it doesn’t all come from boaters or fishermen. And lest you think I’m anti-plastic, let me say upfront that I’m not.
Benefits of Plastics
Plastics have many benefits. For instance, they reduce food waste. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, about one-third of all food produced globally is lost or wasted (~1.3 billion tons annually).
However, plastic packaging plays a significant role in reducing losses in:
Think how much worse our hunger problems would be without plastics.
Thin, lightweight plastics also reduce packaging and transportation costs.
If Not Recycled…
But if not recycled, plastics can also have a downside. They can persist hundreds of years in the environment.
They carry urban litter to estuaries and the Gulf of Mexico. Instead of decomposing biologically, plastics fragment into smaller pieces due to UV light and mechanical abrasion. These fragments accumulate in:
From there, they can enter the food chain via fish, birds, and other animals.
Runoff Flushes Plastic Litter into Rivers
The best available evidence indicates that urban runoff and storm-drain systems are among the dominant pathways for plastics to enter the food chain, especially in developed watersheds.
A 2024 review of stormwater microplastics concluded:
Episodic Nature of Plastic Discharges
Because municipal storm-drain systems discharge directly to rivers or streams without treatment, they function as a direct transport pathway. Up to 80% of plastic entering urban rivers occurs during stormwater runoff events, when neighborhood litter gets flushed into streams and bayous.
Floods dominate plastic transport. Hydrologic studies suggest plastic movement is extremely episodic.
One recent river monitoring study found that 90% of the annual plastic load moved during only 43 high-flow days in a year. Because storm drains generally bypass treatment, plastic moves directly from streets to rivers within minutes to hours of rainfall.
Problem All Over Houston
Houston City Council Member Fred Flickinger says the problem is serious all over Houston. He sent me an article about two men who clean the trash out of Buffalo Bayou using a small barge and a giant vacuum. “It’s a misconception,” says the article’s author, “that the trash comes from people littering directly into the bayou. The vast majority comes from more than 200 square miles of Houston streets that drain into Buffalo Bayou. … Some masses of plastic are so thick, they can be walked on.”
There’s a very simple answer to this problem:
Don’t throw your plastics in the gutter; recycle them.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/11/26
3116 Days since Hurricane Harvey