Guess where the wetlands were? Today, I flew over Northpark Drive and Sorters-McClellan Road near the San Jacinto West Fork. I photographed a new development called Northpark South. Much of this land is in the floodplain. And much was also classified as wetlands for sixty years.
Can you guess which portion?
Photo of Northpark South on 1/10/24.Clearing essentially complete.
Here’s what the area looked like before clearing. Note any similarities? Like that curve in between the empty area and the tree line near the road?
Satellite photo from same area before clearing.Wetlands are large empty area.
That open area directly coincides with the soupy area in the first image.
And to think, less than a half inch of rain two days ago (January 8) produced all the muck you see in the first photo. Since then, we’ve had sunny skies, low humidity, and high, desiccating winds. They dried out the rest of the site. But not the wetlands.
Contractors at Northpark South have been trying to cover up the wetlands for six weeks with little luck. Here’s a closer shot from the reverse angle.
Photo from 1/10/24after less than a half inch of rain.
Construction plans show that homes will be built over the wetlands.
Wetlands Documented Since Early 1960s
USGS has documented wetlands on this property since at least 1961, as you can see in this topographic map viewer.
I’ve previously posted about the problems of building over wetlands. These pictures make another potent reminder. Problems include shifting slabs; windows, cabinets and doors that stick; cracked driveways; mold; erosion; clogged storm drains; downstream flooding and more.
Before Thanksgiving, I consulted a wetlands expert about this property. The expert said, “I would NOT feel safe living on top of a former wetland this close to the river. NO WAY! The land has a memory, deep in its soils, and I would expect future issues.”
I can see the cracks in wallboard already. No wonder the developer (Century Land Holdings of Texas LLC) urges people to buy homes over the internet, sight unseen! Buyer beware.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/10/2024
1325 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/2024/01/20240110-DJI_0038.jpg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=17331100adminadmin2024-01-10 19:54:252024-01-10 20:05:34Guess Where the Wetlands Were?
On December 29, 2023, the New York Post reported that the Internal Revenue Service, Army Corps of Engineers, and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality have all launched their own Colony Ridge investigations. Word on the street has it that even more investigations by other Federal agencies are underway.
Finally, just today (1/9/24), Harris County Commissioners Court discussed investigating the flooding, housing and environmental impacts of Colony Ridge on Harris County. The County Administrators Office and Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey agreed to discuss forming a task force. They would then return to Commissioners Court for final approval of their task force recommendations.
Thrust of Many Investigations Still Uncertain
However, with the exception of the DOJ and CFPB, the direction of many of these investigations remains unknown.
For instance, the EPA could be investigating any of several different allegations, including wetlands, endangered species, and pollution violations.
Colony Ridge, which has grown at least 50% larger than Manhattan in a decade, has filled in ponds and wetlands. While the Army Corps bears initial responsibility for investigating wetlands violations, ultimately the EPA reviews permit applications under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act.
Recently, the developer has been pushing into wetlands near Tarkington Bayou. I took the three photos below during in October 2023 while flying over the bayou. Despite a punishing drought, you can still see evidence of ponding.
A University of Waterloo (Ontario) study found that small isolated wetlands that are full for only part of the year are often the first to be removed for development. They enjoy fewer legal protections due to their apparent isolation from jurisdictional waters.
However, the study found that they can be twice as effective in protecting downstream lake or river ecosystems than those directly connected to them. The study labeled them “pollution-catching powerhouses.” Their disconnectedness makes them more effective pollution traps.
Previously, I reported that the TCEQ found raw sewage leaking from a lift station and sewers in Colony Ridge. TCEQ estimated that 48,000 gallons escaped into the Lake Houston watershed, which supplies drinking water for two million people.
To report environmental violations to the EPA, see this page.
Another possibility: EPA may also be looking into whether Colony Ridge displaced any threatened or endangered species. Texas Parks and Wildlife and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service say twelve threatened and endangered species live in Liberty County. Some reportedly live in the Colony Ridge Area.
For More Information
Since 2020, I have created more than 75 posts about different aspects of Colony Ridge – from missing drainage studies to sewage spills, rivers of mud, and more. To see links to all the posts, visit this page.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/9/2024
2324 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/20231207-Screenshot-2023-12-07-at-11.22.17%E2%80%AFAM.jpg?fit=1100%2C616&ssl=16161100adminadmin2024-01-09 17:38:312024-01-09 17:54:31At Least Seven Investigations Launched into Colony Ridge
Foot dragging by utilities has set the Northpark expansion project back years. What none seems to understand is that this isn’t just a normal road expansion project. It’s about creating a reliable, all-weather evacuation route for 78,000 people.
The utilities see the project as a headache. Traumatized residents see it as a lifeline.
And that’s your problem in two, simple sentences.
Evacuation Routes Under Water
Unless you lived here during Harvey, you cannot comprehend the terror of people trapped by rising floodwaters with no way out. By my count, 15 died including 12 elderly who resided near Kingwood’s Town Center, 1.25 miles north of the San Jacinto. Another died two miles north of the river. And two more died near where the East and West Forks of the San Jacinto come together. That makes almost a quarter of the 65 people who died in Harvey across all of Harris County.
Many of my neighbors crowded on the upper floors of homes and in their attics, surrounded by rising floodwaters, praying that they would live through the night. Boats evacuated the lucky ones.
Before power went out and cell phones died, I received several panicked calls from neighbors asking if I knew a way out. They had already tried everything I suggested.
I was out of town when Harvey struck and couldn’t get back in. My wife was home alone, without food, a way to cook, running water, power, a working toilet, or communication. I didn’t know if she was alive or dead. She made it through, but the uncertainty kept me up for days.
I later learned that five evacuation routes out of Kingwood had flooded badly. A sixth to the north was passable… if you could get to it.
Harvey Photos Show Depth of Water
See the pictures below. Hamblen Road was the first to go.
Hamblen Road during Harvey. Photo by Jim Balcom. His family evacuated by boat.
The West Lake Houston Parkway (WLHP) Bridge also became inaccessible. While the bridge remained above water, roads leading to it were under water.
Evacuation from Kings Harbor Townhomes one block from WLHP bridge.Sally Geis, rescued from the townhomes above made it out by boat. This shows her motoring by the Whataburger on WLHP north of Kingwood Drive, 1.7 miles north of the bridge.That’s the top of a submerged car at the Kingwood Town Center Apartments near the library, one block west of WLHP.
Kingwood Drive flooded for almost three miles between Timber Shade and Woodland Hills.
Kingwood Drive at Shady Run.Kingwood High School at Valley Manor flooded to the second floor.Kingwood Drive is in the tree line left of the parking lot.US59 southbound was cut off by 240,000 cubic feet of floodwater per second. It damaged the southbound lanes of the bridgeso badly that they took 11 months to rebuild.
Ford Road was generally passable…if you could get to it. Many who lived close by, even in Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest could not reach it.
That leaves Northpark Drive. It too was blocked in places where channels and streams overflowed. I worked on Northpark for 20 years. And I have seen it flood routinely between Bens Branch and the Diversion Ditch during rainfalls much smaller than Harvey’s.
Regardless, it’s the best option for improvement because it’s on high ground. That means the flooding issues are fixable at an affordable cost.
Northpark Voted by Residents as the Most Important Project in Kingwood
After Harvey, multiple surveys conducted by the City of Houston and Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin’s office ranked improving Northpark as the most important project in the Kingwood Area.
The project includes a bridge that will go over the railroad. Those mile-long trains frequently back up traffic even when things aren’t flooding. If they stalled during a flood when 78,000 people are trying to squeeze through a pinhole, you have an even bigger problem. And we should not forget in that regard that the UP rail bridge also washed out during Harvey.
Union Pacific railroad traffic was disrupted for months. It had to be completely dismantled. A new bridge was erected in its place.
TXDoT Says “Should Have Been Built Years Ago”
TXDoT told Northpark Expansion Project leaders that if a freestanding town of 78,000 people had been cut off by flooding, an evacuation route would have been built years ago. But we’re not freestanding.
Multi-jurisdictional Morass
Unfortunately, we live in a multi-jurisdictional morass. Two counties. The City. Unincorporated areas. MUDs. The TIRZ. Multiple school districts. Thirty-five homeowner associations. KSA. The state. The Federal Government. Redistricting. Multiple elections that create turnover in leadership.
You get the idea. No one entity or person speaks for the entire area. Thank heavens for former Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin who pushed the Northpark Expansion Project relentlessly ever since Harvey.
So come on Entergy. Come on Verison. Come on CenterPoint. Move it. Act like your lives depended on it. Ours do.
Guess Where the Wetlands Were?
Guess where the wetlands were? Today, I flew over Northpark Drive and Sorters-McClellan Road near the San Jacinto West Fork. I photographed a new development called Northpark South. Much of this land is in the floodplain. And much was also classified as wetlands for sixty years.
Can you guess which portion?
Here’s what the area looked like before clearing. Note any similarities? Like that curve in between the empty area and the tree line near the road?
That open area directly coincides with the soupy area in the first image.
And to think, less than a half inch of rain two days ago (January 8) produced all the muck you see in the first photo. Since then, we’ve had sunny skies, low humidity, and high, desiccating winds. They dried out the rest of the site. But not the wetlands.
Contractors at Northpark South have been trying to cover up the wetlands for six weeks with little luck. Here’s a closer shot from the reverse angle.
Construction plans show that homes will be built over the wetlands.
Wetlands Documented Since Early 1960s
USGS has documented wetlands on this property since at least 1961, as you can see in this topographic map viewer.
However the developer apparently has not received a wetland development permit from the Army Corps. The developer’s drainage impact analysis does even not mention the word “wetland.”
Problems When Building Over Wetlands
I’ve previously posted about the problems of building over wetlands. These pictures make another potent reminder. Problems include shifting slabs; windows, cabinets and doors that stick; cracked driveways; mold; erosion; clogged storm drains; downstream flooding and more.
Before Thanksgiving, I consulted a wetlands expert about this property. The expert said, “I would NOT feel safe living on top of a former wetland this close to the river. NO WAY! The land has a memory, deep in its soils, and I would expect future issues.”
I can see the cracks in wallboard already. No wonder the developer (Century Land Holdings of Texas LLC) urges people to buy homes over the internet, sight unseen! Buyer beware.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/10/2024
1325 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.
At Least Seven Investigations Launched into Colony Ridge
Today, Harris County joined the growing list of governmental agencies looking into Colony Ridge.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) have already concluded their investigations and filed Federal lawsuits against the troubled developer.
On December 29, 2023, the New York Post reported that the Internal Revenue Service, Army Corps of Engineers, and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality have all launched their own Colony Ridge investigations. Word on the street has it that even more investigations by other Federal agencies are underway.
Then on January 5, 2024, the Daily Wire reported that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has opened an investigation into Colony Ridge.
Finally, just today (1/9/24), Harris County Commissioners Court discussed investigating the flooding, housing and environmental impacts of Colony Ridge on Harris County. The County Administrators Office and Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey agreed to discuss forming a task force. They would then return to Commissioners Court for final approval of their task force recommendations.
Thrust of Many Investigations Still Uncertain
However, with the exception of the DOJ and CFPB, the direction of many of these investigations remains unknown.
For instance, the EPA could be investigating any of several different allegations, including wetlands, endangered species, and pollution violations.
Colony Ridge, which has grown at least 50% larger than Manhattan in a decade, has filled in ponds and wetlands. While the Army Corps bears initial responsibility for investigating wetlands violations, ultimately the EPA reviews permit applications under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act.
Recently, the developer has been pushing into wetlands near Tarkington Bayou. I took the three photos below during in October 2023 while flying over the bayou. Despite a punishing drought, you can still see evidence of ponding.
A University of Waterloo (Ontario) study found that small isolated wetlands that are full for only part of the year are often the first to be removed for development. They enjoy fewer legal protections due to their apparent isolation from jurisdictional waters.
However, the study found that they can be twice as effective in protecting downstream lake or river ecosystems than those directly connected to them. The study labeled them “pollution-catching powerhouses.” Their disconnectedness makes them more effective pollution traps.
Previously, I reported that the TCEQ found raw sewage leaking from a lift station and sewers in Colony Ridge. TCEQ estimated that 48,000 gallons escaped into the Lake Houston watershed, which supplies drinking water for two million people.
To report environmental violations to the EPA, see this page.
Another possibility: EPA may also be looking into whether Colony Ridge displaced any threatened or endangered species. Texas Parks and Wildlife and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service say twelve threatened and endangered species live in Liberty County. Some reportedly live in the Colony Ridge Area.
For More Information
Since 2020, I have created more than 75 posts about different aspects of Colony Ridge – from missing drainage studies to sewage spills, rivers of mud, and more. To see links to all the posts, visit this page.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/9/2024
2324 Days since Hurricane Harvey
What Some Utilities Don’t Understand about Northpark Expansion Project
Foot dragging by utilities has set the Northpark expansion project back years. What none seems to understand is that this isn’t just a normal road expansion project. It’s about creating a reliable, all-weather evacuation route for 78,000 people.
And that’s your problem in two, simple sentences.
Evacuation Routes Under Water
Unless you lived here during Harvey, you cannot comprehend the terror of people trapped by rising floodwaters with no way out. By my count, 15 died including 12 elderly who resided near Kingwood’s Town Center, 1.25 miles north of the San Jacinto. Another died two miles north of the river. And two more died near where the East and West Forks of the San Jacinto come together. That makes almost a quarter of the 65 people who died in Harvey across all of Harris County.
Many of my neighbors crowded on the upper floors of homes and in their attics, surrounded by rising floodwaters, praying that they would live through the night. Boats evacuated the lucky ones.
Before power went out and cell phones died, I received several panicked calls from neighbors asking if I knew a way out. They had already tried everything I suggested.
I was out of town when Harvey struck and couldn’t get back in. My wife was home alone, without food, a way to cook, running water, power, a working toilet, or communication. I didn’t know if she was alive or dead. She made it through, but the uncertainty kept me up for days.
I later learned that five evacuation routes out of Kingwood had flooded badly. A sixth to the north was passable… if you could get to it.
Harvey Photos Show Depth of Water
See the pictures below. Hamblen Road was the first to go.
The West Lake Houston Parkway (WLHP) Bridge also became inaccessible. While the bridge remained above water, roads leading to it were under water.
Kingwood Drive flooded for almost three miles between Timber Shade and Woodland Hills.
Ford Road was generally passable…if you could get to it. Many who lived close by, even in Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest could not reach it.
That leaves Northpark Drive. It too was blocked in places where channels and streams overflowed. I worked on Northpark for 20 years. And I have seen it flood routinely between Bens Branch and the Diversion Ditch during rainfalls much smaller than Harvey’s.
Regardless, it’s the best option for improvement because it’s on high ground. That means the flooding issues are fixable at an affordable cost.
Northpark Voted by Residents as the Most Important Project in Kingwood
After Harvey, multiple surveys conducted by the City of Houston and Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin’s office ranked improving Northpark as the most important project in the Kingwood Area.
The project includes a bridge that will go over the railroad. Those mile-long trains frequently back up traffic even when things aren’t flooding. If they stalled during a flood when 78,000 people are trying to squeeze through a pinhole, you have an even bigger problem. And we should not forget in that regard that the UP rail bridge also washed out during Harvey.
TXDoT Says “Should Have Been Built Years Ago”
TXDoT told Northpark Expansion Project leaders that if a freestanding town of 78,000 people had been cut off by flooding, an evacuation route would have been built years ago. But we’re not freestanding.
Multi-jurisdictional Morass
Unfortunately, we live in a multi-jurisdictional morass. Two counties. The City. Unincorporated areas. MUDs. The TIRZ. Multiple school districts. Thirty-five homeowner associations. KSA. The state. The Federal Government. Redistricting. Multiple elections that create turnover in leadership.
You get the idea. No one entity or person speaks for the entire area. Thank heavens for former Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin who pushed the Northpark Expansion Project relentlessly ever since Harvey.
So come on Entergy. Come on Verison. Come on CenterPoint. Move it. Act like your lives depended on it. Ours do.
For More Information
For more information about the project including construction plans, visit the project pages of the LHRA/Tirz 10 website. Or see these posts on ReduceFlooding:
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/7/24
2322 Days since Hurricane Harvey