Bayou Land Conservancy (BLC) has announced a conservation easement on 966 acres of critical Lake Creek property in Montgomery County. The property is just northeast of Magnolia on Tranquility Ranch, which is owned by Nathan and Lindy Ingram. BLC started working with the Ingrams in 2015.
The conservation easement is across Lake Creek from the 7,000-acre Cook’s Branch preserve owned by the Cynthia & George Mitchell Foundation. The proximity of the two large properties will benefit wildlife by maintaining the “carrying capacity” of the land.
Lake Creek flows diagonally through this satellite image from Google Earth. Note how new developments are gobbling up the natural (green) area in the middle where the conservation easement is.
The 966 acres permanently preserved at Tranquility Ranch help meet BLC’s long-term conservation goals and contribute to the environmental health of the region.
The preserve will function as a wetland and stream mitigation bank, known as the West Montgomery Mitigation Bank. It has credits available to developers seeking to offset impacts in this rapidly growing area.
Wild area along Lake Creek where it flows through Tranquility Ranch.
Featuring a mix of hardwood and pine forest, Tranquility Ranch consists of over 400 acres of existing wetland habitat, 20 acres of streams & ponds, and 13,000 linear feet (2.5 miles) of stream frontage on Lake Creek.
In addition to high quality existing habitat, over 90 acres of wetlands and 300 acres of flooded forests will be improved and restored on the land.
Bottomland hardwoods provide habitat for wildlife.
The 966-acre preserve is part of a larger 1200-acre property that hosts a special event venue called The Wyldes at Tranquility Ranch. It hosts retreats, weddings, and other events.
Benefits to People and Wildlife
Jill Boullion, Executive Director of Bayou Land Conservancy, said, “This conservation agreement makes a significant stride towards BLC’s conservation goals to preserve land in the Lake Houston watershed.”
“We’re grateful to landowner Nathan Ingram and his care and protection of this special place,” said Boullion.
“This land will provide positive impacts in the region for generations to come.”
Jill Boullion, Exec. Director, BLC
Preservation of Tranquility Ranch will provide many community benefits. They include flood control, water-quality improvements for drinking water and recreation, and wildlife habitat. The preserve also is an important nesting, wintering, and migratory stop-over site for many bird species, including owls, raptors, and songbirds.
Importance of Lake Creek Preservation to Downstream Flood Protection
Leaving natural areas natural won’t reduce flooding per se. But it will keep flooding from getting worse.
It will also reduce flood damage by ensuring generous setbacks from areas that flood.
Wetlands are nature’s sponges. They retain runoff that might otherwise quickly add to flood peaks downstream. They also clean water.
Bayou City Waterkeeper ranks the wetlands along Lake Creek as one of the five most critical wetland areas in the Houston Region.
For those who may not know where Lake Creek is, it enters the San Jacinto West Fork just south of Conroe, about 9 miles south of the Lake Conroe Dam. See the big green area in the upper left.
From this map, we can see that rainfall from seven watersheds flows under the US59 bridge. Comparing peak flow data from them during the January 2024 flood, we can see that Lake Creek had the highest discharge rate. See below. USGS graphs are arranged in order from highest to lowest, except for the last, which reflects rain falling in all seven watersheds.
Lake Creek peaked at 20,800 cubic feet per second (CFS)Lake Conroe peaked at 19,100 CFS.Spring Creek peaked at 9,810 CFS.Cypress Creek peaked at 6,580 CFS.Willow Creek peaked at 842 CFS.Little Cypress peaked at 780 CFS.
All of the streams above flow under the US59 bridge.
USGS registered a peak of 40,400 cubic feet per secondat the 59 Bridge.
Note: the first six peaks do not total up to the last because streams peaked at different times.
Of course, these numbers partially reflect uneven rainfall distribution during the January event. And rainfall totals in the Lake Creek watershed were among the highest in the area.
Looking solely at watershed size shows that even if the rainfall distribution had been uniform, Lake Creek would have contributed a major percentage of the overall flow.
And that – in a sentence – is why Lake Houston Area residents should care about conservation along Lake Creek, especially considering that the watershed is developing so quickly!
Conservation Easement Will Protect Land in Perpetuity
BLC conducted an extensive audit of natural resources including wetlands and wildlife on the Ingram property before the conservation agreement was put in place. No matter who the owner is, the easement will run with the land and protect the land in perpetuity. The audit will provide a baseline for future comparison.
Ingram reportedly had offers to buy the land from sand miners and developers but chose to conserve it instead. Said Boullion, “I commend him because obviously it’s not cheap to own and hold that much land in a natural state. So, he looked for a way to monetize his property while conserving the land and benefiting the community. He is one of the most conservation-minded people I know.”
The conservation easement held by BLC will let Ingram sell wetland-mitigation credits through the West Montgomery Mitigation Bank. He will sell them to developers who have no other choice but to disturb wetlands while developing the rest of their property.
BLC is one of the leading conservation groups in the Houston region. It preserves land along streams for flood control, clean water, and wildlife. BLC is a nationally accredited, community-sponsored land preservation organization working to permanently protect land, with a focus on the streams that feed Lake Houston, an important source of drinking water for millions of people.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/25/24
2361 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/20230919-Tranquility-Ranch-Sign-2.jpg?fit=1100%2C825&ssl=18251100adminadmin2024-02-15 16:08:152024-02-16 10:25:47Bayou Land Conservancy Protects Another 966 Acres in Lake Creek Watershed
According to Dr. Mark Wentzel, a hydrologist in the Surface Water Division at the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), January 2024 weather was much cooler and wetter than normal in the Houston area, but the same was not true across the state.
Wentzel issues monthly reports that summarize weather, rainfall (or lack thereof), and water supplies across Texas. His latest report, issued today, covers conditions from the end of December 2023 to the end of January 2024.
Key Stats
According to Wentzel, January was cooler than normal for most of Texas and wetter than normal for about half the state.
At the end of January, 23 percent of the state was in drought, down 16 percentage points since the end of December and the lowest percentage since June 2023.
Statewide, storage in our water supply reservoirs is about 73 percent of capacity, up almost four percentage points since the end of December, but still almost 10 percentage points below normal for the time of year.
Wentzel expects conditions to continue improving over the next few months. But he also says, we have a long way to go to be drought-free statewide.
Summary of key points for Jan. ’24, from TWDB video by Dr. Mark Wentzel
Houston Area Was 2 to 4 Degrees F Cooler, 150-300% Wetter Than Normal
Wentzel provided these two maps from NOAA. They show temperature and precipitation variations statewide relative to what is considered normal for January.
From a water supply perspective, reds, oranges, and yellows mean trouble on both maps. The Houston area was 2 to 4 degrees F cooler than normal and 150% to 300% wetter. However, parts of West Texas were above normal for temperature and below normal for precipitation – the opposite of SE Texas.
Overall, January temperatures were well below normal for most of the state. In fact…
January 2024 was the coldest January for Texas since 2007 and the second coldest since 1988.
Dr. Mark Wentzel, Hydrologist TWDB
Precipitation in January was above average for about half the state.
Overall, we had the wettest January since 2007 and the 10th wettest since 1895.
Dr. Mark Wentzel, Hydrologist TWDB
Even so, all of West Texas and parts of the Panhandle, Central Texas, and the lower Rio Grande Valley were drier than normal.
Drought Becomes Less Severe
Cooler and wetter conditions than average for large areas of the state led to improved drought conditions in the last month.
This Drought Monitor map shows conditions as of January 30. Twenty-three percent of the state is in drought with the tan, orange, and red colors, down 16 percentage points from the end of December.
That’s the smallest percentage of the state impacted by drought since June 2023 and the fourth consecutive month that drought has decreased.
Water Supply Up, But Still Below Normal
January also brought welcome relief to some of Texas’ water supply reservoirs. During the month of January, statewide supplies increased by almost four percentage points, the largest increase in a single month since October 2018.
Most of that increase came in the northeast quarter of the state, where most reservoirs are now back to normal for this time of year.
However, statewide, supplies are about 10 percentage points below normal for the time of year. And conditions are much worse in the south and west.
Drought Forecast Through End of April
What can we expect over the next few months? Here’s the latest seasonal drought outlook from the National Weather Service for conditions through the end of April.
NOAA’s drought predictions for entire country
El Niño conditions, warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the eastern Equatorial Pacific, are in place and expected to moderate temperatures. They will also add moisture to Texas for the rest of the winter.
Unfortunately, improvements aren’t expected to be enough to reduce drought in West Texas or eliminate drought in Central and East Texas.
Looking a little farther out, May and June are typically two of the wettest months for Texas, regardless of El Niño status, giving us a chance for additional improvements before the full onset of summer, says Wentzel
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Screenshot-2024-02-14-at-2.42.36%E2%80%AFPM-e1707946162539.png?fit=1100%2C627&ssl=16271100adminadmin2024-02-14 15:36:372024-02-14 15:36:38January 2024 Weather Much Cooler, Wetter than Normal in Houston Area
Meritage Homes of Texas LLC, a company based in Scottsdale, Arizona, has begun clearing 40.2 acres between Kings River and Pinehurst of Atascocita. The company will reportedly build 210 homes there – 5.2 per acre. Although the new development is far above floodplains, wetlands cover a large part of the first phase.
Two Phases of Development
Meritage told homeowners in the area that it plans to develop the land in two phases, with the second still several years away.
The two parcels bracket Pinehurst Trail Drive. The first stretches along Kings Park Way almost to West Lake Houston Parkway (WLHP) on the west. The second stretches to the Atascocita Golf Club on the east. (See satellite image below.)
The presence of wetlands (and a gas pipeline) may indicate why this property was not developed until now.
The definition of “jurisdictional wetlands” has flip-flopped in recent years as one administration after another has tweaked the definition of “waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS). Currently, we’re dealing with Biden’s changes to Trump’s changes to Obama’s changes. It’s not simple.
The definition stretches more than 100 pages and determines what the Army Corps protects.
It’s not clear at this time whether the Army Corps has ruled whether these particular wetlands fall under their jurisdiction.
Western Parcel Being Cleared First
Photographs taken on Feb. 13, 2024, show that contractors have already cleared a significant portion of the first phase, which is on the west. See images below.
Looking ENE toward Lake Houston. This shot shows the first part of clearing adjacent to Texas Laurel Trail and Pinehurst Trail Drive.Wetlands cut through this area.Reverse angle shows full extent of clearing as of Tuesday morning, 2/13/24. Looking W toward CVS (out of sight in background) along WLHP.
Note the small channel that appears to be draining the wetland area. According to the schematic diagram below, homes, driveways and roads will eventually cover this channel and the area it drains.
Layout of Homes and Detention Basins
Plans indicate the area will have 124 30×80 foot lots and 86 40×80 lots. That’s fairly high density. And it will have a high percentage of impervious cover that generates a lot of runoff quickly. Luckily, the development will have four stormwater detention basins, according to the diagram below posted on Facebook.
A resident indicated that a deed to the property requires Meritage to maintain a buffer of at least 25-30 feet of wooded land along the property boundary. That should help retain/restrain runoff, too. See photo below.
So far, contractors seem to be leaving the required setback.
Construction Plans and Drainage Analysis to Follow
According to residents, Meritage just closed on the property in January. Given the recent sale, I do not yet have full construction plans or a drainage impact analysis. However, I have submitted a FOIA Request to Harris County Engineering and will provide them when I get them.
When I photographed the clearing activity this morning, it had silt fence around most of the perimeter (an improvement from last Sunday).
The silt fence is also an improvement over a neighboring development on WLHP by Trammell Crow.
Neighboring Development Still in Quagmire.
Harris County Engineering and Constables shut down construction at the Trammell Crow site after it flooded Kings Park Way, WLHP, and neighboring properties during heavy rains in late January.
This morning, I noticed that contractors are back at work behind tall privacy fences. However, they still lack silt fences along large parts of their property. Moreover, trenches that they dug to drain the property to a sediment pond had been blocked off to accommodate construction equipment. See below.
Trammell Crow contractors were busy this morning piling dirt over the knee-deep muckon their site from heavy rains two weeks ago.
Stormwater is the enemy of construction. That’s why most contractors implement measures to control it upfront in a project, not after the fact. Let’s pray that Meritage’s contractors protect their neighbors better.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/13/24
2359 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/2024/02/20240213-Screenshot-2024-02-13-at-11.31.53%E2%80%AFAM-3.jpg?fit=1100%2C496&ssl=14961100adminadmin2024-02-13 14:56:192024-02-13 15:24:14Meritage Begins Clearing 40 Acres for 210 Homes, Many Over Wetlands
Bayou Land Conservancy Protects Another 966 Acres in Lake Creek Watershed
Bayou Land Conservancy (BLC) has announced a conservation easement on 966 acres of critical Lake Creek property in Montgomery County. The property is just northeast of Magnolia on Tranquility Ranch, which is owned by Nathan and Lindy Ingram. BLC started working with the Ingrams in 2015.
The conservation easement is across Lake Creek from the 7,000-acre Cook’s Branch preserve owned by the Cynthia & George Mitchell Foundation. The proximity of the two large properties will benefit wildlife by maintaining the “carrying capacity” of the land.
The 966 acres permanently preserved at Tranquility Ranch help meet BLC’s long-term conservation goals and contribute to the environmental health of the region.
The preserve will function as a wetland and stream mitigation bank, known as the West Montgomery Mitigation Bank. It has credits available to developers seeking to offset impacts in this rapidly growing area.
Featuring a mix of hardwood and pine forest, Tranquility Ranch consists of over 400 acres of existing wetland habitat, 20 acres of streams & ponds, and 13,000 linear feet (2.5 miles) of stream frontage on Lake Creek.
In addition to high quality existing habitat, over 90 acres of wetlands and 300 acres of flooded forests will be improved and restored on the land.
The 966-acre preserve is part of a larger 1200-acre property that hosts a special event venue called The Wyldes at Tranquility Ranch. It hosts retreats, weddings, and other events.
Benefits to People and Wildlife
Jill Boullion, Executive Director of Bayou Land Conservancy, said, “This conservation agreement makes a significant stride towards BLC’s conservation goals to preserve land in the Lake Houston watershed.”
“We’re grateful to landowner Nathan Ingram and his care and protection of this special place,” said Boullion.
Preservation of Tranquility Ranch will provide many community benefits. They include flood control, water-quality improvements for drinking water and recreation, and wildlife habitat. The preserve also is an important nesting, wintering, and migratory stop-over site for many bird species, including owls, raptors, and songbirds.
Importance of Lake Creek Preservation to Downstream Flood Protection
Leaving natural areas natural won’t reduce flooding per se. But it will keep flooding from getting worse.
It will also reduce flood damage by ensuring generous setbacks from areas that flood.
Wetlands are nature’s sponges. They retain runoff that might otherwise quickly add to flood peaks downstream. They also clean water.
Bayou City Waterkeeper ranks the wetlands along Lake Creek as one of the five most critical wetland areas in the Houston Region.
For those who may not know where Lake Creek is, it enters the San Jacinto West Fork just south of Conroe, about 9 miles south of the Lake Conroe Dam. See the big green area in the upper left.
From this map, we can see that rainfall from seven watersheds flows under the US59 bridge. Comparing peak flow data from them during the January 2024 flood, we can see that Lake Creek had the highest discharge rate. See below. USGS graphs are arranged in order from highest to lowest, except for the last, which reflects rain falling in all seven watersheds.
All of the streams above flow under the US59 bridge.
Note: the first six peaks do not total up to the last because streams peaked at different times.
Of course, these numbers partially reflect uneven rainfall distribution during the January event. And rainfall totals in the Lake Creek watershed were among the highest in the area.
The discharge rates above also reflect watershed size. According to Table 2 in the San Jacinto Regional Watershed Master Drainage Plan:
Looking solely at watershed size shows that even if the rainfall distribution had been uniform, Lake Creek would have contributed a major percentage of the overall flow.
And that – in a sentence – is why Lake Houston Area residents should care about conservation along Lake Creek, especially considering that the watershed is developing so quickly!
Conservation Easement Will Protect Land in Perpetuity
BLC conducted an extensive audit of natural resources including wetlands and wildlife on the Ingram property before the conservation agreement was put in place. No matter who the owner is, the easement will run with the land and protect the land in perpetuity. The audit will provide a baseline for future comparison.
Ingram reportedly had offers to buy the land from sand miners and developers but chose to conserve it instead. Said Boullion, “I commend him because obviously it’s not cheap to own and hold that much land in a natural state. So, he looked for a way to monetize his property while conserving the land and benefiting the community. He is one of the most conservation-minded people I know.”
The conservation easement held by BLC will let Ingram sell wetland-mitigation credits through the West Montgomery Mitigation Bank. He will sell them to developers who have no other choice but to disturb wetlands while developing the rest of their property.
For more about how the wetland credits work in Texas, see this page from Texas A&M.
The Army Corps controls and permits the process. But non-profit groups, such as the Bayou Land Conservancy, play a major role in it.
About Bayou Land Conservancy
BLC is one of the leading conservation groups in the Houston region. It preserves land along streams for flood control, clean water, and wildlife. BLC is a nationally accredited, community-sponsored land preservation organization working to permanently protect land, with a focus on the streams that feed Lake Houston, an important source of drinking water for millions of people.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/25/24
2361 Days since Hurricane Harvey
January 2024 Weather Much Cooler, Wetter than Normal in Houston Area
According to Dr. Mark Wentzel, a hydrologist in the Surface Water Division at the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), January 2024 weather was much cooler and wetter than normal in the Houston area, but the same was not true across the state.
Wentzel issues monthly reports that summarize weather, rainfall (or lack thereof), and water supplies across Texas. His latest report, issued today, covers conditions from the end of December 2023 to the end of January 2024.
Key Stats
According to Wentzel, January was cooler than normal for most of Texas and wetter than normal for about half the state.
At the end of January, 23 percent of the state was in drought, down 16 percentage points since the end of December and the lowest percentage since June 2023.
Statewide, storage in our water supply reservoirs is about 73 percent of capacity, up almost four percentage points since the end of December, but still almost 10 percentage points below normal for the time of year.
Wentzel expects conditions to continue improving over the next few months. But he also says, we have a long way to go to be drought-free statewide.
Houston Area Was 2 to 4 Degrees F Cooler, 150-300% Wetter Than Normal
Wentzel provided these two maps from NOAA. They show temperature and precipitation variations statewide relative to what is considered normal for January.
From a water supply perspective, reds, oranges, and yellows mean trouble on both maps. The Houston area was 2 to 4 degrees F cooler than normal and 150% to 300% wetter. However, parts of West Texas were above normal for temperature and below normal for precipitation – the opposite of SE Texas.
Overall, January temperatures were well below normal for most of the state. In fact…
Precipitation in January was above average for about half the state.
Even so, all of West Texas and parts of the Panhandle, Central Texas, and the lower Rio Grande Valley were drier than normal.
Drought Becomes Less Severe
Cooler and wetter conditions than average for large areas of the state led to improved drought conditions in the last month.
This Drought Monitor map shows conditions as of January 30. Twenty-three percent of the state is in drought with the tan, orange, and red colors, down 16 percentage points from the end of December.
That’s the smallest percentage of the state impacted by drought since June 2023 and the fourth consecutive month that drought has decreased.
Water Supply Up, But Still Below Normal
January also brought welcome relief to some of Texas’ water supply reservoirs. During the month of January, statewide supplies increased by almost four percentage points, the largest increase in a single month since October 2018.
Most of that increase came in the northeast quarter of the state, where most reservoirs are now back to normal for this time of year.
However, statewide, supplies are about 10 percentage points below normal for the time of year. And conditions are much worse in the south and west.
Drought Forecast Through End of April
What can we expect over the next few months? Here’s the latest seasonal drought outlook from the National Weather Service for conditions through the end of April.
El Niño conditions, warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the eastern Equatorial Pacific, are in place and expected to moderate temperatures. They will also add moisture to Texas for the rest of the winter.
Unfortunately, improvements aren’t expected to be enough to reduce drought in West Texas or eliminate drought in Central and East Texas.
Looking a little farther out, May and June are typically two of the wettest months for Texas, regardless of El Niño status, giving us a chance for additional improvements before the full onset of summer, says Wentzel
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/14/24 based on information from Dr. Mark Wentzel – Hydrologist, TWDB
2360 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Meritage Begins Clearing 40 Acres for 210 Homes, Many Over Wetlands
Meritage Homes of Texas LLC, a company based in Scottsdale, Arizona, has begun clearing 40.2 acres between Kings River and Pinehurst of Atascocita. The company will reportedly build 210 homes there – 5.2 per acre. Although the new development is far above floodplains, wetlands cover a large part of the first phase.
Two Phases of Development
Meritage told homeowners in the area that it plans to develop the land in two phases, with the second still several years away.
The two parcels bracket Pinehurst Trail Drive. The first stretches along Kings Park Way almost to West Lake Houston Parkway (WLHP) on the west. The second stretches to the Atascocita Golf Club on the east. (See satellite image below.)
Land Not in Floodplain, But Contains Wetlands
According to FEMA, the land sits outside known floodplains. That’s good news.
However, according to USGS, portions of the property contain wetlands. That’s not good news. Homes developed over wetlands often experience a variety of problems, such as shifting foundations, doors that stick, and cracked pavement.
The presence of wetlands (and a gas pipeline) may indicate why this property was not developed until now.
The definition of “jurisdictional wetlands” has flip-flopped in recent years as one administration after another has tweaked the definition of “waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS). Currently, we’re dealing with Biden’s changes to Trump’s changes to Obama’s changes. It’s not simple.
The definition stretches more than 100 pages and determines what the Army Corps protects.
It’s not clear at this time whether the Army Corps has ruled whether these particular wetlands fall under their jurisdiction.
Western Parcel Being Cleared First
Photographs taken on Feb. 13, 2024, show that contractors have already cleared a significant portion of the first phase, which is on the west. See images below.
Note the small channel that appears to be draining the wetland area. According to the schematic diagram below, homes, driveways and roads will eventually cover this channel and the area it drains.
Layout of Homes and Detention Basins
Plans indicate the area will have 124 30×80 foot lots and 86 40×80 lots. That’s fairly high density. And it will have a high percentage of impervious cover that generates a lot of runoff quickly. Luckily, the development will have four stormwater detention basins, according to the diagram below posted on Facebook.
Harris County regulations specify a minimum requirement of .65 acre-feet of stormwater detention per acre for developments of this size. It’s not clear at this time whether the development will exceed the minimum requirement.
Tree Buffer
A resident indicated that a deed to the property requires Meritage to maintain a buffer of at least 25-30 feet of wooded land along the property boundary. That should help retain/restrain runoff, too. See photo below.
Construction Plans and Drainage Analysis to Follow
According to residents, Meritage just closed on the property in January. Given the recent sale, I do not yet have full construction plans or a drainage impact analysis. However, I have submitted a FOIA Request to Harris County Engineering and will provide them when I get them.
When I photographed the clearing activity this morning, it had silt fence around most of the perimeter (an improvement from last Sunday).
The silt fence is also an improvement over a neighboring development on WLHP by Trammell Crow.
Neighboring Development Still in Quagmire.
Harris County Engineering and Constables shut down construction at the Trammell Crow site after it flooded Kings Park Way, WLHP, and neighboring properties during heavy rains in late January.
This morning, I noticed that contractors are back at work behind tall privacy fences. However, they still lack silt fences along large parts of their property. Moreover, trenches that they dug to drain the property to a sediment pond had been blocked off to accommodate construction equipment. See below.
Stormwater is the enemy of construction. That’s why most contractors implement measures to control it upfront in a project, not after the fact. Let’s pray that Meritage’s contractors protect their neighbors better.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/13/24
2359 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.