This week, contractors completed the demotion of the old Kingwood Middle School (KMS). This clears the way for construction of the new, larger, permanent stormwater-detention basin and rebuilding of athletic fields in front of the new KMS. Even the foundation has been removed.
Photos Taken Dec. 17, 2022
Demolition of old school complete.Looking NW toward Woodland Hills.Looking East. Note temporary detention pond alone Pine Terrace on right.Looking N toward new schoolLooking west toward Woodland Hills at what will become the new athletic fields.
The old Kingwood Middle School was the first middle school in Kingwood and served Kingwood students for 45 years. Humble ISD built it in 1977.
With completion of the demolition of the old KMS, a piece of Kingwood history is gone. But a new chapter begins with a gorgeous new showcase that speaks for the resilience and quality of one of the finest communities in southeast Texas.
Progress of Construction in Photos
For photos showing the progress of KMS construction and demolition, see below.
I can’t wait to see this project when it is complete!
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/17/22
1936 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/20221217-DJI_0507.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2022-12-17 17:45:012022-12-17 17:45:06Demolition of old KMS Complete
Last night, Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) revealed its long-awaited recommendations to reduce flood risk along Taylor Gully. The recommendations involve channel improvements, another Woodridge Village stormwater detention basin, and a new bridge at Rustling Elms.
HCFCD is seeking public comment on the plan through December 28, 2022.
Outline of Recommended Alternative
Excessive runoff from Woodridge flooded hundreds of homes in Elm Grove, North Kingwood Forest, and Mills Branch twice in 2019 after a developer clearcut 270 acres without sufficient mitigation.
A concrete-lined, low-flow channel within the existing channel to expand conveyance from 350 feet downstream of Creek Manor Drive to 1500 feet downstream of Mills Branch Drive. The concrete portion would be four feet deep and 20 feet wide.
An additional dry-bottom, 412.5 acre-foot detention basin on the northern portion of the site.
A new clear-span bridge at Rustling Elms to replace the current bridge over two culverts.
Four-foot-deep, 20-foot-wide concrete channel-in-a-channel (not drawn to scale) would expand conveyance without expanding current width of main channel.Scope of recommended alternative. Does not show work on E&R contract already underway or replacement of Rustling Elms bridge. But those would be included.
The recommended alternative would not require any right-of-way acquisition. Translation: no buyouts required.
166% Increase In Stormwater Detention Capacity
Not shown in the diagram above is the stormwater detention basin that Sprint Sand and Gravel is currently working on. Under the terms of their excavation and removal contract with HCFCD, the contractor has up to three years to excavate 500,000 cubic yards. A spokesperson for HCFCD said, “We expect that they will excavate the full amount. The E&R area, like the existing Perry Homes basins, will eventually connect to or become part of the Woodridge detention-basin network to complement the recommended alternative.”
Five hundred thousand cubic yards equals 309 acre feet. With the new pond, that would add 721 acre-feet of stormwater detention to the existing site. The site currently has 271 acre feet of detention. So, the detention volume would increase 166%. It only needed to increase 40% to meet Atlas-14 requirements. Net: the recommended fix should create a considerable margin of safety.
Not Included in Recommendations
The plan does NOT include any improvements near White Oak Creek at the downstream end of Taylor Gully. HCFCD determined that flooding at that end of the channel was caused by backup from White Oak and Caney Creeks.
Area circled in red floods from water backing up from White Oak Creek, not Taylor Gully.
However, discussion during the meeting suggested that the recommended detention basins further upstream on Taylor Gully could help that area to a minor degree. The plan primarily addresses flooding along and either side of the channel highlighted above to the left of the red circle.
Bridge Replacement
Because of the concrete-lined, low-flow channel conveyance improvements that are a part of the recommended alternative, the existing culverts at Rustling Elms Drive (below) would need to be replaced. See below. An open-span bridge like the one in the background would likely replace it. The current bridge built over culverts (below) backed water up considerably during the 2019 floods and contributed to flooding homes for several blocks on either side of it.
The bridge at Rustling Elms (foreground) caused backups after Woodridge was clearcut. This would be replaced.
Comparison of Alternatives
HCFCD recommended Alternative #1 because it removes the most structures, acres and roadway from the floodplain for the second lowest cost. Compare the alternatives below. For a fuller description of each alternative, including those not recommended, see the complete presentation.
Alternative #1 is recommended.
What Comes Next?
The sequence below outlines project steps. We are currently discussing the preliminary engineering phase. After public comments have been incorporated in that report, HCFCD will deliver it to commissioner’s court and begin final design.
After close of public comments, they will be incorporated into plan transmitted to Commissioners Court.
Then, the final design will begin for all improvements. Once complete, the final design will dictate final costs and timing.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/20221215-Screenshot-2022-12-15-at-3.38.50-PM-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C667&ssl=16671200adminadmin2022-12-15 16:43:582022-12-16 09:47:09Public Comment Period on Taylor Gully-Woodridge Village Plan Open to December 28
City of Houston Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin’s office has supplied ReduceFlooding.com with the Black & Veatch Engineering report on the recommended alternative for adding floodgates to Lake Houston. One key finding immediately jumped out at me that wasn’t in Martin’s press release last week. The recommended gates would have a release capacity that virtually equals the highest release rate of Lake Conroe during Hurricane Harvey.
The Lake Conroe release rate during Harvey maxed out at 79,000 cubic feet per second (CFS).
The eleven tainter gates recommended by Black & Veatch would have a release rate of 78,700 CFS.
New Possibilities, More Certainty
That opens up a world of possibilities. For instance, the City could wait to start releasing water until it knew water was coming downstream from Harvey.
Said Martin, “Once constructed, we can release with a moments notice which gives us great opportunities to coordinate release protocols with the SJRA!!”
Previously, Public Works has been reluctant to release water in advance of a storm because the release rate of the existing gates is so small. They have to start lowering the lake so far in advance of storms that a storm can veer away before it gets here. If it does, that means water has been wasted.
The recommended floodgates should provide much more certainty for operators and avoid waste.
Key Elements of Recommendation
Gates would be placed at the original channel for the San Jacinto River seen in foreground.
Other key elements of the recommendation include:
Locating the floodgates in the earthen eastern portion of the dam near the old channel of the San Jacinto River.
Creating baffles and a dissipation basin downstream from the new gates to break up the flow and reduce water velocity
“Outdenting” the gates (i.e., building them in front of the current dam)
A bridge between the two parts of the earthen dam
Using tainter gates, the same type used at Lake Conroe.
A 3.5 year construction schedule.
The last point means that if construction started in January, the earliest completion date would be mid-2026.
For a complete discussion of the project history, constraints, alternatives, recommended options, construction drawings, rationales, and costs, see the entire 28-page Black and Veatch Report by Chris Mueller, PhD, P.E.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/14/22 based on the Black & Veatch Report
1933 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/20220722-RJR_0779.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2022-12-14 19:42:472022-12-14 19:45:58Recommended Floodgates Could Release at Rate of Lake Conroe During Harvey
Demolition of old KMS Complete
This week, contractors completed the demotion of the old Kingwood Middle School (KMS). This clears the way for construction of the new, larger, permanent stormwater-detention basin and rebuilding of athletic fields in front of the new KMS. Even the foundation has been removed.
Photos Taken Dec. 17, 2022
The old Kingwood Middle School was the first middle school in Kingwood and served Kingwood students for 45 years. Humble ISD built it in 1977.
Andrew Wells was the first principal. He subsequently became principal of Kingwood High School and served there for 20 years.
With completion of the demolition of the old KMS, a piece of Kingwood history is gone. But a new chapter begins with a gorgeous new showcase that speaks for the resilience and quality of one of the finest communities in southeast Texas.
Progress of Construction in Photos
For photos showing the progress of KMS construction and demolition, see below.
I can’t wait to see this project when it is complete!
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/17/22
1936 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Public Comment Period on Taylor Gully-Woodridge Village Plan Open to December 28
Last night, Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) revealed its long-awaited recommendations to reduce flood risk along Taylor Gully. The recommendations involve channel improvements, another Woodridge Village stormwater detention basin, and a new bridge at Rustling Elms.
HCFCD is seeking public comment on the plan through December 28, 2022.
Outline of Recommended Alternative
Excessive runoff from Woodridge flooded hundreds of homes in Elm Grove, North Kingwood Forest, and Mills Branch twice in 2019 after a developer clearcut 270 acres without sufficient mitigation.
To fix the problem, HCFCD examined four different alternatives outlined in this presentation, but recommended Option 1. It includes building:
The recommended alternative would not require any right-of-way acquisition. Translation: no buyouts required.
166% Increase In Stormwater Detention Capacity
Not shown in the diagram above is the stormwater detention basin that Sprint Sand and Gravel is currently working on. Under the terms of their excavation and removal contract with HCFCD, the contractor has up to three years to excavate 500,000 cubic yards. A spokesperson for HCFCD said, “We expect that they will excavate the full amount. The E&R area, like the existing Perry Homes basins, will eventually connect to or become part of the Woodridge detention-basin network to complement the recommended alternative.”
Five hundred thousand cubic yards equals 309 acre feet. With the new pond, that would add 721 acre-feet of stormwater detention to the existing site. The site currently has 271 acre feet of detention. So, the detention volume would increase 166%. It only needed to increase 40% to meet Atlas-14 requirements. Net: the recommended fix should create a considerable margin of safety.
Not Included in Recommendations
The plan does NOT include any improvements near White Oak Creek at the downstream end of Taylor Gully. HCFCD determined that flooding at that end of the channel was caused by backup from White Oak and Caney Creeks.
However, discussion during the meeting suggested that the recommended detention basins further upstream on Taylor Gully could help that area to a minor degree. The plan primarily addresses flooding along and either side of the channel highlighted above to the left of the red circle.
Bridge Replacement
Because of the concrete-lined, low-flow channel conveyance improvements that are a part of the recommended alternative, the existing culverts at Rustling Elms Drive (below) would need to be replaced. See below. An open-span bridge like the one in the background would likely replace it. The current bridge built over culverts (below) backed water up considerably during the 2019 floods and contributed to flooding homes for several blocks on either side of it.
Comparison of Alternatives
HCFCD recommended Alternative #1 because it removes the most structures, acres and roadway from the floodplain for the second lowest cost. Compare the alternatives below. For a fuller description of each alternative, including those not recommended, see the complete presentation.
What Comes Next?
The sequence below outlines project steps. We are currently discussing the preliminary engineering phase. After public comments have been incorporated in that report, HCFCD will deliver it to commissioner’s court and begin final design.
Then, the final design will begin for all improvements. Once complete, the final design will dictate final costs and timing.
To View Video of Meeting and Comment…
HCFCD wants your input. To review the hour-long video of the meeting and/or submit a public comment, see this page (F-14 Taylor Gully Flood Risk Reduction Project).
Review the entire presentation here.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/15/22
1934 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Recommended Floodgates Could Release at Rate of Lake Conroe During Harvey
City of Houston Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin’s office has supplied ReduceFlooding.com with the Black & Veatch Engineering report on the recommended alternative for adding floodgates to Lake Houston. One key finding immediately jumped out at me that wasn’t in Martin’s press release last week. The recommended gates would have a release capacity that virtually equals the highest release rate of Lake Conroe during Hurricane Harvey.
The Lake Conroe release rate during Harvey maxed out at 79,000 cubic feet per second (CFS).
The eleven tainter gates recommended by Black & Veatch would have a release rate of 78,700 CFS.
New Possibilities, More Certainty
That opens up a world of possibilities. For instance, the City could wait to start releasing water until it knew water was coming downstream from Harvey.
Said Martin, “Once constructed, we can release with a moments notice which gives us great opportunities to coordinate release protocols with the SJRA!!”
Previously, Public Works has been reluctant to release water in advance of a storm because the release rate of the existing gates is so small. They have to start lowering the lake so far in advance of storms that a storm can veer away before it gets here. If it does, that means water has been wasted.
The recommended floodgates should provide much more certainty for operators and avoid waste.
Key Elements of Recommendation
Other key elements of the recommendation include:
The last point means that if construction started in January, the earliest completion date would be mid-2026.
However, given the need to line up additional funding in the state legislature, 2027 is a more realistic date.
For a complete discussion of the project history, constraints, alternatives, recommended options, construction drawings, rationales, and costs, see the entire 28-page Black and Veatch Report by Chris Mueller, PhD, P.E.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/14/22 based on the Black & Veatch Report
1933 Days since Hurricane Harvey