3/1/26 – Travis County District Clerk records show that the state’s case against the Triple PG sand mine in Porter is now dragging into Year 8.
Meanwhile, breaches in the mine’s dikes remain open, allowing sediment-laden wastewater and stormwater to escape into the headwaters of Lake Houston, the source of water for more than two million people. The State of Texas originally sued the owners of the mine precisely because of such breaches.
The land on which the mine operates is under owned by Prabhakar R. Guniganti or one of several corporate entities that trace back to him. Guniganti is a cardiologist from Nacogdoches. The case began in 2019. And for a period, Guniganti kept shifting ownership of the mine through various shell companies and trusts to delay a trial. Finally, the state sued him as an individual.
Next came other delays related to discovery. Jury trials were cancelled in 2023 and 2024. In May 2025, a fourth amended scheduling order showed the discovery period should have ended in November 2025 and the trial should have started by February 9, 2026.
However, court records show that in December 2025, the court issued a FIFTH amended scheduling order. Ken Paxton’s office has stopped responding to emails regarding this case.
Meanwhile, erosion has created a breach into Caney Creek. It was caused by mining too close to a utility easement and now threatens pipelines carrying highly volatile liquids (HVL). It also threatens an electrical transmission tower.
Photos of Mine from 2/28/26
That particular breach has remained open at least since August 14, 2025. Here’s how it looked yesterday from several angles.
Guniganti’s mine stretches 2.5 miles from north to south. Montgomery County Appraisal District records show that he or one of his corporate entities still owns the property, despite name changes at the mine entrance on Hueni Road in Porter.
The southern part of Guniganti’s mine. Caney Creek in foreground. Note breach through utility corridor.Reverse angle shows breach more clearly. Note pipelines still exposed.Looking E. Another breach at far south end of mine. Lake Houston Park at top of frame.Farther NW, mining next to utility corridor now threatens long-distance electrical transmission towers.Breach in upper left. Caney Creek in middle. Note difference in water color in Peach Creek which joins Caney Creek in bottom right.Farther to the NW, note another breach in the northern portion of Guniganti’s mine.Closer shot of same breach shown in photo above.Caney Creek on bottom.
Guniganti doesn’t own the only mine on Caney Creek. Another exists upstream from his. But I didn’t see any breaches in that particular mine.
So, this may be a case of multiple mines or construction sites even farther upstream spoiling the water quality. Yesterday, I wasn’t able to work my way far enough upstream to see where the water color changed definitively.
Said another way, it’s not clear whether Guniganti’s mine 1) caused, 2) contributed to, or 3) played no role in this particular episode of Caney Creek sludge. However…
Impact on People and Fish
Two things are certain though. 1) The breaches let exposed sediment escape during storms. 2) The pollution is not good for people or fish.
For humans, sediment pollution increases filtration costs that show up in water bills. But for fish, sediment pollution can be fatal.
Yesterday, several fishermen told me that the white bass which usually spawn in this area are gone this year. So I asked ChatGPT how sediment pollution from sand mining and construction affect the spawning grounds for bass.
White bass, it seems, depend heavily on clean, course river substrates – typically gravel or cobble – for successful reproduction. Sediment pollution from sand mining operations and construction runoff can significantly degrade those spawning grounds through several mechanisms.
Egg suffocation by fine sediment
Filling the void spaces between stones. For many river fish, including white bass, >25–30% fine sediment content in spawning gravel begins to significantly reduce survival.
Increased turbidity disrupts spawning runs through reduced visibility and clogged gills. White bass often migrate upstream tens of miles from reservoirs or large rivers to spawn; sediment plumes can disrupt these movements.
Channel changes including bank collapse, loss of shallow riffles and channel downcutting
Burial of eggs during storm pulses. Even a few centimeters of sand can eliminate a spawning bed.
Impact on food chain. Even if eggs hatch, juveniles have a lower survival rate because sediment pollution also kills aquatic insects on which they feed.
For a deeper dive into the sediment pollution impacts from construction and sand mining on fish spawning, click here.
Volume of Sediment
Most sediment moves during storms. Scientists call these “sediment pulses.” And the bigger the storm, the bigger the pulses. One study suggests that Harvey moved 7.5 million metric tons of sediment in the San Jacinto watershed.
Loose sand in mines can dramatically increase sediment mobility.
Based on flood-damage studies and sediment-transport modeling, breaches of dikes around one large, sand pit can release 50-200 tons of sediment in a single storm.
Erosion happens naturally, even in heavily forested areas. But sand mines amplify sediment release because they:
Store unconsolidated sand directly next to the river
Remove vegetation and soil structure
Use levees that can breach during floods
Create pits that connect to the river during high water.
Relative Impact of Sediment Sources
ChatGPT compared the relative sediment contributions of several sources including:
Source
Sediment Yield
Undisturbed forest
Very low
Agriculture
Moderate
Urban construction
High
Sand mining near rivers
Very high (episodic)
Sand mines near rivers are especially problematic because:
Exposed sand is easily mobilized
Pit captures can deliver large slugs of sediment during floods
Stockpiles and haul roads contribute chronic runoff.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/1/26
3106 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/2026/03/DJI_20260228111717_0353_D.jpg?fit=1100%2C619&ssl=16191100adminadmin2026-03-01 13:34:262026-03-01 13:53:08Breaches in Triple PG Sand-Mine Dikes Remain Open as Trial Drags into Year 8
2/27/26 – Within the next week, Northpark Drive expansion contractors will likely start paving the last sections of surface road across the UnionPacific Railroad Tracks and Loop 494. The completion of surface roads will clear the way to finish demolishing the old lanes now being used to get traffic across the tracks. And once the old pavement is gone, work on the bridge can begin in earnest.
The holdup to date has been installation of the railroad traffic signals for the new surface lanes. But UPRR has almost completed that work. They will install two gates on both inbound and outbound sides (a change to meet new code requirements). Work on the signals and feeder roads should be complete by late May or early June.
In other news:
Northbound 59 once again has two dedicated right-hand turn lanes onto Northpark inbound. That eliminated a huge backup.
With the exception of some small areas near the railroad tracks and loop 494, two completely paved inbound lanes now stretch all the way from 59 past Russell-Palmer Road.
Contractors are installing street lamps.
They are also running culverts north-to-south next to the railroad tracks under where the bridge will go.
See the pictures below taken on 2/27/26 at approximately 4PM.
Turn Lanes Off Northbound 59 Feeder
On 11/28/25, I took a shot like the one below and traffic was backed up for blocks. Today, on a Friday afternoon rush hour traffic was breezing through thanks to the opening of the second inbound turn lane. See below.
Looking S. With the completion of two inbound lanes (lower left), both northbound turn lanes on the feeder could be opened.
Bridge Approaches
When complete, Northpark will feature a bridge with three lanes in each direction that carries traffic over the UPRR tracks and Loop 494. That’s in keeping with plans for Northpark to become an all-weather evacuation route.
Looking E at the six lanes where the bridge will go.Looking W toward 59. Six lanes for the second bridge approachwill go in the dirt area (center).
Railroad Crossings for Surface Lanes
In the two pictures above, you can see that the two outside feeder lanes that will parallel the bridge are already complete with the exception of the short stretch across the tracks. But move a little closer to the tracks, and you can see that Harper Brothers is paving that last surface-lane segment approaching the tracks.
After contractors complete the second outbound surface lane above, they will have less than 40 yards to complete the surface lanes to/from 59.
This shot, even closer, shows that last 40 yards.
The surface lanes will connect with the two rectangular concrete sections that UPRR installed last yearacross its tracks.Note the controller box (shiny silver in lower left) that will control inbound RR crossing gates.Comparable equipment is being installed out of frame to the right for outbound gates.The unpaved section in front of the dry cleaners on the corner of 494 and Northpark is the only other unpaved surface-road section aside from the railroad crossings.
Drainage and Lights
Culvert Installation. Photo courtesy Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority (LHRA).Pouring foundation for street light. Photo courtesy of LHRA.
If you now drive from the 59 feeder road all the way down past Russell Palmer to the end of the project, you can see that almost all the foundations are in on both sides of the street.
“For each, the contractors drill a hole, put in the rebar, backfill it with concrete, then put all the conduit and pole boxes in,” said Ralph De Leon, the LHRA project manager. “We’re getting really close to having streetlights all the way down on both sides, behind the curb.”
He added, “They’ll be LED lights. It’ll be illuminated like it’s ever been before in history.”
2/26/26 – Exactly 8.5 years ago this week, the entire Lake Houston Area faced an existential threat by the name of Hurricane Harvey. Harvey killed 12 people in Kingwood Town Center, and flooded more than 16,000 homes and 3,300 businesses here.
In my opinion, we can’t let that happen again. We need to find ways to reduce flood risk before the next killer flood. That will take political solutions. And we need people with a firm grasp of the issues who have the desire, skills, and energy to make them real.
I-69 and Townsen during Harvey
Importance of Voting in PRIMARIES
Unfortunately, few citizens vote in primaries. So, a small group of extremists funded by outsiders with other interests can limit your choices in November. Those extremists vote in high numbers and can easily influence the outcomes in primaries that have multiple candidates. And that’s why it’s important to vote NOW.
The last day for early voting is Friday, February 27. If you haven’t voted by then, your last chance will be Election Day on March 3, 2026.
Below are my personal recommendations in three key, contested races.
Congressional District 2: Dan Crenshaw
As the community sought ways to reduce future flood risk after Harvey, a freshman Congressman named Dan Crenshaw rose to the challenge perhaps more than anyone at that point. He secured hundreds of millions of dollars for dredging, adding more floodgates to the Lake Houston Dam, and upstream detention. Not all of those projects are complete yet. But the money is waiting and projects are moving along.
In a neighboring congressional district to the east (CD-9), Alex Mealer faces a challenge from Briscoe Cain. Mealer is a West Point grad who commanded a company of 600+ people in Afghanistan and earned a Bronze Star. She also has MBA and JD degrees from Harvard. Plus, she has President Trump’s endorsement. And finally, she has spent days with me scouting flood issues in the Lake Houston Area and upstream. The woman is a force of nature. Strong. Brilliant. Energetic. Informed. And ready to step into the job.
I don’t live in CD9, but if I did, I would vote for Mealer. The Lake Houston Dam is in her new Congressional District.
Harris County Judge: Marty Lancton
The race for Harris County Judge is also a critical for the Lake Houston Area. We’ve seen how Judge Lina Hidalgo starved the Lake Houston Area of flood-mitigation funding and our rightful share of the 2018 flood bond. We had the worst flooding in the county and have come in almost dead last in funding compared to other watersheds in the county.
Graph compiled from: Harris County Flood Control District Year-End 2025 reported bond spending and budget allocations advertised with 2018 flood bond.
Republicans have many good choices to replace Hidalgo in this race. On balance, though, I feel Marty Lancton is the best choice. He also has the best chance of getting elected in November.
Lancton leads an army of 20,000 first responders state wide. And he knows flooding first-hand from the standpoint of a person who has evacuated victims on his back and in lifeboats.
It’s one thing to understand problems intellectually and another to feel the shock-and-awe of Mother Nature for days on end as you repeatedly put your own life on the line to help fellow human beings you never met. I promise you, flood mitigation is a high priority for Lancton.
Lancton can draw support from both sides of the aisle in a way that perhaps other candidates cannot. And that makes him electable in the general election still nine months away. Among Republican candidates, he uniquely stands out. He is a lifelong Republican, endorsed by Governor Greg Abbott. Yet the firefighters union also elected him as its leader. And he knows how Austin works. He has lobbied there on behalf of first responders for years and knows all the key members.
You may disagree with my choices or have different priorities. That’s fine. But please vote. It’s important that YOU make the decision instead of some out-of-state super-PAC. Many have invisible donors representing hidden interests fighting against YOUR interests. Don’t let them limit your choices in November with patriotic sounding names.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/26/26
3103 Days since Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/TS-Harvey-8-30-17-209.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=17681024adminadmin2026-02-26 18:22:012026-02-26 21:44:53The Importance of Voting in Primaries
Breaches in Triple PG Sand-Mine Dikes Remain Open as Trial Drags into Year 8
3/1/26 – Travis County District Clerk records show that the state’s case against the Triple PG sand mine in Porter is now dragging into Year 8.
Meanwhile, breaches in the mine’s dikes remain open, allowing sediment-laden wastewater and stormwater to escape into the headwaters of Lake Houston, the source of water for more than two million people. The State of Texas originally sued the owners of the mine precisely because of such breaches.
The land on which the mine operates is under owned by Prabhakar R. Guniganti or one of several corporate entities that trace back to him. Guniganti is a cardiologist from Nacogdoches. The case began in 2019. And for a period, Guniganti kept shifting ownership of the mine through various shell companies and trusts to delay a trial. Finally, the state sued him as an individual.
Next came other delays related to discovery. Jury trials were cancelled in 2023 and 2024. In May 2025, a fourth amended scheduling order showed the discovery period should have ended in November 2025 and the trial should have started by February 9, 2026.
However, court records show that in December 2025, the court issued a FIFTH amended scheduling order. Ken Paxton’s office has stopped responding to emails regarding this case.
Meanwhile, erosion has created a breach into Caney Creek. It was caused by mining too close to a utility easement and now threatens pipelines carrying highly volatile liquids (HVL). It also threatens an electrical transmission tower.
Photos of Mine from 2/28/26
That particular breach has remained open at least since August 14, 2025. Here’s how it looked yesterday from several angles.
Guniganti’s mine stretches 2.5 miles from north to south. Montgomery County Appraisal District records show that he or one of his corporate entities still owns the property, despite name changes at the mine entrance on Hueni Road in Porter.
Guniganti doesn’t own the only mine on Caney Creek. Another exists upstream from his. But I didn’t see any breaches in that particular mine.
So, this may be a case of multiple mines or construction sites even farther upstream spoiling the water quality. Yesterday, I wasn’t able to work my way far enough upstream to see where the water color changed definitively.
Said another way, it’s not clear whether Guniganti’s mine 1) caused, 2) contributed to, or 3) played no role in this particular episode of Caney Creek sludge. However…
Impact on People and Fish
Two things are certain though. 1) The breaches let exposed sediment escape during storms. 2) The pollution is not good for people or fish.
For humans, sediment pollution increases filtration costs that show up in water bills. But for fish, sediment pollution can be fatal.
Yesterday, several fishermen told me that the white bass which usually spawn in this area are gone this year. So I asked ChatGPT how sediment pollution from sand mining and construction affect the spawning grounds for bass.
White bass, it seems, depend heavily on clean, course river substrates – typically gravel or cobble – for successful reproduction. Sediment pollution from sand mining operations and construction runoff can significantly degrade those spawning grounds through several mechanisms.
For a deeper dive into the sediment pollution impacts from construction and sand mining on fish spawning, click here.
Volume of Sediment
Most sediment moves during storms. Scientists call these “sediment pulses.” And the bigger the storm, the bigger the pulses. One study suggests that Harvey moved 7.5 million metric tons of sediment in the San Jacinto watershed.
Based on flood-damage studies and sediment-transport modeling, breaches of dikes around one large, sand pit can release 50-200 tons of sediment in a single storm.
Erosion happens naturally, even in heavily forested areas. But sand mines amplify sediment release because they:
Relative Impact of Sediment Sources
ChatGPT compared the relative sediment contributions of several sources including:
Sand mines near rivers are especially problematic because:
Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/1/26
3106 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.
Northpark Update: Rail Crossings, Bridge, Turn Lanes, Lights and More
2/27/26 – Within the next week, Northpark Drive expansion contractors will likely start paving the last sections of surface road across the UnionPacific Railroad Tracks and Loop 494. The completion of surface roads will clear the way to finish demolishing the old lanes now being used to get traffic across the tracks. And once the old pavement is gone, work on the bridge can begin in earnest.
The holdup to date has been installation of the railroad traffic signals for the new surface lanes. But UPRR has almost completed that work. They will install two gates on both inbound and outbound sides (a change to meet new code requirements). Work on the signals and feeder roads should be complete by late May or early June.
In other news:
See the pictures below taken on 2/27/26 at approximately 4PM.
Turn Lanes Off Northbound 59 Feeder
On 11/28/25, I took a shot like the one below and traffic was backed up for blocks. Today, on a Friday afternoon rush hour traffic was breezing through thanks to the opening of the second inbound turn lane. See below.
Bridge Approaches
When complete, Northpark will feature a bridge with three lanes in each direction that carries traffic over the UPRR tracks and Loop 494. That’s in keeping with plans for Northpark to become an all-weather evacuation route.
Railroad Crossings for Surface Lanes
In the two pictures above, you can see that the two outside feeder lanes that will parallel the bridge are already complete with the exception of the short stretch across the tracks. But move a little closer to the tracks, and you can see that Harper Brothers is paving that last surface-lane segment approaching the tracks.
This shot, even closer, shows that last 40 yards.
Drainage and Lights
If you now drive from the 59 feeder road all the way down past Russell Palmer to the end of the project, you can see that almost all the foundations are in on both sides of the street.
“For each, the contractors drill a hole, put in the rebar, backfill it with concrete, then put all the conduit and pole boxes in,” said Ralph De Leon, the LHRA project manager. “We’re getting really close to having streetlights all the way down on both sides, behind the curb.”
He added, “They’ll be LED lights. It’ll be illuminated like it’s ever been before in history.”
For More Information
See the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority website project pages, including a 3-week lookahead schedule.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/27/26
3104 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The Importance of Voting in Primaries
2/26/26 – Exactly 8.5 years ago this week, the entire Lake Houston Area faced an existential threat by the name of Hurricane Harvey. Harvey killed 12 people in Kingwood Town Center, and flooded more than 16,000 homes and 3,300 businesses here.
In my opinion, we can’t let that happen again. We need to find ways to reduce flood risk before the next killer flood. That will take political solutions. And we need people with a firm grasp of the issues who have the desire, skills, and energy to make them real.
Importance of Voting in PRIMARIES
Unfortunately, few citizens vote in primaries. So, a small group of extremists funded by outsiders with other interests can limit your choices in November. Those extremists vote in high numbers and can easily influence the outcomes in primaries that have multiple candidates. And that’s why it’s important to vote NOW.
Below are my personal recommendations in three key, contested races.
Congressional District 2: Dan Crenshaw
As the community sought ways to reduce future flood risk after Harvey, a freshman Congressman named Dan Crenshaw rose to the challenge perhaps more than anyone at that point. He secured hundreds of millions of dollars for dredging, adding more floodgates to the Lake Houston Dam, and upstream detention. Not all of those projects are complete yet. But the money is waiting and projects are moving along.
In contrast, Crenshaw’s opponent in the current primary did little to help. He voted against a bill to create a Lake Houston Dredging and Maintenance District. He did nothing to rein in sedimentation from upstream sand mines in his Texas House district. And he argued to let children’s camps, like Camp Mystic, continue to build in floodplains.
I voted for Crenshaw.
Congressional District 9: Alex Mealer
In a neighboring congressional district to the east (CD-9), Alex Mealer faces a challenge from Briscoe Cain. Mealer is a West Point grad who commanded a company of 600+ people in Afghanistan and earned a Bronze Star. She also has MBA and JD degrees from Harvard. Plus, she has President Trump’s endorsement. And finally, she has spent days with me scouting flood issues in the Lake Houston Area and upstream. The woman is a force of nature. Strong. Brilliant. Energetic. Informed. And ready to step into the job.
Briscoe Cain, her opponent, also voted against a Lake Houston Area Dredging District this year (HB 1532), even though it wouldn’t have raised taxes. He also did not vote for the so-called “Ike Dike” bill (HB 1089). Finally, as a state representative, Cain presided over the growth of Colony Ridge in his district. It got so big and so bad that the entire Texas Republican Congressional Delegation demanded an investigation of the controversial development.
I don’t live in CD9, but if I did, I would vote for Mealer. The Lake Houston Dam is in her new Congressional District.
Harris County Judge: Marty Lancton
The race for Harris County Judge is also a critical for the Lake Houston Area. We’ve seen how Judge Lina Hidalgo starved the Lake Houston Area of flood-mitigation funding and our rightful share of the 2018 flood bond. We had the worst flooding in the county and have come in almost dead last in funding compared to other watersheds in the county.
Graph compiled from: Harris County Flood Control District Year-End 2025 reported bond spending and budget allocations advertised with 2018 flood bond.
Republicans have many good choices to replace Hidalgo in this race. On balance, though, I feel Marty Lancton is the best choice. He also has the best chance of getting elected in November.
Lancton leads an army of 20,000 first responders state wide. And he knows flooding first-hand from the standpoint of a person who has evacuated victims on his back and in lifeboats.
It’s one thing to understand problems intellectually and another to feel the shock-and-awe of Mother Nature for days on end as you repeatedly put your own life on the line to help fellow human beings you never met. I promise you, flood mitigation is a high priority for Lancton.
Lancton can draw support from both sides of the aisle in a way that perhaps other candidates cannot. And that makes him electable in the general election still nine months away. Among Republican candidates, he uniquely stands out. He is a lifelong Republican, endorsed by Governor Greg Abbott. Yet the firefighters union also elected him as its leader. And he knows how Austin works. He has lobbied there on behalf of first responders for years and knows all the key members.
I have endorsed Lancton.
Vote Even If You Disagree With My Recommendations
You may disagree with my choices or have different priorities. That’s fine. But please vote. It’s important that YOU make the decision instead of some out-of-state super-PAC. Many have invisible donors representing hidden interests fighting against YOUR interests. Don’t let them limit your choices in November with patriotic sounding names.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/26/26
3103 Days since Harvey