When last I reported on Lake Houston dredging, the focus of operations had shifted from the East Fork to Rogers Gully. However, the dredgers were still stationed hundreds of feet offshore. According to State Representative Dan Huberty, shallow water forced them to dredge their way into the Gully. (See below.)
Location of dredge on March 1, 2022.Mouth bars, like the one in the foreground are deposited where water slows down as it reaches the lake.
Compare Photos Taken Today
Now, 2.5 months later, the dredgers have reached the Rogers Gully mouth bar and have completed dredging most of it.
Looking east toward Lake Houston. Compare photo above.Looking west toward the Walden Country Club, upper right.
Aerial photos taken this afternoon show that all but a small portion has already been removed. The operation could be completed in the next week or two, weather permitting.
Pontoons ferry the spoils to a converted marina across the lake now used as a temporary placement area. From there, trucks take the spoils to a fill-dirt company on FM1960 near SH99 east.
Before Dredging Began
To appreciate the progress, compare the photo below taken two years ago.
Rogers Gully Mouth Bar on June 16, 2020 before dredging started.
It’s not clear yet where the dredges will go next. They’re on a mission, with money that Huberty helped obtain from the legislature, to open up more ditches and streams that empty into Lake Houston. Blockages like the one at Rogers Gully can reduce the conveyance of streams. They create sediment dams that back water up. And that contributes to flooding homes and businesses behind them.
Wetlands provide free stormwater retention. They also provide valuable habitat that supports a remarkable level of biodiversity. In terms of the number and variety of species supported, wetlands rival rainforests and coral reefs. Trouble is, they also provide cheap land for developers. That brings people into direct conflict with wildlife.
Nesting waterfowl make a pretty good biologic indicator of wetlands.
Property Rights vs. Right to Life and Right to Information
By law, it’s illegal to disturb migratory birds such as herons and egrets while they are nesting. But the contractors in question did not respect that law even though they could have waited a month or two.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for property rights. And I support responsible development. But that means finding balance. Balance sustains life. It also provides beauty that supports property values. Would you rather raise your kids in biological barrens? Or in close to nature in a place teeming with life?
Finally I believe in the right to information that helps people make informed decisions and markets self-regulate. For instance, if people fully knew the flood risk on a piece of property before buying it, that knowledge could reduce demand, perhaps moderate prices, and discourage future development of wetlands.
But sadly, flood potential is often the last thing buyers look at. At closing, they’re probably provided with a survey that shows they’re above the base-flood elevation (aka the 100-year or 1%-annual-chance floodplain). Then it’s “Where do I sign?” And, “When can I move in?”
But a little investigation with free apps or on public websites, might help buyers drive harder bargains that would pay for the foundation leveling they will probably need eventually.
FromU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetlands Mapper.This shows the wetlands that used to exist in the area where the birds were killed and maimed.1944 Aerial Photo of same area from Google Earth Pro.Cherrywood Bend Drive is where contractors were clearing land when they encountered the nesting egrets and herons.
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/2022/05/20220519-Screen-Shot-2022-05-19-at-11.12.49-AM.jpg?fit=1200%2C680&ssl=16801200adminadmin2022-05-19 14:58:262022-05-20 12:17:52Wetlands Once Covered Area Where 138 Nesting Birds Were Slaughtered, Maimed
According to an article in the Bluebonnet News, two new segments of the Grand Parkway (aka State Highway 99) will open Thursday, May 19. They will connect US 59 in New Caney to I-10 in Baytown. And they will invite development of thousands of acres in Harris, Chambers and Liberty Counties.
According to the Bluebonnet article, TxDoT will offer a two-day grace period for tolls. Tolls will begin at midnight on Saturday, May 21.
The first segment of the Grand Parkway opened in 1994 in Fort Bend County. Almost 30 years and $855 million later, Houston will have another 184 miles of tollway.
Colony Ridge, upper right by Plum Grove, is approximately as large as Kingwood, yet is unincorporated. For scale, Lake Houston Wilderness park in center is 5,000 acres.Expansion area on east side of Colony Ridge. Photo taken on March 3, 2021.Photo taken on January 1, 2021, looking NW where Grand Parkway turns from N/S to E/W. Colony Ridge is in upper right of frame.
Changing Demographics and Politics of Liberty County
According to the 2020 census, the largest (incorporated) cities in Liberty County are:
Dayton at 8,777
Liberty at 8,279
Cleveland at 7,471
The Census Bureau shows the county’s entire population in 2020 as 91,628.
Tracking Future Development and Offsetting Drainage Changes
To avoid the flooding that often attends new developments, existing residents must monitor new plats and construction closely. Here are some tips on how to do that.
The City of Houston hosts a website called Plat Tracker Plats. It shows development applications and their current status.
Note the huge developments planned or in progress to the east and north of Lake Houston near the new Grand Parkway. All of this development will have an impact on drainage. If past developments are any guide, the new developments will likely increase both the volume and speed of runoff. This area is also dotted with wetlands, especially near rivers, streams and bayous.
To offset these factors, counties usually require developers to install detention ponds. You can request plans from city or county engineers’ offices. Check to make sure they include floodwater detention basins. Then watch construction to ensure developers comply with those plans.
Remember the motto “Retain your rain.” If everyone retained enough stormwater so that post-development runoff did not exceed pre-development runoff, then people downstream would not flood.
State of Grand Parkway construction in February 2022. Looking N across FM1960. The farmlands surrounding the Grand Parkway could soon become new developments.
So, hold developers and your local elected representatives accountable. You have one chance to get this right.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/17/22
1723 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.
Dredgers Reach Rogers Gully Mouth Bar
When last I reported on Lake Houston dredging, the focus of operations had shifted from the East Fork to Rogers Gully. However, the dredgers were still stationed hundreds of feet offshore. According to State Representative Dan Huberty, shallow water forced them to dredge their way into the Gully. (See below.)
Compare Photos Taken Today
Now, 2.5 months later, the dredgers have reached the Rogers Gully mouth bar and have completed dredging most of it.
Aerial photos taken this afternoon show that all but a small portion has already been removed. The operation could be completed in the next week or two, weather permitting.
Pontoons ferry the spoils to a converted marina across the lake now used as a temporary placement area. From there, trucks take the spoils to a fill-dirt company on FM1960 near SH99 east.
Before Dredging Began
To appreciate the progress, compare the photo below taken two years ago.
Harris County Flood Control District had just finished dredging the area behind the cart bridge about a month before I took the shot above. But the City owns the part of the gully near the lake.
Where Next?
It’s not clear yet where the dredges will go next. They’re on a mission, with money that Huberty helped obtain from the legislature, to open up more ditches and streams that empty into Lake Houston. Blockages like the one at Rogers Gully can reduce the conveyance of streams. They create sediment dams that back water up. And that contributes to flooding homes and businesses behind them.
The City of Houston issued a request for proposals to create a long-range dredging plan for the lake. However, no plan has yet been published. News to follow when it becomes available.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/20/22
1725 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Wetlands Once Covered Area Where 138 Nesting Birds Were Slaughtered, Maimed
Last weekend, a contractor killed or maimed 138 nesting egrets and herons in the Cypress Towne Lake Area while clearing land. Little surprise the birds were nesting there. That area was once pockmarked with wetlands that are rapidly being developed.
Wetlands provide free stormwater retention. They also provide valuable habitat that supports a remarkable level of biodiversity. In terms of the number and variety of species supported, wetlands rival rainforests and coral reefs. Trouble is, they also provide cheap land for developers. That brings people into direct conflict with wildlife.
Nesting waterfowl make a pretty good biologic indicator of wetlands.
Property Rights vs. Right to Life and Right to Information
By law, it’s illegal to disturb migratory birds such as herons and egrets while they are nesting. But the contractors in question did not respect that law even though they could have waited a month or two.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for property rights. And I support responsible development. But that means finding balance. Balance sustains life. It also provides beauty that supports property values. Would you rather raise your kids in biological barrens? Or in close to nature in a place teeming with life?
Finally I believe in the right to information that helps people make informed decisions and markets self-regulate. For instance, if people fully knew the flood risk on a piece of property before buying it, that knowledge could reduce demand, perhaps moderate prices, and discourage future development of wetlands.
But sadly, flood potential is often the last thing buyers look at. At closing, they’re probably provided with a survey that shows they’re above the base-flood elevation (aka the 100-year or 1%-annual-chance floodplain). Then it’s “Where do I sign?” And, “When can I move in?”
That the home might have been built on wetlands is the farthest thing from their minds…until the foundation settles, the walls crack, and doors and windows start to stick.
Where to Learn about Property Built on Wetlands
But a little investigation with free apps or on public websites, might help buyers drive harder bargains that would pay for the foundation leveling they will probably need eventually.
Cypress Towne Lakes is a miracle of engineering that created livable space out of areas that once were wetlands. But the developer’s website shows only impressive homes and amenities, including a chain of lakes. It mentions none of the area’s natural history.
“You Can’t Outsmart Nature”
A wise banker once told me, “You can’t outsmart nature. Nature always wins. We need to give Mother Nature her room.” Perhaps that’s why his bank has almost a billion dollars in assets.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/19/22
1724 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.
Grand Parkway Extension Opens Tomorrow
According to an article in the Bluebonnet News, two new segments of the Grand Parkway (aka State Highway 99) will open Thursday, May 19. They will connect US 59 in New Caney to I-10 in Baytown. And they will invite development of thousands of acres in Harris, Chambers and Liberty Counties.
About the Grand Parkway
The new segments will add 52.8 miles to the largest loop around Houston. That will make the Grand Parkway the largest city loop in the United States.
According to the Bluebonnet article, TxDoT will offer a two-day grace period for tolls. Tolls will begin at midnight on Saturday, May 21.
The first segment of the Grand Parkway opened in 1994 in Fort Bend County. Almost 30 years and $855 million later, Houston will have another 184 miles of tollway.
Changing Demographics and Politics of Liberty County
According to the 2020 census, the largest (incorporated) cities in Liberty County are:
The Census Bureau shows the county’s entire population in 2020 as 91,628.
In anticipation of the Grand Parkway, Colony Ridge has already attracted tens of thousands of residents, many undocumented. It now is rumored to be the largest settlement in Liberty County. In fact, it has grown so quickly, that it forced Liberty County to redistrict its precincts.
Tracking Future Development and Offsetting Drainage Changes
To avoid the flooding that often attends new developments, existing residents must monitor new plats and construction closely. Here are some tips on how to do that.
The City of Houston hosts a website called Plat Tracker Plats. It shows development applications and their current status.
Note the huge developments planned or in progress to the east and north of Lake Houston near the new Grand Parkway. All of this development will have an impact on drainage. If past developments are any guide, the new developments will likely increase both the volume and speed of runoff. This area is also dotted with wetlands, especially near rivers, streams and bayous.
To offset these factors, counties usually require developers to install detention ponds. You can request plans from city or county engineers’ offices. Check to make sure they include floodwater detention basins. Then watch construction to ensure developers comply with those plans.
Remember the motto “Retain your rain.” If everyone retained enough stormwater so that post-development runoff did not exceed pre-development runoff, then people downstream would not flood.
So, hold developers and your local elected representatives accountable. You have one chance to get this right.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/17/22
1723 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.