According to Lopez, Texas comprises 171 million acres. 95% of that is private and 83% rural.
Texas loses one square mile of working lands (farms/ranches) every day due to population increases.
Roel Lopez, Director, Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute
Biggest Intergenerational Transfer of Land Ever
A&M’s Lopez predicts the largest intergenerational transfer of rural land ever will take place in the next ten years. A minuscule 1% of Texans steward 141 million private acres. And a whopping 40% of rural landowners exceed 65 years of age. Fifty-six million acres (one third of the total) could change hands during in the next ten years, according to Lopez.
The people who buy those lands may not have the same priorities as the previous generation. Rapid growth and a strong economy create increased demand for rural land. And high land values create incentives to subdivide and sell.
So conversion of the land could result in a loss of food, fiber and water supplies, says Lopez. He calculates that every day, that one square mile of land lost results in 20,000 fewer steak dinners produced, 10,000 blue jeans not made, and 91 water towers not filled.
Lopez doesn’t specifically address flooding issues, but it doesn’t take a genius to connect those dots.
Pressure to Convert Land Puts Pressure on Forests, Wetlands
With the future of agriculture and human health dependent on private lands and their stewardship, and with so much pressure for elderly landowners and their heirs to cash in, we can expect rapid change.
As urban areas grow rapidly outward, the forests and wetlands that create natural buffers between people and floods could disappear rapidly.
Part of approximately 2500 acres cleared by Colony Ridge in Liberty County last year.These were once forests and wetlands.
The City of Houston’s latest pipeline report shows that as of the start of this year, Housing and Community Development’s Harvey Recovery Program had sent reimbursement checks to 150 homeowners out of 96,410 homes flooded during Harvey (see page 15). Quite the long shot! More than 1 in 600!
Program Ended More than Year Ago; Some Claims Still Being Processed
The City’s Reimbursement Program ended on December 31, 2020. At that time, the City had only reimbursed 119 families for repairs they made themselves. Claims still in the pipeline at that time explain the difference between 119 and 150.
One lucky Lake-Houston-Area homeowner recently emailed me saying his family had just cashed a reimbursement check – 4.5 years after Harvey. They won their THIRD appeal!
Reimbursements Not Only Form of Assistance
To be fair, The City offers more forms of assistance than reimbursements. The City also has rehab and reconstruction programs; homebuyer programs; a multi-family program targeted at developers and more (see below). Also keep in mind that this department underwent a major reorganization last year and now has new leadership.
However, the City still has a long way to go with financial transparency. Why, for instance, are subtotals not reported in the first screen capture above for recons, rehabs and reimbursements?
Flood Insurance Your Best Bet Next Time
The long-shot odds, lengthy application processing, bureaucratic delays and uncertain outcomes all underscore the need for flood insurance. Get a flood insurance contract in place before the next big storm and store it in a safe deposit box on HIGH GROUND. Don’t wait for help that will likely never come after the storm. Remember, ordinary homeowner insurance policies do not cover flood damage.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/15/2022
1631 Days after Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Screen-Shot-2022-02-15-at-4.31.16-PM.png?fit=1494%2C780&ssl=17801494adminadmin2022-02-15 17:19:322022-02-15 18:09:43Why You Need Flood Insurance: Houston’s Long-Shot Harvey Reimbursement Program
The Harris County Attorney has threatened the Laurel Springs RV Resort owner and contractor with a lawsuit. The Cease and Desist letter also includes, strangely enough, the Lakewood Cove Homeowners Association.
The County Attorney alleges the HOA owns the property on which the RV Resort is being built. However, the HOA claims it does not and believes their inclusion is an error.
The County alleges trespass and destruction of county property. The trespass allegation may include trespass of bulldozers as well as trespass by water.
Photo taken 2/14/22 looking east toward Laurel Springs and Lakewood Cove along southern boundary of RV Resort. Edgewater Park is on right.The RV park property ends near the right edge of the detention pond, but trees contractors cleared trees well beyond that.Looking south. 2/14/22 at 1PM. Contractors have been pulling dirt and debris back from Edgewater Park and piling it along wall of detention pond. Note ponding water still visible near trees in background.
In the photo above, the pipes laid through the wall were near the eroded area under water in the center of the frame. The developer has since spread dirt in this area to cover up the pipes, but no one who I have interviewed has seen the pipes being removed.
Harris County Demands
Harris County demands that the trespassing and discharges cease immediately and that the detention pond wall be repaired. The County also seeks damages and an injunction requiring the buried pipe to be removed.
The discharge was first documented on Saturday, 1/29/22 and the pipe installation on 1/31/22. The County Attorney’s letter is dated February 1, 2022.
Both Precinct 4 Parks Department and the Harris County Engineering Department inspected the site and documented damage.
Owner/Contractor Response
Since the County Attorney’s Cease and Desist letter, the contractor has worked to clear erosion and pull back debris from the County’s Edgewater Park. However, Higbie appears to have piled dirt in front of the inlet and outlet pipes without actually removing them. It’s unclear whether the pipes remain in the wall of the pond. No sources I have talked to have seen them removed and aerial images show that ponding water remains near the outlet location. It took three days to put the pipes in, so you would think it would take at least a day or two to take them out. But no such activity has been observed by many neighbors who have contacted me. However, the developer sometimes works at night.
HOA Status
Current Lakewood Cove HOA officers say they can find no record of ever having owned the RV property or of having an interest in it. The County Attorney (CA) has not returned their calls for two weeks. The CA did not return my call. Nor has the CA returned calls from Precinct 4 staff. I have not had time to obtain a title search. Let’s hope somebody at the County Attorney’s office can explain the alleged ownership issue with the HOA. And that the contractor removes the pipe from the pond wall (if it’s still there).
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/2022/02/20220214-DJI_0005.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2022-02-14 18:38:002022-02-15 11:43:03Harris County Attorney Threatens Lawsuit Against RV Resort Owner, Contractor
Texas Land-Use Trends: Major Changes Coming
A reader recently sent me a link to a fascinating conservation webinar by a group called Texan by Nature. It begins with an eye-opening presentation on Texas Land-Use Trends by Roel Lopez, Director of the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute.
According to Lopez, Texas comprises 171 million acres. 95% of that is private and 83% rural.
Biggest Intergenerational Transfer of Land Ever
A&M’s Lopez predicts the largest intergenerational transfer of rural land ever will take place in the next ten years. A minuscule 1% of Texans steward 141 million private acres. And a whopping 40% of rural landowners exceed 65 years of age. Fifty-six million acres (one third of the total) could change hands during in the next ten years, according to Lopez.
The people who buy those lands may not have the same priorities as the previous generation. Rapid growth and a strong economy create increased demand for rural land. And high land values create incentives to subdivide and sell.
So conversion of the land could result in a loss of food, fiber and water supplies, says Lopez. He calculates that every day, that one square mile of land lost results in 20,000 fewer steak dinners produced, 10,000 blue jeans not made, and 91 water towers not filled.
Lopez doesn’t specifically address flooding issues, but it doesn’t take a genius to connect those dots.
Pressure to Convert Land Puts Pressure on Forests, Wetlands
With the future of agriculture and human health dependent on private lands and their stewardship, and with so much pressure for elderly landowners and their heirs to cash in, we can expect rapid change.
As urban areas grow rapidly outward, the forests and wetlands that create natural buffers between people and floods could disappear rapidly.
To learn more about Texas land-use trends, visit the A&M Natural Resources Institute website.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/16/22 with thanks to Beth Leggieri
1632 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Why You Need Flood Insurance: Houston’s Long-Shot Harvey Reimbursement Program
The City of Houston’s latest pipeline report shows that as of the start of this year, Housing and Community Development’s Harvey Recovery Program had sent reimbursement checks to 150 homeowners out of 96,410 homes flooded during Harvey (see page 15). Quite the long shot! More than 1 in 600!
Program Ended More than Year Ago; Some Claims Still Being Processed
The City’s Reimbursement Program ended on December 31, 2020. At that time, the City had only reimbursed 119 families for repairs they made themselves. Claims still in the pipeline at that time explain the difference between 119 and 150.
One lucky Lake-Houston-Area homeowner recently emailed me saying his family had just cashed a reimbursement check – 4.5 years after Harvey. They won their THIRD appeal!
Reimbursements Not Only Form of Assistance
To be fair, The City offers more forms of assistance than reimbursements. The City also has rehab and reconstruction programs; homebuyer programs; a multi-family program targeted at developers and more (see below). Also keep in mind that this department underwent a major reorganization last year and now has new leadership.
However, the City still has a long way to go with financial transparency. Why, for instance, are subtotals not reported in the first screen capture above for recons, rehabs and reimbursements?
Flood Insurance Your Best Bet Next Time
The long-shot odds, lengthy application processing, bureaucratic delays and uncertain outcomes all underscore the need for flood insurance. Get a flood insurance contract in place before the next big storm and store it in a safe deposit box on HIGH GROUND. Don’t wait for help that will likely never come after the storm. Remember, ordinary homeowner insurance policies do not cover flood damage.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/15/2022
1631 Days after Hurricane Harvey
Harris County Attorney Threatens Lawsuit Against RV Resort Owner, Contractor
The Harris County Attorney has threatened the Laurel Springs RV Resort owner and contractor with a lawsuit. The Cease and Desist letter also includes, strangely enough, the Lakewood Cove Homeowners Association.
The County Attorney alleges the HOA owns the property on which the RV Resort is being built. However, the HOA claims it does not and believes their inclusion is an error.
The Harris County Appraisal District (HCAD) shows that LS RV Resort, LP bought the property on 9/22/21. HCAD’s ownership history goes back to 1985 and shows five previous owners. The Lakewood Cove HOA is not among them. Lakewood Cove started being built out around 2005.
Harris County Complaints
The County Attorney’s letter cites the following complaints. That the contractor, Higbie Ventures of Texas, Inc., and owner, LS RV Resort, LP:
The County alleges trespass and destruction of county property. The trespass allegation may include trespass of bulldozers as well as trespass by water.
In the photo above, the pipes laid through the wall were near the eroded area under water in the center of the frame. The developer has since spread dirt in this area to cover up the pipes, but no one who I have interviewed has seen the pipes being removed.
Harris County Demands
Harris County demands that the trespassing and discharges cease immediately and that the detention pond wall be repaired. The County also seeks damages and an injunction requiring the buried pipe to be removed.
The discharge was first documented on Saturday, 1/29/22 and the pipe installation on 1/31/22. The County Attorney’s letter is dated February 1, 2022.
Both Precinct 4 Parks Department and the Harris County Engineering Department inspected the site and documented damage.
Owner/Contractor Response
Since the County Attorney’s Cease and Desist letter, the contractor has worked to clear erosion and pull back debris from the County’s Edgewater Park. However, Higbie appears to have piled dirt in front of the inlet and outlet pipes without actually removing them. It’s unclear whether the pipes remain in the wall of the pond. No sources I have talked to have seen them removed and aerial images show that ponding water remains near the outlet location. It took three days to put the pipes in, so you would think it would take at least a day or two to take them out. But no such activity has been observed by many neighbors who have contacted me. However, the developer sometimes works at night.
HOA Status
Current Lakewood Cove HOA officers say they can find no record of ever having owned the RV property or of having an interest in it. The County Attorney (CA) has not returned their calls for two weeks. The CA did not return my call. Nor has the CA returned calls from Precinct 4 staff. I have not had time to obtain a title search. Let’s hope somebody at the County Attorney’s office can explain the alleged ownership issue with the HOA. And that the contractor removes the pipe from the pond wall (if it’s still there).
To see the County Attorney’s Cease and Desist Letter, click here.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/14/22
1630 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.