Mechanical dredging is sloooooooooow. Two months after my last dredging update, contractors are still working on the same portion of the East Fork Mouth Bar complex just north of the entrance to Luce Bayou. The sand bar is question is one of many in the area that popped up after Harvey and Imelda.
Pictures Taken on 1/28/22
I took the first three images below this morning.
Looking East across the San Jacinto East Fork from Kingwood toward Luce Bayou in upper right. North is to the left.Photo taken on 1/28/22.Dredgers are now working on a small island just upstream from Luce. But there’s a lot of work yet to do.Photo taken on 1/28/22.
The San Jacinto East Fork Mouth Bar grew more than 4,000 feet in length during Harvey and Imelda. River depth was reduced to 3 feet, according to boaters. That reduced conveyance of the river and contributed to flooding of homes on both sides.
It took three months just for contractors to dredge their way through the Royal Shores channel to get to East Fork (July, August, September 2021). East Fork dredging started in October last year. Removing sediment from the area in red above has taken four months. But it’s only a small portion of the work that needs to be done as you can see in the second image above that looks upstream.
Naturally, residents are asking, “How much more does the City intend to do?” The answer to that question is still unsettled.
Vendor for Long-Range Dredging Plan Still Not Decided
The project attracted a lot of attention. Thirteen companies expressed interest. And eleven signed up for a pre-bid conference. However, the purchasing agent for the City, Bridget Cormier, stated that “The City has not yet made a decision, nor a recommendation for award yet.” She explained, “We are still in the evaluation phase and have requested additional information from suppliers that moved forward in the process.”
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/28/2022
1613 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/20220128-DJI_0561.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2022-01-28 13:34:082022-01-28 14:28:52Dredgers Still Nibbling Away at East Fork Mouth Bar
In the afternoon of 1/27/22, Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) contractor Sprint Sand & Clay began excavation of additional detention pond capacity on Woodridge Village. Woodridge is the former Perry Homes property implicated in the flooding of Elm Grove Village and North Kingwood Forest twice in 2019. Numerous factors contributed to the flooding. But insufficient detention pond capacity led the pack. The volume excavated by Perry contractors fell about 40% short of Atlas-14 requirements.
Initial Work Will Improve Access
The initial work will improve access to the site. Sprint says it hopes to begin excavation in earnest next week. By comparing the picture and map below, you can see that the task will be immense.
Looking NE at main portion of Woodridge Village Site as excavation of new detention pond begins. It will extend to the pond in the upper right.Excavation off the green area above will more than double the detention pond capacity on the Woodridge Village Site.
History of Project and Contract Details
In February last year, HCFCD purchased Woodridge Village with the intention of creating additional detention pond capacity. Fast forward to November 2021. HCFCD and Sprint signed an E&R contract. E&R stands for Excavation and Removal. Under the terms of their contract, Sprint Sand & Clay will excavate material as needed.
Taxpayers generally like E&R contracts, but anxious homeowners may worry about the “as needed” clause. That can slow work down if market demand falters. Nevertheless, Sprint has an obligation to remove at least 5,000 cubic yards a month. That’s enough to fill 500 dump trucks. In total, they’ll fill 50,000 before the job is done.
Covid Delayed Start
The project could have started in December, but Covid-related absences slowed the contractor. This afternoon, however, the contractor began a) clearing an access road for trucks into the site and b) clearing space for a construction trailer near the excavation. The contractor hopes to begin excavation in earnest next week. But again, they make no guarantees on that point.
Pictures Taken 1/27/22
Regardless, signs of progress are welcome. Here are pictures taken of the project just hours into it.
Sprint began by clearing a two-lane road for their trucks opposite the entrance to the Northpark Recreation Area on Woodland Hills Drive. The company plans to work around the high school’s schedule (upper right).The company began by clearing an area near the entrance to the largest portion of the site.Dirt from the initial excavation is being stockpiled near the Woodland Hills entrance opposite Kingwood Park High School for the moment.
The contractor appears to be shuttling dirt from the excavation area toward the entrance. It’s not immediately clear whether that dirt will be used to build up a construction road or hauled offsite.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/27/2022
1612 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/20220127-DJI_0534.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2022-01-27 17:24:592022-01-27 17:26:50More Woodridge Village Excavation Started Today
US Fish & Wildlife Map Shows Wetlands Dot Development
From US Fish & Wildlife Service National Wetlands Inventory. Madera will stretch past the left/right edges of this picture north of SH242 (the east/west highway near bottom.) FM1314 bisects picture from N to S in middle.
FEMA’s Base Flood Elevation Viewer Shows Flood Risk
Note that this survey shows only about a quarter of Madera (see below). The survey stops abruptly on the western margin. So, it is hard to say with certainty how bad flooding is throughout the rest of the site.
Yellow outline shows approximate outline of FEMA BFE survey shown above within Madera tract(black/white outline).
Option to See Depth of 100-Year Flood Waters
Also note that the purple area shows only the extent of 100- and 10-year floods. However, within the FEMA BFE viewer, you also have the option to select a layer that illustrates the depth of 100-year floodwaters. See below. (FEMA does not offer the option to show the depth of 10-year floods.)
FEMA’s estimated Base Flood Elevation Viewer showing extent of 100-year flood on left and depth on right.
Limitations of BFE Viewer
Of course, FEMA shows “estimated conditions” before developers bring in fill and alter drainage. But notice how a pre-existing development near Madera would fare in the same 100-year flood. You can see the close up below just above SH242 near the right edge of the image above.
FEMA shows that most homes in this development are still in the flood zone and would still flood to a depth of 1-2 feet in a hundred-year flood.
The street leading out of the development to SH242 could be under more than FIVE FEET of water in places!
FEMA Base flood Elevation Viewer
FEMA’s “Estimated Base Flood Elevation” is “The estimated elevation of flood water during the 1% annual chance storm event.” Structures below the estimated water surface elevation may experience flooding.” A 1%-annual-chance flood is also known as a 100-year flood. FEMA defines properties with a 1% annual chance of flooding as having “high flood risk” and says they have a 26% chance of flooding during the life of a 30-year mortgage.
Purposes of BFE Viewer
The agency developed its Base Flood Elevation viewer with several purposes in mind. To:
Inform personal risk decisions related to the purchase of flood insurance and coverage levels.
Inform local and individual building and construction approaches.
Prepare local risk assessments, Hazard Mitigation Plans, Land Use Plans, etc.
Provide information for “Letter of Map Amendment” (LOMA) submittals.
A LOMA lets the developer of a subdivision change the depiction of how flooding affects his/her subdivision. It’s the key to offering up-to-date risk assessments.
Full BFE Reports Available
FEMA also lets you download or print full BFE reports that give more specific estimates of flood depth at exact points, not just within a wide area.
FEMA’s BFE Viewer also gives you the option to print out a detailed flood-risk report by clicking on a point.
At the point shown above, you could expect 4.2 feet of water above the land surface in a 1%-chance flood. For the full report, click here.
Here’s what that point looked like last Saturday (1/22/22) from the air.
Madera development today at FM1314 and SH242, the point shown in BFE report above.
Cross-check this area on the maps above for wetlands and swamps! Then you can see why it’s so soupy.
BFE, Fill Not Mentioned in Drainage Analysis or Construction Plans
Text searches of Madera’s construction and drainage plans showed no references to “BFE” or “base flood.”
It seems unlikely that a “cut and fill” operation could excavate enough dirt from Madera’s drainage channel (dotted blue line with red parallel lines) and detention ponds to raise the whole site out the hundred-year flood zone. Five feet is a lot of fill for a 1700 acre site.
To raise a site this large, contractors would likely have to bring in fill from outside the property. But a text search from the word “fill” did not turn up any exact matches either.
So maybe they’re just planning to create the world’s biggest drain and hope to carry water off before it can reach homes.
However, a summary of the Madera master drainage plan notes…
“Coordination with MCED [Montgomery County Engineering Department] andadjacent property owners is recommended … on the potential need for inundation easements.”
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/2022/01/20220125-Screen-Shot-2022-01-25-at-3.52.07-PM.jpg?fit=1200%2C600&ssl=16001200adminadmin2022-01-27 06:08:242022-01-27 06:22:32New MoCo Development Being Built on Wetlands in 10-Year Flood Zone
Dredgers Still Nibbling Away at East Fork Mouth Bar
Mechanical dredging is sloooooooooow. Two months after my last dredging update, contractors are still working on the same portion of the East Fork Mouth Bar complex just north of the entrance to Luce Bayou. The sand bar is question is one of many in the area that popped up after Harvey and Imelda.
Pictures Taken on 1/28/22
I took the first three images below this morning.
The San Jacinto East Fork Mouth Bar grew more than 4,000 feet in length during Harvey and Imelda. River depth was reduced to 3 feet, according to boaters. That reduced conveyance of the river and contributed to flooding of homes on both sides.
This damage map shows that almost 1300 homes flooded in the East Fork watershed during Harvey. However, it’s not clear how far upstream any backwater effect extended from the East Fork mouth bar.
Earlier Images
Compare the photo above taken today to the one below taken two months ago.
Since November, dredgers have eliminated the remainder of the bar in the distance and reduced the size of the one in the foreground.
See a satellite image of the full bar below before dredging started.
It took three months just for contractors to dredge their way through the Royal Shores channel to get to East Fork (July, August, September 2021). East Fork dredging started in October last year. Removing sediment from the area in red above has taken four months. But it’s only a small portion of the work that needs to be done as you can see in the second image above that looks upstream.
Naturally, residents are asking, “How much more does the City intend to do?” The answer to that question is still unsettled.
Vendor for Long-Range Dredging Plan Still Not Decided
In August of last year, the City of Houston started searching for a consultant to develop a long-range dredging plan for Lake Houston. The timetable in the Request for Qualifications (Page 4) stated that the City hoped to select a vendor by November, approve the contract in December, and start work in January.
The project attracted a lot of attention. Thirteen companies expressed interest. And eleven signed up for a pre-bid conference. However, the purchasing agent for the City, Bridget Cormier, stated that “The City has not yet made a decision, nor a recommendation for award yet.” She explained, “We are still in the evaluation phase and have requested additional information from suppliers that moved forward in the process.”
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/28/2022
1613 Days since Hurricane Harvey
More Woodridge Village Excavation Started Today
In the afternoon of 1/27/22, Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) contractor Sprint Sand & Clay began excavation of additional detention pond capacity on Woodridge Village. Woodridge is the former Perry Homes property implicated in the flooding of Elm Grove Village and North Kingwood Forest twice in 2019. Numerous factors contributed to the flooding. But insufficient detention pond capacity led the pack. The volume excavated by Perry contractors fell about 40% short of Atlas-14 requirements.
Initial Work Will Improve Access
The initial work will improve access to the site. Sprint says it hopes to begin excavation in earnest next week. By comparing the picture and map below, you can see that the task will be immense.
History of Project and Contract Details
In February last year, HCFCD purchased Woodridge Village with the intention of creating additional detention pond capacity. Fast forward to November 2021. HCFCD and Sprint signed an E&R contract. E&R stands for Excavation and Removal. Under the terms of their contract, Sprint Sand & Clay will excavate material as needed.
HCFCD will pay Sprint just $1000 to excavate 500,000 cubic yards. Sprint then has the right to resell the dirt to developers, contractors and road builders at market rates and pocket the profit.
Taxpayers generally like E&R contracts, but anxious homeowners may worry about the “as needed” clause. That can slow work down if market demand falters. Nevertheless, Sprint has an obligation to remove at least 5,000 cubic yards a month. That’s enough to fill 500 dump trucks. In total, they’ll fill 50,000 before the job is done.
Covid Delayed Start
The project could have started in December, but Covid-related absences slowed the contractor. This afternoon, however, the contractor began a) clearing an access road for trucks into the site and b) clearing space for a construction trailer near the excavation. The contractor hopes to begin excavation in earnest next week. But again, they make no guarantees on that point.
Pictures Taken 1/27/22
Regardless, signs of progress are welcome. Here are pictures taken of the project just hours into it.
The contractor appears to be shuttling dirt from the excavation area toward the entrance. It’s not immediately clear whether that dirt will be used to build up a construction road or hauled offsite.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/27/2022
1612 Days since Hurricane Harvey
New MoCo Development Being Built on Wetlands in 10-Year Flood Zone
At least part of Madera, a new 1,700-acre development in Montgomery County that straddles FM1314 immediately north of SH242, is being built on wetlands and is in a 10-year flood zone.
US Fish & Wildlife Map Shows Wetlands Dot Development
FEMA’s Base Flood Elevation Viewer Shows Flood Risk
Note that this survey shows only about a quarter of Madera (see below). The survey stops abruptly on the western margin. So, it is hard to say with certainty how bad flooding is throughout the rest of the site.
Option to See Depth of 100-Year Flood Waters
Also note that the purple area shows only the extent of 100- and 10-year floods. However, within the FEMA BFE viewer, you also have the option to select a layer that illustrates the depth of 100-year floodwaters. See below. (FEMA does not offer the option to show the depth of 10-year floods.)
Limitations of BFE Viewer
Of course, FEMA shows “estimated conditions” before developers bring in fill and alter drainage. But notice how a pre-existing development near Madera would fare in the same 100-year flood. You can see the close up below just above SH242 near the right edge of the image above.
FEMA’s “Estimated Base Flood Elevation” is “The estimated elevation of flood water during the 1% annual chance storm event.” Structures below the estimated water surface elevation may experience flooding.” A 1%-annual-chance flood is also known as a 100-year flood. FEMA defines properties with a 1% annual chance of flooding as having “high flood risk” and says they have a 26% chance of flooding during the life of a 30-year mortgage.
Purposes of BFE Viewer
The agency developed its Base Flood Elevation viewer with several purposes in mind. To:
A LOMA lets the developer of a subdivision change the depiction of how flooding affects his/her subdivision. It’s the key to offering up-to-date risk assessments.
Full BFE Reports Available
FEMA also lets you download or print full BFE reports that give more specific estimates of flood depth at exact points, not just within a wide area.
At the point shown above, you could expect 4.2 feet of water above the land surface in a 1%-chance flood. For the full report, click here.
Here’s what that point looked like last Saturday (1/22/22) from the air.
Cross-check this area on the maps above for wetlands and swamps! Then you can see why it’s so soupy.
BFE, Fill Not Mentioned in Drainage Analysis or Construction Plans
Text searches of Madera’s construction and drainage plans showed no references to “BFE” or “base flood.”
It seems unlikely that a “cut and fill” operation could excavate enough dirt from Madera’s drainage channel (dotted blue line with red parallel lines) and detention ponds to raise the whole site out the hundred-year flood zone. Five feet is a lot of fill for a 1700 acre site.
To raise a site this large, contractors would likely have to bring in fill from outside the property. But a text search from the word “fill” did not turn up any exact matches either.
So maybe they’re just planning to create the world’s biggest drain and hope to carry water off before it can reach homes.
However, a summary of the Madera master drainage plan notes…
Still, engineers for the development claim it will have “No adverse impact.”
To review Montgomery County regulations regarding flood zones and drainage, see the documents under the “Construction Regs in Flood Hazard Areas” tab on my reports page. You’ll see plenty of opportunities for improvement.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/27/22
1612 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.