Four months after Laurel Springs RV Resort contractors started tying into the Lakewood Cove storm sewer system, they may finally finish the job in the next few days. I spotted them yesterday and today, digging a trench from the pumps to the pond.
At their present rate of progress, and with gasoline prices spiraling out of control, one wonders whether RVs will be able to afford gas to get here when this job is complete.
Detention Pond Storm Sewer Tie In Started in Early December
Laurel Springs RV Resort detention pond drainage tie in as of 12/05/21. Contractor has tunneled under Laurel Springs Lane to Lakewood Cove storm sewer system on far side.Drainage plans approved by City of Houston for this portion of the job site. SE corner of detention pond below is in upper leftof diagram above.
Contractor Now Working on Approved Tie In
Wednesday around noon, 3/02/22, workers started excavating around the circular pump housing. By early morning 3/3/22, they had already laid the first section of pipe.By noon on 3/3/22, they had laid another section of pipe and were excavating their way to the corner of the pond.
Rec Center Being Framed Out
In separate news, workers started framing the RV Resort recreation building yesterday.
This shows the status on the morning of 3/3/22.
Spiraling Cost of Gasoline Could Affect Demand
I heard a story on the radio this morning that gasoline in Toronto has now topped $8.50 USD per gallon. With gasoline prices spiraling out of control, it’s unclear how many people will be traveling in RVs anytime soon. The larger ones get as little as 6 miles per gallon.
I remember taking a trip through the Yukon Territory several years ago when gasoline was half that price and seeing an RV fill up for more than $1000.
That’s comparable to the cost of a 2500 square-foot penthouse suite in a luxury 5-star hotel.
Now imagine doubling that cost to stay in something one tenth the size.
As they say in Hollywood, “Timing is everything in show business.” You could say the same for the RV park business.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/3/22
1647 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/2022/03/20220303-DJI_0535.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2022-03-03 15:16:502022-03-03 15:31:20RV Resort Detention-Pond Drain Finally Being Installed in Approved Location
Within the last week, the focus of dredging moved from the East Fork San Jacinto to the mouth of Rogers Gully on the west side of Lake Houston near the Walden Country Club. HCFCD conducted a dredging operation upstream from the Rogers Gully mouth bar in 2020. But the mouth bar itself is in Lake Houston, which is owned by the City of Houston. So this portion is the City’s responsibility.
Where dredging stopped in East Fork in late February. Looking South. Luce Bayou on upper left. FM1960 Bridge in upper right.Picture taken 2/27/22.Rogers Gully mouth bar has already been partially removed by the dredgers anchored in the distance for the evening.Looking east toward Huffman on far side of lake from over the Walden Country Club.Photo taken 3/1/22.
New Base of Operations Will Shorten Supply Lines
At the same time, the base of operations for dredging appears to be moving from the West Fork to a marina across the lake from Rogers Gully. The new drop off point for spoils is about 2.2 miles from Rogers Gully. Compare that to almost 7 miles to get from the East Fork to Berry Madden’s property south of River Grove Park on the West Fork.
New deposit site for dredging spoils on Fairlake Lane in Huffman.Photo taken 2/27/22.
Over the weekend, I photographed dredgers preparing the site and carting the first loads of sediment to a dirt/mulch company about six miles east on 1960.
Where spoils from Lake Houston are going on FM1960 toward 99.
The dirt company is about 2 miles inside the new Grand Parkway extension.
Looking south. New Grand Parkway extension crossing FM1960. Photo taken 2/27/22.
The new highway will open vast new areas for development and create ready markets for dredging spoils to elevate homes and build roads.
Focus Shifting to Inlets Around Lake
According to State Representative Dan Huberty, about $40 million remains in the dredging fund appropriated by the state legislature last year. He hopes that after inlets around the lake are cleaned out, that dredgers will return to the East Fork in the future to continue the effort there.
Pictures taken this afternoon show that in the last two days, the dredgers have taken a significant bite out of the Rogers Gully mouth bar, which in my opinion, was the worst of many smaller inlets around the lake.
Rogers Gully mouth bar in August of 2020. Compare to photos below to see progress already made.
The photos below tell the story.
Looking west from beyond one of the anchored dredges toward the mouth bar and the Walden Country Club in the top center.Still looking west at the partially removed mouth bar.Looking NNW.From here, tugs will ferry the pontoons toward the general vicinity of that white spot on the lake front in the upper right.Note the FM1960 bridge in the background.
Soon, the dredgers will finish with Rogers Gully and move on to the next inlet.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/1/22 with input from Dan Huberty
1645 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/20220301-DJI_0429.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2022-03-01 19:01:142022-03-01 19:09:52Dredgers Move to Rogers Gully from East Fork
Since development of the Laurel Springs RV Resort started last October, the Centerpoint easement below the development has turned into a small lake. It’s not clear at this point what caused the lake to develop. Several theories come time mind: increased runoff; sediment blocking drains; heavy January rains; poorly drained soils; illegal discharges; or some combination of the above. Regardless, this raises the most common question I encounter these days. “What happens when a developer builds its land up and sends water onto my property?”
Before Development
Here’s how the Centerpoint easement looked on October 25 last year when contractors started clearing land. Note the power lines in the small corridor left of the bigger one for railroad tracks. Also notice the tiny little ponds in the distance toward Hamblen Road at the top of the frame.
Looking SSE along the utility corridor and railroad tracks to the west of the RV resort shortly after clearing started on October 25, 2021.
According to Weather.gov, the 30 year average for October is 5.46 inches. So we got a little more than an inch above normal. Yet the corridor had only tiny amounts of ponding water.
January Photo Shows Ponds Expanding
On January 9, we had a large rainfall event and a photo that day shows the ponds expanded.
After heavy rains on 1/9/2022. Note small stream of water running down middle of utility corridor and two large ponds.
But also note how the larger pond in the distance stops well short of Hamblen Road in top right of frame.
February Rainfall One Third of Normal, But Ponds Continue to Grow
But since January 8/9, we’ve had very little rain. Nevertheless, the ponds have expanded into what one resident called a “lake” that blocked her hike down the utility corridor. See below.
Looking S toward Hamblen Road at top of frame. Pond now extends almost all the way to Hamblen.
The amazing thing is that the “lake” grew despite very little rain in February. As the chart below shows, we got 1 inch which is one third of the monthly average of 2.97 inches. Moreover, we got no significant rain for the 7 weeks before I took the picture above.
Yet the lake now stretches almost all the way to Hamblen! It’s getting bigger! So where’s the water coming from?
Water Not Coming West, East or South
It didn’t come from west of the railroad tracks. Union Pacific elevated those several feet above ground level.
Laurel Springs Lane has storm sewers that would have intercepted water from the east.
And water doesn’t usually flow uphill, so it didn’t come from the south either.
Much of it probably came from the north and the detention pond below which the developers drained into Edgewater Park on January 29.
Contractors drained detention pond into Edgewater Park on January 29.
Prior to that, they also pumped water over the wall of the pond.
Laurel Springs RV Resort pumping stormwater into Edgewater Parkon 1/18/2022.Then on January 31, contractors even tried to lay pipe through the wall of the detention pond to create a permanent conduit for stormwater into Edgewater Park.
Addition of Fill
They’re also bringing in fill to build up the RV Resort higher than the property around them. As they do so, they have been pushing standing water toward the utility corridor.
Looking west toward Centerpoint corridor just beyond tree line. Photo taken 2/10/22.
Lake Expands on One-Third Average Rainfall!
The bottom line is this.
Standing water in the Centerpoint utility corridor has increased as rainfall has fallen well below normal.
When you look around, there’s only one place this water could have come from.
I don’t want to beat this horse to death. But I get emails every day from people across northern Harris and southern Montgomery Counties. They worry about comparable issues. In essence, the emails say something like this: “A developer is building up land and flooding my property.”
I can understand the desire to build up land to avoid flooding on your own property. But we need to agree on ways to avoid flooding neighbors in the process. The answer probably lies in:
Better construction practices and training, i.e., sloping all land toward detention ponds.
Meaningful inspections and penalties by authorities.
Publication of the penalties.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/28/2022
1644 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.
RV Resort Detention-Pond Drain Finally Being Installed in Approved Location
Four months after Laurel Springs RV Resort contractors started tying into the Lakewood Cove storm sewer system, they may finally finish the job in the next few days. I spotted them yesterday and today, digging a trench from the pumps to the pond.
At their present rate of progress, and with gasoline prices spiraling out of control, one wonders whether RVs will be able to afford gas to get here when this job is complete.
Troubled History of Project
The storm sewer tie in comes more than a month after an aborted attempt to dig a trench through the wall of their half-sized detention pond and install pipes that drained the resort’s stormwater directly into Edgewater Park. Both actions violated state and city permit requirements. They also caused the state, city and Harris County to launch four investigations into construction practices at the RV resort. Subsequently, the Harris County Attorney sent a cease-and-desist letter to the resort’s owner and threatened a lawsuit.
Detention Pond Storm Sewer Tie In Started in Early December
Contractor Now Working on Approved Tie In
Rec Center Being Framed Out
In separate news, workers started framing the RV Resort recreation building yesterday.
Spiraling Cost of Gasoline Could Affect Demand
I heard a story on the radio this morning that gasoline in Toronto has now topped $8.50 USD per gallon. With gasoline prices spiraling out of control, it’s unclear how many people will be traveling in RVs anytime soon. The larger ones get as little as 6 miles per gallon.
I remember taking a trip through the Yukon Territory several years ago when gasoline was half that price and seeing an RV fill up for more than $1000.
That’s comparable to the cost of a 2500 square-foot penthouse suite in a luxury 5-star hotel.
Now imagine doubling that cost to stay in something one tenth the size.
As they say in Hollywood, “Timing is everything in show business.” You could say the same for the RV park business.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/3/22
1647 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 Move to Rogers Gully from East Fork
Within the last week, the focus of dredging moved from the East Fork San Jacinto to the mouth of Rogers Gully on the west side of Lake Houston near the Walden Country Club. HCFCD conducted a dredging operation upstream from the Rogers Gully mouth bar in 2020. But the mouth bar itself is in Lake Houston, which is owned by the City of Houston. So this portion is the City’s responsibility.
New Base of Operations Will Shorten Supply Lines
At the same time, the base of operations for dredging appears to be moving from the West Fork to a marina across the lake from Rogers Gully. The new drop off point for spoils is about 2.2 miles from Rogers Gully. Compare that to almost 7 miles to get from the East Fork to Berry Madden’s property south of River Grove Park on the West Fork.
Over the weekend, I photographed dredgers preparing the site and carting the first loads of sediment to a dirt/mulch company about six miles east on 1960.
The dirt company is about 2 miles inside the new Grand Parkway extension.
The new highway will open vast new areas for development and create ready markets for dredging spoils to elevate homes and build roads.
Focus Shifting to Inlets Around Lake
According to State Representative Dan Huberty, about $40 million remains in the dredging fund appropriated by the state legislature last year. He hopes that after inlets around the lake are cleaned out, that dredgers will return to the East Fork in the future to continue the effort there.
Pictures taken this afternoon show that in the last two days, the dredgers have taken a significant bite out of the Rogers Gully mouth bar, which in my opinion, was the worst of many smaller inlets around the lake.
The photos below tell the story.
Soon, the dredgers will finish with Rogers Gully and move on to the next inlet.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/1/22 with input from Dan Huberty
1645 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Centerpoint Utility Corridor Flooding Below RV Resort
Since development of the Laurel Springs RV Resort started last October, the Centerpoint easement below the development has turned into a small lake. It’s not clear at this point what caused the lake to develop. Several theories come time mind: increased runoff; sediment blocking drains; heavy January rains; poorly drained soils; illegal discharges; or some combination of the above. Regardless, this raises the most common question I encounter these days. “What happens when a developer builds its land up and sends water onto my property?”
Before Development
Here’s how the Centerpoint easement looked on October 25 last year when contractors started clearing land. Note the power lines in the small corridor left of the bigger one for railroad tracks. Also notice the tiny little ponds in the distance toward Hamblen Road at the top of the frame.
According to Weather.gov, the 30 year average for October is 5.46 inches. So we got a little more than an inch above normal. Yet the corridor had only tiny amounts of ponding water.
January Photo Shows Ponds Expanding
On January 9, we had a large rainfall event and a photo that day shows the ponds expanded.
But also note how the larger pond in the distance stops well short of Hamblen Road in top right of frame.
February Rainfall One Third of Normal, But Ponds Continue to Grow
But since January 8/9, we’ve had very little rain. Nevertheless, the ponds have expanded into what one resident called a “lake” that blocked her hike down the utility corridor. See below.
The amazing thing is that the “lake” grew despite very little rain in February. As the chart below shows, we got 1 inch which is one third of the monthly average of 2.97 inches. Moreover, we got no significant rain for the 7 weeks before I took the picture above.
Yet the lake now stretches almost all the way to Hamblen! It’s getting bigger! So where’s the water coming from?
Water Not Coming West, East or South
It didn’t come from west of the railroad tracks. Union Pacific elevated those several feet above ground level.
Laurel Springs Lane has storm sewers that would have intercepted water from the east.
And water doesn’t usually flow uphill, so it didn’t come from the south either.
Much of it probably came from the north and the detention pond below which the developers drained into Edgewater Park on January 29.
Prior to that, they also pumped water over the wall of the pond.
Addition of Fill
They’re also bringing in fill to build up the RV Resort higher than the property around them. As they do so, they have been pushing standing water toward the utility corridor.
Lake Expands on One-Third Average Rainfall!
The bottom line is this.
When you look around, there’s only one place this water could have come from.
I don’t want to beat this horse to death. But I get emails every day from people across northern Harris and southern Montgomery Counties. They worry about comparable issues. In essence, the emails say something like this: “A developer is building up land and flooding my property.”
I can understand the desire to build up land to avoid flooding on your own property. But we need to agree on ways to avoid flooding neighbors in the process. The answer probably lies in:
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/28/2022
1644 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.