268 acres currently owned by Perry Homes could be turned into a regional floodwater detention basin if the purchase is approved by Houston City Council tomorrow and Harris County Commissioners Court on December 15.
If successful, the City and HCFCD would work together to reduce the volume of water flowing out of the headwaters of Taylor Gully.
Require a minimum detention rate of 0.55 acre-feet per acre of detention for any new development on tracts one acre or larger in size
Prohibit the use of hydrographic timing (flood-routing studies) as a substitute for any detention requirements, unless the project emptied directly into Galveston Bay.
Enforce these provisions both within the City and its extraterritorial jurisdiction.
The volume of detention ponds currently on Woodridge Village is about 40% short of what the new higher Atlas-14 requirements dictate. The current detention was approved and construction started before Atlas 14 became effective in Montgomery County.
If Council approves the money and ILA tomorrow for the Woodridge Village purchase, Harris County Commissioners would take up the issue at their next meeting on December 15. Approval by both bodies certainly would make Christmas much merrier and more hopeful for hundreds of Kingwood families devastated by flooding last year.
Kudos to Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin for pushing this forward.
The outcome of the votes could affect projects considered in the Kingwood Area Drainage Analysis. If the purchase goes through, it could reduce or eliminate the need for widening and deepening Taylor Gully itself. It is not immediately clear whether the City and County have set deadlines for the design and construction of the detention basin.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/8/2020
1197 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 446 since Imelda
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/2020/12/20201207-Aerial-Dec-2020_425.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2020-12-08 22:13:572020-12-08 22:43:54Woodridge Village Purchase on Wednesday’s Houston City Council Agenda
In my lifetime, I’ve taken more than half a million pictures. I spent four years photographing in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, which was the poorest neighborhood in that city at the time. I’ve also photographed in Appalachia and the poorest parts of Central America. But in the heartbreak department, nothing compares to a photo I took this afternoon while flying over Colony Ridge in Liberty County. The developer there has reportedly foreclosed on 1900 properties so far this year.
Colony Ridge home, December 7, 2020.
Plastic Sheeting for a Roof in 40 Degree Weather
The photo in question: a mobile home with plastic sheeting for a roof. Duct tape held down the sheeting. The temperature last night fell into the low forties. It’s hard to believe that this is probably someone’s dream home. But everything is relative. And I have no idea where the owner came from. This could be a step up.
Capturing this photo took 1/8,000th of a second. But I’ve stared at it for hours since downloading it. I can’t take my eye off the crib and the children’s toys strewn around it. Nor the breakfast table with a cup of coffee and a half eaten meal.
It’s hard to believe that people live in conditions like this. To be fair, most homes in Colony Ridge don’t approach this level of poverty. But it’s not unusual for the development.
A Reminder at Christmas
I hope this image serves as a reminder this Christmas that despite our wealth, tremendous need exists in our midst. Please support the charity of your choice this year if you can.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/7/2020
1196 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/2020/12/20201207-Aerial-Dec-2020_1210.jpg?fit=1200%2C813&ssl=18131200adminadmin2020-12-07 20:00:512020-12-08 08:03:13Merry Christmas from Colony Ridge
Drainage ditches in Colony Ridge appear to violate Liberty County drainage standards from both 2004 and 2019.
Both 2004 and 2019 regulations require developers to plant the slopes of ditches with grass to control erosion.
In addition, 2019 regulations require backslope interceptor swales, another erosion-control measure. These prevent stormwater from running down the sides of ditches.
According to residents, the developer has made little effort to do either or to bring older ditches up to current standards.
The violations contribute to sedimentation of the East Fork San Jacinto and its tributaries, and flooding from Lake Houston to Plum Grove.
Soil-Stabilization Violations
2004 Liberty County Road and Drainage Standards for Subdivisions and Development stipulate in Section 3.72 on Page 28 that, “All channels, and adjacent area, which has been disturbed by construction equipment shall be seeded with Bermuda grass or other grass as approved by the Precinct Commissioner or Designated Agent at the rate of eight pounds per acre (8 lb/ac). Seeding shall conform to Item 164 Seeding for Erosion Control of the “TxDOT Standards”.
Note erosion on sides of ditches. Colony Ridge 6/16/2020
2019 regulations also mandate additional erosion-control measures. The section on Erosion Control on page 100 states: “All drainage facilities must be designed and maintained in a manner which minimizes the potential for damage due to erosion. No bare earthen slopes will be allowed. Various slope treatments, including turf establishment, concrete slope paving, and rip-rap, are accepted. Flow velocities should be kept below permissible values for each type of slope treatment. Interceptor structures and backslope swale systems are required to prevent sheet flows from eroding the side slopes of open channels and detention facilities.” [Emphasis added.]
The emphasis on “All” and “maintained” would seem to require developers to bring all ditches up to the 2019 standard, but that clearly has not happened.
Colony Ridge 6/16/2020. Note severe erosion, lack of grass on slopes and absence of backslope interceptor swales.
What Backslope Swales Look Like
Liberty County regulations don’t provide schematics of backslope interceptor swales, but Harris County Flood Control regulations do. See below. At the top of the ditch embankment, a notch is cut into the horizontal area. This notch collects rain and channels it to a series of corrugated metal or HDPE drains that empty into the bottom of the channel. This prevents water from pouring over the banks of the channel and eroding them.
As you look at the pictures below, see if you can spot the:
Backslope swales (notches)?
Drain pipes?
Grass-lined banks?
You can’t. They aren’t there.
Colony Ridge 6/26/2020. Note severe erosion on banks. This ditch was built in 2015.Colony Ridge 6/26/2020Colony Ridge ditch draining into Maple Branch. 4/25/2019.Colony Ridge 6/14/2020 in newly developing area.
But construction technique does not seem to be the problem in Colony Ridge. They simply have not been built. That’s why erosion on the sides of the channels is so rampant.
Consequences of Erosion
All this eroded sediment has to go somewhere. And it did.
Between Kingwood and Huffman, the East Fork Mouth Bar downstream from Colony Ridge grew 4000 feet during Harvey and Imelda. Average water depth through this area decreased from 18 feet to 3 feet.
Colony Ridge isn’t 100% responsible for ALL this sedimentation. Natural erosion and sand mines also contributed. But substandard drainage practices in a 12-13,000 acre development had to play a large role.
The City of Houston is still dredging the West Fork Mouth Bar, more than three years after Harvey. Cost to taxpayers to date: more than $100 million. No one yet knows how much it will cost to remove the East Fork Mouth Bar.
Backslope interceptor swale on Taylor Gully in Harris County.12/4/2020Taylor Gully in Harris County 9/7/2020.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/5/2020
1194 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 453 since Imelda
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/2020/12/20200616-RJR_4085.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2020-12-05 20:47:342020-12-06 10:08:27Colony Ridge Ditches Violate Liberty County Drainage Standards
Woodridge Village Purchase on Wednesday’s Houston City Council Agenda
Houston City Council will consider two items Wednesday that could ultimately pave the way for the purchase of Woodridge Village from Perry Homes. Woodridge Village twice contributed to the flooding of hundreds of homes in Kingwood’s Elm Grove Village last year. For more than a year, the City, Harris County Flood Control and Perry Homes’ subsidiary Figure Four Partners, LTD have discussed purchasing the property and turning it into a regional flood-control detention basin.
$4 Million in Cash from City Plus Land
The two agenda items are #59 and #65. They call for an interlocal agreement between the City and HCFCD to jointly purchase the property. According to an article in the Houston Chronicle, the purchase price would total approximately $14 million. The City would pay approximately $4 million of that in cash. However, in the past, the City has also discussed the contribution of land to make up its 50% of the purchase price.
The City has also said in the past that it hopes to acquire a portion of the site outright in order to consolidate several wastewater treatment facilities in Kingwood outside of the San Jacinto floodplain. Presumably, the City’s cash would go toward the purchase of that part of the site. Both sides previously agreed to share equally in the purchase, operation, development, and maintenance of the rest of the 268 acres.
Requirements Imposed by Draft ILA from May
Earlier this year, I obtained a draft copy of the interlocal agreement by a FOIA request, which the State Attorney General partially redacted. In May, the City provisionally agreed to:
The volume of detention ponds currently on Woodridge Village is about 40% short of what the new higher Atlas-14 requirements dictate. The current detention was approved and construction started before Atlas 14 became effective in Montgomery County.
The use of flood-routing studies in Montgomery County to avoid building detention ponds has long been a controversial practice that downstream residents have fought.
Next Steps in Terms of Flood Mitigation
If Council approves the money and ILA tomorrow for the Woodridge Village purchase, Harris County Commissioners would take up the issue at their next meeting on December 15. Approval by both bodies certainly would make Christmas much merrier and more hopeful for hundreds of Kingwood families devastated by flooding last year.
Kudos to Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin for pushing this forward.
The outcome of the votes could affect projects considered in the Kingwood Area Drainage Analysis. If the purchase goes through, it could reduce or eliminate the need for widening and deepening Taylor Gully itself. It is not immediately clear whether the City and County have set deadlines for the design and construction of the detention basin.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/8/2020
1197 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 446 since Imelda
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.
Merry Christmas from Colony Ridge
In my lifetime, I’ve taken more than half a million pictures. I spent four years photographing in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, which was the poorest neighborhood in that city at the time. I’ve also photographed in Appalachia and the poorest parts of Central America. But in the heartbreak department, nothing compares to a photo I took this afternoon while flying over Colony Ridge in Liberty County. The developer there has reportedly foreclosed on 1900 properties so far this year.
Plastic Sheeting for a Roof in 40 Degree Weather
The photo in question: a mobile home with plastic sheeting for a roof. Duct tape held down the sheeting. The temperature last night fell into the low forties. It’s hard to believe that this is probably someone’s dream home. But everything is relative. And I have no idea where the owner came from. This could be a step up.
Capturing this photo took 1/8,000th of a second. But I’ve stared at it for hours since downloading it. I can’t take my eye off the crib and the children’s toys strewn around it. Nor the breakfast table with a cup of coffee and a half eaten meal.
It’s hard to believe that people live in conditions like this. To be fair, most homes in Colony Ridge don’t approach this level of poverty. But it’s not unusual for the development.
A Reminder at Christmas
I hope this image serves as a reminder this Christmas that despite our wealth, tremendous need exists in our midst. Please support the charity of your choice this year if you can.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/7/2020
1196 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.
Colony Ridge Ditches Violate Liberty County Drainage Standards
Drainage ditches in Colony Ridge appear to violate Liberty County drainage standards from both 2004 and 2019.
The violations contribute to sedimentation of the East Fork San Jacinto and its tributaries, and flooding from Lake Houston to Plum Grove.
Soil-Stabilization Violations
2004 Liberty County Road and Drainage Standards for Subdivisions and Development stipulate in Section 3.72 on Page 28 that, “All channels, and adjacent area, which has been disturbed by construction equipment shall be seeded with Bermuda grass or other grass as approved by the Precinct Commissioner or Designated Agent at the rate of eight pounds per acre (8 lb/ac). Seeding shall conform to Item 164 Seeding for Erosion Control of the “TxDOT Standards”.
Liberty County’s Subdivision and Development Regulations, revised January 2019 contain the identical language on slope stabilization. See Section 40.9.11 Channel Excavation (Page 91).
Backslope Interceptor Swale Requirement
2019 regulations also mandate additional erosion-control measures. The section on Erosion Control on page 100 states: “All drainage facilities must be designed and maintained in a manner which minimizes the potential for damage due to erosion. No bare earthen slopes will be allowed. Various slope treatments, including turf establishment, concrete slope paving, and rip-rap, are accepted. Flow velocities should be kept below permissible values for each type of slope treatment. Interceptor structures and backslope swale systems are required to prevent sheet flows from eroding the side slopes of open channels and detention facilities.” [Emphasis added.]
What Backslope Swales Look Like
Liberty County regulations don’t provide schematics of backslope interceptor swales, but Harris County Flood Control regulations do. See below. At the top of the ditch embankment, a notch is cut into the horizontal area. This notch collects rain and channels it to a series of corrugated metal or HDPE drains that empty into the bottom of the channel. This prevents water from pouring over the banks of the channel and eroding them.
Stark Contrast Between Regulations and Reality
As you look at the pictures below, see if you can spot the:
You can’t. They aren’t there.
Properly constructed backslope interceptor swales constitute a best management practice (BMP). They can prevent the type of erosion you see above. This educational PowerPoint explains how these structures work as well as the dangers of not building them correctly.
But construction technique does not seem to be the problem in Colony Ridge. They simply have not been built. That’s why erosion on the sides of the channels is so rampant.
Consequences of Erosion
All this eroded sediment has to go somewhere. And it did.
Colony Ridge isn’t 100% responsible for ALL this sedimentation. Natural erosion and sand mines also contributed. But substandard drainage practices in a 12-13,000 acre development had to play a large role.
The City of Houston is still dredging the West Fork Mouth Bar, more than three years after Harvey. Cost to taxpayers to date: more than $100 million. No one yet knows how much it will cost to remove the East Fork Mouth Bar.
Plum Grove residents have also documented clogged streams and bayous that they say have contributed to local flooding. Plum Grove is suing the developer. The TCEQ found construction practices bad enough to affect human health.
It seems like prevention would be more effective than correction.
The Right Way
Ironically, Harris County has regulations similar to Liberty County’s that govern construction of drainage ditches. But the results are much different when and where people actually follow the regulations. See below.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/5/2020
1194 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 453 since Imelda
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.