Castle Hill Partners in Austin, the company that owns CH-B Kingland LLC, did not return phone calls re: its development plans. However, since tollway construction is moving from west to east, it would make sense to develop the western portions in Montgomery and Harris Counties before moving east into Liberty County.
Kingland’s 2017 sales brochure shows that almost half of the western section lies in Montgomery County along the San Jacinto East Fork. The remainder of the western section lies within Harris County. Both portions lie partially within the City of Houston’s Extra Territorial Jurisdiction.
Western section of Kingland shows a 41.3 acre detention pond, plus seven smaller ponds. But it’s unclear whether they will lie in the floodway or floodplain.
FEMA’s National Flood Hazard Layer Viewer shows the extent of the floodway and floodplains in that area.
Crosshatched area = floodway. Aqua = 100 year floodplain. Brown = 500 year.
I interviewed a family in that small development south of Kingland property that straddles the Harris/Liberty County Line and discovered that they flooded from the East Fork during both Harvey and Imelda. They live more than 1.5 miles from the nearest mapped floodplain. However, that could soon change when the new post-Harvey flood maps are redrawn.
Anyone downstream on the East Fork or Luce needs to keep a close eye on this one. It has the potential to further alter the hydrology of the watershed.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/11/2021
1231 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 480 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/2021/01/20210101-RJR_4417-1-e1610410584123.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2021-01-11 18:25:112021-01-11 22:16:33Thousands of Acres in East Fork, Luce Bayou Watersheds to be Developed as Part of Kingland
LH Ranch, Ltd has proposed a new wetland mitigation bank for the area upstream from Lake Houston. Part of the land borders the San Jacinto East Fork, opposite Lake Houston Park. Another part to the east stretches across Luces Bayou.
Developers, pipelines, etc., whose projects will cause unavoidable resource losses elsewhere, negotiate “credits” with such organizations to offset the impacts of their developments.
About the Proposed Lake Houston Mitigation Bank
LH Ranch would put conservation easements on 952 acres to create two wetland mitigation banks.
Threatened and Endangered Species
Preliminary indications are that no known threatened and/or endangered species, or their critical habitat will be affected by the proposed work.
Goals of Mitigation Bank
The primary goals of the Lake Houston Mitigation Bank are to protect the water quality of the San Jacinto River system including Luce Bayou and Lake Houston.
From a conservation perspective, restoration projects within the proposed bank could:
Reduce sediment flowing into Lake Houston by 4,000 – 6,000 tons per year
Increase flood storage and reduce pulse flows that exit the property
Restore the ability to transport an amount of sediment adequate for the stream’s watershed
Provide habitat and refuge to wildlife
Establish a dynamically stable forest both resistant and resilient to disturbance
Ensure the longevity and function of the system through long-term conservation measures.
From a mitigation perspective, the bank would also:
Provide resources to allow for compensation of unavoidable (but authorized) impacts to aquatic resources elsewhere
Meet the need for stream and wetland mitigation credits within the service area of the Bank
Meet the need for mitigation outside the service area when approved by USACE.
Specific Actions to Enhance Property
If this proposal is approved, the applicant would:
Place the entire 952.65 Ac. mitigation bank within a perpetual conservation easement held by an accredited land trust.
Restore 53,264 linear feet (ten miles) of severely entrenched, intermittent stream channels that currently have limited access to a floodplain and are actively eroding an estimated 4,000 to 6,000 tons/yr. into the Luce Bayou/San Jacinto/Lake Houston system.
Enhance 1,342 linear feet of severely entrenched, intermittent stream channels.
Protect more than over 10,000 linear feet of Luce Bayou, 10,000 feet of high-quality, unimpaired intermittent tributaries to Luce Bayou, and nearly 5,000 linear feet of ephemeral streams.
Enhance 315.44 acres of stream buffers to reduce erosion, increase flood storage, improve wildlife habitat, and enhance intermittent stream channels.
Establish 150.64 acres of wetlands, approximately half of which are forested, to increase flood storage, water quality, and wildlife habitat.
Restore 6.58 acres of isolated, non-jurisdictional wetlands and reconnect them to intermittent stream channels.
Enhance 107.75 acres of wetlands impacted by previous silviculture operations and invasive species infestation.
Preserve 53.46 acres of high-quality forested wetland habitat associated with the floodplain of Luce Bayou.
Enhance 280.07 Ac. of forested upland buffer habitat to provide additional protection for wetlands and streams within the Bank.
Why This Is Needed
This area has experienced tremendous population growth. Counties within the proposed service area have added nearly 1-million people with an average 16% growth rate from 2010 to 2017.
The extension of SH 99 (the Grand Parkway) will open up vast new areas to development, including a large portion of the mitigation bank’s proposed service area. Additional mitigation banks are necessary to meet increasing demand because of this growth.
This geographic area also possesses a high degree of low-lying wetland areas and streams compared to higher areas. Here are some aerial photos of the area taken January 1, 2021. Timber on the property was recently thinned, something mentioned in the project’s prospectus.
The applicant proposes the establishment and operation of western and eastern tracts within a larger parent tract of the Lake Houston Mitigation Bank (LHMB). The Western Tract is 351.46 acres. The Eastern Tract is 601.19 Acres. The combined tracts total 952.65 acres.
The restoration and enhancement of wetlands and streams would serve as compensatory mitigation for unavoidable, permitted impacts to “waters of the United States.” That designation triggers Corps involvement in the permitting process.
Currently, the site is undeveloped.
Army Corps of Engineers
The Corps has issued a public notice based on information furnished by the applicant. This project information has not yet been verified by the Corps.
A preliminary review of this application indicates that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is not required. However, that could change depending on input received.
CLOSE OF COMMENT PERIOD: All comments pertaining to this Public Notice must reach this office on or before 29 January 2021. Ifno comments are received by that date, it will be considered that there are no objections.
Comments and requests for additional information should reference file number, SWG-2019-00077 Lake Houston MB, and should be submitted to:
Mitigation Banking Program / Policy Branch Regulatory Division
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
P.O. Box 1229
Galveston, Texas 77553-1229 409-766-3869
Phone 409-766-6301 Fax
Email: swg_public_notice@usace.army.mil
Rehak’s Take
Personally, I feel this project would benefit the Lake Houston Area. There’s little downside, because it’s directly upstream from us. It ensures sensitive wetlands will never be developed. That will help reduce flooding.
That’s especially important with Colony Ridge upstream us. And with a proposed new 8,000 acre development called Kingland just north of the mitigation bank about to kick off. (More on that tomorrow.)
There’s only one potential drawback. In the future, if the Flood Control District ever wanted to do a major drainage project in those areas, it couldn’t because they will be protected by a conservation easement. However, the San Jacinto River Basin Master Drainage Study did not identify either of the areas in this mitigation bank as a priority for a regional detention basin.
All things considered, I’d lock this in now. When the areas north of the mitigation bank are developed, the wetlands will provide some insurance against flooding … sooner rather than later.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/10/2021
1230 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 479 since Imelda
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/image001.png?fit=739%2C562&ssl=1562739adminadmin2021-01-10 16:37:122021-01-10 17:08:41New Wetland Mitigation Bank Proposed for Areas Upstream from Lake Houston
Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) will begin repairing the next section of Ben’s Branch on January 19. The repairs will take place in the channel between Kingwood Drive and the natural portion of Ben’s Branch at the end of Rocky Woods Drive.
Project limits for next phase of Ben’s Branch clean out. Kingwood High School in lower center of frame.
Project Purpose
Jose Predraza of Stuart Consulting is coordinating the project. He said, “The purpose of this project is to restore the conveyance of Ben’s Branch. It has been reduced over the years due to erosion and sedimentation. The project will include implementing erosion repairs, repairing side slope failures, repairing or replacing outfalls, rectifying flow lines, and removing excess sediment.”
Contractors will remove approximately 22,000 cubic yards of sediment deposited by floods over the years.
Continual cycles of deposition and erosion have clogged, deformed and narrowed the creek.
The Kingwood Area Drainage Analysis showed that Ben’s Branch had been reduced to a 2-year level of service in places. That means, it will flood in a 2-year rain.
The analysis did not specify whether this was one of those places, but outside the natural portion of the stream, this is currently the most constricted part. Other parts of the channel have already been restored, i.e., from Woodland Hills Drive to Northpark Drive and south of Kingwood Drive to the YMCA.
Red lines represent approximate outlines of original high banks near Rocky Woods. Area between red lines has filled with sediment and then the creek has eroded down through it again repeatedly. Photo 1/8/2021.
“Erosion repairs include the placement of fill material, placement of 3”x5” granular fill, and the placement of grade #1 riprap,” continued Pedraza. “Channel cross sections will be reconstructed with a maximum 5:1 (H:V) slope where necessary. This project will be conducted wholly within the existing channel right-of-way.”
Schedule
Pedraza estimates construction will last 145 days – not quite five months. If weather cooperates, contractors should complete the work in early June.
Then, geotechnical investigations led to additional design time.
Finally, getting approval to cross CenterPoint’s power-line easement took additional time.
Access Routes
Trucks do not have enough room to turn around within the work area, so one-way traffic will be the rule. Trucks will enter the work area by coming up Woods Estates Drive to Cedar Knolls and entering the greenbelt from there. They will then follow the Centerpoint easement to the work area. Finally, they will exit by going south toward Kingwood Drive, cutting across the ditch, and coming out behind the old H-E-B.
Contractors will then haul the excavated dirt to nearby TCEQ-approved landfill sites outside of the .02% annual chance (500-year) flood plain.
Daily schedules are being coordinated with Kingwood High School start/stop times to reduce traffic congestion and improve safety.
Benefitting Residents, Schools and Businesses
When complete, the creek will be able to handle much more water than before without coming out of its banks…as much as it could when Friendswood originally excavated it.
This will be a vast improvement, especially for those who live near the creek in Kings Forest and Bear Branch, many of whom flooded during Harvey.
The work should reduce the flood risk for Kingwood High School also. The school first flooded in 1994. During Harvey, the building flooded to the second floor. It suffered $67 million dollars in damages and lost another $10 million in contents. The Humble ISD had to close Kingwood High for seven months and bus kids to another high school where they alternated “shifts” with the students from that high school.
Kingwood High also flooded during Imelda, but had less damage.
Finally, the work will also benefit the shopping center on the northwest corner of Kingwood Drive and West Lake Houston Parkway. Every store in the center flooded badly during Harvey. Many businesses still have not returned. The center nearly flooded again during Imelda. Water flowed through the parking lot and was inches from coming into stores.
Paths along the high banks represent the original edges of the channel. Everything between them has filled in over time, reducing conveyance.Photo 1/8/2021.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/20210108-DJI_0030.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=19001200adminadmin2021-01-08 14:09:272021-01-08 14:09:30HCFCD Will Begin More Work on Ben’s Branch Starting January 19
Thousands of Acres in East Fork, Luce Bayou Watersheds to be Developed as Part of Kingland
Back in 2015, HHF and Land Advisors advertised 8,673 acres of timberland for sale that bracketed the State Highway 99 extension in Montgomery, Harris and Liberty Counties. They called the property “Kingland” and billed it as one of the largest undeveloped areas left in the Houston area – perfect for a masterplanned community.
Subsequently, CH B-Kingland LLC (the owner) sold 4,394 acres in Liberty County to Colony Ridge in 2016.
Colony Ridge has already started the process of clearing and developing most of their purchase, north and east of the new Grand Parkway (SH99). But ironically, Colony Ridge’s construction practices are sending rivers of mud down the once pristine river and bayous where Kingland could itself soon start developing also.
North of Lake Houston, South of Colony Ridge, Spanning 3 Counties
Here’s a 2017 map of the 4000+ acres remaining in Kingland after the partial sale to Colony Ridge.
Here’s what the property looks like from the air in January.
Development Usually Follows Concrete
TXDoT says this section of the Grand Parkway should open sometime in the spring or summer of 2022. When it does, you can expect development in this area to accelerate rapidly.
Castle Hill Partners in Austin, the company that owns CH-B Kingland LLC, did not return phone calls re: its development plans. However, since tollway construction is moving from west to east, it would make sense to develop the western portions in Montgomery and Harris Counties before moving east into Liberty County.
Kingland’s 2017 sales brochure shows that almost half of the western section lies in Montgomery County along the San Jacinto East Fork. The remainder of the western section lies within Harris County. Both portions lie partially within the City of Houston’s Extra Territorial Jurisdiction.
FEMA’s National Flood Hazard Layer Viewer shows the extent of the floodway and floodplains in that area.
Wetlands pockmark the entire area, too.
I interviewed a family in that small development south of Kingland property that straddles the Harris/Liberty County Line and discovered that they flooded from the East Fork during both Harvey and Imelda. They live more than 1.5 miles from the nearest mapped floodplain. However, that could soon change when the new post-Harvey flood maps are redrawn.
Anyone downstream on the East Fork or Luce needs to keep a close eye on this one. It has the potential to further alter the hydrology of the watershed.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/11/2021
1231 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 480 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.
New Wetland Mitigation Bank Proposed for Areas Upstream from Lake Houston
LH Ranch, Ltd has proposed a new wetland mitigation bank for the area upstream from Lake Houston. Part of the land borders the San Jacinto East Fork, opposite Lake Houston Park. Another part to the east stretches across Luces Bayou.
Why Have Mitigation Banks in General?
Such banks provide a way to encourage conservation. They do that by giving ranchers, farmers and other landowners economic incentives, usually in the form of tax breaks, not to develop land. This page by the Texas Agricultural Land Trust explains how the process works. (The Bayou Land Conservancy also offers advice for those interested.)
Developers, pipelines, etc., whose projects will cause unavoidable resource losses elsewhere, negotiate “credits” with such organizations to offset the impacts of their developments.
About the Proposed Lake Houston Mitigation Bank
Threatened and Endangered Species
Preliminary indications are that no known threatened and/or endangered species, or their critical habitat will be affected by the proposed work.
Goals of Mitigation Bank
The primary goals of the Lake Houston Mitigation Bank are to protect the water quality of the San Jacinto River system including Luce Bayou and Lake Houston.
From a conservation perspective, restoration projects within the proposed bank could:
From a mitigation perspective, the bank would also:
Specific Actions to Enhance Property
If this proposal is approved, the applicant would:
Why This Is Needed
This area has experienced tremendous population growth. Counties within the proposed service area have added nearly 1-million people with an average 16% growth rate from 2010 to 2017.
The extension of SH 99 (the Grand Parkway) will open up vast new areas to development, including a large portion of the mitigation bank’s proposed service area. Additional mitigation banks are necessary to meet increasing demand because of this growth.
This geographic area also possesses a high degree of low-lying wetland areas and streams compared to higher areas. Here are some aerial photos of the area taken January 1, 2021. Timber on the property was recently thinned, something mentioned in the project’s prospectus.
Army Corps Seeking Public Comment
The US Army Corps of Engineers seeks public comment on the LH Ranch proposal which you can find here.
The applicant proposes the establishment and operation of western and eastern tracts within a larger parent tract of the Lake Houston Mitigation Bank (LHMB). The Western Tract is 351.46 acres. The Eastern Tract is 601.19 Acres. The combined tracts total 952.65 acres.
The restoration and enhancement of wetlands and streams would serve as compensatory mitigation for unavoidable, permitted impacts to “waters of the United States.” That designation triggers Corps involvement in the permitting process.
The Corps has issued a public notice based on information furnished by the applicant. This project information has not yet been verified by the Corps.
A preliminary review of this application indicates that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is not required. However, that could change depending on input received.
The applicant’s prospectus contains hundreds of maps, photos and descriptions of what they intend to do. (Caution: 151 megabyte, 418 page file.) But don’t let that scare you. For those who want to understand how this fascinating process works, it’s a good read.
CLOSE OF COMMENT PERIOD: All comments pertaining to this Public Notice must reach this office on or before 29 January 2021. If no comments are received by that date, it will be considered that there are no objections.
Comments and requests for additional information should reference file number, SWG-2019-00077 Lake Houston MB, and should be submitted to:
Rehak’s Take
Personally, I feel this project would benefit the Lake Houston Area. There’s little downside, because it’s directly upstream from us. It ensures sensitive wetlands will never be developed. That will help reduce flooding.
That’s especially important with Colony Ridge upstream us. And with a proposed new 8,000 acre development called Kingland just north of the mitigation bank about to kick off. (More on that tomorrow.)
There’s only one potential drawback. In the future, if the Flood Control District ever wanted to do a major drainage project in those areas, it couldn’t because they will be protected by a conservation easement. However, the San Jacinto River Basin Master Drainage Study did not identify either of the areas in this mitigation bank as a priority for a regional detention basin.
All things considered, I’d lock this in now. When the areas north of the mitigation bank are developed, the wetlands will provide some insurance against flooding … sooner rather than later.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/10/2021
1230 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 479 since Imelda
HCFCD Will Begin More Work on Ben’s Branch Starting January 19
Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) will begin repairing the next section of Ben’s Branch on January 19. The repairs will take place in the channel between Kingwood Drive and the natural portion of Ben’s Branch at the end of Rocky Woods Drive.
Project Purpose
Jose Predraza of Stuart Consulting is coordinating the project. He said, “The purpose of this project is to restore the conveyance of Ben’s Branch. It has been reduced over the years due to erosion and sedimentation. The project will include implementing erosion repairs, repairing side slope failures, repairing or replacing outfalls, rectifying flow lines, and removing excess sediment.”
Contractors will remove approximately 22,000 cubic yards of sediment deposited by floods over the years.
The Kingwood Area Drainage Analysis showed that Ben’s Branch had been reduced to a 2-year level of service in places. That means, it will flood in a 2-year rain.
The analysis did not specify whether this was one of those places, but outside the natural portion of the stream, this is currently the most constricted part. Other parts of the channel have already been restored, i.e., from Woodland Hills Drive to Northpark Drive and south of Kingwood Drive to the YMCA.
“Erosion repairs include the placement of fill material, placement of 3”x5” granular fill, and the placement of grade #1 riprap,” continued Pedraza. “Channel cross sections will be reconstructed with a maximum 5:1 (H:V) slope where necessary. This project will be conducted wholly within the existing channel right-of-way.”
Schedule
Pedraza estimates construction will last 145 days – not quite five months. If weather cooperates, contractors should complete the work in early June.
The project originally was scheduled to start in October 2020. But several delays occurred.
Access Routes
Trucks do not have enough room to turn around within the work area, so one-way traffic will be the rule. Trucks will enter the work area by coming up Woods Estates Drive to Cedar Knolls and entering the greenbelt from there. They will then follow the Centerpoint easement to the work area. Finally, they will exit by going south toward Kingwood Drive, cutting across the ditch, and coming out behind the old H-E-B.
Contractors will then haul the excavated dirt to nearby TCEQ-approved landfill sites outside of the .02% annual chance (500-year) flood plain.
Daily schedules are being coordinated with Kingwood High School start/stop times to reduce traffic congestion and improve safety.
Benefitting Residents, Schools and Businesses
When complete, the creek will be able to handle much more water than before without coming out of its banks…as much as it could when Friendswood originally excavated it.
This will be a vast improvement, especially for those who live near the creek in Kings Forest and Bear Branch, many of whom flooded during Harvey.
The work should reduce the flood risk for Kingwood High School also. The school first flooded in 1994. During Harvey, the building flooded to the second floor. It suffered $67 million dollars in damages and lost another $10 million in contents. The Humble ISD had to close Kingwood High for seven months and bus kids to another high school where they alternated “shifts” with the students from that high school.
Kingwood High also flooded during Imelda, but had less damage.
Finally, the work will also benefit the shopping center on the northwest corner of Kingwood Drive and West Lake Houston Parkway. Every store in the center flooded badly during Harvey. Many businesses still have not returned. The center nearly flooded again during Imelda. Water flowed through the parking lot and was inches from coming into stores.
Funding
The Ben’s Branch project will be funded through the HCFCD maintenance budget and a grant from USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/9/2021
1229 Days since Hurricane Harvey