On December 22, I received an email from a Montgomery County resident named Jody Binnion. He lives near the Hallett sand mine on the San Jacinto West Fork and can see the mine from his home. Binnion said that the level of a 170-acre pond had dropped at least 2-3 feet and maybe more – overnight. He went to investigate and found a giant repair at a corner of the pit near the West Fork. Hallett had already patched the breach, he said.
Photo Courtesy of Jody Binnion, 12/22/2020 at 9:56 am.Looking toward 170 acre Hallettpond that dropped several feet.
Here’s what the patched area looked like from the air ten days later on January 1, 2021.
Looking SE toward the West Fork and US59.The West Fork arcs through the frame on the right.
By the time I shot the scene above from the air, the pond had virtually refilled – either with process water, rainwater, or both.
It’s hard to say with certainty whether this breach was intentional. Binnion arrived after the hole had already been plugged. The TCEQ says it has opened an investigation.
History of Breach
The area had leaked several times before, starting in 2015 according to Google Earth imagery. But the leaks were all relatively minor. The forest between the pond and the river even survived Harvey.
But then, in early February of 2019, Binnion noticed a radical drop in the level of the pond for the first time. Binnion photographed the breach and reported it to TCEQ, but never heard back from the Commission. A Google Earth image taken a little more than 2 weeks later confirms that rapidly rushing water mowed down a 250-foot-wide swath of trees more than 600 feet long. Google Earth also shows fresh repairs in the area. See below.
The trees between the upper pond and the river survived Harvey, but were destroyed sometime the week of February 4, 2019. Note repairs to breach when this photo was taken on 2/23/2019.
The Harris County Flood Warning System shows that the HCFCD gage at US59 and the West Fork recorded only about a quarter inch of rain during that week (February 4, 2019).
A quarter inch of rain in a week makes a storm-induced breach unlikely.
Between 2/2/2019 and 2/8/2019, the gage at 59 and the West Fork registered only about a quarter inch of rain. Only an eighth of an inch fell before the breach.
Ironically, that week I was meeting with TACA, Hallett, other sand miners, the TCEQ, State Rep. Dan Huberty, and Lake Houston Area leaders in Austin that week. It was about greater setbacks from the river for sand mines! But I question whether setback was the issue in this case.
Area Started to Regrow
When I photographed the area on September 2020, vegetation was growing back in.
Photo taken 9/11/2020.Looking toward Hallett’s pit (the white one) with West Fork in foreground.
Aerial Photos of Latest Breach
But then on Jan. 1, 2021, I flew over the area again. This time, I saw – from the air – the blowout that Binnion photographed ten days earlier from the ground. See the pictures below.
Latest breach. Looking SE. Pit on left, West Fork on right.Pond in upper middle is an abandoned mine.Reverse angle. Looking NW, back toward Hallett Mine on upper level. River is behind helicopter.
Sedimentation from sand mines, along with natural erosion, has been linked to flooding in the Humble/Kingwood corridor where the West Fork lost much of its conveyance capacity after Harvey. It has cost taxpayers more than $100 million so far to remove the excess sediment. The dredging program continues after more than 3 years.
This sandbar formed on the West Fork of the San Jacinto during Harvey. The Army Corps of Engineers says it blocked the river by 90%. Note how shallow the river was in the areas where water was getting through. This picture was taken two weeks after Harvey. The Corps has since removed the bar as part of a larger effort to restore West Fork conveyance.
If we are ever to reduce the sedimentation problem, we must first get past the fiction that sand mines are not contributing to it. Hallett isn’t the only mine with these issues. The West Fork San Jacinto has 20 square miles of sand mines between I-45 and US59. I have photographed leaks at all but one of them during the last three years, including the New Year’s Day flight.
The photo below shows the confluence of the West Fork and Spring Creek at US59. Guess which way the sand mines are?
West Fork comes from the top of the frame and Spring Creek from the left. Water flows toward the right. Photo 1/1/2021.
This confluence looks this way most months, but not all.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/7/2021
1227 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/2021/01/20210101-RJR_4095.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2021-01-07 10:42:152021-01-07 12:10:24Giant Leak at Hallett Mine…Again
The Houston Parks Board announced Tuesday that it will begin construction of the San Jacinto Bayou Greenway along the West Fork of the San Jacinto. Construction will start “sometime in January.”
Project Scope
“The new 3-mile Bayou Greenway segment will run from Woodland Hills Drive to Ross Road,” said LisaKasianowitz of the Parks Board.
New off-street trails as well as use of existing residential streets for the trail system
Trail connection for Kingwood residents at Woodland Hills Drive to access the greenway trails
Parking for greenway users within the former Riverview Townhomes Community
Planting of native trees, meadows and wildflowers
Benches and seating areas
Interpretive and directional signage
Trash cans and recycling containers
Work Schedule, Precautions
Construction work will take place Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. “Crews may work on Saturdays to make up for any weather delays,” said Kasianowitz. “We expect to minimize potential disruptions. But some noise and dust are associated with this project. So we appreciate the community’s patience.”
Construction should conclude in late 2021 to early 2022. The Parks Board urges residents to remain cautious around construction, intersections, and connecting streets. The Board also requests the public not to enter areas surrounded by orange construction fencing.
Maintenance
After construction, the Houston Parks Board will implement its Conservation and Maintenance program. That includes:
Weekday visits from their Conservation and Maintenance team
Weekly trash pickup
Bi-weekly mowing of grass along the trail
Upkeep of the trail and amenities
And any necessary flood cleanup within the greenway.
Future Expansion
In the future, San Jacinto Bayou Greenway will connect into and through Harris County Precinct Four’s Edgewater Park, which is in development. It will also connect to Precinct 4’s Spring Creek and Cypress Creek trail systems.
San Jacinto Bayou Greenway is part of a citywide initiative called Bayou Greenways 2020. For this project, the Houston Parks Board has partnered with the City of Houston, Houston Parks and Recreation, and Harris County Flood Control District.
The Parks Board’s Bayou Greenways 2020 initiative will create a continuous park system along Houston’s major waterways. The program will transform more than 3,000 underutilized acres along the bayous into linear parks. It will also connect 150 miles of hike-and-bike trails.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/6/2021
1126 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Screen-Shot-2021-01-05-at-5.55.30-PM.jpg?fit=900%2C1189&ssl=11189900adminadmin2021-01-06 03:32:442021-01-06 03:35:13Houston Parks Board to Begin Construction of West Fork Greenway This Month
From construction developments to political developments, here’s your January digest of ten stories that could affect flooding or flood mitigation in the Lake Houston Area.
1. New Caney ISD High School #3
This site is located between Sorters-McClellan Road and US59 south of the HCA Kingwood Medical Center. New Caney ISD is building a new high school on the site of the old par 3 golf course behind the car dealerships that front US59. Construction crews are still pouring concrete for foundations and parking lots. Not much happened between flyovers on December 7 and January 1. But then, not much happens anywhere during the holidays. The two photos below show the progress. Construction of the detention pond is nearing completion. However, contractors still need to plant grass to reduce erosion before spring rains arrive.
New Caney ISD High School #3 site as of December 7, 2020As of January 1, 2021.
Now, the development is back on the planning commission agenda for this Thursday. Holley is seeking approval of his latest General Plan and Plat. Neither show any detention ponds. The only place they could go would be in “Reserve C.” The General Plan shows that to be in the floodway and 100-year floodplain. Both could soon expand.
The West Fork floodway cuts through the southern part of Holley’s property.
The City raised an issue regarding compliance with regulations governing the re-plat of golf courses at the 12/17/2020 Planning Commission meeting. The City requested information relating to Local Government Code 212.0155.
That regulation requires, among other things, that:
Public notice of the re-plat be printed in newspapers
The Forest Cove Property Owners Association is notified
Residents have an opportunity to voice their opinions at public hearings
Owners of all properties within 200 feet of the new plat be notified in writing via US Mail.
If 20% of the owners object, the re-plat must win the approval of 3/5ths of the planning commission.
The developer proves there is adequate existing or planned infrastructure to support the new development.
The new subdivision will not adversely affect health, safety traffic, parking, drainage, water, sewer, or other utilities
The development will not have a materially adverse effect on existing single-family property values.
The new plat complies with all applicable land-use regulations and restrictive covenants and the City’s land-use policies.
That’s a lot to do over the holidays. So the general plan may need to be withdrawn and resubmitted after all the information has been produced. We should know more by Wednesday afternoon.
3. Dredging
Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin’s January newsletter stated that Disaster Recover Corporation has removed 385,000 cubic yards from the West Fork Mouth Bar out of an estimated total of 400,000 cubic yards.
Then he alluded to dredging another 260,000 cubic yards from the area north of the mouth bar.
He also alluded to a Second Phase: dredging the San Jacinto East Fork and other locations in Lake Houston.
Finally, Martin discussed maintenance dredging. “Additionally,” he says, “during Phase Two of the project, City of Houston, Harris County, HCFCD, SJRA, and Coastal Water Authority (CWA) will develop and execute a plan for the City of Houston or CWA to assume long-term dredging operations on Lake Houston. This effort will include determining funding for dredging operations in perpetuity.”
4. Appointments to SJRA Board
Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Wil Faubel and Rick Mora, M.D. and reappointed Kaaren Cambio to the San Jacinto River Authority Board of Directors. Their terms will expire on October 16, 2025.
Kaaren Cambio of Kingwood is a field representative for United States Congressman Dan Crenshaw. She is a former member of Women’s Business Enterprise National Investment Recovery Association, Pipeline Contractors Association, and the Houston Pipeliners Association. Cambio received a Bachelor of Business Administration from San Diego State University.
Wil Faubel of Montgomery is President of Borets US Inc. He is a veteran and senior executive in the Oilfield Services industry with more than forty years of service. He has both domestic and international experience and is a lifelong member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and a former board member of the Petroleum Equipment Suppliers Association. Faubel received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Southern Methodist University.
Rick Mora, M.D. of The Woodlands is a partner at US Anesthesia Partners and Chief of Anesthesiology for Memorial Hermann Pinecoft Surgery Center. He has served as chair of the Montgomery County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and is a founding Board member of the non-profit, Los Doctores de The Woodlands. Mora received his MD from the University Of Illinois College Of Medicine.
5. Forest Cove Townhome Buyouts
Harris County Commissioner’s Court will vote today on an item to exercise eminent domain on seven townhomes in the Forest Cove complex. The entire complex was destroyed after Harvey and many owners simply walked away from their properties without leaving forwarding addresses. Flood Control has been unable to find the owners after years of trying. Several may have moved out of the country. Eminent domain on these last few properties will clear the way for demolition of the entire complex and restoration of the area to nature or park land.
The once proud and idyllic townhomes in Forest Cove next to West Fork.
6. Woodridge Village
The purchase of Woodridge Village from Perry Homes is not on today’s Commissioner’s Court Agenda. However, all energies are reportedly still positive. It’s just taking time to work out the complex three-way purchase arrangements.
7. Romerica
Houston PlatTracker shows that the Romerica people may have acquired more land. But so far, they have not returned to the planning commission for approval on the latest iteration of the developer’s plans. No news is good news in this case.
8. Lake Houston Spillway Improvement Project
The City is close to finalizing the Preliminary Engineering Plan. Sources say the benefit/cost ratio looks very positive. We may see the final recommendations this month.
Engineers have examined several alternatives to add more gates to the Lake Houston dam or to increase its spillway capacity.
9. Noxxe Cleanup
The Railroad Commission could start plugging wells, removing storage tanks, and cleaning up the abandoned Noxxe lease in Forest Cove soon. The project manager has submitted work orders for final approval.
Small part of Noxxe lease next to Forest Cove baseball fields.
See new concrete pads (left center) and new construction (right foreground).
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/5/2020
1125 Days after 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/2021/01/Screen-Shot-2021-01-05-at-1.44.19-PM.png?fit=1266%2C1054&ssl=110541266adminadmin2021-01-05 13:35:232021-01-05 13:51:37January Digest of Flood-Related News in Lake Houston Area
Giant Leak at Hallett Mine…Again
On December 22, I received an email from a Montgomery County resident named Jody Binnion. He lives near the Hallett sand mine on the San Jacinto West Fork and can see the mine from his home. Binnion said that the level of a 170-acre pond had dropped at least 2-3 feet and maybe more – overnight. He went to investigate and found a giant repair at a corner of the pit near the West Fork. Hallett had already patched the breach, he said.
Here’s what the patched area looked like from the air ten days later on January 1, 2021.
By the time I shot the scene above from the air, the pond had virtually refilled – either with process water, rainwater, or both.
It’s hard to say with certainty whether this breach was intentional. Binnion arrived after the hole had already been plugged. The TCEQ says it has opened an investigation.
History of Breach
The area had leaked several times before, starting in 2015 according to Google Earth imagery. But the leaks were all relatively minor. The forest between the pond and the river even survived Harvey.
But then, in early February of 2019, Binnion noticed a radical drop in the level of the pond for the first time. Binnion photographed the breach and reported it to TCEQ, but never heard back from the Commission. A Google Earth image taken a little more than 2 weeks later confirms that rapidly rushing water mowed down a 250-foot-wide swath of trees more than 600 feet long. Google Earth also shows fresh repairs in the area. See below.
The Harris County Flood Warning System shows that the HCFCD gage at US59 and the West Fork recorded only about a quarter inch of rain during that week (February 4, 2019).
Ironically, that week I was meeting with TACA, Hallett, other sand miners, the TCEQ, State Rep. Dan Huberty, and Lake Houston Area leaders in Austin that week. It was about greater setbacks from the river for sand mines! But I question whether setback was the issue in this case.
Area Started to Regrow
When I photographed the area on September 2020, vegetation was growing back in.
Aerial Photos of Latest Breach
But then on Jan. 1, 2021, I flew over the area again. This time, I saw – from the air – the blowout that Binnion photographed ten days earlier from the ground. See the pictures below.
It’s unclear whether all of this happened at once. It rained 1.04 inches in the week before Binnion photographed the breach just before Christmas. It rained another 1.44 inches in the two days before January 1. I took the aerial photos above on New Year’s Day, with the exception of the one taken last September.
Excess Sedimentation Can Lead to Flooding
Sedimentation from sand mines, along with natural erosion, has been linked to flooding in the Humble/Kingwood corridor where the West Fork lost much of its conveyance capacity after Harvey. It has cost taxpayers more than $100 million so far to remove the excess sediment. The dredging program continues after more than 3 years.
If we are ever to reduce the sedimentation problem, we must first get past the fiction that sand mines are not contributing to it. Hallett isn’t the only mine with these issues. The West Fork San Jacinto has 20 square miles of sand mines between I-45 and US59. I have photographed leaks at all but one of them during the last three years, including the New Year’s Day flight.
The photo below shows the confluence of the West Fork and Spring Creek at US59. Guess which way the sand mines are?
This confluence looks this way most months, but not all.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/7/2021
1227 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.
Houston Parks Board to Begin Construction of West Fork Greenway This Month
The Houston Parks Board announced Tuesday that it will begin construction of the San Jacinto Bayou Greenway along the West Fork of the San Jacinto. Construction will start “sometime in January.”
Project Scope
“The new 3-mile Bayou Greenway segment will run from Woodland Hills Drive to Ross Road,” said Lisa Kasianowitz of the Parks Board.
The San Jacinto Greenway project will include:
Work Schedule, Precautions
Construction work will take place Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. “Crews may work on Saturdays to make up for any weather delays,” said Kasianowitz. “We expect to minimize potential disruptions. But some noise and dust are associated with this project. So we appreciate the community’s patience.”
Construction should conclude in late 2021 to early 2022. The Parks Board urges residents to remain cautious around construction, intersections, and connecting streets. The Board also requests the public not to enter areas surrounded by orange construction fencing.
Maintenance
After construction, the Houston Parks Board will implement its Conservation and Maintenance program. That includes:
Future Expansion
In the future, San Jacinto Bayou Greenway will connect into and through Harris County Precinct Four’s Edgewater Park, which is in development. It will also connect to Precinct 4’s Spring Creek and Cypress Creek trail systems.
San Jacinto Bayou Greenway is part of a citywide initiative called Bayou Greenways 2020. For this project, the Houston Parks Board has partnered with the City of Houston, Houston Parks and Recreation, and Harris County Flood Control District.
The Parks Board’s Bayou Greenways 2020 initiative will create a continuous park system along Houston’s major waterways. The program will transform more than 3,000 underutilized acres along the bayous into linear parks. It will also connect 150 miles of hike-and-bike trails.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/6/2021
1126 Days since Hurricane Harvey
January Digest of Flood-Related News in Lake Houston Area
From construction developments to political developments, here’s your January digest of ten stories that could affect flooding or flood mitigation in the Lake Houston Area.
1. New Caney ISD High School #3
This site is located between Sorters-McClellan Road and US59 south of the HCA Kingwood Medical Center. New Caney ISD is building a new high school on the site of the old par 3 golf course behind the car dealerships that front US59. Construction crews are still pouring concrete for foundations and parking lots. Not much happened between flyovers on December 7 and January 1. But then, not much happens anywhere during the holidays. The two photos below show the progress. Construction of the detention pond is nearing completion. However, contractors still need to plant grass to reduce erosion before spring rains arrive.
New Caney ISD has not posted a project update since last September. Projected occupancy for the building is still Fall 2022.
2. Kingwood Cove Golf Course Redevelopment
I first talked about Ron Holley’s redevelopment of the Kingwood Cove (formerly Forest Cove) Golf Course in April last year. Since then Holley says he has been working with engineers, community groups and regulators to accommodate different interests.
Now, the development is back on the planning commission agenda for this Thursday. Holley is seeking approval of his latest General Plan and Plat. Neither show any detention ponds. The only place they could go would be in “Reserve C.” The General Plan shows that to be in the floodway and 100-year floodplain. Both could soon expand.
The City raised an issue regarding compliance with regulations governing the re-plat of golf courses at the 12/17/2020 Planning Commission meeting. The City requested information relating to Local Government Code 212.0155.
That regulation requires, among other things, that:
That’s a lot to do over the holidays. So the general plan may need to be withdrawn and resubmitted after all the information has been produced. We should know more by Wednesday afternoon.
3. Dredging
Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin’s January newsletter stated that Disaster Recover Corporation has removed 385,000 cubic yards from the West Fork Mouth Bar out of an estimated total of 400,000 cubic yards.
Then he alluded to dredging another 260,000 cubic yards from the area north of the mouth bar.
He also alluded to a Second Phase: dredging the San Jacinto East Fork and other locations in Lake Houston.
Finally, Martin discussed maintenance dredging. “Additionally,” he says, “during Phase Two of the project, City of Houston, Harris County, HCFCD, SJRA, and Coastal Water Authority (CWA) will develop and execute a plan for the City of Houston or CWA to assume long-term dredging operations on Lake Houston. This effort will include determining funding for dredging operations in perpetuity.”
4. Appointments to SJRA Board
Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Wil Faubel and Rick Mora, M.D. and reappointed Kaaren Cambio to the San Jacinto River Authority Board of Directors. Their terms will expire on October 16, 2025.
Kaaren Cambio of Kingwood is a field representative for United States Congressman Dan Crenshaw. She is a former member of Women’s Business Enterprise National Investment Recovery Association, Pipeline Contractors Association, and the Houston Pipeliners Association. Cambio received a Bachelor of Business Administration from San Diego State University.
Wil Faubel of Montgomery is President of Borets US Inc. He is a veteran and senior executive in the Oilfield Services industry with more than forty years of service. He has both domestic and international experience and is a lifelong member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and a former board member of the Petroleum Equipment Suppliers Association. Faubel received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Southern Methodist University.
Rick Mora, M.D. of The Woodlands is a partner at US Anesthesia Partners and Chief of Anesthesiology for Memorial Hermann Pinecoft Surgery Center. He has served as chair of the Montgomery County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and is a founding Board member of the non-profit, Los Doctores de The Woodlands. Mora received his MD from the University Of Illinois College Of Medicine.
5. Forest Cove Townhome Buyouts
Harris County Commissioner’s Court will vote today on an item to exercise eminent domain on seven townhomes in the Forest Cove complex. The entire complex was destroyed after Harvey and many owners simply walked away from their properties without leaving forwarding addresses. Flood Control has been unable to find the owners after years of trying. Several may have moved out of the country. Eminent domain on these last few properties will clear the way for demolition of the entire complex and restoration of the area to nature or park land.
6. Woodridge Village
The purchase of Woodridge Village from Perry Homes is not on today’s Commissioner’s Court Agenda. However, all energies are reportedly still positive. It’s just taking time to work out the complex three-way purchase arrangements.
7. Romerica
Houston PlatTracker shows that the Romerica people may have acquired more land. But so far, they have not returned to the planning commission for approval on the latest iteration of the developer’s plans. No news is good news in this case.
8. Lake Houston Spillway Improvement Project
The City is close to finalizing the Preliminary Engineering Plan. Sources say the benefit/cost ratio looks very positive. We may see the final recommendations this month.
9. Noxxe Cleanup
The Railroad Commission could start plugging wells, removing storage tanks, and cleaning up the abandoned Noxxe lease in Forest Cove soon. The project manager has submitted work orders for final approval.
10. Kings Harbor New Construction
New condos are going up in Kings Harbor faster than Flood Control can tear down the ones in Forest Cove down. And they’re even closer to the river!
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/5/2020
1125 Days after 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.