TWDB is the state agency responsible for water supply and flood planning, financing, and research. The agency helps ensure Texans plan and prepare for the perpetual threat of water scarcity and water surplus in Texas.
Water Newsroom Emphasizes Newsworthy Issues
The new website emphasizes news and timely topics. It bridges the gap between water professionals and consumers. It is a filtered, scaled-down, simplified version of the Board’s existing website, which can best be described as voluminous.
The Texas Water Newsroom was created to tell the stories of Texas water—the people, places, issues, and efforts. It contains videos, articles, press releases, and more. TWDB updates the stories regularly. All content is available for public use and reproduction for informational purposes. However, TWDB discourages promotional use.
The story on regional water plans in the Water Newsroom caught my eye. It talked about how sixteen regional water planning groups are putting the finishing touches on their plans to ensure their areas have enough water to survive a drought. It contained a link to the current drafts of the plans by region. Houston is in Region H.
I won’t pretend that I’ve read the whole thing. But I did skim it. And I found buried nuggets of information that revealed political/legal/private agendas in play.
That in itself is inevitable. But some are shocking. One in particular caught my eye: “Flood Liability of Water Supply Reservoirs.” It contains a legislative recommendation that has the potential to take away some of your rights.
More on that in a separate post. Suffice it for now to say that the TWDB really does need public input on these recommendations. And I probably would not have found that recommendation had it not been for the new website. Check it out. Bookmark it. And visit often.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Screen-Shot-2020-06-09-at-1.59.00-PM.png?fit=960%2C206&ssl=1206960adminadmin2020-06-09 15:43:352020-06-09 15:43:47Texas Water Development Board Launches New Web Site
Every once in a while, thoughts collide in a way that makes you see the world more clearly. Such a collision happened today. I suddenly realized that Texas, the state that leads the nation in billion-dollar, weather-and-climate related disasters, also has many developers plus city and county officials pushing back against higher minimum drainage standards that would reduce flooding. At a time when those disasters are increasing in frequency!
How Proposed Drainage Standards Will Affect Developers
I replied, “The proposed changes would force developers in the future to install detention ponds and storm drains large enough to help reduce flooding. It would also prohibit them from reducing the floodwater storage capacity of the 500 year floodplain. Finally, it would force them to raise the level of homes above the 500-year floodplain or flood-proof them.”
Then I added, “From a flood prevention point of view, these are all good things. But from a developer’s point of view, they add expense. If you buy a home in an area that complies with these standards, it will probably mean a higher-priced, but much safer home. I hear that developers and some civic officials are already pushing back against these proposed changes.”
Natural Disaster Costs, Frequencies
After sending the reply, I went to the NOAA site to find information about natural disasters, their costs, their frequency and their primary locations.
The last decade had twice as many billion-dollar weather disasters as the previous decade and four times more than the decade of the 1980s. The last five years had 69% of all such disasters in the entire 40 year period.
Tropical Cyclones and flooding comprised 29.5% all these billion-dollar disasters.
Reason for Increasing Costs, Even After Adjusting for Inflation
In explaining these rising costs, NOAA says, “These trends are … complicated by the fact that much of the growth has taken place in vulnerable areas like coasts and river floodplains. Vulnerability is especially high where building codes are insufficient for reducing damage from extreme events.”
Texas Leads Nation
And who leads the nation in billion-dollar, weather-and-climate-related disasters? Texas.
Connecting Some Tragic Dots
So there you have it.
The state with the most billion-dollar disasters has many developers and civic leaders pushing back against higher minimum drainage standards at a time when major weather disasters are increasing.
New Northpark Woods development in Montgomery County next to San Jacinto West Forkand its sand pits.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/8/2020
1014 Days after Hurricane Harvey and 263 after Imelda
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/map_events_per_state_cumulative.png?fit=974%2C650&ssl=1650974adminadmin2020-06-08 16:19:232020-06-08 16:48:46Why Does the State that Leads the Nation in Billion-Dollar Weather Disasters Resist Minimum Drainage Standards?
In April, Harris County Commissioners directed the County Engineer and Executive Director of the Flood Control District to recommend minimum drainage standards for all communities in Harris County. The idea: to protect the County’s $2.5 billion flood bond investment. Lax standards in one place could undermine mitigation projects in another.
High-Level Recommendations
In May, the two executives came back to Commissioners Court. Here is what they recommended. These ideas apply to all cities within Harris County as well as those outside the county, but which drain into Harris County.
The recommendations must be adopted within municipal boundaries AND extraterritorial jurisdictions by December 31, 2020, IF the municipalities in question wish to partner with the county on any flood bond projects. That’s a $2.5 billion stick the county wields and that’s a powerful incentive.
Here are the recommendations:
Use Atlas 14 rainfall rates for sizing storm water conveyance and detention systems.
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. However a single family residential structure and accessory buildings proposed on an existing lot is except from providing detention.
Prohibit the use of hydrographic timing as a substitution for detention on any project, unless it directly outfalls into Galveston Bay.
Require no net fill in the current mapped 500-year flood plain, except in areas identified as coastal zones only.
Require the minimum Finished Floor Elevation (FFE) of new habitable structures be established at or waterproofed to the 500-year flood elevation as shown on the effective Flood Insurance Study.
County Has Hired Engineering Firm to Identify Specific Changes
The County has hired an engineering firm, EHRA Engineering, to assist communities in evaluating and updating their policies and ordinances at no cost to the community.
End-of-Year Deadline
To help ensure participation, no partnership projects, including flood control or county roadway projects, will be constructed after December 31, 2020, in communities that have failed to implement these minimum standards. Projects started before that date may be continued only if communities are actively working to update their criteria.
Fix Flooding First Initiative About to Be Unveiled
The letter, signed by John Blount, Harris County Engineer, and Russ Poppe, Executive Director of Harris County Flood Control, also hints at something called a “Fix Flooding First” Initiative scheduled for roll out later this month. A Google search for “Fix Flooding First” turned up an initiative in Charleston, SC, but nothing in Harris County yet. Stay tuned.
Exact Text of Language Approved by Commissioners
Below is the exact text of the language in the two page letter unanimously approved by Commissioners and the County Judge.
The reference to hydrograph timing in the letter above refers to the Beat-the-Peak exemptions that Montgomery County offers to developers as an alternative to detention ponds. If developers can prove that their runoff will reach a river or stream BEFORE the peak of a flood, they can avoid building detention. The theory is that they aren’t adding to the peak.
The Artavia Development near FM1314 and the West Fork covers 2200 acres without having one detention pond. Ditches are designed to get water to the river ASAP.
Of course, that only encourages developers to get water to a river faster in a flood. That reduces the time of accumulation and adds to flooding downstream. It’s the exact opposite of what should happen to reduce flooding.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/20200421-RJR_0841.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2020-06-07 18:31:372024-02-07 12:32:46Minimum Drainage Standard Recommendations for Communities In or Draining Into Harris County
Texas Water Development Board Launches New Web Site
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) has launched a new website called the Texas Water Newsroom.
Water Supply and Flood Planning
TWDB is the state agency responsible for water supply and flood planning, financing, and research. The agency helps ensure Texans plan and prepare for the perpetual threat of water scarcity and water surplus in Texas.
Water Newsroom Emphasizes Newsworthy Issues
The new website emphasizes news and timely topics. It bridges the gap between water professionals and consumers. It is a filtered, scaled-down, simplified version of the Board’s existing website, which can best be described as voluminous.
The Texas Water Newsroom was created to tell the stories of Texas water—the people, places, issues, and efforts. It contains videos, articles, press releases, and more. TWDB updates the stories regularly. All content is available for public use and reproduction for informational purposes. However, TWDB discourages promotional use.
Currently featured articles include:
A Layer Cake of Information
The story on regional water plans in the Water Newsroom caught my eye. It talked about how sixteen regional water planning groups are putting the finishing touches on their plans to ensure their areas have enough water to survive a drought. It contained a link to the current drafts of the plans by region. Houston is in Region H.
The Region H plan consists of two parts: the 326 page plan and 1576 pages of appendices.
I won’t pretend that I’ve read the whole thing. But I did skim it. And I found buried nuggets of information that revealed political/legal/private agendas in play.
That in itself is inevitable. But some are shocking. One in particular caught my eye: “Flood Liability of Water Supply Reservoirs.” It contains a legislative recommendation that has the potential to take away some of your rights.
More on that in a separate post. Suffice it for now to say that the TWDB really does need public input on these recommendations. And I probably would not have found that recommendation had it not been for the new website. Check it out. Bookmark it. And visit often.
For future reference, I’ve posted it on the LINKS page of this web site.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/9/2020
1015 Days after Hurricane Harvey
Why Does the State that Leads the Nation in Billion-Dollar Weather Disasters Resist Minimum Drainage Standards?
Every once in a while, thoughts collide in a way that makes you see the world more clearly. Such a collision happened today. I suddenly realized that Texas, the state that leads the nation in billion-dollar, weather-and-climate related disasters, also has many developers plus city and county officials pushing back against higher minimum drainage standards that would reduce flooding. At a time when those disasters are increasing in frequency!
How Proposed Drainage Standards Will Affect Developers
My last post talked about “Minimum Drainage Standard Recommendations for Communities In or Draining Into Harris County.” A reader asked how the proposed changes would affect developers.
I replied, “The proposed changes would force developers in the future to install detention ponds and storm drains large enough to help reduce flooding. It would also prohibit them from reducing the floodwater storage capacity of the 500 year floodplain. Finally, it would force them to raise the level of homes above the 500-year floodplain or flood-proof them.”
Then I added, “From a flood prevention point of view, these are all good things. But from a developer’s point of view, they add expense. If you buy a home in an area that complies with these standards, it will probably mean a higher-priced, but much safer home. I hear that developers and some civic officials are already pushing back against these proposed changes.”
Natural Disaster Costs, Frequencies
After sending the reply, I went to the NOAA site to find information about natural disasters, their costs, their frequency and their primary locations.
I found this fascinating story about the increasing frequency of billion-dollar weather disasters. I pulled the three charts below from it.
Tropical Cyclones and flooding comprised 29.5% all these billion-dollar disasters.
Reason for Increasing Costs, Even After Adjusting for Inflation
Texas Leads Nation
And who leads the nation in billion-dollar, weather-and-climate-related disasters? Texas.
Connecting Some Tragic Dots
So there you have it.
Food for thought as this debate begins. Kind of makes you wonder about the wisdom of permitting starter homes in flood plains next to raging rivers, building 2200 acre developments without any detention ponds, and encouraging developers to get their water to rivers faster in floods.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/8/2020
1014 Days after Hurricane Harvey and 263 after Imelda
Minimum Drainage Standard Recommendations for Communities In or Draining Into Harris County
In April, Harris County Commissioners directed the County Engineer and Executive Director of the Flood Control District to recommend minimum drainage standards for all communities in Harris County. The idea: to protect the County’s $2.5 billion flood bond investment. Lax standards in one place could undermine mitigation projects in another.
High-Level Recommendations
In May, the two executives came back to Commissioners Court. Here is what they recommended. These ideas apply to all cities within Harris County as well as those outside the county, but which drain into Harris County.
The recommendations must be adopted within municipal boundaries AND extraterritorial jurisdictions by December 31, 2020, IF the municipalities in question wish to partner with the county on any flood bond projects. That’s a $2.5 billion stick the county wields and that’s a powerful incentive.
Here are the recommendations:
County Has Hired Engineering Firm to Identify Specific Changes
These are higher-level recommendations than those the County asked the City of Houston to make as a condition for the purchase of the Woodridge Village property in Montgomery County. The reason: The list provided to the City pertained to actual regulations that needed to change as a result of these high-level directives.
The County has hired an engineering firm, EHRA Engineering, to assist communities in evaluating and updating their policies and ordinances at no cost to the community.
End-of-Year Deadline
To help ensure participation, no partnership projects, including flood control or county roadway projects, will be constructed after December 31, 2020, in communities that have failed to implement these minimum standards. Projects started before that date may be continued only if communities are actively working to update their criteria.
Fix Flooding First Initiative About to Be Unveiled
The letter, signed by John Blount, Harris County Engineer, and Russ Poppe, Executive Director of Harris County Flood Control, also hints at something called a “Fix Flooding First” Initiative scheduled for roll out later this month. A Google search for “Fix Flooding First” turned up an initiative in Charleston, SC, but nothing in Harris County yet. Stay tuned.
Exact Text of Language Approved by Commissioners
Below is the exact text of the language in the two page letter unanimously approved by Commissioners and the County Judge.
For a printable PDF, click here.
Reference to Hydrograph Timing Explained
The reference to hydrograph timing in the letter above refers to the Beat-the-Peak exemptions that Montgomery County offers to developers as an alternative to detention ponds. If developers can prove that their runoff will reach a river or stream BEFORE the peak of a flood, they can avoid building detention. The theory is that they aren’t adding to the peak.
Of course, that only encourages developers to get water to a river faster in a flood. That reduces the time of accumulation and adds to flooding downstream. It’s the exact opposite of what should happen to reduce flooding.
Using Beat the Peak, the 2200-acre Artavia development near the West Fork San Jacinto got away without building any detention ponds. Look out below!
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/8/2020
1014 Days after Hurricane Harvey