After a year of dredging, the Army Corps and its contractors are gone. Even though they didn’t get all of the West Fork Mouth Bar, they made dramatic conveyance improvements on the West Fork as these before/after photos show.
Sand Island Before Dredging
The first was a blockage that dredging contractors nicknamed “Sand Island.” It sat in the middle of the river just downstream from River Grove Park in Kingwood. According to the Corps, it blocked 90% of the river.
Sand Island formed during Hurricane Harvey. Boats that drew 18 inches of water could not navigate upstream past this giant sandbar.Photo taken 9/14/2019.
Sand Island After Dredging
Sand Island is now Gone Island.Photo taken 12/3/2019.
The Corps removed approximately 15 feet of sand over a 15 acre area that was 566.7 feet wide at its widest point. An acre is about the size of a football field. So this would be like stacking sand on a football field 225 feet high (15×15)! And that doesn’t even include the sand they removed from the channels on either side of the island in the background.
Sand Island Dredging Profile.
Diversion Ditch Bar Before Dredging
A second huge sand bar deposited by Harvey blocked the Kingwood Diversion Ditch, also at River Grove Park. The Diversion Ditch empties the western third of Kingwood. Approximately 600 homes flooded above this one blockage. They were in Barrington, Kingwood Cove, Trailwood, Kingwood Lakes and Kings Forest.
Diversion Ditch (center left) was virtually closed off by a new sandbar deposited by Harvey.Photo taken 9/14/2017.
Army Corps measurements show that at its highest point this bar measured 10 feet about the water surface. It forced water coming out of the ditch to make a 90 degree left turn where it then hit another downstream blockage.
Diversion Ditch Bar After Dredging
Photo taken 10/2/2019 after dredging opened up the channel and reduced the downstream bar.Photo of same area taken on 11/4/2019, but looking upstream.
The Corps dredged a channel 150 feet wide through this bar to a depth of 35 feet above sea level. That’s about 7.5 feet below the normal water surface elevation of the Lake. The channel narrowed to 50 feet wide where it meets the mouth of the ditch.
From the highest point on the bar to the target depth, the Corps removed 17.5 vertical feet of sand. From the mouth of the channel to the outer edge of the bar measured 750 feet.
Comparison in Satellite Images from Google Earth
Here’s how this section of the river looked from a satellite BEFORE dredging. The numbers refer to the discussions above.
Here’s how it looked AFTER. (Note this image was taken on 2/23/19 and the dredge was still removing sand island.
Altogether, the Corps removed approximately 2.3 million cubic yards of sediment. Even if the Corps didn’t finish the mouth bar, that’s a lot to be grateful for. Thank you, FEMA, Army Corps, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock and Callan Marine.
Have a merry Christmas!
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/24/2019
847 Days after Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/BeforeAfter.jpg?fit=1200%2C1600&ssl=116001200adminadmin2019-12-24 11:44:182019-12-24 12:10:24San Jacinto West Fork Before-After Photos Show Dramatic Conveyance Improvements from Dredging
Just in time for Christmas, East End Park is back and beautifully restored. KSA has resurfaced the entire trail network with crushed granite; repaired the boardwalks; repainted or power-washed the benches and picnic tables; restored the parking lot; and improved the entry.
Contractors mowed the meadows earlier in the fall and the tall grass has returned with a bumper crop of seed. The seed has attracted wintering birds. And deer abound…especially early and late in the day.
The park has not looked this good since KSA built out the trail network a decade ago (see poster below).
I walked for an hour and a half there this afternoon. It felt serene, tranquil, and rejuvenating. The low winter sun wrapped colorful leaves in golden sunlight. At one point, I met a father pulling his daughter in a wagon. They had stopped to watch a doe grazing in the woods. It all felt…so…perfect.
Father and daughter spotted a doe grazing in the woods at East End Park.Photo taken today.
Back from the Brink
Three major storms destroyed East End Park three times in rapid succession. Hurricane Harvey, the May floods this year, and then Tropical Storm Imelda each took a heavy toll. Harvey buried Eagle Point under 15 feet of sand. And Imelda added even more, but over a much wider area.
Because of repeated and costly damage to Eagle Point and the difficulty of building trails over loose sand, KSA intends to leave that trail natural for now. KSA may consider building an alternative trail on higher ground next year. If you venture into that part of the park, heed the warning signs. And above all, stay back from the shoreline. Imelda undercut it badly. Cave-ins have happened at several points. Imelda also severed a small portion of the Overlook Trail where 50 feet of the shoreline eroded overnight. Walk-arounds exist in both cases.
The Most Beautiful Part of the Most Beautiful Part of Houston
Bring the family out for a walk on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. In my humble opinion, East End Park is the most beautiful part of the most beautiful part of Houston – Kingwood. It’s hard to believe that a natural area this beautiful could exist inside the nation’s fourth largest city. But it does. Make it a part of your family’s holidays.
KSA has restored East End Park trails and boardwalks to their pre-Harvey, pre-May 7th, pre-Imelda state. Nature is restoring the rest.
Posted by Bob Rehak on December 24, 2019 with thanks to Dee Price, Chris Manthei, Mary Ann Fortson, KAM, Ira Guel, Bruce Casto and the entire KSA Parks Committee for their tireless support
847 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 96 since Imelda
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Father-Daughter-Wagon-EEP-copy.jpg?fit=1200%2C871&ssl=18711200adminadmin2019-12-23 20:36:592019-12-23 20:45:07KSA’s Christmas Present to Kingwood: A Beautifully Restored East End Park
In the last legislative session, State Representative Dan Huberty sponsored an amendment to Senate Bill 500. The amendment earmarked a $30 million grant for additional dredging at the confluence of the San Jacinto River and Lake Houston. Last week, Harris County approved the grant application to the Texas Water Development Board. That will actually transfer the money so that it can be put to work.
How $30 Million Grant Would Be Spent
County Engineer John Blount explains how the money would be spent in his cover letter that accompanied the request to Commissioners.
“The approach to completing work under the grant,” says Blount, “would be for the County to receive the grant funds, make the City of Houston a subrecipient to start immediate dredging, and to develop a long-term plan for keeping the region’s raw water supply viable with adequate reservoir capacity. The County would be reimbursed from the grant for administrative and other related expenses incurred.”
County Plays Central Role In Coordinating Effort
Blount concludes, “If authorized, the County will work with the Flood Control District, Budget Office, County Attorney, City of Houston, and the State of Texas, to advance all necessary applications and agreements needed to initiate the dredging activities funded in the 2019 legislative session. Grant awards, if made, will be presented to Commissioners Court for consideration at a future date.”
Commissioners Court approved the motion unanimously in its Tuesday, December 17th meeting. And by Friday, the actual grant application had been sent to the TWDB, according to Matt Zeve, Deputy Executive Director of Harris County Flood Control. The TWDB board should consider the request at its first board meeting in January, tentatively scheduled for the 10th. Huberty expects quick approval because the Legislature earmarked the money specifically for this purpose.
As a result of sediment deposited during Harvey and Imelda, the East Fork Mouth Bar grew southward 4000 feet and now has almost reached the point where Luce Bayou and water from the Trinity River will enter Lake Houston.Photo taken 12/3/2019. Water flows from left to right.
West Fork Also Plays Role in Water Transfer
That’s also why the West Fork must remain clear. It brings water, when needed, from Lake Conroe.
Looking south across the mouth bar of the San Jacinto West Fork toward Lake Houston. Photo taken 12/3/2019.Reverse angle. Looking northwest toward the San Jacinto River and the West Lake Houston Parkway Bridge. Note the submerged sand about to break through the water surface around the mouth bar.Photo taken 12/3/2019.Kayaker RD Kissling standing in less-than-knee-deep water 700 yards south of the West Fork Mouth Bar.Photo taken November, 2019.
Like icebergs, sand bars mostly exist below the surface. What you see above water is a small percentage of what exists below water.
These photos illustrate why more dredging is essential. The mouth bars form dams behind the dam that block the free flow of water and decrease reservoir capacity.
Exploring Most Cost-Effective Options for Future
Between June when the Legislature approved the money and now, the City, County and State have explored ways to work together to ensure they spend the money cost-effectively. The county hired a consultant to explore the merits of do-it-yourself dredging vs. hiring a contractor. At the moment, the partners lean toward the contractor approach. It offers long-term flexibility as they explore future needs around the lake.
In addition to the $30 million from the State, the City of Houston allocated $6 million from money left over from Harvey disaster recovery funds. The County also allocated $10 million in its flood bond for dredging.
Initial Disposal Site Already Approved
The Army Corps approved Barry Madden’s property as a disposal site for the spoils. Madden’s property is opposite River Grove Park. That puts it miles closer to the Mouth Bar than previous placement areas used by the Corps. That should reduce costs by reducing the need for booster pumps and fuel.
The pieces of the puzzle are starting to come together.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/23/2019
846 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 95 since Imelda
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/East-Fork-Mouth-Bar-at-Luce.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2019-12-23 13:24:352019-12-23 13:24:52Harris County Approves TWDB $30 Million Grant Application for Dredging at Confluence of San Jacinto and Lake Houston
San Jacinto West Fork Before-After Photos Show Dramatic Conveyance Improvements from Dredging
After a year of dredging, the Army Corps and its contractors are gone. Even though they didn’t get all of the West Fork Mouth Bar, they made dramatic conveyance improvements on the West Fork as these before/after photos show.
Sand Island Before Dredging
The first was a blockage that dredging contractors nicknamed “Sand Island.” It sat in the middle of the river just downstream from River Grove Park in Kingwood. According to the Corps, it blocked 90% of the river.
Sand Island After Dredging
The Corps removed approximately 15 feet of sand over a 15 acre area that was 566.7 feet wide at its widest point. An acre is about the size of a football field. So this would be like stacking sand on a football field 225 feet high (15×15)! And that doesn’t even include the sand they removed from the channels on either side of the island in the background.
Diversion Ditch Bar Before Dredging
A second huge sand bar deposited by Harvey blocked the Kingwood Diversion Ditch, also at River Grove Park. The Diversion Ditch empties the western third of Kingwood. Approximately 600 homes flooded above this one blockage. They were in Barrington, Kingwood Cove, Trailwood, Kingwood Lakes and Kings Forest.
Army Corps measurements show that at its highest point this bar measured 10 feet about the water surface. It forced water coming out of the ditch to make a 90 degree left turn where it then hit another downstream blockage.
Diversion Ditch Bar After Dredging
The Corps dredged a channel 150 feet wide through this bar to a depth of 35 feet above sea level. That’s about 7.5 feet below the normal water surface elevation of the Lake. The channel narrowed to 50 feet wide where it meets the mouth of the ditch.
From the highest point on the bar to the target depth, the Corps removed 17.5 vertical feet of sand. From the mouth of the channel to the outer edge of the bar measured 750 feet.
Comparison in Satellite Images from Google Earth
Here’s how this section of the river looked from a satellite BEFORE dredging. The numbers refer to the discussions above.
Here’s how it looked AFTER. (Note this image was taken on 2/23/19 and the dredge was still removing sand island.
Altogether, the Corps removed approximately 2.3 million cubic yards of sediment. Even if the Corps didn’t finish the mouth bar, that’s a lot to be grateful for. Thank you, FEMA, Army Corps, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock and Callan Marine.
Have a merry Christmas!
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/24/2019
847 Days after Hurricane Harvey
KSA’s Christmas Present to Kingwood: A Beautifully Restored East End Park
Just in time for Christmas, East End Park is back and beautifully restored. KSA has resurfaced the entire trail network with crushed granite; repaired the boardwalks; repainted or power-washed the benches and picnic tables; restored the parking lot; and improved the entry.
Contractors mowed the meadows earlier in the fall and the tall grass has returned with a bumper crop of seed. The seed has attracted wintering birds. And deer abound…especially early and late in the day.
I walked for an hour and a half there this afternoon. It felt serene, tranquil, and rejuvenating. The low winter sun wrapped colorful leaves in golden sunlight. At one point, I met a father pulling his daughter in a wagon. They had stopped to watch a doe grazing in the woods. It all felt…so…perfect.
Back from the Brink
Three major storms destroyed East End Park three times in rapid succession. Hurricane Harvey, the May floods this year, and then Tropical Storm Imelda each took a heavy toll. Harvey buried Eagle Point under 15 feet of sand. And Imelda added even more, but over a much wider area.
Because of repeated and costly damage to Eagle Point and the difficulty of building trails over loose sand, KSA intends to leave that trail natural for now. KSA may consider building an alternative trail on higher ground next year. If you venture into that part of the park, heed the warning signs. And above all, stay back from the shoreline. Imelda undercut it badly. Cave-ins have happened at several points. Imelda also severed a small portion of the Overlook Trail where 50 feet of the shoreline eroded overnight. Walk-arounds exist in both cases.
The Most Beautiful Part of the Most Beautiful Part of Houston
Bring the family out for a walk on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. In my humble opinion, East End Park is the most beautiful part of the most beautiful part of Houston – Kingwood. It’s hard to believe that a natural area this beautiful could exist inside the nation’s fourth largest city. But it does. Make it a part of your family’s holidays.
Posted by Bob Rehak on December 24, 2019 with thanks to Dee Price, Chris Manthei, Mary Ann Fortson, KAM, Ira Guel, Bruce Casto and the entire KSA Parks Committee for their tireless support
847 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 96 since Imelda
Harris County Approves TWDB $30 Million Grant Application for Dredging at Confluence of San Jacinto and Lake Houston
In the last legislative session, State Representative Dan Huberty sponsored an amendment to Senate Bill 500. The amendment earmarked a $30 million grant for additional dredging at the confluence of the San Jacinto River and Lake Houston. Last week, Harris County approved the grant application to the Texas Water Development Board. That will actually transfer the money so that it can be put to work.
How $30 Million Grant Would Be Spent
County Engineer John Blount explains how the money would be spent in his cover letter that accompanied the request to Commissioners.
“The approach to completing work under the grant,” says Blount, “would be for the County to receive the grant funds, make the City of Houston a subrecipient to start immediate dredging, and to develop a long-term plan for keeping the region’s raw water supply viable with adequate reservoir capacity. The County would be reimbursed from the grant for administrative and other related expenses incurred.”
County Plays Central Role In Coordinating Effort
Blount concludes, “If authorized, the County will work with the Flood Control District, Budget Office, County Attorney, City of Houston, and the State of Texas, to advance all necessary applications and agreements needed to initiate the dredging activities funded in the 2019 legislative session. Grant awards, if made, will be presented to Commissioners Court for consideration at a future date.”
Commissioners Court approved the motion unanimously in its Tuesday, December 17th meeting. And by Friday, the actual grant application had been sent to the TWDB, according to Matt Zeve, Deputy Executive Director of Harris County Flood Control. The TWDB board should consider the request at its first board meeting in January, tentatively scheduled for the 10th. Huberty expects quick approval because the Legislature earmarked the money specifically for this purpose.
Water Supply, Not Just Flood Mitigation, An Issue
Dredging affects more than flood mitigation. It also affects water capacity for Lake Houston. The lake supplies drinking water for 2 million people. The Interbasin Transfer Project will soon bring 500,000 gallons per day from the Trinity River. But a growing East Fork mouth bar could soon block Luce Bayou. That’s where the water will enter the lake to be used by the Northeast Water Purification Plant.
West Fork Also Plays Role in Water Transfer
That’s also why the West Fork must remain clear. It brings water, when needed, from Lake Conroe.
Like icebergs, sand bars mostly exist below the surface. What you see above water is a small percentage of what exists below water.
These photos illustrate why more dredging is essential. The mouth bars form dams behind the dam that block the free flow of water and decrease reservoir capacity.
Exploring Most Cost-Effective Options for Future
Between June when the Legislature approved the money and now, the City, County and State have explored ways to work together to ensure they spend the money cost-effectively. The county hired a consultant to explore the merits of do-it-yourself dredging vs. hiring a contractor. At the moment, the partners lean toward the contractor approach. It offers long-term flexibility as they explore future needs around the lake.
In addition to the $30 million from the State, the City of Houston allocated $6 million from money left over from Harvey disaster recovery funds. The County also allocated $10 million in its flood bond for dredging.
Initial Disposal Site Already Approved
The Army Corps approved Barry Madden’s property as a disposal site for the spoils. Madden’s property is opposite River Grove Park. That puts it miles closer to the Mouth Bar than previous placement areas used by the Corps. That should reduce costs by reducing the need for booster pumps and fuel.
The pieces of the puzzle are starting to come together.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/23/2019
846 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 95 since Imelda