So what made this water turn color? This is definitely a hard one:
TACA is promoting Sherwin-Williams.
It’s a Slurpee® and snow cone waste pit.
All the left-over food coloring that Randall’s couldn’t sell at 95%-off wound up here.
The country of Gabon is advertising tourism.
Cyanobacteria are taking over the pit.
And The Answer Is…
If you guessed D, you at least get points for knowing your flags. Gabon’s colors are blue, green and yellow. But you also guessed wrong. Gabon wouldn’t stoop this low.
The correct answer is E – cyanobacteria.
About Cyanobacteria
According to the TCEQ and Denise Wade at Harris County Flood Control, blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, naturally occur in bodies of water. Blue-green algae have the potential to grow throughout the year. Blooms are seen more frequently during summer months in warm, stagnant, nutrient-rich water. Blue-green algae blooms can appear as in the photos above or even emerald green, blue green, pea green, red-brown, or white.
“The algae sometimes attach to sediment or plants at the bottom of a water source. Wind can even blow the algae onto soil surrounding the water source. If there has been a blue-green algae bloom, but it has collapsed (decayed), there may still be algal toxins in the water,” said Wade.
Toxins?
But it looks so pretty! Especially the blue part. Kind of reminds you of Cancun (if not Gabon). Don’t be fooled!
Cyanobacteria can be very dangerous. The World Health Organization has documented acute impacts to humans from cyanobacteria from the US and around the world as far back as 1890. While most human health impacts have resulted from ingestion, illnesses have also been attributed to swimming in cyanobacteria infested waters. Exposure to toxic cyanobacteria scums may cause various symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, mild fever, skin rashes, eye and nose irritations, numbness and general malaise. Some studies even suggest cyanobacteria may be linked to more serious illnesses.
NOAA warns that people often get sick by eating shellfish containing toxins produced by these algae if found in a larger water body; obviously, shellfish aren’t found in sand pits. However, the algae, they say, are often found in stagnant water which is found in sand pits.
The airborne toxins, says NOAA, may cause breathing problems and, in some cases, trigger asthma attacks in susceptible individuals.
According to Robin Cypher of the TCEQ, “Some strains of cyanobacteria can produce toxins (cyanotoxins) in concentrations that are harmful to humans, pets, fish, and wildlife. Cyanobacterial blooms can also produce secondary compounds which can cause taste-and-odor problems in public water systems.”
“Cyanobacteria are a group of photosynthetic bacteria found in surface waters throughout the country,” says Cypher. “Similar to algae, cyanobacteria can rapidly multiply forming thick blooms, especially in warm, nutrient-rich waters.”
How to Report Cyanobacteria Blooms and Learn More
Sightings of fish kills or suspected harmful blooms can be reported to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s 24-hour communications center at 512-389-4848.
Sources of information about harmful algal blooms include:
If you’re out hiking in the woods and you see such water:
Do not wade or swim in the water, especially near surface blooms.
Do not drink the water; avoid drawing lake water.
Do not let pets or livestock into or near the water; dogs are especially vulnerable to toxic cyanobacteria.
Now if someone asks you, “What made that water turn color,” you will know. And more important, you can warn them.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/24/2020 based on information from Harris County Flood Control
909 Days after Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/20200213-RJR_7615.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2020-02-24 20:27:392020-02-25 17:17:28Pop Quiz: What Made This Water Turn Color?
After 2.5 years of examining photos and videos of the so-called “dikes” in sand mines, I have come to believe that some are designed to fail. In some cases, mines cause them to fail.
In most cases, the “dikes” are not really dikes. They’re just the edges of pits that miners have excavated. Or roads around the pits made of sand that easily erode.
And because miners mine so close to the river, when those pits fill with water, they overflow. The resulting erosion cuts channels between the pit and the river that allow the pits to discharge a portion of their wastewater. Lake Houston and public drinking water become collateral damage.
High Cost of Flimsy Construction
After the storm, miners throw some sand in the breach and wait for it to happen again. The sand creates only the appearance of a fix.
Month after month, I’ve photographed active breaches, “patched” breaches, and scars in the landscape from older breaches. Many reopen multiple times.
Breaches are so common that, in my opinion, they may be part of some miners’ business plans.
High Cost of Silt
If discharges consisted of plain water, I might not care. But the water usually carries silt with it. Miner’s settling ponds can fill with silt which has little marketable value. Flushing it downriver solves another problem.
Miners externalize their cleanup costs by foisting them off on an unsuspecting public. That sediment clogs rivers that must be dredged to avoid flooding. It reduces the capacity of the lake. And it escalates the City’s water treatment costs.
A retired high-level Public Works manager told me he routinely investigated and found breaches at sand mines during floods. In his opinion, many of the breaches were intentional and the floods created the perfect “cover” for the illegal discharges. “Blame it on Mother Nature,” he said.
West Fork Images from February Flyover
Below, a sampling of more than 1000 images I took on 2/13/2020. The first batch shows mines on the San Jacinto West Fork between SH242 and US59. I traveled NW to SE toward 59. I’ve arranged images in the same order.
Sand mine pond and water’s path to the river (right).Pond is full to the brim and will overflow on a minor rain.
Another angle looking north toward the same breach.
West Fork is migrating toward pit on right and will soon enter it. A powerful argument for reasonable setbacks from river.
Another pond at the same mine. The only thing holding back another illegal discharge is a feeble road made of sand. See close up in next pic of area near poll just left of center.
Close up of road in upper left of previous photo. Note how water seeping through it is already causing road to collapse.
Silt spreading into settling pond. See also reverse shot below.
Reverse angle from previous shot, but same pond. See West Fork in background and note how road in foreground was cut by spreading silt.
Site of previous double breach at RGI mine. Note gray area in second row of dikes. Process water from the pond behind it broke into the settling pond in the foreground and from there into the West Fork. TCEQ cited owners.
Two separate ponds may have shared this same “wash” to the river (foreground). Pond in middle right is actively discharging into river. See reverse angle in next shot.
Same discharge as in previous shot. From this angle it is easier to see the active discharge.
Same breach from third angle. From this angle, you can clearly see the path and the discharge.
This pond has been discharging into the river for months. Note the difference in the color of the river water and discharge water. This indicates the discharge water is still holding silt.
Reverse shot of same breach highlights both the path and the color difference of the discharge.
This pond is leaking into a drainage channel that parallels Northpark Drive south of Oakhurst.
Former breach at Eagle mine on Sorters Road. West Fork in foreground.
Scars from previous breaches. One of these was intentional, though I’m not sure which. See video below.
Video by resident who wishes to remain anonymous shows intentional breach at the mine above.
Another scar from previous breach.
Confluence of Spring Creek (left) and West Fork San Jacinto (right).Facing west.Note color difference in water. It’s frequently visible.
Same area looking southeast toward Humble.West Fork on left.
Same area looking NE toward Kingwood.West Fork comes in from left.Between the 59 bridge in the previous shot and this area, the Army Corps spent more than $90 million removing sediment from the West Fork. The City, County and State could spend another $35 million removing this blockage.
Wider shot shows just how much forest was blown out in this breach, leading one to wonder whether this was caused solely by nature.Another former breach into Caney Creek from the Triple PG mine. Only this eroding road stands between the mine and the creek.
Also at the Triple PG mine in Porter, this breach into White Oak Creek remained open for months. It, too, was the subject the Attorney General’s lawsuit. A restraining order against the mine calls for repairs to be certified by a professional engineer. This looks as though they may have tried to add concrete to the sand and stabilize it with rebar. However, note that the concrete, if that’s what it is, doesn’t rise much above the water. The road is made from eroding sand that will blow out in the next storm.
Reverse shot of same breach looking west. No concrete or rebar visible here – only rilling along steep sides of road. Rilling is the term for those vertical erosion channels.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/24/2020
909 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 158 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/2020/02/20200213-RJR_7753.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2020-02-24 15:22:182020-02-24 15:29:12Are Sand Mine Dikes Designed to Fail?
In the last month, workers made progress on pipeline bed repairs to two area sand mines. But repairs at one sand mine look substantial. At another, they look superficial. Triple PG in Porter is still edging into the danger zone.
Exposed by Erosion When Mining Came Too Close
In December and January, I posted about pipelines exposed when sand miners mined too close to them. Floodwaters then swept through the mines and undercut the pipelines, creating safety hazards.
Pipelines exposed by erosion at Liberty Materials Mine in Conroe. Photo taken January 20, 2020.
Several HVL (highly volatile liquid) pipelines (above) and one natural gas pipeline (below) were affected at mines in Conroe and Porter.
Exposed natural gas pipeline at Triple PG mine near Caney Creek in Porter. Photo taken December 3, 2019.
Here’s where things stand on repairs at both mines as of last week..
Triple PG Mine in Porter: Another Big Cover Up
The Triple PG Mine in Porter has covered up the exposed natural gas pipeline with sand. As of 2/13/2020, Triple PG had made no other visible attempts to stabilize the area, which is subject to repeated erosion. Harvey first exposed the pipeline, which Triple PG subsequently covered. Then Imelda re-exposed it. And Triple PG re-covered it.
Fresh sand covers exposed natural gas pipeline. Will it be washed away a third time in the next big storm?
Readers may remember that after Harvey, Kinder Morgan tunneled 75 feet under the mine and spliced in a replacement for the section that had been exposed. They then filled the cutoff section with inert gas. So the exposed section was not active.
Still, without further stabilization, the pipeline will likely be exposed again and again by future storms.
Triple PG still has made no attempt to stabilize erosion creeping toward the HVL pipelines that cross the mine in a utility corridor. The same erosion that exposed the natural gas pipeline will threaten those in future storms.
Five pipelines carry highly volatile liquids through this utility corridor. Triple PG mines sand from either side of them. During floods, Caney Creek runs through this mine creating the erosion you see here.
Liberty Materials Mine in Conroe: Fix Nearing Completion
At a Liberty Materials Mine in Conroe, a much more substantial fix is underway by the pipelines. The mine spanned both sides of the utility corridor. Water from one side, trying to get to the river on the other, washed under several HVL pipelines, exposing them.
Repairs began in January and were well under way in February. Crews first expanded the washed out area under the pipelines. Then they placed two giant culverts under the pipelines to allow water to move from one side to the other. They also cemented the culverts in place and drove vertical steel reinforcements in the ground to prevent re-exposure of the pipelines.
Two giant culverts will now carry water under the pipelines. Shown above: the outfall.Steel reinforcements rise above the level of the pipelines to help retard erosion.Photo taken 2/13/2020.Rip rap and other reinforcements will also help retard erosion.Inlets for the culverts. Photo taken 2/13/2020.Looking west toward The Woodlands. San Jacinto West Fork is at far end of sand mine. Note all the sand and sediment that has washed under this area to the far side of the steel reinforcements.
As of 2/13/2020, crews were filling dirt in under, around and over the pipelines.
The repairs here appear much more substantial than in the Triple PG mine. I just hope the volume of sand washing from one section of the mine to the other does not clog the culverts. The steel reinforcements will protect the pipelines in this location, but water has a habit of flowing around obstacles.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/23/2020
908 Days after Hurricane Harvey 157 since Imelda
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/20200213-RJR_7697.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2020-02-23 10:43:352020-02-23 10:57:20Progress on Pipeline Repairs at Sand Mines
Pop Quiz: What Made This Water Turn Color?
Multiple Choice Quiz
So what made this water turn color? This is definitely a hard one:
And The Answer Is…
If you guessed D, you at least get points for knowing your flags. Gabon’s colors are blue, green and yellow. But you also guessed wrong. Gabon wouldn’t stoop this low.
About Cyanobacteria
According to the TCEQ and Denise Wade at Harris County Flood Control, blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, naturally occur in bodies of water. Blue-green algae have the potential to grow throughout the year. Blooms are seen more frequently during summer months in warm, stagnant, nutrient-rich water. Blue-green algae blooms can appear as in the photos above or even emerald green, blue green, pea green, red-brown, or white.
“The algae sometimes attach to sediment or plants at the bottom of a water source. Wind can even blow the algae onto soil surrounding the water source. If there has been a blue-green algae bloom, but it has collapsed (decayed), there may still be algal toxins in the water,” said Wade.
Toxins?
Cyanobacteria can be very dangerous. The World Health Organization has documented acute impacts to humans from cyanobacteria from the US and around the world as far back as 1890. While most human health impacts have resulted from ingestion, illnesses have also been attributed to swimming in cyanobacteria infested waters. Exposure to toxic cyanobacteria scums may cause various symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, mild fever, skin rashes, eye and nose irritations, numbness and general malaise. Some studies even suggest cyanobacteria may be linked to more serious illnesses.
NOAA warns that people often get sick by eating shellfish containing toxins produced by these algae if found in a larger water body; obviously, shellfish aren’t found in sand pits. However, the algae, they say, are often found in stagnant water which is found in sand pits.
The airborne toxins, says NOAA, may cause breathing problems and, in some cases, trigger asthma attacks in susceptible individuals.
According to Robin Cypher of the TCEQ, “Some strains of cyanobacteria can produce toxins (cyanotoxins) in concentrations that are harmful to humans, pets, fish, and wildlife. Cyanobacterial blooms can also produce secondary compounds which can cause taste-and-odor problems in public water systems.”
“Cyanobacteria are a group of photosynthetic bacteria found in surface waters throughout the country,” says Cypher. “Similar to algae, cyanobacteria can rapidly multiply forming thick blooms, especially in warm, nutrient-rich waters.”
How to Report Cyanobacteria Blooms and Learn More
Sightings of fish kills or suspected harmful blooms can be reported to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s 24-hour communications center at 512-389-4848.
Sources of information about harmful algal blooms include:
TPWD Harmful Algal Blooms
USGS Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Science in Texas
EPA Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms (CyanoHABs) in Water Bodies
Safety Warnings
If you’re out hiking in the woods and you see such water:
Now if someone asks you, “What made that water turn color,” you will know. And more important, you can warn them.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/24/2020 based on information from Harris County Flood Control
909 Days after Hurricane Harvey
Are Sand Mine Dikes Designed to Fail?
After 2.5 years of examining photos and videos of the so-called “dikes” in sand mines, I have come to believe that some are designed to fail. In some cases, mines cause them to fail.
In most cases, the “dikes” are not really dikes. They’re just the edges of pits that miners have excavated. Or roads around the pits made of sand that easily erode.
And because miners mine so close to the river, when those pits fill with water, they overflow. The resulting erosion cuts channels between the pit and the river that allow the pits to discharge a portion of their wastewater. Lake Houston and public drinking water become collateral damage.
High Cost of Flimsy Construction
After the storm, miners throw some sand in the breach and wait for it to happen again. The sand creates only the appearance of a fix.
Month after month, I’ve photographed active breaches, “patched” breaches, and scars in the landscape from older breaches. Many reopen multiple times.
Breaches are so common that, in my opinion, they may be part of some miners’ business plans.
High Cost of Silt
If discharges consisted of plain water, I might not care. But the water usually carries silt with it. Miner’s settling ponds can fill with silt which has little marketable value. Flushing it downriver solves another problem.
Miners externalize their cleanup costs by foisting them off on an unsuspecting public. That sediment clogs rivers that must be dredged to avoid flooding. It reduces the capacity of the lake. And it escalates the City’s water treatment costs.
A retired high-level Public Works manager told me he routinely investigated and found breaches at sand mines during floods. In his opinion, many of the breaches were intentional and the floods created the perfect “cover” for the illegal discharges. “Blame it on Mother Nature,” he said.
West Fork Images from February Flyover
Below, a sampling of more than 1000 images I took on 2/13/2020. The first batch shows mines on the San Jacinto West Fork between SH242 and US59. I traveled NW to SE toward 59. I’ve arranged images in the same order.
East Fork Images from February Flyover
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/24/2020
909 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 158 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.
Progress on Pipeline Repairs at Sand Mines
In the last month, workers made progress on pipeline bed repairs to two area sand mines. But repairs at one sand mine look substantial. At another, they look superficial. Triple PG in Porter is still edging into the danger zone.
Exposed by Erosion When Mining Came Too Close
In December and January, I posted about pipelines exposed when sand miners mined too close to them. Floodwaters then swept through the mines and undercut the pipelines, creating safety hazards.
Several HVL (highly volatile liquid) pipelines (above) and one natural gas pipeline (below) were affected at mines in Conroe and Porter.
Here’s where things stand on repairs at both mines as of last week..
Triple PG Mine in Porter: Another Big Cover Up
The Triple PG Mine in Porter has covered up the exposed natural gas pipeline with sand. As of 2/13/2020, Triple PG had made no other visible attempts to stabilize the area, which is subject to repeated erosion. Harvey first exposed the pipeline, which Triple PG subsequently covered. Then Imelda re-exposed it. And Triple PG re-covered it.
Readers may remember that after Harvey, Kinder Morgan tunneled 75 feet under the mine and spliced in a replacement for the section that had been exposed. They then filled the cutoff section with inert gas. So the exposed section was not active.
Still, without further stabilization, the pipeline will likely be exposed again and again by future storms.
Triple PG still has made no attempt to stabilize erosion creeping toward the HVL pipelines that cross the mine in a utility corridor. The same erosion that exposed the natural gas pipeline will threaten those in future storms.
Liberty Materials Mine in Conroe: Fix Nearing Completion
At a Liberty Materials Mine in Conroe, a much more substantial fix is underway by the pipelines. The mine spanned both sides of the utility corridor. Water from one side, trying to get to the river on the other, washed under several HVL pipelines, exposing them.
Repairs began in January and were well under way in February. Crews first expanded the washed out area under the pipelines. Then they placed two giant culverts under the pipelines to allow water to move from one side to the other. They also cemented the culverts in place and drove vertical steel reinforcements in the ground to prevent re-exposure of the pipelines.
As of 2/13/2020, crews were filling dirt in under, around and over the pipelines.
The repairs here appear much more substantial than in the Triple PG mine. I just hope the volume of sand washing from one section of the mine to the other does not clog the culverts. The steel reinforcements will protect the pipelines in this location, but water has a habit of flowing around obstacles.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/23/2020
908 Days after Hurricane Harvey 157 since Imelda