Yesterday, a reader, Donna Hanna Dewhirst, sent me pictures of a dredging operation beginning in the channel that cuts through Walden on Lake Houston. Today, I photographed it from the air.
Walden Project Kicks Off
That’s the Walden Mouth Bar in the distance. So far, though, dredging activity has focused upstream near the country club.HCFCD classifies the project as a repair, though it is not yet listed on HCFCD’s repair page for this area.Photo by Donna Hannah Dewhirst.De-watering the spoils before transport. Photo by Donna Hannah Dewhirst.
Typically, in a project with wet dirt like this, contractors “de-water” it by letting it drain on the banks for a while. Once dry, they haul it away. HCFCD sent dirt from Ben’s Branch to a cleaning facility to ensure they weren’t transporting any dangerous bacteria or organisms living in the mud. From there, it’s reused in landscaping and other projects.
Reverse angle, looking upstream toward excavation in background on left.
Reader Jeff Bayless volunteered, “This is called Rogers Gully and drains a large part of Atascocita. This is actually the 2nd time they have removed sediment from this location. They finished the first round right before Imelda and lined the banks with riprap and fresh top soil further upstream all the way to Framingham Road. Had it looking good then Imelda hit and washed all their new soil back into the downstream parts by the County Club. This also made the mouthbar in the lake larger and shallower. My fear with the large mouthbar is if Atascocita gets a Kingwood May 7 type flash flood, the mouthbar will push drainage water into the homes along this gully. Hopefully the mouthbar removal is a real project that will happen before flooding occurs.”
Meanwhile, more channel repairs have started in Kingwood within the last few weeks. They consist primarily of erosion and outfall pipe repairs. Repairs are so numerous, HCFCD had to group them into a a series of smaller projects to expedite bidding and repairs. The project include:
G103-41-00-X008: Two damage sites (5622 and 5622A) consisting of slope erosion, toe line repair, and channel scour.
G103-38-00-X020: Three damage sites (5416, 5680, and 5682) consisting of bank sloughing and erosion repair.
G103-38-01-X014: A series of voids on the southern side of the channel. One void is very large and the concrete paving has begun buckling. Another void is above an outfall pipe that will need to be replaced. Access is limited and encroachments are present.
G103-38-00-X021: Slope erosion has progressed and will eventually begin to affect the concrete channel lining. Also, some sediment has built-up and needs to be removed.
G103-38-01-X010: One damage site consisting of slope erosion.
To see the locations of these channels, zoom waaaaay in on the map.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/13/2020 with photos from Donna Hannah Dewhirst
899 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/20200213-RJR_8133.jpg?fit=2048%2C1365&ssl=113652048adminadmin2020-02-13 19:09:192020-02-13 20:50:01HCFCD Launches Channel Repair Projects in Walden on Lake Houston and Kingwood
On a flyover of the Harris/Montgomery county line last month, I spotted something unusual: a detention pond with an outlet bigger than its inlet. And it was in Woodridge FOREST. You may remember that after Imelda, Woodridge Forest advertised homes that did not flood on signs posted in nearby intersections…around downstream homes that did flood!
Detention Pond that Isn’t
Wide shot, looking east toward St. Martha’s Catholic Church and Kingwood Park High School. Photo taken 1/20/2020.
Below is a closeup of the suspect pond cropped from the image above.
Water flows from bottom left to upper right in this image. During Harvey, the outlet for this detention pond blew out. Imelda enlarged it even more. No one has repaired it, meaning it retains no water in a flood. Water from this part of the subdivision does not even go through the pond.Note the location of this outlet in the photos above and below.Satellite image shows clearer comparison. Detention pond has bigger outlet than inlet and a creek that runs around it.
Detention ponds usually work by capturing water coming in a fast rate, storing it, and releasing it at a slower rate that minimizes downstream flooding.
This pond provides very little, if any detention capacity. In fact, Ben’s Branch runs BOTH around and through it!
The berm that forms the north side of the pond in the image above does little more than take up valuable space in the flood plain.
On its way from 59 to Woodland Hills, Ben’s Branch goes through a series of “detention ponds” along the southern edge of Woodridge Forest. What purpose does of this one serve? And are the others doing their job?
The pond should also have a 30-foot wide maintenance road around it (also section 7.2.8), but does not. The developer built the pond in 2016, but no one seems to have noticed the absence of the maintenance road yet. That missing maintenance road might have helped in the repair of the pond after Harvey.
And the “Rub-Your-Nose-In-It” Award Goes To…
Who knows how much this pond could have helped reduce flooding on May 7th and September 19th last year?
The truly appalling thing about this: shortly after Imelda, Woodridge Forest posted signs in the area informing buyers, “We don’t flood.” Well, when you’re not retaining all the water you should…
Montgomery County is on an unsustainable path. Every week, I get complaints from Montgomery County residents about flooding there. MoCo is already starting to reap what it has sown. Someday, MoCo, too, will be downstream from another rapidly growing county. And then the tragic precedent MoCo has set will make payback inevitable.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/13/2020
898 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 147 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/image002.jpg?fit=1200%2C726&ssl=17261200adminadmin2020-02-12 21:24:492020-02-12 21:26:03When Is a Detention Pond Not a Detention Pond?
In the continuing saga of sand mining on the East and West Forks of the San Jacinto, I present the results of my January 20, 2020, flyover. I found three breaches and two near breaches between I-45 and the East Fork. See below.
Liberty Materials Mine in Conroe
Let’s start upriver on the San Jacinto West Fork near Conroe. These first two images come from the Liberty Materials Mine that the TCEQ cited for allegedly discharging 56 million gallons of white slime into the river.
In this photo you can see that road (upper right) has repairs blocking a previous breach. However, discharge continues to flow through the dike. This indicates potential structural instability that might jeopardize the dike in a major flood and cause another massive discharge.A couple hundred yards away at the same mine, there’s so little road left, driving a car across it could cause collapse of the remaining dike. That jeopardizes safety of workers and the safety of drinking water. Only four or five feet separates a massive mining pond from the West Fork in the foreground.
There sure is a lot riding on that little spit of sand. If this one blows out, I pray the TCEQ and Attorney General goes after them for gross negligence. How could they ignore this?
Hallett Mine in Porter
The next two shots come from the Hallett Mine in Porter. They show the same issue from two different angles.
Looking toward the pond.Looking toward the West Fork. Another portion of the mine lies on the far side of the river.
Abandoned Mine in Porter
This is the drainage ditch that parallels Northpark Drive before it enters the river. This mine appears to be abandoned. Regardless, sediment, seems to consistently wash out of it. This breach has been open for since 2015.
Triple PG Sand Mine in Porter on Caney Creek
The Attorney General is suing this mine for breaches that remained open for months after the May floods last year. Currently, the mine is operating (but not dredging) under a temporary injunction until the case goes to trial on June 22. While mine owners have closed other breaches on White Oak and Caney Creeks, this breach remains open. Technically, it doesn’t connect with with river until a flood. But during floods, photographic evidence shows that Caney Creek reroutes itself through the mine, raising pressure that causes dikes in other places to collapse.
The shot below shows headward erosion toward five pipelines carrying highly volatile liquids.
Such breaches and near breaches create a good argument for creating minimum setbacks for mines from the creeks and rivers that supply our drinking water.
Sadly, legislation that could have done that died in committee during the last session. But there’s always next year. I will continue to monitor how well the mines do until new measures can be reintroduced. Pressure is building throughout the state to control air and water pollution from aggregate mines.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/12/2020
897 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/2020/02/20200120-RJR_6606.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2020-02-11 22:05:132020-02-11 22:05:23Latest Sand Mine Breaches and Near Breaches
HCFCD Launches Channel Repair Projects in Walden on Lake Houston and Kingwood
Yesterday, a reader, Donna Hanna Dewhirst, sent me pictures of a dredging operation beginning in the channel that cuts through Walden on Lake Houston. Today, I photographed it from the air.
Walden Project Kicks Off
Typically, in a project with wet dirt like this, contractors “de-water” it by letting it drain on the banks for a while. Once dry, they haul it away. HCFCD sent dirt from Ben’s Branch to a cleaning facility to ensure they weren’t transporting any dangerous bacteria or organisms living in the mud. From there, it’s reused in landscaping and other projects.
Reader Jeff Bayless volunteered, “This is called Rogers Gully and drains a large part of Atascocita. This is actually the 2nd time they have removed sediment from this location. They finished the first round right before Imelda and lined the banks with riprap and fresh top soil further upstream all the way to Framingham Road. Had it looking good then Imelda hit and washed all their new soil back into the downstream parts by the County Club. This also made the mouthbar in the lake larger and shallower. My fear with the large mouthbar is if Atascocita gets a Kingwood May 7 type flash flood, the mouthbar will push drainage water into the homes along this gully. Hopefully the mouthbar removal is a real project that will happen before flooding occurs.”
Series of Ditch Repairs Begins in Kingwood
Work on Ben’s Branch is now approximately 50% complete, according to Beth Walters of HCFCD.
Meanwhile, more channel repairs have started in Kingwood within the last few weeks. They consist primarily of erosion and outfall pipe repairs. Repairs are so numerous, HCFCD had to group them into a a series of smaller projects to expedite bidding and repairs. The project include:
To see the locations of these channels, zoom waaaaay in on the map.
Funding for most of these repairs comes from NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service), which is part of the US Department of Agriculture.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/13/2020 with photos from Donna Hannah Dewhirst
899 Days since Hurricane Harvey
When Is a Detention Pond Not a Detention Pond?
On a flyover of the Harris/Montgomery county line last month, I spotted something unusual: a detention pond with an outlet bigger than its inlet. And it was in Woodridge FOREST. You may remember that after Imelda, Woodridge Forest advertised homes that did not flood on signs posted in nearby intersections…around downstream homes that did flood!
Detention Pond that Isn’t
Below is a closeup of the suspect pond cropped from the image above.
This pond provides very little, if any detention capacity. In fact, Ben’s Branch runs BOTH around and through it!
On its way from 59 to Woodland Hills, Ben’s Branch goes through a series of “detention ponds” along the southern edge of Woodridge Forest. What purpose does of this one serve? And are the others doing their job?
Developers/HOAs Responsible for Maintenance
In Montgomery County, developers or HOA’s must maintain their own detention ponds (see section 7.2.8). But do they? No one seems to inspect their work. The damage to this pond initially happened after Harvey, almost 900 days ago. Then Imelda damaged it more, almost 150 days ago.
The pond should also have a 30-foot wide maintenance road around it (also section 7.2.8), but does not. The developer built the pond in 2016, but no one seems to have noticed the absence of the maintenance road yet. That missing maintenance road might have helped in the repair of the pond after Harvey.
And the “Rub-Your-Nose-In-It” Award Goes To…
Who knows how much this pond could have helped reduce flooding on May 7th and September 19th last year?
Many who flooded in North Woodland Hills and Bear Branch sure would like to know.
The truly appalling thing about this: shortly after Imelda, Woodridge Forest posted signs in the area informing buyers, “We don’t flood.” Well, when you’re not retaining all the water you should…
Montgomery County is on an unsustainable path. Every week, I get complaints from Montgomery County residents about flooding there. MoCo is already starting to reap what it has sown. Someday, MoCo, too, will be downstream from another rapidly growing county. And then the tragic precedent MoCo has set will make payback inevitable.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/13/2020
898 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 147 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.
Latest Sand Mine Breaches and Near Breaches
In the continuing saga of sand mining on the East and West Forks of the San Jacinto, I present the results of my January 20, 2020, flyover. I found three breaches and two near breaches between I-45 and the East Fork. See below.
Liberty Materials Mine in Conroe
Let’s start upriver on the San Jacinto West Fork near Conroe. These first two images come from the Liberty Materials Mine that the TCEQ cited for allegedly discharging 56 million gallons of white slime into the river.
There sure is a lot riding on that little spit of sand. If this one blows out, I pray the TCEQ and Attorney General goes after them for gross negligence. How could they ignore this?
Hallett Mine in Porter
The next two shots come from the Hallett Mine in Porter. They show the same issue from two different angles.
Abandoned Mine in Porter
Triple PG Sand Mine in Porter on Caney Creek
The Attorney General is suing this mine for breaches that remained open for months after the May floods last year. Currently, the mine is operating (but not dredging) under a temporary injunction until the case goes to trial on June 22. While mine owners have closed other breaches on White Oak and Caney Creeks, this breach remains open. Technically, it doesn’t connect with with river until a flood. But during floods, photographic evidence shows that Caney Creek reroutes itself through the mine, raising pressure that causes dikes in other places to collapse.
The shot below shows headward erosion toward five pipelines carrying highly volatile liquids.
Such breaches and near breaches create a good argument for creating minimum setbacks for mines from the creeks and rivers that supply our drinking water.
Sadly, legislation that could have done that died in committee during the last session. But there’s always next year. I will continue to monitor how well the mines do until new measures can be reintroduced. Pressure is building throughout the state to control air and water pollution from aggregate mines.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/12/2020
897 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.