Kelly Callahan is a retired widow who loves fishing, kayaking and living near nature. That’s why she bought a home near the San Jacinto West Fork. Callahan accepted the flood risk. However, she didn’t expect that the man who bought the sand mine behind her wooded lot would partially drain the dredge pond into the river. Where a small creek flows across part of her property, the sudden drop in the pond’s elevation triggered what geomorphologists call “headcut erosion.”
About Headcut Erosion
Headcut erosion happens where flowing water reaches an abrupt, near-vertical drop. The falling water scours the base, causing the overhanging soil and plant roots to collapse. That forces the “waterfall” to rapidly migrate upstream. In Kelly’s case, it could soon threaten her home. Instead of fixing the sand-pit dike, the mine’s new owner has offered to buy the widow’s land for below-market value. I talked with her at length about her situation and options. But first, some pictures that illustrate what happened.
#1: Satellite image as of 12/23with full sand-pit pondbehind Callahan’s home.#2: January 2026. The breach is now real and level of pond has dropped precipitously.#3 Breach is virtually twice as tall as man.Note excavator that created breach in upper left.#4: Meanwhile, the ephemeral creek flowing across Callahan’s land has downcut to the new level of the pond.
#5: 12-second video from inside the treeline shows attempt to slow erosion by owner of former mine. Recent heavy rains blew out the tarp and erosion continues.
Impact on Widow
Rehak: You investigated this property pretty thoroughly before buying it.
Callahan: Yes, I even talked to the sand-mine foreman. Never on God’s green earth did I think that somebody would purchase it and then lower the pond and cause all of this damage.
Rehak: What did the new owner do?
Callahan: He hired someone to cut through the dike surrounding the mine. He said it was to prevent flooding the homeowners on our street. But the dike completely blew out and 10-20 feet of water from the pond went downstream with a tremendous amount of sand.
Breach still not repaired as of 6/20/26
Rehak: You were dealing with some medical issues at the time?
Callahan: I had horrible sciatica and could barely walk. So, I couldn’t see what was going on back there until recently.
Rehak: What happened when he saw all the damage he caused?
Callahan: He started coming to me and saying “It’s eroding back there. You need to get some fill and fix it.
Rehak: Did you?
Callahan: No. He caused the problem.
Rehak: What happened the other day when you got 4.5 inches of rain in a few hours?
Callahan’s home in foreground. Note creek, bottom left, flowing toward pond near top.
Callahan: He showed up unannounced and trudged back to his pond. When he came back, he said, “Kelly, we got a $100,000 problem now. You didn’t put any fill back there.” I said, “That’s a band-aid and I’m not going to do it. It’s just going to erode again.”
Rehak: What did he say to that?
Kelly Callahan looking wistfully toward erosion on back of her property.
Callahan: He said, “As far as I can tell, in two and a half years, it’s going to be all the way up to your house.” (At this point, Callahan breaks down into tears.) “It’s already travelled over a hundred feet. My guess is that it’s already 20% of the way to your house.” And again he asked, “Did you ever get someone with heavy equipment to come out and give you a quote?”
Note how far erosion has cut into her back yard.
Rehak: You talked to Montgomery County Engineering instead.
Callahan: Right. Every department I talked to advised me why I shouldn’t. Had I been band-aiding this, I would have been fined by the MoCo permitting office. They were requiring me to hire an engineer and get a permit. The new owner of the former mine has the same problems.
Rehak: It doesn’t sound like you’re responsible for this. Headcut erosion happens when there’s an abrupt drop in a stream bed. That happened when the mine owner cut through the berm and lowered his pond. He created a miniature waterfall migrating upstream. That’s why they call it headcut.
Callahan: My son thinks he’s just trying to get my property on the cheap.
Despite the erosion and permitting issues, Callahan tries to keep smiling and enjoying the beauty that remains around her.
Rehak: Where do you go from here?
Callahan: I don’t want to move back to the suburbs. After being out here, you can’t really go back to that. I cry every day. It breaks my heart.
Callahan kayaking on the creek in her own backyard during happier times.
Posted By Bob Rehak on 6/21/26
3218 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/2026/06/DSC_5438.jpg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=17331100adminadmin2026-06-21 14:38:132026-06-21 15:21:32Sand-Mine Breach Triggers Erosion Threatening Widow’s Home
6/20/26 – The EPA has published a nationwide study of studies focused on quantifying the economic benefits of healthy watersheds. This 9-page PDF provides a high-level introduction to the EPA’s Healthy Watersheds Program.
The fact sheet also provides dozens of timely examples that support preserving 5,300 acres west of Kingwood instead of developing it.
The studies fall into six categories:
Lower water treatment costs
Reduced costs associated with flood protection and other natural hazards
Improving food supply through hunting and fishing
Promoting recreation and tourism
Quality of life and health benefits
Increased property values
Nationwide Scope, Wide Variety of Metrics
Scientists from Alaska to Florida and New England to Hawaii conducted the 35 studies cited in the fact sheet. They used a wide variety of metrics to estimate economic benefits. See several examples below.
In Iowa, riparian buffers for agricultural land reduced water treatment costs in the Raccoon River watershed by $2.63 million annually.
In Maine, forest conservation efforts contributed to such exceptional water quality in the Sebago Lake watershed that Portland Water District has avoided the need for a $150 million water treatment plant. They report a payback of $4.80 to $8.90 per dollar invested.
New York City saved an estimated $8-10 billion in costs to build a water treatment facility by preserving 140,000 acres of forests in the watershed that supplies residents with drinking water.
In Tampa, mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrasses provide flood-protection benefits valued at $31 million per year by preventing property damage from 100-year floods.
28,000 protected acres of greenway along the Meramec River reduce flood damage by an average of $31 million annually for residents downstream by promoting infiltration and reducing runoff rates.
In Middlebury, Vermont, protected wetlands and floodplains reduce flood damage to homes and businesses by an average of 54-78% per flood event by storing and slowly releasing floodwaters.
These studies are consistent with other studies I have reported. For instance, proximity to parks can increase home values by up to 20%. The parks also provide flood-reduction benefits.
Timely Lessons for Proposed Scarborough Development
The EPA publication provides timely lessons for the entire Lake Houston/Southern Montgomery County Area. A Dallas-based company named Scarborough has proposed developing 5,300 acres in floodplains and floodways west of Kingwood.
According to hydrologists, if Scarborough develops the land, it would be like “aiming a firehose at Humble and Kingwood.” But it doesn’t have to be that way.
You can help preserve this land, improve water quality in Lake Houston, reduce flooding, increase home values and provide healthy recreational opportunities.
If you haven’t already signed the petition at Change.org to block development of this floodplain property, please do so now. We’re closing in on 10,000 signatures. Both the Houston City Council and Harris County Commissioners Court have unanimously passed resolutions against developing the land.
Please help. Join thousands of your neighbors. Sign the petition now.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/20/2026
3217 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/2025/05/Ryko-Floodplains-Streams.jpg?fit=1100%2C723&ssl=17231100adminadmin2026-06-20 01:01:252026-06-20 18:16:38Economic Benefits of Healthy Watersheds
6/18/2026 – A new study published in the journal “Nature Water” on June 1, 2026 shows that wetland conservation is a potentially effective but undervalued strategy in managing growing flood risk. The authors, Jesse D. Gourevitch, Adam C. Gold & Helena M. Garcia found a statistical link between wetland loss and rising flood insurance claims since 1985.
Economic Value of Wetlands in Reducing Flood Losses
The estimated increase in flood insurance claims due to wetland loss totals $10.1 billion.
That’s equal to about 9% of insured riverine flood losses. And according to a blog post by the authors in the Environmental Defense Fund website, “The highest added costs were concentrated in the Houston metropolitan area, southeastern Louisiana, and coastal Florida.”
Scarborough wetlands between Spring Creek and San Jacinto West Fork, west of Kingwood. The study estimates that each acre of Scarborough wetlands reduces downstream flood losses by approximately $90,000.
The authors say that because the National Flood Insurance Program, or NFIP, covers only a fraction of total flood losses to homes, the full costs of wetland loss are likely even higher.
These numbers help quantify a value of land-use decisions for policy makers.
USGS shows hundreds of acres of wetlands on the Scarborough property between the West Fork and Spring Creek like those shown in the photograph above.
The authors caution that their study measures only one part of wetlands’ value: reducing insured riverine flood losses to residential properties.
However, they point out that wetlands also provide many other benefits. They include improving water quality, storing carbon, supporting wildlife habitat and creating recreational opportunities.
The study did not include many other categories of flood damage, such as losses to commercial or government property, business interruption, uninsured losses or flooding from coastal storm surge, etc. So, while the core estimate is significant, it is also conservative.
Local Interactive Map
The study also provides an interactive map that shows the value of wetlands in particular watersheds in terms of reducing downstream flood losses.
An acre of wetlands in the Bens Branch watershed, for instance, reduces downstream flood losses by $146,756 per acre.
Many of the remaining undeveloped tracts in the Lake Houston Area are flush with wetlands.
Under- and Unvalued Assets
Adam Gold, senior manager of coasts and watersheds science at EDF and co-author of the study, said, “Wetlands act like natural sponges during heavy rain, storing floodwater and slowing runoff before it moves downstream. Yet wetlands continue to disappear, in part because the value of the services they provide is often overlooked. Our analysis helps fill that information gap.”
Gold concludes his article by saying, “Wetlands are not just open space waiting to be developed. They are part of the infrastructure that helps reduce flood damage. And when they disappear, households and communities bear the burden, and the costs, every time a storm hits.”
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/18/2026
3215 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/2026/06/DSC_2654.jpg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=17331100adminadmin2026-06-18 19:53:352026-06-18 19:53:36Study Documents Link Between Wetland Loss, Downstream Flood Damage
Sand-Mine Breach Triggers Erosion Threatening Widow’s Home
Kelly Callahan is a retired widow who loves fishing, kayaking and living near nature. That’s why she bought a home near the San Jacinto West Fork. Callahan accepted the flood risk. However, she didn’t expect that the man who bought the sand mine behind her wooded lot would partially drain the dredge pond into the river. Where a small creek flows across part of her property, the sudden drop in the pond’s elevation triggered what geomorphologists call “headcut erosion.”
About Headcut Erosion
Headcut erosion happens where flowing water reaches an abrupt, near-vertical drop. The falling water scours the base, causing the overhanging soil and plant roots to collapse. That forces the “waterfall” to rapidly migrate upstream. In Kelly’s case, it could soon threaten her home. Instead of fixing the sand-pit dike, the mine’s new owner has offered to buy the widow’s land for below-market value. I talked with her at length about her situation and options. But first, some pictures that illustrate what happened.
Impact on Widow
Rehak: You investigated this property pretty thoroughly before buying it.
Callahan: Yes, I even talked to the sand-mine foreman. Never on God’s green earth did I think that somebody would purchase it and then lower the pond and cause all of this damage.
Rehak: What did the new owner do?
Callahan: He hired someone to cut through the dike surrounding the mine. He said it was to prevent flooding the homeowners on our street. But the dike completely blew out and 10-20 feet of water from the pond went downstream with a tremendous amount of sand.
Rehak: You were dealing with some medical issues at the time?
Callahan: I had horrible sciatica and could barely walk. So, I couldn’t see what was going on back there until recently.
Rehak: What happened when he saw all the damage he caused?
Callahan: He started coming to me and saying “It’s eroding back there. You need to get some fill and fix it.
Rehak: Did you?
Callahan: No. He caused the problem.
Rehak: What happened the other day when you got 4.5 inches of rain in a few hours?
Callahan: He showed up unannounced and trudged back to his pond. When he came back, he said, “Kelly, we got a $100,000 problem now. You didn’t put any fill back there.” I said, “That’s a band-aid and I’m not going to do it. It’s just going to erode again.”
Rehak: What did he say to that?
Callahan: He said, “As far as I can tell, in two and a half years, it’s going to be all the way up to your house.” (At this point, Callahan breaks down into tears.) “It’s already travelled over a hundred feet. My guess is that it’s already 20% of the way to your house.” And again he asked, “Did you ever get someone with heavy equipment to come out and give you a quote?”
Rehak: You talked to Montgomery County Engineering instead.
Callahan: Right. Every department I talked to advised me why I shouldn’t. Had I been band-aiding this, I would have been fined by the MoCo permitting office. They were requiring me to hire an engineer and get a permit. The new owner of the former mine has the same problems.
Rehak: It doesn’t sound like you’re responsible for this. Headcut erosion happens when there’s an abrupt drop in a stream bed. That happened when the mine owner cut through the berm and lowered his pond. He created a miniature waterfall migrating upstream. That’s why they call it headcut.
Callahan: My son thinks he’s just trying to get my property on the cheap.
Rehak: Where do you go from here?
Callahan: I don’t want to move back to the suburbs. After being out here, you can’t really go back to that. I cry every day. It breaks my heart.
Posted By Bob Rehak on 6/21/26
3218 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.
Economic Benefits of Healthy Watersheds
6/20/26 – The EPA has published a nationwide study of studies focused on quantifying the economic benefits of healthy watersheds. This 9-page PDF provides a high-level introduction to the EPA’s Healthy Watersheds Program.
The fact sheet also provides dozens of timely examples that support preserving 5,300 acres west of Kingwood instead of developing it.
The studies fall into six categories:
Nationwide Scope, Wide Variety of Metrics
Scientists from Alaska to Florida and New England to Hawaii conducted the 35 studies cited in the fact sheet. They used a wide variety of metrics to estimate economic benefits. See several examples below.
In Iowa, riparian buffers for agricultural land reduced water treatment costs in the Raccoon River watershed by $2.63 million annually.
In Maine, forest conservation efforts contributed to such exceptional water quality in the Sebago Lake watershed that Portland Water District has avoided the need for a $150 million water treatment plant. They report a payback of $4.80 to $8.90 per dollar invested.
New York City saved an estimated $8-10 billion in costs to build a water treatment facility by preserving 140,000 acres of forests in the watershed that supplies residents with drinking water.
In Tampa, mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrasses provide flood-protection benefits valued at $31 million per year by preventing property damage from 100-year floods.
28,000 protected acres of greenway along the Meramec River reduce flood damage by an average of $31 million annually for residents downstream by promoting infiltration and reducing runoff rates.
In Middlebury, Vermont, protected wetlands and floodplains reduce flood damage to homes and businesses by an average of 54-78% per flood event by storing and slowly releasing floodwaters.
These studies are consistent with other studies I have reported. For instance, proximity to parks can increase home values by up to 20%. The parks also provide flood-reduction benefits.
Timely Lessons for Proposed Scarborough Development
The EPA publication provides timely lessons for the entire Lake Houston/Southern Montgomery County Area. A Dallas-based company named Scarborough has proposed developing 5,300 acres in floodplains and floodways west of Kingwood.
According to hydrologists, if Scarborough develops the land, it would be like “aiming a firehose at Humble and Kingwood.” But it doesn’t have to be that way.
You can help preserve this land, improve water quality in Lake Houston, reduce flooding, increase home values and provide healthy recreational opportunities.
If you haven’t already signed the petition at Change.org to block development of this floodplain property, please do so now. We’re closing in on 10,000 signatures. Both the Houston City Council and Harris County Commissioners Court have unanimously passed resolutions against developing the land.
Please help. Join thousands of your neighbors. Sign the petition now.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/20/2026
3217 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.
Study Documents Link Between Wetland Loss, Downstream Flood Damage
6/18/2026 – A new study published in the journal “Nature Water” on June 1, 2026 shows that wetland conservation is a potentially effective but undervalued strategy in managing growing flood risk. The authors, Jesse D. Gourevitch,
Adam C. Gold & Helena M. Garcia found a statistical link between wetland loss and rising flood insurance claims since 1985.
Economic Value of Wetlands in Reducing Flood Losses
The estimated increase in flood insurance claims due to wetland loss totals $10.1 billion.
That’s equal to about 9% of insured riverine flood losses. And according to a blog post by the authors in the Environmental Defense Fund website, “The highest added costs were concentrated in the Houston metropolitan area, southeastern Louisiana, and coastal Florida.”
The authors say that because the National Flood Insurance Program, or NFIP, covers only a fraction of total flood losses to homes, the full costs of wetland loss are likely even higher.
These numbers help quantify a value of land-use decisions for policy makers.
To help protect these wetlands and your home, please sign this petition on Change.org.
Other Savings Due to Wetlands
The authors caution that their study measures only one part of wetlands’ value: reducing insured riverine flood losses to residential properties.
However, they point out that wetlands also provide many other benefits. They include improving water quality, storing carbon, supporting wildlife habitat and creating recreational opportunities.
The study did not include many other categories of flood damage, such as losses to commercial or government property, business interruption, uninsured losses or flooding from coastal storm surge, etc. So, while the core estimate is significant, it is also conservative.
Local Interactive Map
The study also provides an interactive map that shows the value of wetlands in particular watersheds in terms of reducing downstream flood losses.
To see where the wetlands are near you, visit the USGS National Wetlands Mapper.
Under- and Unvalued Assets
Adam Gold, senior manager of coasts and watersheds science at EDF and co-author of the study, said, “Wetlands act like natural sponges during heavy rain, storing floodwater and slowing runoff before it moves downstream. Yet wetlands continue to disappear, in part because the value of the services they provide is often overlooked. Our analysis helps fill that information gap.”
Gold concludes his article by saying, “Wetlands are not just open space waiting to be developed. They are part of the infrastructure that helps reduce flood damage. And when they disappear, households and communities bear the burden, and the costs, every time a storm hits.”
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/18/2026
3215 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.