Yesterday’s open house at the Kingwood Community Center seemed to be a hit. The SJRA, City of Houston, Harris County Flood Control and Montgomery County – all partners conducting the San Jacinto watershed study – had the subject-matter experts actually conducting the study there. The open house format gave residents a chance to interact with them one on one, tell their flood stories, and discuss possible mitigation scenarios.
Difference Between Listening and Learning
As one resident said, “I got more from 45 minutes here than a dozen town hall meetings.” I appreciate the town hall meetings, but he was right.
Quality one-on-one interaction made the difference between listening and learning.
I suspect the professionals there felt the same way. They came seeking input and they got it.
It felt like a collaboration, not a presentation.
For example, I got to quiz Adam Eaton, one of the engineers working to add more gates to the Lake Houston Dam. Finding hard information about this project has been difficult. But Mr. Eaton provided it. See budget, timeline and project milestones below.
Budget, timeline and project milestones for Lake Houston Dam Spillway Improvement Project.
Engineers hope to finish design and receive environmental approval by mid-2020. From there, TDEM and FEMA will review the plans and then hopefully release funds for construction. I asked Mr. Eaton whether there was a chance construction could NOT be approved. Answer: It’s possible, but very unlikely.
Details in Big Picture Context
I also talked at length with Matt Zeve, deputy executive director of Harris County Flood Control. Zeve, who has studied channel hydrology all his life, helped me understand why upstream communities don’t automatically benefit from projects that decrease downstream flood levels. He also helped me understand big picture issues, some of which weren’t even on my radar yet. For instance, how the extension of Highway 99 could affect flooding in Liberty County and on the East Fork twenty years from now.
David Parkhill, an author of the Brown & Root report published in 2000 was there, too. They called it a Regional Flood Protection Study back then. But it had the same objectives as the SJR Master Drainage Plan: to identify flood mitigation projects that will make a difference. Mr. Parkhill helped put the current effort in historical context. He was both fascinating and helpful!
Huffman Meeting on Thursday, 3-7:30 at May Community Center
If you missed the Kingwood meeting on Tuesday, I urge you to attend the Huffman meeting tomorrow. It will have all the same information and experts that the Kingwood meeting had. And it will be your last chance to visit an open house in this area until the next round of public comments next Spring.
The quality of input you give in this process will determine the quality of output you get.
Thursday, December 19, 2019
3:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
May Community Center
2100 Wolf Road
Huffman, Texas 77336
The open house will include information about the following projects, studies, and efforts:
San Jacinto Regional Watershed Master Drainage Plan
Kingwood Area Drainage Analysis
Huffman Area Drainage Analysis
Spring Creek Watershed Planning Study
Luce Bayou Watershed Planning Study
Willow Creek Watershed Planning Study
Jackson Bayou Watershed Planning Study
Cedar Bayou Tributary Analysis
SJRA-led Projects
City of Houston-led Projects
Harris County Permit Office
Harris County Engineering Department – Recovery and Resiliency Division
Hurricane Harvey Repair Efforts
Information about services provided by Harris County Flood Control District, Harris County and Montgomery County
The open house will last from 3:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The format lets attendees arrive and participate at their convenience. No formal presentation will be made.
Provide Input on Master Drainage Plan
You can comment on the plans at the meeting in Huffman and throughout the duration of the study.
If you can’t attend in person, mail comments to:
Harris County Flood Control District
9900 Northwest Freeway
Houston, Texas 77092
Attn: San Jacinto Regional Watershed Master Drainage Plan
For more information about the San Jacinto Regional Watershed Master Drainage Plan, visit www.sanjacstudy.org.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/18/2019
841 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 90 since Imelda
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/GatesOutlineSml.jpg?fit=1200%2C919&ssl=19191200adminadmin2019-12-18 13:30:342019-12-18 13:45:24Kingwood Residents Go One on One with Flood Experts; Huffman Up Next
Most people have heard about the Coastal Water Authority’s Luce Bayou Interbasin Transfer Project. But few have seen it. Its size makes it impossible to see from the ground. It stretches from the Trinity River to the northeast corner of Lake Houston, where Luce Bayou enters the East Fork. The purpose of the project: to provide additional surface water supplies to end users that utilize water from Lake Houston, especially the new Northeast Water Purification Plant.
Surface Water Capacity to Manage Growth and Fight Subsidence
Studies have shown that Lake Houston and the new plant cannot meet future demand at their current capacity. Transfer of additional raw water supplies to Lake Houston will support future expansion of treatment capacity at the northeast plant and the mandatory conversion from groundwater to surface water to help reduce subsidence.
The City will eventually transport 500 million gallons per day from the Trinity river to Lake Houston through the pipelines and canals you see below.
Connecting Trinity and San Jacinto Watersheds
The Luce Bayou Interbasin Transfer project includes the Capers Ridge Pump Station (CRPS) located on the Trinity River in Liberty County, 3 miles of Dual 96-inch Diameter Pipelines, and 23.5 miles of earthen Canal System. The pipeline will extend west southwest approximately 3 miles along a geological ridge (Capers Ridge). The pipeline will then outfall into the sedimentation basin at the start of the canal. The canal will outfall into the lower reaches of Luce Bayou, which flows into the northeastern corner of Lake Houston.
Originally, engineers considered using a large part of Luce Bayou itself to transport the water and minimize construction costs. However, environmental concerns nixed that idea. Today, they use only the last few hundred yards of Luce Bayou. But the name stuck.
Construction Photos Taken December 3, 2019
The pictures below start at Lake Houston and go about half way to the Trinity River.
The last part of the canal outfalls into Luce Bayou and then Lake Houston in the background. Looking southwest.A semicircle slows the water as it comes out of the canal. Note how sediment is already building up.Looking west toward FM2100. Note the drainage swales on either side of the canal.These “teeth” in the concrete outfall structure break up the water to reduce its erosive power.From the Trinity to Lake Houston, the entire system is gravity driven. The water is pumped up at the Trinity and then flows downhill all the way to lake Houston. The slope is incredibly precise and minute: only .015%. The route contains 22 inverted siphons below drainage features, roads, pipelines and 11 bridges.These are not the smallest pipes, but they’re still big enough to swallow pickups. Even larger pipelines near the Trinity contain welded-steel piping with cement mortar lining and polyurethane coating.Once past Huffman, the canals wind through farmland.The color of the water is partly a reflection of the sky and partly due to the fact that it has gone through a sedimentation basin to remove sediment before reaching this point.In several places, existing streams go OVER the IBTP.The further east you go, the more finished the canals appear.Another natural stream goes over the canal. The earth blocking the canal on either side of these inverted siphons will be removed before the system goes into service.Three million cubic yards of soil were removed to create these canals. That’s enough to fill up the Astrodome almost twice.
For More Information About Luce Bayou Interbasin Transfer Project
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/20191203-RJR_5899.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2019-12-17 21:36:162019-12-17 21:36:25Luce Bayou Interbasin Transfer Project Construction Photos
The worst fate most brands suffer is indifference. But Perry Homes has managed to create a generation of child activists out to expose the indifference of the brand’s managers to flood victims.
Isabelle Fleenor, a student at Kingwood Middle School, created and stars in this YouTube video about how Perry Homes ruined Christmas for so many Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest residents. It’s called a “Very Un Merry Perry Christmas.”
According to Isabelle’s mother, Isabelle conceived the video, starred in it, edited it, created all the graphics and also made “Dam It Perry Homes” signs and T-shirts. They express the community’s anger and point to a constructive solution. She then took the money she raised from T-shirt and sign sales, and donated it to the Elm Grove fall festival for kids so that they might enjoy Halloween.
When I first saw this video, I said to myself, “This young lady has a future in film, television, or on the stage.” What a presenter! She has energy. She’s articulate. And she has heart! You see, Isabelle and her family did not flood. She did all this work for her neighbors who did flood.
Dam It Perry Homes T Shirt by Isabelle Fleenor from her video.Screen capture from Isabelle Fleenor’s video.
Merry Christmas, Perry Homes, from the Younger Generation
I highly recommended you take two minutes to watch this video. Especially if your name is Kathy Perry Britton. This is the future of your brand, Ms. Britton. Merry Christmas!
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/16/2019 based on a video by Isabelle Fleenor
839 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 88 since Imelda
The thoughts expressed in this post represent my opinions and the opinions of Isabelle Fleenor on matters of public policy 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/2019/12/Merry-Perry.jpg?fit=1200%2C672&ssl=16721200adminadmin2019-12-16 15:26:432019-12-16 22:22:17Perry Homes’ Brand Just Lost Another Generation
Kingwood Residents Go One on One with Flood Experts; Huffman Up Next
Yesterday’s open house at the Kingwood Community Center seemed to be a hit. The SJRA, City of Houston, Harris County Flood Control and Montgomery County – all partners conducting the San Jacinto watershed study – had the subject-matter experts actually conducting the study there. The open house format gave residents a chance to interact with them one on one, tell their flood stories, and discuss possible mitigation scenarios.
Difference Between Listening and Learning
As one resident said, “I got more from 45 minutes here than a dozen town hall meetings.” I appreciate the town hall meetings, but he was right.
I suspect the professionals there felt the same way. They came seeking input and they got it.
For example, I got to quiz Adam Eaton, one of the engineers working to add more gates to the Lake Houston Dam. Finding hard information about this project has been difficult. But Mr. Eaton provided it. See budget, timeline and project milestones below.
Engineers hope to finish design and receive environmental approval by mid-2020. From there, TDEM and FEMA will review the plans and then hopefully release funds for construction. I asked Mr. Eaton whether there was a chance construction could NOT be approved. Answer: It’s possible, but very unlikely.
Details in Big Picture Context
I also talked at length with Matt Zeve, deputy executive director of Harris County Flood Control. Zeve, who has studied channel hydrology all his life, helped me understand why upstream communities don’t automatically benefit from projects that decrease downstream flood levels. He also helped me understand big picture issues, some of which weren’t even on my radar yet. For instance, how the extension of Highway 99 could affect flooding in Liberty County and on the East Fork twenty years from now.
David Parkhill, an author of the Brown & Root report published in 2000 was there, too. They called it a Regional Flood Protection Study back then. But it had the same objectives as the SJR Master Drainage Plan: to identify flood mitigation projects that will make a difference. Mr. Parkhill helped put the current effort in historical context. He was both fascinating and helpful!
Huffman Meeting on Thursday, 3-7:30 at May Community Center
If you missed the Kingwood meeting on Tuesday, I urge you to attend the Huffman meeting tomorrow. It will have all the same information and experts that the Kingwood meeting had. And it will be your last chance to visit an open house in this area until the next round of public comments next Spring.
The open house will include information about the following projects, studies, and efforts:
The open house will last from 3:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The format lets attendees arrive and participate at their convenience. No formal presentation will be made.
Provide Input on Master Drainage Plan
You can comment on the plans at the meeting in Huffman and throughout the duration of the study.
If you can’t attend in person, mail comments to:
Alternatively, you may submit comments online.
For more information about the San Jacinto Regional Watershed Master Drainage Plan, visit www.sanjacstudy.org.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/18/2019
841 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 90 since Imelda
Luce Bayou Interbasin Transfer Project Construction Photos
Most people have heard about the Coastal Water Authority’s Luce Bayou Interbasin Transfer Project. But few have seen it. Its size makes it impossible to see from the ground. It stretches from the Trinity River to the northeast corner of Lake Houston, where Luce Bayou enters the East Fork. The purpose of the project: to provide additional surface water supplies to end users that utilize water from Lake Houston, especially the new Northeast Water Purification Plant.
Surface Water Capacity to Manage Growth and Fight Subsidence
The City will eventually transport 500 million gallons per day from the Trinity river to Lake Houston through the pipelines and canals you see below.
Connecting Trinity and San Jacinto Watersheds
The Luce Bayou Interbasin Transfer project includes the Capers Ridge Pump Station (CRPS) located on the Trinity River in Liberty County, 3 miles of Dual 96-inch Diameter Pipelines, and 23.5 miles of earthen Canal System. The pipeline will extend west southwest approximately 3 miles along a geological ridge (Capers Ridge). The pipeline will then outfall into the sedimentation basin at the start of the canal. The canal will outfall into the lower reaches of Luce Bayou, which flows into the northeastern corner of Lake Houston.
Originally, engineers considered using a large part of Luce Bayou itself to transport the water and minimize construction costs. However, environmental concerns nixed that idea. Today, they use only the last few hundred yards of Luce Bayou. But the name stuck.
Construction Photos Taken December 3, 2019
The pictures below start at Lake Houston and go about half way to the Trinity River.
For More Information About Luce Bayou Interbasin Transfer Project
To see a list of specs and fuller discussion of the project, click here.
To see a technical discussion of inverted siphons, click here.
For a less technical discussion, click here. They’re not all THAT complicated. Hint: you have several inverted siphons in your home, usually under sinks.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/17/2019
840 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Perry Homes’ Brand Just Lost Another Generation
Perry Homes once had a stellar brand image. At least according to Perry Homes. Now that image is lower than whale poop on the bottom of the ocean. Perry Homes managed not only to alienate adult homebuyers, they’ve alienated the next generation, too. Ignoring regulations. Contributing to flooding hundreds of homes – twice. Denying all responsibility. Suing victims. Ignoring commitments. Dragging feet on mitigation. Exposing twice-flooded residents to even more risk! This could go down in the annals of business history as the perfect way to kill a brand.
Two Generations Down the Drain
The worst fate most brands suffer is indifference. But Perry Homes has managed to create a generation of child activists out to expose the indifference of the brand’s managers to flood victims.
Isabelle Fleenor, a student at Kingwood Middle School, created and stars in this YouTube video about how Perry Homes ruined Christmas for so many Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest residents. It’s called a “Very Un Merry Perry Christmas.”
According to Isabelle’s mother, Isabelle conceived the video, starred in it, edited it, created all the graphics and also made “Dam It Perry Homes” signs and T-shirts. They express the community’s anger and point to a constructive solution. She then took the money she raised from T-shirt and sign sales, and donated it to the Elm Grove fall festival for kids so that they might enjoy Halloween.
When I first saw this video, I said to myself, “This young lady has a future in film, television, or on the stage.” What a presenter! She has energy. She’s articulate. And she has heart! You see, Isabelle and her family did not flood. She did all this work for her neighbors who did flood.
Merry Christmas, Perry Homes, from the Younger Generation
I highly recommended you take two minutes to watch this video. Especially if your name is Kathy Perry Britton. This is the future of your brand, Ms. Britton. Merry Christmas!
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/16/2019 based on a video by Isabelle Fleenor
839 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 88 since Imelda
The thoughts expressed in this post represent my opinions and the opinions of Isabelle Fleenor on matters of public policy and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.