Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) reports that it is buying out a handful of low-lying homes on Fieldtree Drive in Northshire where the City of Humble could soon build a pocket park. The area flooded badly during Harvey. Northshire lies between Deerbrook Mall and the San Jacinto River west of the hotels that line US59.
A drive down Fieldtree reveals several homes at the bottom of the hill that have already been demolished and others that look abandoned.
Area under discussion on 8.30.17 after peak of Hurricane Harvey.
HCFCD Buyouts in Progress
Several lots that head down the hill on Fieldtree have been cleared.Several others appear as though owners have abandoned themand would make good candidates for buyouts.
Impact of Flooded and Abandoned Homes on Tax Base
For the most part, modest but well-maintained homes line Fieldtree. The street slopes sharply and all of the vacant or abandoned lots lie at or near the bottom of a hill near Glencreek Drive.
Harris County Appraisal District shows that home market values took a beating in this neighborhood after Harvey. Appraisals for homes at the top of the hill went down about 15%. The farther down the hill you went, the farther down appraisals went – from 20% to 30% or more. The house above even lost a whopping 65% of its market value.
Currently, the abandoned homes seem to be dragging down values of homes that didn’t flood on higher ground. However…
Pocket Park Could Help Reverse Downward Trend
According to Humble City Manager Jason Stuebe, Humble is considering building a pocket park once buyouts in this area are complete.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Northshire.jpg?fit=1500%2C1104&ssl=111041500adminadmin2019-11-24 21:26:422019-11-24 21:26:51HCFCD Buying Out Low-Lying Homes In Northshire Near Deerbrook Mall; Humble Considering Pocket Park
Lake Conroe residents organizing opposition to the SJRA’s lake lowering policy have found it easy to “blame” Kingwood for their inconvenience. Kingwood is an affluent community in another county. But the Lake Conroe people ignore more than 1100 homes between Kingwood and Lake Conroe in Montgomery County (MoCo) that also flooded.
The lake lowering reduces downstream flood risk by creating extra capacity within the lake during months with the heaviest rainfall. It is a temporary measure until flood mitigation measures can be completed that help protect the Lake Houston Area.
ESRI GIS Database Shows Counts of Damaged MoCo Homes
ESRI operates a Montgomery County GIS (geographic information system) database called the Harvey Story Map. (Unfortunately, this may not work with all versions of Safari. Try Chrome if you have trouble.) Clicking on Section 12 shows the location of homes that flooded during Harvey in MoCo.
As you to zoom, you can see counts of flooded structures within the visible area. For instance, around Lake Conroe, 292 homes flooded during Harvey. The map below shows the location of those homes.
292 homes flooded on Lake Conroe during Harvey. Lake lowering gives them an extra buffer against flooding.
If you continue to zoom in, you can even see how individual houses fared in other floods as well.
Below are six screen captures that give you a sampling of what you will find. This first area is just below the Lake Conroe dam where 30 homes flooded during Harvey.
Below is River Plantation, just downstream from I-45. Put your water wings on, Bucko! The count here: 527.
Here are four more subdivisions farther downstream.
The West Fork subdivisions shown above had 1159 flooded structures during Harvey. But more homes flooded than in these six images. For starters, there were the 298 homes around Lake Conroe itself.
I’m not sure how many people have waterfront lots on Lake Conroe, but is their boating convenience really worth risking the possibility of flooding even a subset of these homes again?
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/24/2019
817 Days after Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/image-1.png?fit=1911%2C917&ssl=19171911adminadmin2019-11-23 21:29:122020-01-17 08:56:39Lake Conroe Lowering Benefits MoCo Residents, Too; More Than 1100 Flooded on West Fork During Harvey
At its February 2020 board meeting, the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) Board of Directors will consider NOT lowering Lake Conroe during the spring and fall rainy seasons. Lake Conroe residents have mobilized to protest the lowering which they see as a costly inconvenience. They have started spreading disinformation about the policy. The SJRA Board has reportedly already received more than a hundred letters protesting the policy.
Reason for Lowering and Current Status
The strategy of lowering Lake Conroe on a seasonal basis reduces the risk of flooding downstream residents by increasing the capacity of Lake Conroe to store water. The SJRA Board of Directors and City of Houston review the strategy annually. Both entities own water rights in Lake Conroe.
The gates at Lake Conroe can release water at up too 150,000 CFS but are currently releasing 0 CFS. Lake lowering ended October 1st.
After Hurricane Harvey, the State of Texas called on the SJRA Board of Directors and the City of Houston to participate in regional strategies to reduce flooding. The temporary lowering of Lake Conroe has reduced releases from Lake Conroe during storms. SJRA and downstream communities realize and understand the inconvenience that the strategy can create around Lake Conroe. We ask for understanding for the duration of this temporary mitigation strategy.
Seasonal Lake-Lowering FAQs
Who Decides?
The City of Houston and the SJRA collaborate on the decision to temporarily lower Lake Conroe for flood mitigation because it effects the water supply of both entities.
How Long Will It Continue?
Seasonal lake lowering is a temporary flood mitigation initiative to increase the capacity of Lake Conroe to catch rainfall and runoff while long-term and short-term flood mitigation strategies are implemented downstream.
The motion made by the SJRA Board states that the intent of the proposal is to provide “a near-term, temporary flood mitigation benefit while more permanent mitigation strategies, such as dredging of the lower West Fork, are completed.”
When Does It Happen?
Seasonal lake lowering occurs twice annually – first in April/May and second in August/September.
How Much is It Lowered and for How Long?
In the spring, releases begin on April 1st. SJRA gradually reduces the level of Lake Conroe to 200’ mean feet above sea level (msl)—one foot below the normal Lake Conroe pool level of 201’ msl. Starting on June 1st, SJRA recaptures flows to restore normal lake elevation to 201’ msl.
In the fall, releases begin on August 1st. SJRA gradually reduces the level of Lake Conroe with a goal of reaching 200’ msl by August 15th. After August 15th, gradual lowering continues with a goal of reaching (and maintaining) 199’ msl—two feet below normal pool—by August 31st. Starting October 1st, SJRA begins to capture flows to restore normal lake elevation to 201’ msl.
What If The Lake Is Already Down?
If the lake level has already dropped to the target elevation due to evaporation, no releases are made.
What if It Rains While the Lake is Already Lowered?
If a storm enters the forecast while seasonal releases are being made to lower the lake level, releases are stopped and the river is allowed to drain out until rainfall is out of the forecast.
Is There Science Behind This Policy?
Two engineering reports by Frees & Nichols from early 2018 show the benefits in terms of flood mitigation and the potential negative impacts to water supply. These reports as well as additional information about seasonal lowering can be found at: https://www.sjra.net/floodmanagement/.
Has it worked? Is there real value in terms of flood mitigation?
Yes. Looking at recent rainfall events, seasonal lowering resulted in both lower peak lake levels during storms and lower release rates from the dam.
Seasonal lowering also reduces the peak Lake Conroe level during storms, which reduces negative impacts around the lake such as damage to docks and other personal property. During Harvey, several hundred homes around Lake Conroe flooded.
Data for the May event, and for all releases from the dam, including those during seasonal lowering periods, can be monitored by visiting SJRA’s home page at www.sjra.net. Click on the “Lake Operations and Rainfall Dashboard.”
What is the cost of the release?
Lake Conroe was built as a water supply reservoir in the 1970s through a partnership between SJRA and the City of Houston. Two thirds of the water in Lake Conroe belongs to the City of Houston and one third to SJRA. The City of Houston can call for the release of its water at any time, and water supply reservoirs are built to fluctuate as demands or operational needs dictate.
Releases such as those made for dam repairs and seasonal lowering are not charged to any particular customer, therefore it is not possible to assign a value to the water released. In addition, temporary, non-customer releases do not reduce long-term water supplies, therefore they are not considered lost revenue.
To be considered as lost revenue, releases would have to happen at a time when the SJRA could not meet demand with water from Lake Conroe. But that has not happened.
And most important, if the water supply in Lake Conroe were ever threatened, say from drought, the SJRA would not be releasing water anyway. The lake level would already be far below the target level, making a release unnecessary.
Is This a Permanent Program?
No. Seasonal lowering is a temporary flood mitigation strategy that must be reconsidered each year by the City of Houston and the SJRA Board of Directors while more permanent mitigation strategies, such as dredging of the lower West Fork, are completed.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/LC-Dam-e1719277556742.jpg?fit=1200%2C549&ssl=15491200adminadmin2019-11-23 11:00:262020-01-17 08:57:17FAQs About Lowering Lake Conroe to Reduce Downstream Flood Risk
HCFCD Buying Out Low-Lying Homes In Northshire Near Deerbrook Mall; Humble Considering Pocket Park
Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) reports that it is buying out a handful of low-lying homes on Fieldtree Drive in Northshire where the City of Humble could soon build a pocket park. The area flooded badly during Harvey. Northshire lies between Deerbrook Mall and the San Jacinto River west of the hotels that line US59.
A drive down Fieldtree reveals several homes at the bottom of the hill that have already been demolished and others that look abandoned.
HCFCD Buyouts in Progress
Impact of Flooded and Abandoned Homes on Tax Base
For the most part, modest but well-maintained homes line Fieldtree. The street slopes sharply and all of the vacant or abandoned lots lie at or near the bottom of a hill near Glencreek Drive.
Harris County Appraisal District shows that home market values took a beating in this neighborhood after Harvey. Appraisals for homes at the top of the hill went down about 15%. The farther down the hill you went, the farther down appraisals went – from 20% to 30% or more. The house above even lost a whopping 65% of its market value.
Currently, the abandoned homes seem to be dragging down values of homes that didn’t flood on higher ground. However…
Pocket Park Could Help Reverse Downward Trend
According to Humble City Manager Jason Stuebe, Humble is considering building a pocket park once buyouts in this area are complete.
A pocket park could make a nice residential amenity that helps home values in the neighborhood bounce back. Proximity to parks can help improve home values more than 20% according to a Texas A&M survey of more than 30 different studies. The increase in home values can even pay for the park according to the A&M study. The park could even be an amenity that helps attract guests to hotels across the street.
This could be a win-win for everyone involved.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/25/2019
818 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Lake Conroe Lowering Benefits MoCo Residents, Too; More Than 1100 Flooded on West Fork During Harvey
Lake Conroe residents organizing opposition to the SJRA’s lake lowering policy have found it easy to “blame” Kingwood for their inconvenience. Kingwood is an affluent community in another county. But the Lake Conroe people ignore more than 1100 homes between Kingwood and Lake Conroe in Montgomery County (MoCo) that also flooded.
ESRI GIS Database Shows Counts of Damaged MoCo Homes
ESRI operates a Montgomery County GIS (geographic information system) database called the Harvey Story Map. (Unfortunately, this may not work with all versions of Safari. Try Chrome if you have trouble.) Clicking on Section 12 shows the location of homes that flooded during Harvey in MoCo.
As you to zoom, you can see counts of flooded structures within the visible area. For instance, around Lake Conroe, 292 homes flooded during Harvey. The map below shows the location of those homes.
If you continue to zoom in, you can even see how individual houses fared in other floods as well.
Below are six screen captures that give you a sampling of what you will find. This first area is just below the Lake Conroe dam where 30 homes flooded during Harvey.
Below is River Plantation, just downstream from I-45. Put your water wings on, Bucko! The count here: 527.
Here are four more subdivisions farther downstream.
The West Fork subdivisions shown above had 1159 flooded structures during Harvey. But more homes flooded than in these six images. For starters, there were the 298 homes around Lake Conroe itself.
So, to the 4,484 homes that flooded in Kingwood, Humble and Atascocita on the West Fork, add these and more.
I’m not sure how many people have waterfront lots on Lake Conroe, but is their boating convenience really worth risking the possibility of flooding even a subset of these homes again?
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/24/2019
817 Days after Hurricane Harvey
FAQs About Lowering Lake Conroe to Reduce Downstream Flood Risk
At its February 2020 board meeting, the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) Board of Directors will consider NOT lowering Lake Conroe during the spring and fall rainy seasons. Lake Conroe residents have mobilized to protest the lowering which they see as a costly inconvenience. They have started spreading disinformation about the policy. The SJRA Board has reportedly already received more than a hundred letters protesting the policy.
Reason for Lowering and Current Status
The strategy of lowering Lake Conroe on a seasonal basis reduces the risk of flooding downstream residents by increasing the capacity of Lake Conroe to store water. The SJRA Board of Directors and City of Houston review the strategy annually. Both entities own water rights in Lake Conroe.
After Hurricane Harvey, the State of Texas called on the SJRA Board of Directors and the City of Houston to participate in regional strategies to reduce flooding. The temporary lowering of Lake Conroe has reduced releases from Lake Conroe during storms. SJRA and downstream communities realize and understand the inconvenience that the strategy can create around Lake Conroe. We ask for understanding for the duration of this temporary mitigation strategy.
Seasonal Lake-Lowering FAQs
Who Decides?
The City of Houston and the SJRA collaborate on the decision to temporarily lower Lake Conroe for flood mitigation because it effects the water supply of both entities.
How Long Will It Continue?
Seasonal lake lowering is a temporary flood mitigation initiative to increase the capacity of Lake Conroe to catch rainfall and runoff while long-term and short-term flood mitigation strategies are implemented downstream.
The motion made by the SJRA Board states that the intent of the proposal is to provide “a near-term, temporary flood mitigation benefit while more permanent mitigation strategies, such as dredging of the lower West Fork, are completed.”
When Does It Happen?
Seasonal lake lowering occurs twice annually – first in April/May and second in August/September.
How Much is It Lowered and for How Long?
In the spring, releases begin on April 1st. SJRA gradually reduces the level of Lake Conroe to 200’ mean feet above sea level (msl)—one foot below the normal Lake Conroe pool level of 201’ msl. Starting on June 1st, SJRA recaptures flows to restore normal lake elevation to 201’ msl.
In the fall, releases begin on August 1st. SJRA gradually reduces the level of Lake Conroe with a goal of reaching 200’ msl by August 15th. After August 15th, gradual lowering continues with a goal of reaching (and maintaining) 199’ msl—two feet below normal pool—by August 31st. Starting October 1st, SJRA begins to capture flows to restore normal lake elevation to 201’ msl.
What If The Lake Is Already Down?
If the lake level has already dropped to the target elevation due to evaporation, no releases are made.
What if It Rains While the Lake is Already Lowered?
If a storm enters the forecast while seasonal releases are being made to lower the lake level, releases are stopped and the river is allowed to drain out until rainfall is out of the forecast.
Is There Science Behind This Policy?
Two engineering reports by Frees & Nichols from early 2018 show the benefits in terms of flood mitigation and the potential negative impacts to water supply. These reports as well as additional information about seasonal lowering can be found at: https://www.sjra.net/floodmanagement/.
Has it worked? Is there real value in terms of flood mitigation?
Yes. Looking at recent rainfall events, seasonal lowering resulted in both lower peak lake levels during storms and lower release rates from the dam.
For example, the spring 2019 seasonal lowering created an additional one foot of storage space to capture rainfall in early May 2019 when storms hit the Conroe and Lake Houston areas. Lake Conroe caught significant rainfall and runoff during the storms causing the lake to rise more than a foot. If Lake Conroe had entered this event at or near full, the peak release rate would have been higher thereby increasing the peak flow in the West Fork of the San Jacinto River.
Is There a Benefit to Lake Conroe?
Seasonal lowering also reduces the peak Lake Conroe level during storms, which reduces negative impacts around the lake such as damage to docks and other personal property. During Harvey, several hundred homes around Lake Conroe flooded.
Data for the May event, and for all releases from the dam, including those during seasonal lowering periods, can be monitored by visiting SJRA’s home page at www.sjra.net. Click on the “Lake Operations and Rainfall Dashboard.”
What is the cost of the release?
Lake Conroe was built as a water supply reservoir in the 1970s through a partnership between SJRA and the City of Houston. Two thirds of the water in Lake Conroe belongs to the City of Houston and one third to SJRA. The City of Houston can call for the release of its water at any time, and water supply reservoirs are built to fluctuate as demands or operational needs dictate.
Releases such as those made for dam repairs and seasonal lowering are not charged to any particular customer, therefore it is not possible to assign a value to the water released. In addition, temporary, non-customer releases do not reduce long-term water supplies, therefore they are not considered lost revenue.
To be considered as lost revenue, releases would have to happen at a time when the SJRA could not meet demand with water from Lake Conroe. But that has not happened.
And most important, if the water supply in Lake Conroe were ever threatened, say from drought, the SJRA would not be releasing water anyway. The lake level would already be far below the target level, making a release unnecessary.
Is This a Permanent Program?
No. Seasonal lowering is a temporary flood mitigation strategy that must be reconsidered each year by the City of Houston and the SJRA Board of Directors while more permanent mitigation strategies, such as dredging of the lower West Fork, are completed.
How Do I Make my Opinion Known to the Board?
The SJRA Board of Directors welcomes input regarding the seasonal lake lowering strategy. If you would like to contact the Board please visit: https://www.sjra.net/about/board/ or email floodmanagementdivision@sjra.net.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/23/2019
816 Days since Hurricane Harvey