Jill Boullion, Executive Director of the Bayou Land Conservancy, sent me a link to a fascinating article called Fossil Rivers. It’s about the evolution of the Mississippi River. Even if you’re not a student of geology, the maps are worth looking at as pieces of abstract art. As the author of the article, Geoff Manaugh says, “Colors coil round other colors; abstract shapes knot, circle, and extend like Christmas gift ribbons. This is geology as a subset of Abstract Expressionism: rocky loops of the Earth’s surface in the hands of Jackson Pollock.”
Army Corps map showing the geomorphology of the Lower Mississippi over time.
Says Manaugh, “Indeed, what the Army Corps of Engineers discovered while producing these maps is that the Mississippi River has changed channel completely – and it has done this hundreds, even thousands, of times. In fact, the river’s endless self-alteration still occurs, even as you read these words: the Mississippi, like all rivers, is migratory, destined to wander across the landscape for as long as it continues to flow. It drifts back and forth – sometimes a few feet, sometimes a mile – walled in by its own silt and debris; until there is change: a natural levee fails, or a storm surge bursts into another watercourse nearby, and then the river finds itself on a quick new route to the sea.”
Powerful reminders to respect the rivers! Give them room. Those who build too close will lose in the long run. People can moan about property rights all they want. But in the end, Mother Nature always wins.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/13/2019
714 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/766866365_e2000a2d1c_o.jpg?fit=475%2C575&ssl=1575475adminadmin2019-08-13 23:32:112019-08-14 09:16:31Respect the Rivers
Bill King, Candidate for Mayor of Houston, will visit Kingwood tomorrow to answer residents’ questions about how he would address flooding and other issues. King will offer a sneak peak of his flood plan that will be released next Monday or Tuesday.
King (left) with Elm Grove resident Abel Vera after the May 7th flood.
Flood mitigation solutions by their very nature are political. I will be posting similar announcements for other candidates as events arise. My hope is that everyone in Houston can meet the candidates personally, get to know them, and learn about their ideas to reduce flooding. A massive turnout in November will help secure our future.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/13/2019
713 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/ElmGroveFlood_01_15.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000&ssl=110001500adminadmin2019-08-12 18:08:362019-08-12 18:10:23Meet Bill King, Candidate for Mayor of Houston, At Los Cucos Tuesday at 6PM
Good news! Jason Krahn with the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) has announced that the District will start restoring conveyance capacity to Bens Branch beginning August 19, 2019. The contractor’s official start date is that Monday, but it will take several days to move equipment to the site. “So the citizens of Kingwood should see the contractor on site by midweek,” said Krahn.
Project Scope
The project will include removing and disposing of approximately 76,285 cubic yards of sediment accumulations. This will be a multi-step process. First, HCFCD’s contractor, Solid Bridge Construction, LLC, must remove the soil from the creek. Then the soil must drain and dry. Finally, dump trucks will remove the excavated material.
Scope of Ben’s Branch project outlined in red.
The project will extend from Kingwood Drive south to the library, then east under West Lake Houston Parkway to the YMCA, then south again to an area adjacent to Deerwood Country Club. It will stop 1800 feet from the river where the the ditch flattens out into a natural stream, near the Y canoe launch.
Sedimentation restricting the conveyance of Ben’s Branch between the library and West Lake Houston Parkway. Looking west from bridge.
The east/west portion of this project above became severely silted during Harvey, contributing to flooding in Kingwood Greens, Town Center, the Enclave, Kingwood Village Estates. A dozen seniors died in Kingwood Village Estates from injuries sustained during the evacuation or from the stress of seeing their homes destroyed when they returned.
City Portion of Ditch South of Y Not Included
The City of Houston reports that it has not yet secured maintenance easements from adjoining property owners south of the Y.
Most of the ditch adjoins property owned by the Clubs of Kingwood. Here’s what it looks like from a drone. My thanks to Jim Zura of Zura Productions for his time and expertise in securing this footage.
Ben’s Branch out of the YMCA looking toward Lake Houston. HCFCD project does NOT include this portion which is controlled by the City of Houston. Note the dredge operation in the distance at the end of this video. Drone footage courtesy of Jim Zura, Zura Productions.
For more information about the project, consult the Kingwood pages of the HCFCD website. The project ID is # G103-33-00-X004 – Bens Branch Conveyance Restoration.
Krahn expects the lower portion of Ben’s Branch to take 9 months. Construction equipment will access the work area via the established access points from Kingwood Drive, Bens View, West Lake Houston Parkway, and Denmere. The contractor will use heavy construction equipment such as dump trucks, excavators and bulldozers. Motorists should stay on high alert for truck traffic when passing near construction access points.
Expect Extra Traffic
The average commercial dump truck holds ten to fourteen cubic yards. So this project could result in 5,500 to more than 7,000 round-trips before its over.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/12/2019 with video from Jim Zura of Zura Productions
713 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/g103-33-00-map_web.jpg?fit=600%2C413&ssl=1413600adminadmin2019-08-12 16:44:492019-08-12 16:59:52Ben’s Branch Clean Out to Begin August 19
Respect the Rivers
Jill Boullion, Executive Director of the Bayou Land Conservancy, sent me a link to a fascinating article called Fossil Rivers. It’s about the evolution of the Mississippi River. Even if you’re not a student of geology, the maps are worth looking at as pieces of abstract art. As the author of the article, Geoff Manaugh says, “Colors coil round other colors; abstract shapes knot, circle, and extend like Christmas gift ribbons. This is geology as a subset of Abstract Expressionism: rocky loops of the Earth’s surface in the hands of Jackson Pollock.”
Says Manaugh, “Indeed, what the Army Corps of Engineers discovered while producing these maps is that the Mississippi River has changed channel completely – and it has done this hundreds, even thousands, of times. In fact, the river’s endless self-alteration still occurs, even as you read these words: the Mississippi, like all rivers, is migratory, destined to wander across the landscape for as long as it continues to flow. It drifts back and forth – sometimes a few feet, sometimes a mile – walled in by its own silt and debris; until there is change: a natural levee fails, or a storm surge bursts into another watercourse nearby, and then the river finds itself on a quick new route to the sea.”
Powerful reminders to respect the rivers! Give them room. Those who build too close will lose in the long run. People can moan about property rights all they want. But in the end, Mother Nature always wins.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/13/2019
714 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Meet Bill King, Candidate for Mayor of Houston, At Los Cucos Tuesday at 6PM
Bill King, Candidate for Mayor of Houston, will visit Kingwood tomorrow to answer residents’ questions about how he would address flooding and other issues. King will offer a sneak peak of his flood plan that will be released next Monday or Tuesday.
Flood mitigation solutions by their very nature are political. I will be posting similar announcements for other candidates as events arise. My hope is that everyone in Houston can meet the candidates personally, get to know them, and learn about their ideas to reduce flooding. A massive turnout in November will help secure our future.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/13/2019
713 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Ben’s Branch Clean Out to Begin August 19
Good news! Jason Krahn with the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) has announced that the District will start restoring conveyance capacity to Bens Branch beginning August 19, 2019. The contractor’s official start date is that Monday, but it will take several days to move equipment to the site. “So the citizens of Kingwood should see the contractor on site by midweek,” said Krahn.
Project Scope
The project will include removing and disposing of approximately 76,285 cubic yards of sediment accumulations. This will be a multi-step process. First, HCFCD’s contractor, Solid Bridge Construction, LLC, must remove the soil from the creek. Then the soil must drain and dry. Finally, dump trucks will remove the excavated material.
The project will extend from Kingwood Drive south to the library, then east under West Lake Houston Parkway to the YMCA, then south again to an area adjacent to Deerwood Country Club. It will stop 1800 feet from the river where the the ditch flattens out into a natural stream, near the Y canoe launch.
The east/west portion of this project above became severely silted during Harvey, contributing to flooding in Kingwood Greens, Town Center, the Enclave, Kingwood Village Estates. A dozen seniors died in Kingwood Village Estates from injuries sustained during the evacuation or from the stress of seeing their homes destroyed when they returned.
City Portion of Ditch South of Y Not Included
The City of Houston reports that it has not yet secured maintenance easements from adjoining property owners south of the Y.
Most of the ditch adjoins property owned by the Clubs of Kingwood. Here’s what it looks like from a drone. My thanks to Jim Zura of Zura Productions for his time and expertise in securing this footage.
For more information about the project, consult the Kingwood pages of the HCFCD website. The project ID is # G103-33-00-X004 – Bens Branch Conveyance Restoration.
Last month, HCFCD completed a clean out of the portion of Ben’s Branch near Northpark Drive and Woodland Hills Drive.
Nine Months to Complete
Krahn expects the lower portion of Ben’s Branch to take 9 months. Construction equipment will access the work area via the established access points from Kingwood Drive, Bens View, West Lake Houston Parkway, and Denmere. The contractor will use heavy construction equipment such as dump trucks, excavators and bulldozers. Motorists should stay on high alert for truck traffic when passing near construction access points.
Expect Extra Traffic
The average commercial dump truck holds ten to fourteen cubic yards. So this project could result in 5,500 to more than 7,000 round-trips before its over.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/12/2019 with video from Jim Zura of Zura Productions
713 Days since Hurricane Harvey