New images by RD Kissling, a Lake-Houston-area geologist and canoeist, show two things. The Great Lakes dredge near the mouth bar sat idle this holiday weekend. Also Great Lakes has not made much progress yet.
Dredge seems to be hugging the south shore of the mouth bar. An excavator has removed vegetation and loosened sand in that area.
Kissling Video Underscores Immensity of Undertaking
Also, Kissling shot more video. This 32-second clip shows him standing in less-than-knee-deep water approximately 300 yards from the mouth bar. This video dramatizes the immensity of the task at hand. It also shows where the channel currently lies relative to the mouth bar itself.
Video showing RD Kissling in shin-deep water 300 yards from the south shore of the mouth bar.
Kissling and Tim Garfield, another local geologist first brought the dangers of the mouth bar to the public’s attention. Massive deposits of sand cause water to flow uphill by 30+ feet between the end of Phase-One dredging and the mouth bar. That backs water up during floods. The channel width and depth simply don’t have enough conveyance capacity to move floodwaters through. As a result, the floodwaters slow down, drop their sediment load, enlarge the blockage, and start to spread out overland.
The mouth bar of the West Fork of the San Jacinto. Photo taken two weeks after Harvey.
Clampdown on Communications
Neither the City, County, State, FEMA or Corps have made their plans clear yet. This contrasts with the start of Phase-One dredging when the Corps and City proudly trotted out presentations in community meetings.
I submitted a FOIA request to the Corps for their plans several weeks ago. However, I have not yet received those plans. I did receive a request for clarification asking what I meant by “plans”? I responded that I could not imagine the US Army staging an operation this large and expensive without a plan. They thanked me for the clarification.
The FOIA stalling and clamp down on communication from all parties involved suggests that the Federal government and local authorities have not yet reached a mutually satisfactory agreement. It has been nine months since they announced an agreement in principle after the “everybody-but-Trump” meeting in Austin.
To be fair, this has been a holiday week and many people are on vacation. Perhaps things will become clearer when they return.
With City elections fast approaching, it will be interesting to see if progress – or the lack thereof – affects how the Lake Houston Area votes. We’re running out of time to make reasonable dredging progress before November. With two years in the rear-view mirror since Harvey, I suspect voters will look at performance more than promises when they go to the polls.
In coming weeks, I will post about where the candidates line up on the three major goals for the Lake Houston Area: additional dredging, detention and gates (Plea for DDG). I also hope that this will be the first of weekly reports on mouth bar dredging. So if you are out on the water, please send pics of what you see.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/6/2019
676 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_3245.jpg?fit=1500%2C780&ssl=17801500adminadmin2019-07-06 21:48:462019-07-06 21:57:23Mouth Bar Dredge Idle Over Holiday Weekend; Not Much Progress Yet
As dawn broke this morning, the extent of the July 4th fire in the Forest Cove townhomes became apparent. It appears that the blaze affected three, or possibly four, of the northernmost townhomes on Timberline Drive. At least one of the units still smoldered when I took these pictures around 9 a.m. this morning.
On the morning of July 5th, you could smell the smoke two blocks away.It appears that the fire caused at least one unit to collapse inward on itself.Close up of northernmost unit still standing.Fire burned through the roof in places.The force of fire hoses may have displaced these shingles. The fire did not appear to spread this far.Photo of same units from back side on Timberline Court shows fire damage to at least three townhomes.Close up from center portion of shot above.Note how even the globe of the streetlight on the right appears to have partially melted. Close up from shot above.Also note the relatively straight burn line.Meanwhile, outside the townhomes that burned on Aqua Vista last Sunday, people have already begun illegally dumping used carpet.
Last night, equipment and firefighters from several Houston Fire Department stations lined up for blocks to fight and contain this fire. It was the second fire in this area this week and at least the third this year. When more than 17 feet of water swept through the townhomes during Harvey, they became uninhabitable.
No Electricity or Gas to Area
Former owners say the electricity and gas have been cut off since Harvey. Since then, the townhomes have become the domain of vandals, squatters, drug dealers and graffiti artists.
FEMA, through Harris County Flood Control, is buying out the properties. But the process is voluntary, long, and cumbersome. They treat each unit in a multi-unit complex, such as this one, as an individual sale. Only when buyouts for all townhomes in a complex are complete, can Flood Control schedule demolition.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/TimberlineFire_01.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000&ssl=110001500adminadmin2019-07-05 12:15:262019-07-05 12:28:22Pictures of Aftermath of July 4th Fire in Forest Cove Townhomes
Approximately 10 pieces of fire equipment as well as ambulances responded tonight to yet another fire at the Forest Cove Townhomes. This is the second fire this week and at least the third this year at a large complex that has been abandoned since it was engulfed by Hurricane Harvey’s floodwaters.
Earlier this week, fire consumed another part of the complex on Aqua Vista Street. Tonight, it destroyed more townhomes in the same area between Timberline Court and Timberline Drive where the latter intersects Marina Drive.
I could not get close for safety reasons, but managed to capture the images below with a wide-aperture Nikon telephoto lens.
Abandoned townhomes on Timberline Drive, photographed from Marina Drive in Forest Cove.Houston Fire Department was spraying water from this elevated position to suppress the fire. Additional units were spraying water on the flames from the groundas you can see in the next photo.Fire equipment was dousing the flames from multiple angles to keep the fire from spreading.
Massive Fire Department Response
Fire equipment and ambulances lined up for four blocks. From Marina and Timberline, they went up to Hamblen. Additionally, equipment blocked half of Hamblen for another block.
Cause of the fire has not yet been determined. Nor is it known whether there were any injuries.
Need to Accelerate Buyouts and Plan Alternative Uses
This underscores the need to accelerate buyouts in this area and tear down these abandoned buildings. They have become a haven for drug dealers, squatters and vandals.
Ironically, I was responding to questions about my last post on this subject – i.e., what to do with this area – when readers alerted me to this new fire.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/5/2019
675 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/MarinaTwnhms_04-1.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000&ssl=110001500adminadmin2019-07-04 23:56:512019-07-05 00:14:39Second Fire in Week at Forest Cove Townhomes
Mouth Bar Dredge Idle Over Holiday Weekend; Not Much Progress Yet
New images by RD Kissling, a Lake-Houston-area geologist and canoeist, show two things. The Great Lakes dredge near the mouth bar sat idle this holiday weekend. Also Great Lakes has not made much progress yet.
Kissling Video Underscores Immensity of Undertaking
Also, Kissling shot more video. This 32-second clip shows him standing in less-than-knee-deep water approximately 300 yards from the mouth bar. This video dramatizes the immensity of the task at hand. It also shows where the channel currently lies relative to the mouth bar itself.
History of Mouth Bar Dredging
The Corps excluded the mouth bar in the first phase of dredging. Instead, it focused on a 2.1 mile stretch upstream. Since the Corps revealed its Phase-One plans, residents have been organizing to ensure dredging through the mouth-bar reach.
Kissling and Tim Garfield, another local geologist first brought the dangers of the mouth bar to the public’s attention. Massive deposits of sand cause water to flow uphill by 30+ feet between the end of Phase-One dredging and the mouth bar. That backs water up during floods. The channel width and depth simply don’t have enough conveyance capacity to move floodwaters through. As a result, the floodwaters slow down, drop their sediment load, enlarge the blockage, and start to spread out overland.
Clampdown on Communications
Neither the City, County, State, FEMA or Corps have made their plans clear yet. This contrasts with the start of Phase-One dredging when the Corps and City proudly trotted out presentations in community meetings.
I submitted a FOIA request to the Corps for their plans several weeks ago. However, I have not yet received those plans. I did receive a request for clarification asking what I meant by “plans”? I responded that I could not imagine the US Army staging an operation this large and expensive without a plan. They thanked me for the clarification.
To be fair, this has been a holiday week and many people are on vacation. Perhaps things will become clearer when they return.
To date, the small amount of excavation completed has focused on the edge of the mouth bar itself, not widening or deepening the channel near Atascocita Point. This July 2 Community Impact article suggests that the Corps intends to dredge the edge of the mouth bar but offers no other detail or explanations.
Impact of Dredging on November Elections
With City elections fast approaching, it will be interesting to see if progress – or the lack thereof – affects how the Lake Houston Area votes. We’re running out of time to make reasonable dredging progress before November. With two years in the rear-view mirror since Harvey, I suspect voters will look at performance more than promises when they go to the polls.
In coming weeks, I will post about where the candidates line up on the three major goals for the Lake Houston Area: additional dredging, detention and gates (Plea for DDG). I also hope that this will be the first of weekly reports on mouth bar dredging. So if you are out on the water, please send pics of what you see.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/6/2019
676 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Pictures of Aftermath of July 4th Fire in Forest Cove Townhomes
As dawn broke this morning, the extent of the July 4th fire in the Forest Cove townhomes became apparent. It appears that the blaze affected three, or possibly four, of the northernmost townhomes on Timberline Drive. At least one of the units still smoldered when I took these pictures around 9 a.m. this morning.
Last night, equipment and firefighters from several Houston Fire Department stations lined up for blocks to fight and contain this fire. It was the second fire in this area this week and at least the third this year. When more than 17 feet of water swept through the townhomes during Harvey, they became uninhabitable.
No Electricity or Gas to Area
Former owners say the electricity and gas have been cut off since Harvey. Since then, the townhomes have become the domain of vandals, squatters, drug dealers and graffiti artists.
FEMA, through Harris County Flood Control, is buying out the properties. But the process is voluntary, long, and cumbersome. They treat each unit in a multi-unit complex, such as this one, as an individual sale. Only when buyouts for all townhomes in a complex are complete, can Flood Control schedule demolition.
The area will never be developed again. However, FEMA buyout deed restrictions do allow some flexibility. These pictures underscore the urgency to complete the buyout process and transform this area into something new with social value.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/5/2016
675 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Second Fire in Week at Forest Cove Townhomes
Approximately 10 pieces of fire equipment as well as ambulances responded tonight to yet another fire at the Forest Cove Townhomes. This is the second fire this week and at least the third this year at a large complex that has been abandoned since it was engulfed by Hurricane Harvey’s floodwaters.
Earlier this week, fire consumed another part of the complex on Aqua Vista Street. Tonight, it destroyed more townhomes in the same area between Timberline Court and Timberline Drive where the latter intersects Marina Drive.
I could not get close for safety reasons, but managed to capture the images below with a wide-aperture Nikon telephoto lens.
Massive Fire Department Response
Fire equipment and ambulances lined up for four blocks. From Marina and Timberline, they went up to Hamblen. Additionally, equipment blocked half of Hamblen for another block.
Cause of the fire has not yet been determined. Nor is it known whether there were any injuries.
Need to Accelerate Buyouts and Plan Alternative Uses
This underscores the need to accelerate buyouts in this area and tear down these abandoned buildings. They have become a haven for drug dealers, squatters and vandals.
Ironically, I was responding to questions about my last post on this subject – i.e., what to do with this area – when readers alerted me to this new fire.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/5/2019
675 Days since Hurricane Harvey