“No floodplain development permit shall be issued for a development to be located in any floodway…”
“The development will not impede the flow of floodwaters.”
“The development will not result in an adverse effect on the conveyance capacity during the occurrence of the base flood.”
And yet this morning, within the space of a half hour, I observed six giant dump trucks bringing fill to a construction site at Sorters-McClellan and Savell Roads near the US59 bridge over the San Jacinto West Fork. The entire site sits in a floodway or floodplain.
The six trucks I witnessed today were reportedly part of a parade of dump trucks during the last few weeks. Photos taken this morning and on Sunday, December 7, 2025 show large volumes of fill in both the floodway and floodplain.
Rationale for Regulations
Regulations prohibit bringing fill into floodways and floodplains because it raises floodwater for someone else, creates dangerous conditions, and jeopardizes public safety.
The irregularly shaped area is approximately 20 acres near the confluence of Spring Creek and the San Jacinto West Fork.
Approximate location of new project is in yellow outline. The area is approximately 20 acres.
It’s not clear what the owner plans to build there. No permits were visible from the road.
Floodway = crosshatched. 100-year floodplain = aqua. 500-year = brown. Note date on map: 2014: is pre-Harvey.
Expect Worse Picture When Maps Updated
When new flood maps are finally released based on Atlas-14 data compiled after Harvey, those floodplain and floodway areas will reportedly expand 50-100%. As a rule of thumb, Harris County Flood Control District urges developers to plan on the floodway expanding to the far edge of the 100-year floodplain and the 100-year floodplain expanding to the far edge of the 500-year floodplain.
Pictures of Site Showing Fill
Below are a dozen pictures that show the extent and height of fill brought into the construction site, and how flood prone the area is.
Note hight of fill next to channel in center. Also note piles of fill left of center and bottom right of center. San Jacinto West Fork is at top of frame and runs under the US59 bridge, top left.Fill extends all the way to the confluence of Spring Creek and West Fork (top right).Where the development reaches the West Fork (lower left). Note height of fill at river’s edge.Higher on the property, near where the floodway and floodplain meet, a parade of massive dump trucks was bringing in fill today.As one truck was pulling in, two more dumped their loads.Note height of fill relative to trees on left.A bulldozer could not keep up with the trucks depositing their dirt.Note previous loads in foreground still waiting to be spread.Photo taken on Sunday 12/7/25 shows height of fill relative to surrounding area. Erosion shows fill in this area has been there for some time.Site entrance at Sorters McClellan and Savell Roads.Homes damaged in same area during previous floods. See next photo.Same area as above. Photo taken on 1/30/23 before peak of minor flood. Note site entrance in upper right.Same area on 1/25/24. Water came up even higher on this day.Three months later on May 3, 2024, floodwater reached higherstill.
Entire Area Inundated During Harvey
Google Earth images show that Harvey inundated the ENTIRE area far BEYOND the site entrance.
I’d hate to be the engineers that approved this project. What were they thinking? Will people never learn?
Plopping thousands of cubic yards of fill dirt here will just make floodwater higher somewhere else. Like Deerbook Mall. The new West Fork High School. Lone Star College. Kingwood Hospital. Benders Landing. Or the 59 Bridge. Remember what finding alternatives to the 59 Bridge was like after Harvey?
TxDoT rebuilt I-69 southbound lanes for almost a year while residents endured massive traffic jams.
This may be the last place in Houston that you want to raise floodwaters.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/9/2025
3024 Days since 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/2025/12/20251209-DJI_20251209104552_0637_D.jpg?fit=1100%2C619&ssl=16191100adminadmin2025-12-09 18:35:402025-12-09 22:00:35Developer Bringing Fill Dirt into West Fork Floodway, Floodplain
12/6/25 – Northpark Drive expansion contractors started boring underneath Union-Pacific Railroad Tracks on 5/17/25. Yesterday, they finally connected the drainage networks on both sides – an early Christmas present for the project team. It also represents a major project milestone in the quest to build an all-weather evacuation route for Kingwood.
Pictures of Final East/West Connections under Tracks
This morning, Project Manager, Ralph De Leon sent me pictures taken earlier on Thursday.
Culvert sections creeping toward junction box (right). A concrete/sand mixture surrounds the sections to lock them in place.Wider shot shows culvert’s entry point into junction box.Workers place plywood across the entry, then……pour more concrete to seal it off.Contractors finally removed the retaining walls that kept workers safe in the pits.
How Bore Pits Looked Today
By the time I got there today with my drone, contractors had completely filled one bore pit and mostly filled the second!
Pit between tracks and Loop 494 filled!
According to De Leon, even though contractors have completed the east/west drainage, they must still connect the junction boxes to 8′ x 8′ culverts that branch north on both sides of the tracks.
One branch will collect stormwater from Loop 494 shown above.
Pit east of tracks was mostly filled in today. But note excavator digging an additional trench north (right) of pit.
The second will convey part of the stormwater that goes under the tracks to the north behind Extra Space Storage, Public Storage and Dunkin’ Donuts. See above. That water will use a ditch that connects with Bens Branch and the Kingwood Diversion Ditch near the Fireworks Stand.
Trench (r) will connect the junction box to culverts already buried behind storage businesses.
The rest of the stormwater from the junction box will use culverts already buried down the middle of Northpark. Contractors have already made and buried that connection, according to De Leon.
Up Next Elsewhere on Northpark
According to the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority website, after tying into the drainage ditch that goes behind the storage businesses, the large storm sewer crew will move across the tracks and tie in the Loop 494 drainage to the western junction box.
They will then begin working on the east side of the tracks from the Anderson Rd to Northpark Christian Church where the paving has been poured setting the curb inlet tops and extensions.
Another crew will also work east of the tracks from Northpark Christian Church to Advanced Auto, setting the curb inlet tops and extensions.
On Monday December 15th, they will move to the corner of LP 494 and Northpark in front of the Dry Cleaners to set the sanitary sewer manhole cone and top.
The dirt crew will begin backfilling and grading behind the curbs on both east- and westbound Northpark east of the railroad tracks.
The concrete paving crews will pour from Anderson Rd. towards the Dairy Queen driveway. They will then move to westbound Northpark and pave from Sun Auto to Quick Quack/Sherwin Williams.
The driveway crew will continue working on the remaining 4 driveways on westbound Northpark near Northpark Christian Church. They will then return to working on the sidewalk from Northpark Christian Church to the east end of the project at Advanced Auto.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/20251206-image002.jpg?fit=825%2C1100&ssl=11100825adminadmin2025-12-06 21:16:562025-12-06 21:31:49Northpark Update: Drainage on Both Sides of UPRR Tracks Finally Connected
12/5/25 – The Gulf Coast Protection District (GCPD) and Texas General Land Office (GLO) announced yesterday the approval of two engineering design contracts for the largest coastal protection effort in the history of the United States – the Coastal Texas Project.
The two contracts represent a milestone in moving this historic initiative toward construction. Each contract covers a major component of the larger project.
Part I: Galveston Bay Barrier System
The Galveston Bay Barrier System (aka the “Ike Dike”) represents the largest element of the Coastal Texas Project. It accounts for 85 percent of the $35 billion estimated cost.
HDR won engineering design for Beaches and Dunes (Bolivar and West Galveston Beach and Dune System). Goal: ecosystem restoration to strengthen natural coastal barriers along the Bolivar Peninsula and West Galveston Island.
The Beaches and Dunes features will move into design first.
Part II: Bolivar Roads Gate System
The second element: the largest flood gate system in the world. Jacobs won the engineering design of The Gate (Bolivar Roads Gate System). It will span a two-mile-wide waterway between Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula.
Remember Ike
Those who lived in Houston in 2008 will likely never forget Hurricane Ike. It began as a Category 4 storm 800 miles wide. And it made landfall along the upper Texas Coast as a high end Category 2. The eye came right up Galveston Bay and crossed the Lake Houston Area. It pushed 15-20 feet of storm surge inland in Chambers County almost as far north as I-10.
Track of Hurricane Ike
Surge traveled deep inland through Galveston Bay, Clear Lake, and the Houston Ship Channel, flooding industrial sites and neighborhoods as far north as Baytown. Also, Ike spawned 29 tornadoes.
Luckily, the world’s largest petrochemical complex was on the dry side of the storm. West of the eye, winds pushed water back out to sea. Therefore, surge was lower.
Had Ike made landfall, a few miles farther west, the story could have been much different.
Importance of Projects
“We can no longer wait to implement this long-term resiliency strategy, aimed at safeguarding the largest port and petrochemical complex in the nation,” said GLO Commissioner, Dawn Buckingham, M.D.
“The State of Texas has appropriated nearly $1 billion to the Gulf Coast Protection District to advance projects offering multiple lines of defense to reduce the risk of coastal storm surges. With President Trump leading the way, I am confident our federal leaders will follow suit and fully fund the Coastal Texas Project, ensuring our national assets are protected from the threat of devastating storms.”
“These contracts are important because they move two major features of the Coastal Texas Project into design. Once designed, we can finally realize the full magnitude of these ideas and further engage local communities with details, not concepts,” said Coalter Baker, Executive Director, Gulf Coast Protection District.
Destruction on Bolivar Peninsula After Hurricane Ike. Scouring literally ripped streets and storm sewers out of the ground.Destruction on Bolivar Peninsula After Hurricane Ike. Not much was left standing. Many residents could not even find their property because the storm destroyed so much.
About the Gulf Coast Protection District
In 2021, the 87th Texas Legislature established The Gulf Coast Protection District (GCPD). Its purpose? To lead a unified and comprehensive coastal resilience strategy for the upper Texas coast. As the non-Federal sponsor for major elements of the Coastal Texas Project and the Sabine Pass to Galveston Bay Project, GCPD plays a pivotal role in delivering large-scale storm surge protection and coastal restoration.
Responsible for safeguarding approximately 5,220 square miles across five counties, GCPD leads the largest coastal protection initiative in U.S. history. For more information, visit the GCPD website.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/5/25
3020 Days since Harvey and 17 years, 3 months since Ike.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Hurricane-Ike-358-e1746218969261.jpg?fit=1100%2C732&ssl=17321100adminadmin2025-12-05 17:56:592025-12-05 21:23:11Engineering Contracts Announced for Largest Coastal Protection Effort in U.S. History
Developer Bringing Fill Dirt into West Fork Floodway, Floodplain
12/9/25 – City of Houston regulations prohibit bringing fill dirt into floodways and floodplains. Chapter 19 Div. 2 Sec. 19.34 states:
Floodways enjoy even more protection. Chapter 19 Div. 3 Sec. 19.43(a-b3) states:
And yet this morning, within the space of a half hour, I observed six giant dump trucks bringing fill to a construction site at Sorters-McClellan and Savell Roads near the US59 bridge over the San Jacinto West Fork. The entire site sits in a floodway or floodplain.
The six trucks I witnessed today were reportedly part of a parade of dump trucks during the last few weeks. Photos taken this morning and on Sunday, December 7, 2025 show large volumes of fill in both the floodway and floodplain.
Rationale for Regulations
Regulations prohibit bringing fill into floodways and floodplains because it raises floodwater for someone else, creates dangerous conditions, and jeopardizes public safety.
The irregularly shaped area is approximately 20 acres near the confluence of Spring Creek and the San Jacinto West Fork.
It’s not clear what the owner plans to build there. No permits were visible from the road.
FEMA’s Flood Hazard Layer Viewer shows that this area lies ENTIRELY WITHIN floodways and floodplains. See below.
Expect Worse Picture When Maps Updated
When new flood maps are finally released based on Atlas-14 data compiled after Harvey, those floodplain and floodway areas will reportedly expand 50-100%. As a rule of thumb, Harris County Flood Control District urges developers to plan on the floodway expanding to the far edge of the 100-year floodplain and the 100-year floodplain expanding to the far edge of the 500-year floodplain.
Pictures of Site Showing Fill
Below are a dozen pictures that show the extent and height of fill brought into the construction site, and how flood prone the area is.
Entire Area Inundated During Harvey
Google Earth images show that Harvey inundated the ENTIRE area far BEYOND the site entrance.
I’d hate to be the engineers that approved this project. What were they thinking? Will people never learn?
Plopping thousands of cubic yards of fill dirt here will just make floodwater higher somewhere else. Like Deerbook Mall. The new West Fork High School. Lone Star College. Kingwood Hospital. Benders Landing. Or the 59 Bridge. Remember what finding alternatives to the 59 Bridge was like after Harvey?
This may be the last place in Houston that you want to raise floodwaters.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/9/2025
3024 Days since 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.
Northpark Update: Drainage on Both Sides of UPRR Tracks Finally Connected
12/6/25 – Northpark Drive expansion contractors started boring underneath Union-Pacific Railroad Tracks on 5/17/25. Yesterday, they finally connected the drainage networks on both sides – an early Christmas present for the project team. It also represents a major project milestone in the quest to build an all-weather evacuation route for Kingwood.
Pictures of Final East/West Connections under Tracks
This morning, Project Manager, Ralph De Leon sent me pictures taken earlier on Thursday.
How Bore Pits Looked Today
By the time I got there today with my drone, contractors had completely filled one bore pit and mostly filled the second!
According to De Leon, even though contractors have completed the east/west drainage, they must still connect the junction boxes to 8′ x 8′ culverts that branch north on both sides of the tracks.
One branch will collect stormwater from Loop 494 shown above.
The second will convey part of the stormwater that goes under the tracks to the north behind Extra Space Storage, Public Storage and Dunkin’ Donuts. See above. That water will use a ditch that connects with Bens Branch and the Kingwood Diversion Ditch near the Fireworks Stand.
The rest of the stormwater from the junction box will use culverts already buried down the middle of Northpark. Contractors have already made and buried that connection, according to De Leon.
Up Next Elsewhere on Northpark
According to the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority website, after tying into the drainage ditch that goes behind the storage businesses, the large storm sewer crew will move across the tracks and tie in the Loop 494 drainage to the western junction box.
They will then begin working on the east side of the tracks from the Anderson Rd to Northpark Christian Church where the paving has been poured setting the curb inlet tops and extensions.
Another crew will also work east of the tracks from Northpark Christian Church to Advanced Auto, setting the curb inlet tops and extensions.
On Monday December 15th, they will move to the corner of LP 494 and Northpark in front of the Dry Cleaners to set the sanitary sewer manhole cone and top.
The dirt crew will begin backfilling and grading behind the curbs on both east- and westbound Northpark east of the railroad tracks.
The concrete paving crews will pour from Anderson Rd. towards the Dairy Queen driveway. They will then move to westbound Northpark and pave from Sun Auto to Quick Quack/Sherwin Williams.
The driveway crew will continue working on the remaining 4 driveways on westbound Northpark near Northpark Christian Church. They will then return to working on the sidewalk from Northpark Christian Church to the east end of the project at Advanced Auto.
For More Information and a Timetable
See the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority Website and their three-week lookahead schedule.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/6/2025
3021 Days Since Hurricane Harvey
Engineering Contracts Announced for Largest Coastal Protection Effort in U.S. History
12/5/25 – The Gulf Coast Protection District (GCPD) and Texas General Land Office (GLO) announced yesterday the approval of two engineering design contracts for the largest coastal protection effort in the history of the United States – the Coastal Texas Project.
The two contracts represent a milestone in moving this historic initiative toward construction. Each contract covers a major component of the larger project.
Part I: Galveston Bay Barrier System
The Galveston Bay Barrier System (aka the “Ike Dike”) represents the largest element of the Coastal Texas Project. It accounts for 85 percent of the $35 billion estimated cost.
HDR won engineering design for Beaches and Dunes (Bolivar and West Galveston Beach and Dune System). Goal: ecosystem restoration to strengthen natural coastal barriers along the Bolivar Peninsula and West Galveston Island.
The Beaches and Dunes features will move into design first.
Part II: Bolivar Roads Gate System
The second element: the largest flood gate system in the world. Jacobs won the engineering design of The Gate (Bolivar Roads Gate System). It will span a two-mile-wide waterway between Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula.
Remember Ike
Those who lived in Houston in 2008 will likely never forget Hurricane Ike. It began as a Category 4 storm 800 miles wide. And it made landfall along the upper Texas Coast as a high end Category 2. The eye came right up Galveston Bay and crossed the Lake Houston Area. It pushed 15-20 feet of storm surge inland in Chambers County almost as far north as I-10.
Surge traveled deep inland through Galveston Bay, Clear Lake, and the Houston Ship Channel, flooding industrial sites and neighborhoods as far north as Baytown. Also, Ike spawned 29 tornadoes.
Luckily, the world’s largest petrochemical complex was on the dry side of the storm. West of the eye, winds pushed water back out to sea. Therefore, surge was lower.
Importance of Projects
“We can no longer wait to implement this long-term resiliency strategy, aimed at safeguarding the largest port and petrochemical complex in the nation,” said GLO Commissioner, Dawn Buckingham, M.D.
“The State of Texas has appropriated nearly $1 billion to the Gulf Coast Protection District to advance projects offering multiple lines of defense to reduce the risk of coastal storm surges. With President Trump leading the way, I am confident our federal leaders will follow suit and fully fund the Coastal Texas Project, ensuring our national assets are protected from the threat of devastating storms.”
“These contracts are important because they move two major features of the Coastal Texas Project into design. Once designed, we can finally realize the full magnitude of these ideas and further engage local communities with details, not concepts,” said Coalter Baker, Executive Director, Gulf Coast Protection District.
About the Gulf Coast Protection District
In 2021, the 87th Texas Legislature established The Gulf Coast Protection District (GCPD). Its purpose? To lead a unified and comprehensive coastal resilience strategy for the upper Texas coast. As the non-Federal sponsor for major elements of the Coastal Texas Project and the Sabine Pass to Galveston Bay Project, GCPD plays a pivotal role in delivering large-scale storm surge protection and coastal restoration.
Responsible for safeguarding approximately 5,220 square miles across five counties, GCPD leads the largest coastal protection initiative in U.S. history. For more information, visit the GCPD website.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/5/25
3020 Days since Harvey and 17 years, 3 months since Ike.