8/4/2025 – The San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) has unveiled a ten-year flood-mitigation plan for the river basin. For the most part, it’s built around continuations of previous efforts. Regardless, it’s interesting to see what SJRA hopes to focus on in the future.
The plan contains eight main elements:
Spring Creek Watershed Flood-Control Dams Feasibility Study
Upper San Jacinto River Basin Sedimentation Study
Lake Conroe/Lake Houston Joint Reservoir Operations Study
San Jacinto River and Tributaries Sediment Removal and Sand Trap Development
Previously, the SJRA identified two potential sites for flood-control dams in the upper Spring Creek watershed. The sites included properties along Birch and Walnut Creeks. One of the sites subsequently was sold for a solar farm. However, SJRA believes it only needs a small portion of that property. It has budgeted money to buy that property and relocate some of the solar panels.
Matt Barrett, SJRA Flood Management Division Manager said, “We believe it is still a feasible site if we can identify a project sponsor to own and maintain the dam/reservoir.”
Currently, SJRA is seeking partners who could help fund land acquisition, construction and maintenance.
As with many of these items, SJRA emphasizes that it only has money for planning, coordination and project leadership, but not actual execution. For that, it must rely on grants.
Upper Basin Sedimentation Study
SJRA started this project several years ago also. The presentation shows them wrapping up their sedimentation study next year. They intend to rank order and develop an implementation plan for all projects that they have identified to date.
When last I checked, the City planned to adjust the number of gates to fit available funding. Once the release capacity has been locked down, engineers can develop:
An inflow forecasting tool for Lake Houston
Gate operations policies
Feasibility of pre-releases at either or both reservoirs
Risk evaluations in different weather scenarios.
SJRA hopes to complete this project by 2028.
Sediment Removal and Sand Trap Development
This project started in 2020 and identified a test site near the Hallett mine on the San Jacinto West Fork. SJRA wanted the site to be near a mine so miners could remove accumulated sediment from the sand trap once it filled up.
However, after the site was identified, the recommended site was subsequently cut off by a “pit capture.” The river is now flowing through the Hallett pit rather than around it.
The question in my mind is whether the pit walls can be hardened or vegetated somehow to let the exposed pit function as the sand trap.
SJRA hopes to work with a consultant to simplify the design and reduce costs for all involved. They see project completion in 2028.
Waller County Flood Mapping
SJRA hopes to obtain a grant from the Texas Flood Infrastructure Fund to update Waller County’s flood maps to Atlas 14 standards. This project could go through 2029 and cost $7 million.
Upper-Basin Dual-Purpose Reservoir
This is one of the most exciting elements of the 10-year plan. This feasibility study would determine the most viable location for a new lake/reservoir in the upper river basin that could mitigate flooding and supply water.
The study will look at a number of constraints and work with stakeholders, such as the US Forest Service.
Depending on the feasibility of the ultimate recommendation, it could replace a number of preliminary recommendations from the River Basin Master Drainage Plan developed several years ago. The study would go through 2029.
A new dual-purpose reservoir could be sited north of Lake Conroe or in the East Fork Watershed.
Rain/Stream Gage Installation
SJRA, working with counties, precincts, and other local governments, has identified 48 locations for rain/stream gages across the upper river basin. SJRA has incorporated all of them in the Regional Flood Plan.
As funding becomes available, they would be constructed. SJRA projects this project could last through 2032.
Miscellaneous
In the latter phases of the 10-year plan, SJRA is reserving some money for miscellaneous projects that arise through 2035. They might be small scale follow-up studies or facilitation of major construction projects – when/if they come to pass.
8/3/2025 – HCFCD is running out of time to bid and complete Community Development Block Grant Disaster Relief projects before a firm and looming deadline. The county could lose hundreds of millions of dollars in aid if it misses the deadline. Yet, it won’t even bid most of the projects for months.
Where Has the Time Gone?
Former Texas General Land Office Commissioner George P. Bush first announced hundreds of millions of dollars in HUD Community Development Block Grant funds for Harris County in May 2021. But it took Harris County almost four years – until January 25, 2025 – to finalize its list of projects for GLO approval.
While it took Harris County years to develop its list, it took the GLO approximately four months to review and approve 10 of the ll disaster-relief (DR) projects on it. DR projects all have a tight, firm deadline of February 28, 2027 – just 19 months away.
But subtract from those 19 months three to six months for bidding and mobilizing a project. Also subtract another two months for closing it out and turning in all the billing. That means you’re losing another five to eight months out of the 19 months. But some of these jobs could take years to complete.
The Greens Bayou Mid-Reach Program, for instance, is huge. It could require several years to build according to one construction expert I consulted.
In September, 2023, HCFCD held a press conference celebrating the funding of the TC Jester Stormwater Detention Basins. But that won’t even go out for bids until the fourth quarter of this year.
And even though it’s not part of the DR package below, another project is also illuminating. HCFCD awarded the bid on the Mercer Basin construction contract on August 4, 2023. It’s comparable in size to many of these projects and construction is still not finished.
Only One Project Bid So Far
So far, HCFCD has announced only one bid award among the group of 11 CDBG-DR projects. That’s for the Arbor Oaks detention basin on White Oak Bayou. And that should begin construction any day now if it hasn’t already.
It typically takes three to six months from when HCFCD first advertises a project until the winning bidder starts turning dirt. For instance, the county’s purchasing database shows that HCFCD advertised Arbor Oaks beginning April 18, 2025 – 3.5 months ago.
Using these examples as barometers, HCFCD will have little time to complete some of the jobs above. And the county could lose hundreds of millions of dollars.
Who’s to Blame?
We haven’t lost the money yet. But when/if the house of cards collapses on itself, I suspect the head of HCFCD and the county officials who hired her will start pointing fingers at each other.
Shortly after Dr. Tina Petersen took over as Executive Director of HCFCD, I had a prophetic lunch with her. She told me how she wanted to slow things down and become “more intentional” about the way HCFCD did business. And did she ever slow things down!
The previous management team executed projects at twice the speed she is.
Adjusted for inflation, she’s now spending at a rate lower than before the 2018 flood bond, with billions at her fingertips.
She lost seasoned professionals and replaced them in many cases with political hacks.
And she has refused to tap knowledgeable resources in the local engineering community that could have helped her.
Lest this sound like a totally self-inflicted wound, commissioners court sat back and tolerated delays even when she missed deadline after deadline for explanations about a $1.3 billion shortfall in the 2018 bond program and whether CDBG projects were in danger. And in the “mixed-message” department, Commissioners gave her an almost $90,000 raise to $434,000 per year…shortly after publicly lambasting her performance in commissioners court.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/3/2025
2896 Days since Hurricane 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/2025/08/DR-Bid-Schedule-.png?fit=1980%2C760&ssl=17601980adminadmin2025-08-03 22:23:352025-08-03 23:47:54Can HCFCD Finish DR Projects Worth $323 Million Before Deadline?
8/1/2025 – After a month of supposedly working to restore conveyance of blocked culverts under Kingwood Drive, the culverts remain blocked and crews seem in no hurry to remove the sediment. They may be disputing whether they were hired to do that.
City Met With Community Representatives in June
Five weeks ago, on 6/24/2025, representatives of the Houston City Council District E office, Houston Public Works, Kings Forest and the Bear Branch Trail Association met to discuss clearing a ditch that had not been cleaned out for more than 20 years.
The ditch cuts through Kings Forest between Valley Manor and Twin Grove, next to Kingwood High School. Then it crosses under Kingwood Drive and empties into Kingwood Lake.
Looking north up the ditch from over Kingwood Drive.
However, after a full month, the contractor has yet to address the ditch itself, especially the critical blocked culverts under Kingwood Drive. And crews appear to be on hold. Activity has virtually ceased.
Confusion Re: Scope of Work
In talking with the contractor and the City, it has become clear that there is a misunderstanding regarding the project scope. No one at the City will send me the scope document or a contract outlining responsibilities despite repeated requests – both in person and via email. And the contractor keeps saying, “Talk to the City.”
The best I’ve been able to get is a suggestion that the scope may have been “vague.” Meanwhile, equipment has been mostly idle for two weeks.
The contractor has seven work days left before school starts on August 13. At that point, the logistics of working around thousands of high school students will make the work infinitely more complicated because of the need to close down at least one lane of Kingwood Drive.
Blockages Under Kingwood Drive Remain
Restoring conveyance will require removing lots of muck from areas around the culverts and in the median itself.
North of the westbound lanes on Kingwood Drive, culverts are half blocked with sediment. See below.
Entry to culverts leading to median. Water drains toward top of frame.Exit from same culverts. Looking N across median toward westbound Kingwood Drive.Looking S again at opposite side of median. Eastbound lanesin distance.
Clearly, plenty of sediment must be removed before conveyance of the culverts is fully restored. Based on the photos above, I estimate conveyance has been reduced 50 percent.
Half of Outfall Blockage Remains
The first photo below shows what the outfall on the south side of Kingwood Drive looked like before the start of work at the end of June. The second shows what it looked like today.
Before start of project on 6/29/25. Today.
Comparing the pre- and post shots, it appears that the contractor removed half the sediment blocking the outfall. One of the workers told me they intended to finish this portion of the job. However, he didn’t know what they intend to do about the median and culverts. He also said they had finished removing brush.
Waiting On…?
For the past few days, I’ve seen unmarked contractor vehicles parked next to the job site. Periodically, someone leaves one and walks into the woods. One even sat in the excavator above while I photographed it.
But as of quitting time today, the excavator had not moved. I went back and checked it three hours later.
To my knowledge, it has not moved for several days. It’s hard to imagine why workers would go to work and not work.
City Council Member Fred Flickinger has vowed to find out next week whether the City is being billed for downtime.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/1/25
2894 Days since Hurricane 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/2025/08/20250801-DSC_3064-2.jpg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=17331100adminadmin2025-08-01 18:38:402025-08-02 10:49:44After Five Weeks, Culverts under Kingwood Drive Still Clogged
SJRA Unveils 10-Year Flood-Mitigation Plan
8/4/2025 – The San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) has unveiled a ten-year flood-mitigation plan for the river basin. For the most part, it’s built around continuations of previous efforts. Regardless, it’s interesting to see what SJRA hopes to focus on in the future.
The plan contains eight main elements:
Let’s look at each.
Spring Creek Watershed Flood-Control Dams
Previously, the SJRA identified two potential sites for flood-control dams in the upper Spring Creek watershed. The sites included properties along Birch and Walnut Creeks. One of the sites subsequently was sold for a solar farm. However, SJRA believes it only needs a small portion of that property. It has budgeted money to buy that property and relocate some of the solar panels.
Matt Barrett, SJRA Flood Management Division Manager said, “We believe it is still a feasible site if we can identify a project sponsor to own and maintain the dam/reservoir.”
Currently, SJRA is seeking partners who could help fund land acquisition, construction and maintenance.
As with many of these items, SJRA emphasizes that it only has money for planning, coordination and project leadership, but not actual execution. For that, it must rely on grants.
Upper Basin Sedimentation Study
SJRA started this project several years ago also. The presentation shows them wrapping up their sedimentation study next year. They intend to rank order and develop an implementation plan for all projects that they have identified to date.
Joint Reservoir Operations Study
The goal of this project is to determine the most efficient and safe way to coordinate the operations of Lake Conroe and Lake Houston during floods. However, construction delays on Lake Houston’s new floodgates have delayed the completion of the study. That’s because engineers must understand the total release capacity of Lake Houston’s gates to make plans.
When last I checked, the City planned to adjust the number of gates to fit available funding. Once the release capacity has been locked down, engineers can develop:
SJRA hopes to complete this project by 2028.
Sediment Removal and Sand Trap Development
This project started in 2020 and identified a test site near the Hallett mine on the San Jacinto West Fork. SJRA wanted the site to be near a mine so miners could remove accumulated sediment from the sand trap once it filled up.
However, after the site was identified, the recommended site was subsequently cut off by a “pit capture.” The river is now flowing through the Hallett pit rather than around it.
The question in my mind is whether the pit walls can be hardened or vegetated somehow to let the exposed pit function as the sand trap.
SJRA hopes to work with a consultant to simplify the design and reduce costs for all involved. They see project completion in 2028.
Waller County Flood Mapping
SJRA hopes to obtain a grant from the Texas Flood Infrastructure Fund to update Waller County’s flood maps to Atlas 14 standards. This project could go through 2029 and cost $7 million.
Upper-Basin Dual-Purpose Reservoir
This is one of the most exciting elements of the 10-year plan. This feasibility study would determine the most viable location for a new lake/reservoir in the upper river basin that could mitigate flooding and supply water.
The study will look at a number of constraints and work with stakeholders, such as the US Forest Service.
Depending on the feasibility of the ultimate recommendation, it could replace a number of preliminary recommendations from the River Basin Master Drainage Plan developed several years ago. The study would go through 2029.
Rain/Stream Gage Installation
SJRA, working with counties, precincts, and other local governments, has identified 48 locations for rain/stream gages across the upper river basin. SJRA has incorporated all of them in the Regional Flood Plan.
As funding becomes available, they would be constructed. SJRA projects this project could last through 2032.
Miscellaneous
In the latter phases of the 10-year plan, SJRA is reserving some money for miscellaneous projects that arise through 2035. They might be small scale follow-up studies or facilitation of major construction projects – when/if they come to pass.
For More Information
See the full document presented to the SJRA board or visit SJRA.net.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/4/25
2897 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Can HCFCD Finish DR Projects Worth $323 Million Before Deadline?
8/3/2025 – HCFCD is running out of time to bid and complete Community Development Block Grant Disaster Relief projects before a firm and looming deadline. The county could lose hundreds of millions of dollars in aid if it misses the deadline. Yet, it won’t even bid most of the projects for months.
Where Has the Time Gone?
Former Texas General Land Office Commissioner George P. Bush first announced hundreds of millions of dollars in HUD Community Development Block Grant funds for Harris County in May 2021. But it took Harris County almost four years – until January 25, 2025 – to finalize its list of projects for GLO approval.
While it took Harris County years to develop its list, it took the GLO approximately four months to review and approve 10 of the ll disaster-relief (DR) projects on it. DR projects all have a tight, firm deadline of February 28, 2027 – just 19 months away.
But subtract from those 19 months three to six months for bidding and mobilizing a project. Also subtract another two months for closing it out and turning in all the billing. That means you’re losing another five to eight months out of the 19 months. But some of these jobs could take years to complete.
The Greens Bayou Mid-Reach Program, for instance, is huge. It could require several years to build according to one construction expert I consulted.
In September, 2023, HCFCD held a press conference celebrating the funding of the TC Jester Stormwater Detention Basins. But that won’t even go out for bids until the fourth quarter of this year.
And even though it’s not part of the DR package below, another project is also illuminating. HCFCD awarded the bid on the Mercer Basin construction contract on August 4, 2023. It’s comparable in size to many of these projects and construction is still not finished.
Only One Project Bid So Far
So far, HCFCD has announced only one bid award among the group of 11 CDBG-DR projects. That’s for the Arbor Oaks detention basin on White Oak Bayou. And that should begin construction any day now if it hasn’t already.
Ten Others Could Take Months to Start Bidding
The latest bid outlook sheet posted on HCFCD.org shows when the ten other disaster relief projects in the HUD package should be advertised for bids.
It typically takes three to six months from when HCFCD first advertises a project until the winning bidder starts turning dirt. For instance, the county’s purchasing database shows that HCFCD advertised Arbor Oaks beginning April 18, 2025 – 3.5 months ago.
Using these examples as barometers, HCFCD will have little time to complete some of the jobs above. And the county could lose hundreds of millions of dollars.
Who’s to Blame?
We haven’t lost the money yet. But when/if the house of cards collapses on itself, I suspect the head of HCFCD and the county officials who hired her will start pointing fingers at each other.
Shortly after Dr. Tina Petersen took over as Executive Director of HCFCD, I had a prophetic lunch with her. She told me how she wanted to slow things down and become “more intentional” about the way HCFCD did business. And did she ever slow things down!
Lest this sound like a totally self-inflicted wound, commissioners court sat back and tolerated delays even when she missed deadline after deadline for explanations about a $1.3 billion shortfall in the 2018 bond program and whether CDBG projects were in danger. And in the “mixed-message” department, Commissioners gave her an almost $90,000 raise to $434,000 per year…shortly after publicly lambasting her performance in commissioners court.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/3/2025
2896 Days since Hurricane 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.
After Five Weeks, Culverts under Kingwood Drive Still Clogged
8/1/2025 – After a month of supposedly working to restore conveyance of blocked culverts under Kingwood Drive, the culverts remain blocked and crews seem in no hurry to remove the sediment. They may be disputing whether they were hired to do that.
City Met With Community Representatives in June
Five weeks ago, on 6/24/2025, representatives of the Houston City Council District E office, Houston Public Works, Kings Forest and the Bear Branch Trail Association met to discuss clearing a ditch that had not been cleaned out for more than 20 years.
The ditch cuts through Kings Forest between Valley Manor and Twin Grove, next to Kingwood High School. Then it crosses under Kingwood Drive and empties into Kingwood Lake.
One week after City and community representatives met, a contractor started clearing trees around the ditch.
However, after a full month, the contractor has yet to address the ditch itself, especially the critical blocked culverts under Kingwood Drive. And crews appear to be on hold. Activity has virtually ceased.
Confusion Re: Scope of Work
In talking with the contractor and the City, it has become clear that there is a misunderstanding regarding the project scope. No one at the City will send me the scope document or a contract outlining responsibilities despite repeated requests – both in person and via email. And the contractor keeps saying, “Talk to the City.”
The best I’ve been able to get is a suggestion that the scope may have been “vague.” Meanwhile, equipment has been mostly idle for two weeks.
The contractor has seven work days left before school starts on August 13. At that point, the logistics of working around thousands of high school students will make the work infinitely more complicated because of the need to close down at least one lane of Kingwood Drive.
Blockages Under Kingwood Drive Remain
Restoring conveyance will require removing lots of muck from areas around the culverts and in the median itself.
North of the westbound lanes on Kingwood Drive, culverts are half blocked with sediment. See below.
Clearly, plenty of sediment must be removed before conveyance of the culverts is fully restored. Based on the photos above, I estimate conveyance has been reduced 50 percent.
Half of Outfall Blockage Remains
The first photo below shows what the outfall on the south side of Kingwood Drive looked like before the start of work at the end of June. The second shows what it looked like today.
Comparing the pre- and post shots, it appears that the contractor removed half the sediment blocking the outfall. One of the workers told me they intended to finish this portion of the job. However, he didn’t know what they intend to do about the median and culverts. He also said they had finished removing brush.
Waiting On…?
For the past few days, I’ve seen unmarked contractor vehicles parked next to the job site. Periodically, someone leaves one and walks into the woods. One even sat in the excavator above while I photographed it.
But as of quitting time today, the excavator had not moved. I went back and checked it three hours later.
To my knowledge, it has not moved for several days. It’s hard to imagine why workers would go to work and not work.
City Council Member Fred Flickinger has vowed to find out next week whether the City is being billed for downtime.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/1/25
2894 Days since Hurricane 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.