7/31/2025 – According to the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority website, contractors will soon move all eastbound traffic on Northpark Drive between Italiano’s and GS Tire & Auto to newly constructed lanes on the south side of the thoroughfare. This will eliminate two major swerves within 3,000 feet and straighten out inbound traffic east of Loop 494.
The Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority website indicates the change will happen on the night of 8/5/2025. However, I have been unable to confirm that.
Photos of Lane-Change Areas Taken Today
All photos below were taken today starting from the east and moving west.
Looking West from G&S.Inbound traffic will move to the south (left).
The shift to the south will go past Russell Palmer … all the way to Italiano’s.
Looking west from Russell Palmer (lower left). From this point, traffic in BOTH directions will shift south and demo of old outbound lanes will begin.Still looking west. This detour will also straighten out. Italiano’s is out of frame in upper left. Through this stretch, traffic in both directions will shift left (south)
After contractors open up the new eastbound lanes, they will shift westbound traffic to the south from NextCare Urgent Care to Russel Palmer. They will then begin demolition of the old westbound lanes between those two points.
Use extra caution as people get used to the changes and as traffic increases with people returning from vacation.
Bore Under Railroad Tracks Still Stalled
For several weeks now, boring for the twin 60″ pipes underneath the UnionPacific Railroad Tracks has been stalled due to the discovery of utility conflicts. The Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority website simply says, “All work on UPRR ROW has been halted due to further unknown conditions found in the field on 7/25/2025.”
The originating pit for the bores east of the UnionPacific tracks.A few feet west of the tracks, the bores have not yet reached the receiving pit.
The project planners intended to convey excess stormwater west of the tracks under them to the Kingwood Diversion Ditch and Bens Branch. But contractors must resolve the utility conflicts (shown above) and place junction boxes for the drainage in both pits before they can connect the drainage on each side of the tracks.
So close and yet so far. Only a few feet separate the two pits. But the utility conflicts are holding up a major part of the job.
Loop 494 Progress
Meanwhile contractors have made good progress on Loop 494 both north and south of Northpark.
Looking S across Northpark at new northbound lanes (left) one of which is mostly finished..
Looking north from the other side of Northpark…
Contractors have begun placing rebar to expand the roadbed.
After crews finish paving the northbound lanes of Loop 494, they will begin the eastbound lanes of Northpark west of Loop 494.
Between 59 and Loop 494
Between Loop 494 and 59, contractors are currently placing junction boxes for drainage underneath where the inbound surface lanes will go. Today, you could see them placing one of the boxes in front of Whataburger.
Drainage junction box in front of Whataburger on right.
According to the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority, “They will then move into the center median of Northpark west of LP 494, to begin work on the storm laterals and structures, which include the detention-pond equalizer pipe.” See below.
Recently demolished center section of Northpark will be focus of next phase of drainage work.
To see progress since the last update, compare photos in this post from 7/21/2025.
In Other Northpark News
Crews have started preparing the base for what will become new inbound surface lanes just east of the UP Railroad Tracks.
Looking E across from Public Storage and Dunkin’ Donuts
It’s not easy to see how the pieces of this jigsaw puzzle come together when you’re driving. Keep your eyes on the road and check back here periodically for progress reports.
Yesterday, as I came in on Northpark from 59, it took almost a half hour to get the one block from 59 to Loop 494. Because of the construction near Whataburger, inbound traffic was down to one lane for a short while. But it was back open this morning.
Such closures can be hard to predict and frustrating. To the degree you can, I would try to avoid Northpark during construction hours. But also be sensitive to the hardships placed on local merchants. Go out of your way to patronize them when you can.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/31/2025
2893 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/20250731-DJI_20250731151522_0004_D.jpg?fit=1100%2C619&ssl=16191100adminadmin2025-07-31 19:09:582025-07-31 19:22:34Major Northpark Traffic Change Coming Next Week
Chris Bloch, a local engineer and flood activist says he showed the detention opportunities to HCFCD. However, Neel-Schaffer did not consider them in its report for unknown reasons.
Detention South of River Will Not Help Flooding Along Diversion Ditch
The Neel-Schaffer PER recommended building 405 acre-feet of detention south of the San Jacinto West Fork.
The location south of the river may help people downstream, but it will do nothing to reduce the volume of water flowing down the Diversion Ditch during a major storm.
Detention south of the river will help people farther down the West Fork. But Bloch points out that locating detention along the Diversion Ditch would help both Kingwood residents and others downstream.
Overview: Three Stormwater Detention Opportunities Inside Kingwood
Bloch consulted with Stan Sarman before Sarman’s untimely death several years ago. Sarman was one of the consulting engineers who designed Kingwood’s original drainage for Friendswood. Bloch says that he and Sarman identified several recommendations to improve Kingwood drainage. From north to south, they include:
Adding detention between Northpark Drive and St. Martha Catholic Church
Removing a berm between Kings Manor and Kings Mill detention ditches, then increasing the width and depth of the combined ditches
Creating extra capacity near the proposed new San Jacinto River outfall of the Diversion Ditch.
According to Bloch, these alternatives could provide far more capacity than the 405-acre feet that Neel-Schaffer says it needs – especially if combined with some channel-widening opportunities. I will discuss channel widening in a future post. But first, let’s look closer at these three.
Opportunity #1
Neel-Schaffer evidently didn’t look at anything north of the Harris/Montgomery County line. Since Neel-Schaffer released its PER, the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority announced plans to build 100 acre-feet of detention in the area where the Diversion Ditch splits off from Bens Branch just north of Northpark. That’s a quarter of the needed 405 acre-feet right there.
Opportunity #2
Removing the berm between the Kings Mill and Kings Manor ditches and increasing the width and depth of the combined ditches would provide another 100 acre-feet of detention capacity. Both ditches are owned by Montgomery County Municipal Utility Districts.
Kings Mill is under fire to reduce runoff due to the new high-density Northpark Enclave development. Construction plans show runoff entering the Northpark evacuation route during extreme high-water events.
Plus, additional Enclave runoff will further reduce Diversion-Ditch capacity. Parts of the Diversion Ditch have a 50% chance of flooding every year.
Opportunity #2 could help mitigate both Enclave and Diversion-Ditch capacity issues.
Looking East toward Russell Palmer Road. Eliminating the berm between Kings Mill and Kings Manor Drainage could provide an estimated 100 acre-feet of additional stormwater detention benefitting Kingwood residents.
Opportunity #3
Neel-Schaffer recommends extending the Diversion Ditch from below Deer Ridge Park to the West Fork – without forcing it to make an S-turn through River Grove Park.
New outfall for Diversion Ditch (red line) creates another opportunity for more detention (in red box).
That coincides with one of the recommendations originally made by Sarman and Bloch. But Sarman and Bloch also called for construction of a large pond at the outfall location. This pond would slow water velocities exiting the Diversion Ditch and provide a sediment-settling area before the water enters the River.
Depending on the configuration, such a pond could provide another 80 to 100 acre-feet of inline detention.
High Cost of Detention South of River
Those three alternatives alone could provide approximately three quarters of the needed detention and reduce flood risk for more than 500 residents who flooded near the Diversion Ditch during Harvey.
Bloch and Sarman identified other opportunities within the ditch to expand capacity. They could easily bring the total to far more than the 405 acre-feet needed.
Yet the projected cost of the basin they proposed is between a quarter and a third of total project costs – almost $15 million out of $55 million. In fairness, Neel-Schaffer says on the same page, “Due to limited effectiveness and significant cost, the recommended detention basin should be further examined during final design.”
Final Design Getting Underway
On May 8, 2025, Harris County Commissioners Court approved a motion to advertise final design and construction of the diversion ditch project for bids. However, an engineering design firm has not yet been selected.
When they are, I hope they evaluate some of these recommendations.
A transmittal from HCFCD Executive Director Dr. Tina Petersen shows that the EPA and Texas Water Development Board have apparently pledged $7 million to the project. That won’t cover much construction. So, Petersen says HCFCD will continue to look for more grants. Her timeline shows construction starting in mid-2028…if she can find the money.
These recommendations may help make the project more affordable.
Posted by Bob Rehak 7/30/25
2892 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/20250601-DJI_20250601115054_0643_D.jpg?fit=1100%2C619&ssl=16191100adminadmin2025-07-30 11:01:112025-07-30 11:01:12Diversion Ditch Study Did Not Consider Obvious Opportunities that Might Have Reduced Costs, Flood Risk
7/28/2025 – State Representative Steve Toth has announced a bid to unseat U.S. Congressman Dan Crenshaw in next year’s Republican primary. While Crenshaw helped secure more than $120 million dollars for dredging in the Lake Houston Area after Harvey to reduce flood risk, Toth voted against bills to create a Lake Houston Dredging District THREE times in five years.
Toth claims that the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF), a powerful Republican think tank, was “also against the bill.” However, a search of the TPPF website turned up no mention of any of the three bills. They included:
HB 2525 in 2021 (by former State Rep. Dan Huberty)
HB 5341 in 2023 (by current State Rep. Charles Cunningham)
HB 1532 in 2025 (also by Cunningham)
I searched the TPPF website for each of the bill numbers (with and without spaces and hyphens). I also searched it for key words such as “dredging” and “Lake Houston.” None of the searches turned up any mention of any of the bills. Moreover, neither of the bills’ authors could recall TPPF taking a stance for or against the bill(s), nor could their chiefs of staff.
Likewise, neither Google, nor ChatGPT, found any public records indicating that TPPF adopted a position against the creation of a Lake Houston Dredging District.
Witness Lists Don’t Support Toth Claim Either
The list of witnesses who addressed the House Natural Resources Committee on HB 2525 in 2021 shows no one from the TPPF. Ditto for the Senate testimony.
In the six full sentences above, I quickly spotted five major issues.
#1 – I can find no public records of TPPF being against any of the dredging bills as discussed above.
#2 – “One more taxing agency.” The 2025 version of the bill (HB 1532) that became law states explicitly that the dredging district cannot levy taxes. Do you really want a representative who doesn’t read the legislation he’s voting on?
#4 – Even if TPPF was against the bill, who cares? Toth is running to represent tens of thousands of Lake Houston Area residents and business people that flooded – not the TPPF. Do you really want a representative who votes against the needs of constituents to curry favor with a think tank in Austin that doesn’t even list flooding as an issue it cares about?
#5 – If the TPPF was against the 2025 bill, why did so many Republicans vote for it? It passed the House by 114 to 19 and the Senate by 30 to 1.
Mr. Toth certainly doesn’t inspire my trust.
No Reply from Toth Yet
Johnna Wells, the lady who elicited the response above from Rep. Toth has invited him to come to Kingwood and address voters on these issues. He indicated a willingness to talk to her, but wouldn’t say when.
In the hall of mirrors that political discourse has become in recent years, it’s important to verify the claims you hear or see.
If Mr. Toth wishes to respond to the observations in this post, I will be happy to print his point of view. But he must start with who at TPPF came out against the bill. What did they say? When? And where? And how can it be verified?
What started out as unexplained votes has quickly morphed into a major trust issue.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/28/2025
2990 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/2019/02/Dredging-e1753753680332.jpg?fit=1100%2C608&ssl=16081100adminadmin2025-07-28 21:24:172025-07-28 22:01:14Explanation of Toth’s Negative Votes on Dredging Bills Not Supported by Evidence
Major Northpark Traffic Change Coming Next Week
7/31/2025 – According to the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority website, contractors will soon move all eastbound traffic on Northpark Drive between Italiano’s and GS Tire & Auto to newly constructed lanes on the south side of the thoroughfare. This will eliminate two major swerves within 3,000 feet and straighten out inbound traffic east of Loop 494.
The Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority website indicates the change will happen on the night of 8/5/2025. However, I have been unable to confirm that.
Photos of Lane-Change Areas Taken Today
All photos below were taken today starting from the east and moving west.
The shift to the south will go past Russell Palmer … all the way to Italiano’s.
After contractors open up the new eastbound lanes, they will shift westbound traffic to the south from NextCare Urgent Care to Russel Palmer. They will then begin demolition of the old westbound lanes between those two points.
Use extra caution as people get used to the changes and as traffic increases with people returning from vacation.
Bore Under Railroad Tracks Still Stalled
For several weeks now, boring for the twin 60″ pipes underneath the UnionPacific Railroad Tracks has been stalled due to the discovery of utility conflicts. The Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority website simply says, “All work on UPRR ROW has been halted due to further unknown conditions found in the field on 7/25/2025.”
The project planners intended to convey excess stormwater west of the tracks under them to the Kingwood Diversion Ditch and Bens Branch. But contractors must resolve the utility conflicts (shown above) and place junction boxes for the drainage in both pits before they can connect the drainage on each side of the tracks.
Loop 494 Progress
Meanwhile contractors have made good progress on Loop 494 both north and south of Northpark.
Looking north from the other side of Northpark…
After crews finish paving the northbound lanes of Loop 494, they will begin the eastbound lanes of Northpark west of Loop 494.
Between 59 and Loop 494
Between Loop 494 and 59, contractors are currently placing junction boxes for drainage underneath where the inbound surface lanes will go. Today, you could see them placing one of the boxes in front of Whataburger.
According to the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority, “They will then move into the center median of Northpark west of LP 494, to begin work on the storm laterals and structures, which include the detention-pond equalizer pipe.” See below.
To see progress since the last update, compare photos in this post from 7/21/2025.
In Other Northpark News
Crews have started preparing the base for what will become new inbound surface lanes just east of the UP Railroad Tracks.
It’s not easy to see how the pieces of this jigsaw puzzle come together when you’re driving. Keep your eyes on the road and check back here periodically for progress reports.
Yesterday, as I came in on Northpark from 59, it took almost a half hour to get the one block from 59 to Loop 494. Because of the construction near Whataburger, inbound traffic was down to one lane for a short while. But it was back open this morning.
Such closures can be hard to predict and frustrating. To the degree you can, I would try to avoid Northpark during construction hours. But also be sensitive to the hardships placed on local merchants. Go out of your way to patronize them when you can.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/31/2025
2893 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Diversion Ditch Study Did Not Consider Obvious Opportunities that Might Have Reduced Costs, Flood Risk
7/30/25 – The Preliminary Engineering Report (PER) of Kingwood Diversion Ditch Conveyance Improvements makes no reference to three obvious detention opportunities that could potentially reduce project costs and help protect people in Kingwood from flooding. Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) commissioned the PER in 2021 after the Kingwood Area Drainage Analysis identified fixing Diversion Ditch issues as one of the top priorities in Kingwood.
Chris Bloch, a local engineer and flood activist says he showed the detention opportunities to HCFCD. However, Neel-Schaffer did not consider them in its report for unknown reasons.
Detention South of River Will Not Help Flooding Along Diversion Ditch
The Neel-Schaffer PER recommended building 405 acre-feet of detention south of the San Jacinto West Fork.
The location south of the river may help people downstream, but it will do nothing to reduce the volume of water flowing down the Diversion Ditch during a major storm.
Detention south of the river will help people farther down the West Fork. But Bloch points out that locating detention along the Diversion Ditch would help both Kingwood residents and others downstream.
Overview: Three Stormwater Detention Opportunities Inside Kingwood
Bloch consulted with Stan Sarman before Sarman’s untimely death several years ago. Sarman was one of the consulting engineers who designed Kingwood’s original drainage for Friendswood. Bloch says that he and Sarman identified several recommendations to improve Kingwood drainage. From north to south, they include:
According to Bloch, these alternatives could provide far more capacity than the 405-acre feet that Neel-Schaffer says it needs – especially if combined with some channel-widening opportunities. I will discuss channel widening in a future post. But first, let’s look closer at these three.
Opportunity #1
Neel-Schaffer evidently didn’t look at anything north of the Harris/Montgomery County line. Since Neel-Schaffer released its PER, the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority announced plans to build 100 acre-feet of detention in the area where the Diversion Ditch splits off from Bens Branch just north of Northpark. That’s a quarter of the needed 405 acre-feet right there.
Opportunity #2
Removing the berm between the Kings Mill and Kings Manor ditches and increasing the width and depth of the combined ditches would provide another 100 acre-feet of detention capacity. Both ditches are owned by Montgomery County Municipal Utility Districts.
Kings Mill is under fire to reduce runoff due to the new high-density Northpark Enclave development. Construction plans show runoff entering the Northpark evacuation route during extreme high-water events.
Plus, additional Enclave runoff will further reduce Diversion-Ditch capacity. Parts of the Diversion Ditch have a 50% chance of flooding every year.
Opportunity #2 could help mitigate both Enclave and Diversion-Ditch capacity issues.
Opportunity #3
Neel-Schaffer recommends extending the Diversion Ditch from below Deer Ridge Park to the West Fork – without forcing it to make an S-turn through River Grove Park.
That coincides with one of the recommendations originally made by Sarman and Bloch. But Sarman and Bloch also called for construction of a large pond at the outfall location. This pond would slow water velocities exiting the Diversion Ditch and provide a sediment-settling area before the water enters the River.
Depending on the configuration, such a pond could provide another 80 to 100 acre-feet of inline detention.
High Cost of Detention South of River
Those three alternatives alone could provide approximately three quarters of the needed detention and reduce flood risk for more than 500 residents who flooded near the Diversion Ditch during Harvey.
Bloch and Sarman identified other opportunities within the ditch to expand capacity. They could easily bring the total to far more than the 405 acre-feet needed.
Neel-Schaffer makes a frank confession about its detention recommendation south of the West Fork on page 38 of its Preliminary Engineering Review. It says that…
Yet the projected cost of the basin they proposed is between a quarter and a third of total project costs – almost $15 million out of $55 million. In fairness, Neel-Schaffer says on the same page, “Due to limited effectiveness and significant cost, the recommended detention basin should be further examined during final design.”
Final Design Getting Underway
On May 8, 2025, Harris County Commissioners Court approved a motion to advertise final design and construction of the diversion ditch project for bids. However, an engineering design firm has not yet been selected.
When they are, I hope they evaluate some of these recommendations.
A transmittal from HCFCD Executive Director Dr. Tina Petersen shows that the EPA and Texas Water Development Board have apparently pledged $7 million to the project. That won’t cover much construction. So, Petersen says HCFCD will continue to look for more grants. Her timeline shows construction starting in mid-2028…if she can find the money.
These recommendations may help make the project more affordable.
Posted by Bob Rehak 7/30/25
2892 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Explanation of Toth’s Negative Votes on Dredging Bills Not Supported by Evidence
7/28/2025 – State Representative Steve Toth has announced a bid to unseat U.S. Congressman Dan Crenshaw in next year’s Republican primary. While Crenshaw helped secure more than $120 million dollars for dredging in the Lake Houston Area after Harvey to reduce flood risk, Toth voted against bills to create a Lake Houston Dredging District THREE times in five years.
Toth claims that the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF), a powerful Republican think tank, was “also against the bill.” However, a search of the TPPF website turned up no mention of any of the three bills. They included:
I searched the TPPF website for each of the bill numbers (with and without spaces and hyphens). I also searched it for key words such as “dredging” and “Lake Houston.” None of the searches turned up any mention of any of the bills. Moreover, neither of the bills’ authors could recall TPPF taking a stance for or against the bill(s), nor could their chiefs of staff.
Likewise, neither Google, nor ChatGPT, found any public records indicating that TPPF adopted a position against the creation of a Lake Houston Dredging District.
Witness Lists Don’t Support Toth Claim Either
The list of witnesses who addressed the House Natural Resources Committee on HB 2525 in 2021 shows no one from the TPPF. Ditto for the Senate testimony.
I could find only two public comments in 2023 – both written and neither from TPPF.
The same holds true for HB 1532 in 2025. No comments from TPPF in the House, nor in the Senate!
The only people who ever testified against any of the three versions of the Dredging District bills represented water authorities, not TPPF.
Error-Ridden Defense of Negative Votes
A close examination of Rep. Toth’s defense of his negative votes shows other troubling issues, too. See below.
Five Issues in Six Sentences
In the six full sentences above, I quickly spotted five major issues.
Mr. Toth certainly doesn’t inspire my trust.
No Reply from Toth Yet
Johnna Wells, the lady who elicited the response above from Rep. Toth has invited him to come to Kingwood and address voters on these issues. He indicated a willingness to talk to her, but wouldn’t say when.
In the hall of mirrors that political discourse has become in recent years, it’s important to verify the claims you hear or see.
If Mr. Toth wishes to respond to the observations in this post, I will be happy to print his point of view. But he must start with who at TPPF came out against the bill. What did they say? When? And where? And how can it be verified?
What started out as unexplained votes has quickly morphed into a major trust issue.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/28/2025
2990 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.