Ever since Hurricane Harvey departed the Houston region more than a year ago, anxious residents have waited for this day. Today dredges begin removing massive amounts of sediment blocking the West Fork of the San Jacinto River. The Army Corps conducted a survey that confirmed the sediment contributed to flooding. But it has taken virtually six months to bid the project, award the job, and mobilize.
The first dredge has left it’s dock at the command site for the Emergency West Fork Dredging Project. Photo courtesy of Lake Houston Area Chamber of Commerce.
This morning, the first dredge left its dock.
As late as yesterday afternoon, workers were busy preparing it.
Final prep on first dredge happened on Tuesday, September 18.
Cranes loaded final supplies onto dredges at the US Army Corps of Engineers Command Site on September 18, 2018 for the Emergency West Fork Dredging Project.
Overcoming Delays
In the last few weeks, the Corps experienced several delays. First a key part for the first dredge had to be remanufactured and shipped to the job site. Then heavy storms swarmed the Houston area last week. Because the cranes above act like lightening rods, every time thunder was heard, work had to stop until the threat passed.
Finally, as other equipment such as dredge pipe and booster pumps were moved down the river into position, it became apparent that additional sedimentation had clogged the river since the Corps did its initial survey. That meant that sediment had to be removed before the dredges could get into position to start dredging.
Here are two pictures that show the depth of the pontoons on the barge and one of the areas it must move through.
Note the depth of the pontoons on the barge; image taken several weeks ago when dredge was being assembled..
It must move through water as little as 18 inches deep to get to its starting position.
A giant sandbar almost completely blocks the west fork of the San Jacinto River just downstream from River Grove Park.
Clearing the Way
The Corps stated Monday that mechanical dredges were scooping out a channel for the hydraulic dredges and on Tuesday, this scoop was seen between River Grove and the blockage above.
Clearing the way for the hydraulic dredges
Starting at West Lake Houston Parkway and Moving Back Upstream to River Grove
According to the Corps, dredging will start in the Kings Harbor area, slightly east of the West Lake Houston Parkway Bridge. Work will then progress upriver toward River Grove Park in Kingwood, the end of this particular project.
Plans for Subsequent Phases Still Uncertain
No one has yet announced plans to dredge the mouth bar, the East Fork or to perform maintenance dredging after all of the major blockages have been removed.
For those who wonder how this dredging will work, the dredges stir up sediment then suction it into pipelines that are miles long. Booster pumps stationed at regular intervals keep the slurry moving through the pipes back upstream to old sand pits where it will be stored.
How Dredging Works
This picture shows the business end of the second dredge.
This object will be lowered into the water and rotate to stir up sediment which will then be suctioned into pipelines that carry the slurry back to placement areas.
Dredge pipeline is already in place.
Periodic booster pumps will keep slurry moving upriver to disposal areas.
Safety Warning
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers requests recreational boaters to stay a safe distance from dredging operations. This equipment weighs hundreds of tons and cannot maneuver as quickly as recreational boaters. Don’t expect them to get out of your way. The safest thing to do is to stay out of this reach of the river until dredging has completed.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/19/18
386 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/20180918_175217-e1537374027803.jpg?fit=1500%2C844&ssl=18441500adminadmin2018-09-19 10:56:282018-09-19 15:39:15First Dredge Moves Down River
Matt Zeve, Bill Fowler and I each made presentations at the Lake Houston Area Grassroots Flood Prevention initiative this evening.
Zeve Addresses Flood Bond and Flood Map Updates
Zeve, Director of Operations for Harris County Flood Control District spoke about the recently approved $2.5 billion Harris County Flood Bond and updates to flood maps. He indicated that timetables for projects should be completed within the next several weeks. He also indicated that the county has already approved drainage work in Huffman and fielded numerous questions from the audience about Taylor Gully, Ben’s Branch, upstream detention and more. Zeve expects flood maps to be updated in 2021 and stated that mitigation efforts could affect those, but that homeowners will have a chance to appeal them.
Rehak Presents Updates on Dredging, The Mouth Bar and Sand Mining
Bob Rehak updated residents on .Dredging, The Mouth Bar and Sand Mining. Dredging, he says, officially started today though not in the way that some expected. The first of two dredges launched today, a 270-ton diesel powered dredge. The launch had been delayed by a key part that had to be remanufactured and reshipped, then inclement weather. The tall construction cranes had to shut down every time lightning was heard in the area because they act like lightning rods. When the dredge finally started making it’s way downriver today, a mechanical dredge had to clear the way. The river was 18 inches deep in places but the dredge draws 3.5 feet of water. That’s how bad the sedimentation was; we needed a dredge for the dredge.
Dredging will take place to the left of the white line, but not to the right. Chimichurri’s in Kings Harbor is the dividing line. Those thousands of numbers on the image represent survey points by the Army Corps Average depth around the mouth bar is 1-3 feet. Max depth is 5 feet in some cross sections. Water will actually have to flow uphill about 40 feet to get past the mouth bar.
Dredging will start near Chimichurri’s just east of West Lake Houston Parkway. The Corps and Great Lakes will then work their way back toward River Grove Park. They expect to finish dredging by April 1, next year. Demobilization could take until early May.
Rehak also addressed the issue of the mouth bar and updated residents on political efforts by City, County, State and Federal officials to jumpstart the next phase of dredging before this one ends so that $18 million in mobilization and demobilization fees do not have to be duplicated for a second job. No plans have gelled yet, but Houston City Council Member Dave Martin may have an announcement to make at his Town Hall Meeting on October 9.
The final part of Rehak’s presentation addressed efforts to reduce sedimentation at its source to reduce the cost of dredging over the long run. Potential solutions include upstream detention, sand traps, and legislation or regulation that changes the way sand mines operate. Rehak specifically mentioned that moving sand mines out of the floodway would solve a host of problems.
Grassroots Co-Chair Clarifies Lake-Lowering Policies, Floodgate Possibilities, and Need for Flood Insurance
Bill Fowler, co-chair of the Lake Houston Area Grassroots Flood Prevention Initiative, opened the meeting by updating the community on policies to coordinate the lowering of Lake Conroe and Lake Houston to provide residents with extra protection from flooding when severe weather is expected. Fowler also gave an update on additional flood gates for Lake Houston. Then he discussed flood insurance and the related issue of redrawing flood plain maps which Harvey made obsolete. Copies of Fowler’s presentations can be found here.
Zeve did not work from a presentation. His remarks were supported by material from the Harris County Flood Control District website. He did, however, specifically urge residents to review the ever expanding Kingwood section of the site.
Diverse Audience of Approximately 200
Approximately 200 residents attended the meeting. Surprisingly, about a third of those did not flood during Harvey. The large turnout by non-flooded residents may have had to do with the flood insurance theme. Fowler emphasized that everyone needs flood insurance;
45 percent of the people who flooded in Harvey were outside of the 500-year flood plain and 64% of those did not have flood insurance.
Thanks to Volunteers
Many thanks to Dianne Lansden, also a co-chair for the Lake Houston Area Grassroots Flood Prevention Initiative for coordinating the meeting; Fran Barrack for refreshments and Bill McCabe for sign ins.
Posted by Bob Rehak on September 18, 2018
385 Days since Hurricane Harvey
00adminadmin2018-09-18 00:08:102018-09-18 00:08:59Report on September Meeting of Lake Houston Area Grassroots Flood Prevention Initiative
The next meeting of the Lake Houston Area Grassroots Flood Prevention initiative will be Monday night, 6:30pm, at the Kingwood Community Center.
Matt Zeve, Deputy Executive Director for the Harris County Flood Control District, will discuss Lake Houston area projects approved in the recent County Flood Bond. Zeve will also address planned updates to Flood Plain Maps. The new maps could lead to increases in flood insurance rates and affect your home’s market value.
Meeting Specifics
Date: September 17, 2018
Time: 6:30 – 8:30
Place: Kingwood Community Center
Address: 4102 Rustic Woods, Kingwood
Matt Zeve. Director of Operations for Harris County Flood Control District
About Matt Zeve
Zeve is the Deputy Executive Director for the Harris County Flood Control District. He will be one of the people primarily responsible for planning and implementing the projects covered by the recently approved $2.5 billion Flood Bond program..
His work will affect 4.5 million people in Harris County, including the City of Houston. The District has jurisdiction over the primary stormwater facilities in the county, which consist of about 1,500 channels, totaling 2,500 miles in length, as well as more than 60 regional stormwater detention basins and a 2.5-square mile wetlands mitigation bank.
After graduating from Texas A&M University with Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering, Zeve successfully practiced engineering as a consultant in the private sector before joining the Harris County Flood Control District in November, 2015. He has spent his entire professional career working on drainage projects primarily in the Houston Metropolitan area.
Updates on Other Flood Issues
Additionally, Grass Roots leaders will update the community on other issues affecting the potential for flooding in the Lake Houston Area, such as additional flood gates for Lake Houston, dredging, sand mines, lowering of Lakes Conroe and Houston, and more.
If you have specific questions or concerns, please email them ahead of time so the group can prepare to address them. Send suggestions to: Bill Fowler, co-chair of the Grass Roots Initiative at txwil43@yahoo.com.
Spread the Word
Please forward this page t0 everyone you know in our area. Flood prevention impacts the peace of mind and economic well-being of everyone.
Posted September 16, 2018 by Bob Rehak
383 Days since Hurricane Harvey
00adminadmin2018-09-16 18:34:142018-09-16 18:41:22Reminder: Monday Night Meeting of Grassroots Flood Prevention Initiative
First Dredge Moves Down River
Ever since Hurricane Harvey departed the Houston region more than a year ago, anxious residents have waited for this day. Today dredges begin removing massive amounts of sediment blocking the West Fork of the San Jacinto River. The Army Corps conducted a survey that confirmed the sediment contributed to flooding. But it has taken virtually six months to bid the project, award the job, and mobilize.
The first dredge has left it’s dock at the command site for the Emergency West Fork Dredging Project. Photo courtesy of Lake Houston Area Chamber of Commerce.
This morning, the first dredge left its dock.
As late as yesterday afternoon, workers were busy preparing it.
Final prep on first dredge happened on Tuesday, September 18.
Cranes loaded final supplies onto dredges at the US Army Corps of Engineers Command Site on September 18, 2018 for the Emergency West Fork Dredging Project.
Overcoming Delays
In the last few weeks, the Corps experienced several delays. First a key part for the first dredge had to be remanufactured and shipped to the job site. Then heavy storms swarmed the Houston area last week. Because the cranes above act like lightening rods, every time thunder was heard, work had to stop until the threat passed.
Finally, as other equipment such as dredge pipe and booster pumps were moved down the river into position, it became apparent that additional sedimentation had clogged the river since the Corps did its initial survey. That meant that sediment had to be removed before the dredges could get into position to start dredging.
Here are two pictures that show the depth of the pontoons on the barge and one of the areas it must move through.
Note the depth of the pontoons on the barge; image taken several weeks ago when dredge was being assembled..
It must move through water as little as 18 inches deep to get to its starting position.
A giant sandbar almost completely blocks the west fork of the San Jacinto River just downstream from River Grove Park.
Clearing the Way
The Corps stated Monday that mechanical dredges were scooping out a channel for the hydraulic dredges and on Tuesday, this scoop was seen between River Grove and the blockage above.
Clearing the way for the hydraulic dredges
Starting at West Lake Houston Parkway and Moving Back Upstream to River Grove
According to the Corps, dredging will start in the Kings Harbor area, slightly east of the West Lake Houston Parkway Bridge. Work will then progress upriver toward River Grove Park in Kingwood, the end of this particular project.
Plans for Subsequent Phases Still Uncertain
No one has yet announced plans to dredge the mouth bar, the East Fork or to perform maintenance dredging after all of the major blockages have been removed.
For those who wonder how this dredging will work, the dredges stir up sediment then suction it into pipelines that are miles long. Booster pumps stationed at regular intervals keep the slurry moving through the pipes back upstream to old sand pits where it will be stored.
How Dredging Works
This picture shows the business end of the second dredge.
This object will be lowered into the water and rotate to stir up sediment which will then be suctioned into pipelines that carry the slurry back to placement areas.
Dredge pipeline is already in place.
Periodic booster pumps will keep slurry moving upriver to disposal areas.
Safety Warning
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers requests recreational boaters to stay a safe distance from dredging operations. This equipment weighs hundreds of tons and cannot maneuver as quickly as recreational boaters. Don’t expect them to get out of your way. The safest thing to do is to stay out of this reach of the river until dredging has completed.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/19/18
386 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Report on September Meeting of Lake Houston Area Grassroots Flood Prevention Initiative
Matt Zeve, Bill Fowler and I each made presentations at the Lake Houston Area Grassroots Flood Prevention initiative this evening.
Zeve Addresses Flood Bond and Flood Map Updates
Zeve, Director of Operations for Harris County Flood Control District spoke about the recently approved $2.5 billion Harris County Flood Bond and updates to flood maps. He indicated that timetables for projects should be completed within the next several weeks. He also indicated that the county has already approved drainage work in Huffman and fielded numerous questions from the audience about Taylor Gully, Ben’s Branch, upstream detention and more. Zeve expects flood maps to be updated in 2021 and stated that mitigation efforts could affect those, but that homeowners will have a chance to appeal them.
Rehak Presents Updates on Dredging, The Mouth Bar and Sand Mining
Bob Rehak updated residents on .Dredging, The Mouth Bar and Sand Mining. Dredging, he says, officially started today though not in the way that some expected. The first of two dredges launched today, a 270-ton diesel powered dredge. The launch had been delayed by a key part that had to be remanufactured and reshipped, then inclement weather. The tall construction cranes had to shut down every time lightning was heard in the area because they act like lightning rods. When the dredge finally started making it’s way downriver today, a mechanical dredge had to clear the way. The river was 18 inches deep in places but the dredge draws 3.5 feet of water. That’s how bad the sedimentation was; we needed a dredge for the dredge.
Dredging will take place to the left of the white line, but not to the right. Chimichurri’s in Kings Harbor is the dividing line. Those thousands of numbers on the image represent survey points by the Army Corps Average depth around the mouth bar is 1-3 feet. Max depth is 5 feet in some cross sections. Water will actually have to flow uphill about 40 feet to get past the mouth bar.
Dredging will start near Chimichurri’s just east of West Lake Houston Parkway. The Corps and Great Lakes will then work their way back toward River Grove Park. They expect to finish dredging by April 1, next year. Demobilization could take until early May.
Rehak also addressed the issue of the mouth bar and updated residents on political efforts by City, County, State and Federal officials to jumpstart the next phase of dredging before this one ends so that $18 million in mobilization and demobilization fees do not have to be duplicated for a second job. No plans have gelled yet, but Houston City Council Member Dave Martin may have an announcement to make at his Town Hall Meeting on October 9.
The final part of Rehak’s presentation addressed efforts to reduce sedimentation at its source to reduce the cost of dredging over the long run. Potential solutions include upstream detention, sand traps, and legislation or regulation that changes the way sand mines operate. Rehak specifically mentioned that moving sand mines out of the floodway would solve a host of problems.
Grassroots Co-Chair Clarifies Lake-Lowering Policies, Floodgate Possibilities, and Need for Flood Insurance
Bill Fowler, co-chair of the Lake Houston Area Grassroots Flood Prevention Initiative, opened the meeting by updating the community on policies to coordinate the lowering of Lake Conroe and Lake Houston to provide residents with extra protection from flooding when severe weather is expected. Fowler also gave an update on additional flood gates for Lake Houston. Then he discussed flood insurance and the related issue of redrawing flood plain maps which Harvey made obsolete. Copies of Fowler’s presentations can be found here.
Zeve did not work from a presentation. His remarks were supported by material from the Harris County Flood Control District website. He did, however, specifically urge residents to review the ever expanding Kingwood section of the site.
Diverse Audience of Approximately 200
Approximately 200 residents attended the meeting. Surprisingly, about a third of those did not flood during Harvey. The large turnout by non-flooded residents may have had to do with the flood insurance theme. Fowler emphasized that everyone needs flood insurance;
Thanks to Volunteers
Many thanks to Dianne Lansden, also a co-chair for the Lake Houston Area Grassroots Flood Prevention Initiative for coordinating the meeting; Fran Barrack for refreshments and Bill McCabe for sign ins.
Posted by Bob Rehak on September 18, 2018
385 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Reminder: Monday Night Meeting of Grassroots Flood Prevention Initiative
The next meeting of the Lake Houston Area Grassroots Flood Prevention initiative will be Monday night, 6:30pm, at the Kingwood Community Center.
Matt Zeve, Deputy Executive Director for the Harris County Flood Control District, will discuss Lake Houston area projects approved in the recent County Flood Bond. Zeve will also address planned updates to Flood Plain Maps. The new maps could lead to increases in flood insurance rates and affect your home’s market value.
Meeting Specifics
Matt Zeve. Director of Operations for Harris County Flood Control District
About Matt Zeve
Zeve is the Deputy Executive Director for the Harris County Flood Control District. He will be one of the people primarily responsible for planning and implementing the projects covered by the recently approved $2.5 billion Flood Bond program..
His work will affect 4.5 million people in Harris County, including the City of Houston. The District has jurisdiction over the primary stormwater facilities in the county, which consist of about 1,500 channels, totaling 2,500 miles in length, as well as more than 60 regional stormwater detention basins and a 2.5-square mile wetlands mitigation bank.
After graduating from Texas A&M University with Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering, Zeve successfully practiced engineering as a consultant in the private sector before joining the Harris County Flood Control District in November, 2015. He has spent his entire professional career working on drainage projects primarily in the Houston Metropolitan area.
Updates on Other Flood Issues
Additionally, Grass Roots leaders will update the community on other issues affecting the potential for flooding in the Lake Houston Area, such as additional flood gates for Lake Houston, dredging, sand mines, lowering of Lakes Conroe and Houston, and more.
If you have specific questions or concerns, please email them ahead of time so the group can prepare to address them. Send suggestions to: Bill Fowler, co-chair of the Grass Roots Initiative at txwil43@yahoo.com.
Spread the Word
Please forward this page t0 everyone you know in our area. Flood prevention impacts the peace of mind and economic well-being of everyone.
Posted September 16, 2018 by Bob Rehak
383 Days since Hurricane Harvey