The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers should begin dredging the West Fork of the San Jacinto River next week. The Corps expected to begin dredging this week, but a part failure for one of the dredges caused a slight delay. A replacement part is being remanufactured and shipped to the command site. The replacement part will help hold the dredge in place during operations and should arrive within days.
First dredge has been moved into river and is awaiting one final part.
With the exception of the replacement part, the first dredge is now virtually completed. It is 27 feet wide, 90 feet long and weighs 270 tons.
Second Dredge Also Now In the Water
A second dredge is also nearing completion. It is electrically powered and has also entered the river for final assembly. No pictures of it are available at this time. In the meantime, the rest of the operation is proceeding as scheduled.
4.5 Miles of Pipe
Workers have welded and weighted 4.5 miles – or almost 24,000 feet – of 24-inch dredge pipe made from 40-foot sections. The pipe will pump sand and sediment back to storage pits (placement sites) on both the north and south sides of the San Jacinto river. Each string of pipe is 1000 feet long. Booster pumps will connect the strings to keep sediment moving up-river and uphill.
Dredge pipe being moved into the West Fork of the San Jacinto in preparation for the start of dredging. Each of these strings is 1000 feet long. They weigh hundreds of thousands of pounds. These 24-inch-diameter pipes will eventually move more than 1.8 million cubic yards of sediment to two placement areas.
A tender boat moves dredging pipeline into place along the banks of the San Jacinto river. Approximately 4.5 miles of 1,000 – foot sections of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Pipe is being positioned for use next week when dredging should begin.
Even though the start date has been delayed, the date for completion has not.
Dredging Safety Warning
Jet skiers and recreational boaters have been sighted in the vicinity of the dredge command site. Dredging safety officers are asking West Fork San Jacinto recreational boaters to stay clear of submerged pipes and dredge platforms.
Stay away from this section of the river for your own safety. Even though you may be able to see operators, they may not be looking out for you as they struggle to move equipment weighing hundreds of tons. Operators are focused on their job, not you.
As the operational tempo of this project increases, so will the risk of accidents. So please keep your distance.
Posted September 8, 2018 by Bob Rehak
375 Days since Hurricane Harvey
00adminadmin2018-09-07 18:05:432018-09-08 11:03:22Dredging Almost Ready to Begin
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 at a meeting of the Lake Houston Area Grassroots Flood Prevention Initiative on September 17. Zeve will also address 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. Under his direction, the District carries out its mission to devise countywide flood damage reduction plans, implement those plans, and maintain the infrastructure.
That mission is executed in the third most populated county in the United States, with a population in excess of 4.5 million, which includes the City of Houston, the nation’s fourth largest city. 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.
Help Shape Agenda
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 7, 2018 by Bob Rehak
374 Days since Hurricane Harvey
00adminadmin2018-09-07 15:48:162018-09-07 16:43:44Mark Your Calendar: Flood Control Director to Address Kingwood Issues on September 17
My apologies. On Wednesday, I posted about easements along Ben’s Branch and Taylor Gulley. The story said that the City of Houston had finally sent long-awaiting documents to Harris County Flood Control that would allow the County to assume maintenance of those areas. It was based on assurances from a source at the City that the documents had finally been sent to the County.
However, different documents actually arrived at the County. They covered a small portion of Taylor Gulley and a small drainage ditch in King’s Forest that parallels Valley Manor west of Kingwood High School.
Like many of the drainage ditches in Kingwood, after annexation, this ditch west of Valley Manor and Kingwood High School fell into a maintenance black hole. The County has now received an easement from the City of Houston that will allow it to maintain the ditch.
Here are maps of the two areas for which documentation has actually been sent to Harris County:
My source at the City now says, “I am working with the legal team to have a full update on all the outstanding channels as well as have requested the expedited completion of Bens Branch.”
To see an interactive map of Harris County drainage projects in Kingwood, go to the Harris County Flood Control District website and see the Kingwood section.
Posted by Bob Rehak on September 7, 2018
374 Days since Hurricane Harvey
00adminadmin2018-09-07 07:49:542018-09-07 07:53:22Correction on Post about Ben’s Branch and Taylor Gulley
Dredging Almost Ready to Begin
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers should begin dredging the West Fork of the San Jacinto River next week. The Corps expected to begin dredging this week, but a part failure for one of the dredges caused a slight delay. A replacement part is being remanufactured and shipped to the command site. The replacement part will help hold the dredge in place during operations and should arrive within days.
First dredge has been moved into river and is awaiting one final part.
With the exception of the replacement part, the first dredge is now virtually completed. It is 27 feet wide, 90 feet long and weighs 270 tons.
Second Dredge Also Now In the Water
A second dredge is also nearing completion. It is electrically powered and has also entered the river for final assembly. No pictures of it are available at this time. In the meantime, the rest of the operation is proceeding as scheduled.
4.5 Miles of Pipe
Workers have welded and weighted 4.5 miles – or almost 24,000 feet – of 24-inch dredge pipe made from 40-foot sections. The pipe will pump sand and sediment back to storage pits (placement sites) on both the north and south sides of the San Jacinto river. Each string of pipe is 1000 feet long. Booster pumps will connect the strings to keep sediment moving up-river and uphill.
Dredge pipe being moved into the West Fork of the San Jacinto in preparation for the start of dredging. Each of these strings is 1000 feet long. They weigh hundreds of thousands of pounds. These 24-inch-diameter pipes will eventually move more than 1.8 million cubic yards of sediment to two placement areas.
A tender boat moves dredging pipeline into place along the banks of the San Jacinto river. Approximately 4.5 miles of 1,000 – foot sections of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Pipe is being positioned for use next week when dredging should begin.
Even though the start date has been delayed, the date for completion has not.
Dredging Safety Warning
Jet skiers and recreational boaters have been sighted in the vicinity of the dredge command site. Dredging safety officers are asking West Fork San Jacinto recreational boaters to stay clear of submerged pipes and dredge platforms.
Stay away from this section of the river for your own safety. Even though you may be able to see operators, they may not be looking out for you as they struggle to move equipment weighing hundreds of tons. Operators are focused on their job, not you.
As the operational tempo of this project increases, so will the risk of accidents. So please keep your distance.
Posted September 8, 2018 by Bob Rehak
375 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Mark Your Calendar: Flood Control Director to Address Kingwood Issues on September 17
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 at a meeting of the Lake Houston Area Grassroots Flood Prevention Initiative on September 17. Zeve will also address 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. Under his direction, the District carries out its mission to devise countywide flood damage reduction plans, implement those plans, and maintain the infrastructure.
That mission is executed in the third most populated county in the United States, with a population in excess of 4.5 million, which includes the City of Houston, the nation’s fourth largest city. 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.
Help Shape Agenda
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 7, 2018 by Bob Rehak
374 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Correction on Post about Ben’s Branch and Taylor Gulley
My apologies. On Wednesday, I posted about easements along Ben’s Branch and Taylor Gulley. The story said that the City of Houston had finally sent long-awaiting documents to Harris County Flood Control that would allow the County to assume maintenance of those areas. It was based on assurances from a source at the City that the documents had finally been sent to the County.
However, different documents actually arrived at the County. They covered a small portion of Taylor Gulley and a small drainage ditch in King’s Forest that parallels Valley Manor west of Kingwood High School.
Like many of the drainage ditches in Kingwood, after annexation, this ditch west of Valley Manor and Kingwood High School fell into a maintenance black hole. The County has now received an easement from the City of Houston that will allow it to maintain the ditch.
Here are maps of the two areas for which documentation has actually been sent to Harris County:
My source at the City now says, “I am working with the legal team to have a full update on all the outstanding channels as well as have requested the expedited completion of Bens Branch.”
To see an interactive map of Harris County drainage projects in Kingwood, go to the Harris County Flood Control District website and see the Kingwood section.
Posted by Bob Rehak on September 7, 2018
374 Days since Hurricane Harvey