The countdown has begun to D-Day – Dredging Day. D-Day is still a month away, but things are changing on the ground. Finally. Mobilization has begun for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Emergency Dredging Project on the West Fork of the San Jacinto.
During the last week, the winning bidder has been out surveying the lake, planning the job, and ordering equipment and materials. Now the hard work has started.
Roads are being built to the staging area. Equipment is being installed. Pipeline is being laid. For all those who doubted this day would ever come, here are the pictures that prove it’s happening.
Building a road to the launch site. All photos courtesy of the US Army Corps of Engineers
Grading the road.
Dock area shaping up.
Containers and heavy equipment arriving.
Generators in tow.
Heavy equipment and dredge pipe.
What to Expect When
Right now, crews are setting up the staging area. This week, pipeline arrives and crews will begin installing it. By August 18, two dredges will arrive in pieces by truck. Crews will then begin assembling and launching them.
On August 20, general debris removal will begin. By September 1, the dredges should be sucking sand out of the river and pumping it into placement sites. That process will continue until next April.
Phase Two?
At that point, unless funding has been approved to extend the dredging to include the mouth bar, the contractor, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock will begin removing its equipment from the river and cleaning up after themselves.
The cost of mobilization and demobilization – $17,900,000 out of approximately $69,800,000 – represents almost exactly 25% of the contract. The time also represents about 25% of the total time allotted.
For Your Own Safety…
For safety reasons, the Army Corps respectfully requests the public to stay away from the staging area. The amount of heavy equipment in use and the fast pace of work make this important. The Corps is not publishing details of the staging area’s location, though that will soon become apparent due to the increase in traffic. Just remember, these people have a large job to do and little time to do it. Please respect the demands on their time and respect the perimeter of the job site for your own safety. In the next eight months, they will move enough sand to fill up the Astrodome and then some.
Posted by Bob Rehak on July 31, 2018
336 Days since Hurricane Harvey
00adminadmin2018-07-31 20:51:312018-08-01 09:00:21Mobilization in Full Swing For Army Corps Dredging Project
On August 1, the City of Houston Public Works Department, the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) and the Coastal Water Authority (CWA) plan to begin lowering the level of Lake Conroe as part of a joint operations plan to mitigate flooding threats during the peak of hurricane season. The plan calls for lowering Lake Conroe gradually through small releases – about an inch a day – until the lake level reaches 199 msl (mean feet above sea level).
Intent of gradual lowering of Lake Conroe is to avoid another 79,000 cubic-feet-per-second release rate as we experienced during Harvey. Until normal flow is restored to the West Fork, Lake Conroe will be lowered temporarily and seasonally to mitigate flood risk.
Lake Conroe to Be Lowered 2 Feet Through September
This initial lowering will last through the end of September to create additional storage in Lake Conroe which could delay releases and minimize release rates during a storm, thereby providing a buffer against flooding for residents who live downstream of the dam.
The next lowering would occur during the peak of the spring rainy season – from April 1 – May 31, 2019. However, that lowering would only be by a foot – to 200 msl, because the rain threat is usually lower in spring.
Only Until Dredging Restores River’s Flow
The joint operations plan calls for continuing to lower Lake Conroe seasonally in this manner while the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredges the West Fork of the San Jacinto to restore flow.
Hurricane Harvey deposited tremendous amounts of silt in the West Fork which physically changed the river’s ability to safely pass water during storms. Hence, the dredging.
Phase-One Dredging Has Already Started
Phase one will go from River Grove Park to the West Lake Houston Parkway bridge. Great Lakes, the contractor hired by the Corps, has 269 more days to complete the initial phase.
Mobilization and demobilization comprise 25 percent of the total phase one project costs (approximately $18 million out of almost $70 million). Having phase two ready to start before phase one ends could save that money, creating extra value for taxpayers and enabling even more dredging, say for instance, on the East Fork.
Temporary Lake Conroe Lowering Could Last Up to 3 Years
The City, SJRA, and CWA will continue the seasonal lowerings for up to three three years. They will monitor progress of the dredging and annually re-evaluate the need to lower Lake Conroe. If the river’s flow is restored before three years, the temporary lowering would cease.
Lakes will Operate under Two Different Strategies
LAKE CONROE
Lake Conroe is located upstream from Lake Houston. Large pre-releases immediately before a storm run the risk of pushing water into Lake Houston at a rate that could flood residents. Therefore, the SJRA will release at a much more gradual, controlled rate and maintain the lower level until the largest flood threat passes.
LAKE HOUSTON
Lake Houston, as the lowest lake on the river system, can pre-release more safely. Therefore CWA will pre-release from Lake Houston if the National Weather Service predicts more than 3 inches of rain within the San Jacinto River basin in a 48-hour period. Coastal Water Authority will lower Lake Houston to 41.5 feet from its normal elevation of 42.5 feet.
To track lake levels visit:
Lake Conroe – www.sjra.net
Lake Houston – www.coastalwaterauthority.org
4 Million People Depend on City for Water
Lake Conroe and Lake Houston comprise two of the largest parts of the City’s drinking water system. More than 4 million Houstonians and residents of the greater Houston region rely on water provided by the City.
Posted by Bob Rehak on July 30, 2018
335 Days since Hurricane Harvey
00adminadmin2018-07-30 22:49:512020-01-17 10:03:56Seasonal Lowering of Lake Conroe Begins August 1
When considering property tax implications of the proposed $2.5 billion flood bond, start with how much you currently pay in Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) taxes. Hint: It’s very little.
Only about 1.4% of Typical Property Tax Bill Currently Goes to Flood Control
Only about 1.4% of the average annual property tax bill now goes to Flood Control. The rest funds schools, cities, hospitals, law enforcement, etc. How much you currently pay each year in flood control taxes depends on your home’s value and your exemptions. See some representative costs below.
What homes assessed at representative price points will pay in additional taxes if the Harris County Flood Control Bond passes.
Amount Will Vary Depending on Age, Assessment and Exemptions
If your home is assessed at $200,000 and you are under 65, you pay only $45 annually for flood control. If over 65 in that same home, you pay no flood control taxes.
In a worst-case scenario, Harris County says the flood-control portionof your taxes would double. Would doubling one of the numbers above create a hardship for you? Or would it help you sleep better?
Remember, any increase applies only to the flood control portion of your tax bill, not the entire bill.
Less than Cost of Flood Insurance
Any increase would be gradual. Bonds are only sold when projects are ready to start. Harris County expects no increase at all until 2020 at the earliest.
Flood Control improvements cost much less than flood insurance. And unlike flood insurance, they might actually prevent your home from being damaged.
Protecting Home and Community Values
Once implemented, the flood mitigation measures in the bond package will help make our entire community more resistant to flooding. That’s important. It helps protect your home’s value, your schools, businesses, roads, bridges and other infrastructure. That helps keep your community growing and makes it attractive for people looking to relocate. In the long run, rising home values will pay you back many times over for your investment in flood control. So send a signal to the world that we’re willing to invest in our future.
How to Check Your Current Assessed Value
To see how much you pay right now, go to hcad.org, click on “Property Search”, then “Real Property” followed by “Search by Address.”
Posted by Bill Fowler on July 29, 2018
334 Days since Hurricane Harvey
00adminadmin2018-07-27 22:21:572018-07-29 10:26:43How Much Would the Flood Bond Cost You?
Mobilization in Full Swing For Army Corps Dredging Project
The countdown has begun to D-Day – Dredging Day. D-Day is still a month away, but things are changing on the ground. Finally. Mobilization has begun for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Emergency Dredging Project on the West Fork of the San Jacinto.
During the last week, the winning bidder has been out surveying the lake, planning the job, and ordering equipment and materials. Now the hard work has started.
Roads are being built to the staging area. Equipment is being installed. Pipeline is being laid. For all those who doubted this day would ever come, here are the pictures that prove it’s happening.
Building a road to the launch site. All photos courtesy of the US Army Corps of Engineers
Containers and heavy equipment arriving.
What to Expect When
Right now, crews are setting up the staging area. This week, pipeline arrives and crews will begin installing it. By August 18, two dredges will arrive in pieces by truck. Crews will then begin assembling and launching them.
On August 20, general debris removal will begin. By September 1, the dredges should be sucking sand out of the river and pumping it into placement sites. That process will continue until next April.
Phase Two?
At that point, unless funding has been approved to extend the dredging to include the mouth bar, the contractor, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock will begin removing its equipment from the river and cleaning up after themselves.
The cost of mobilization and demobilization – $17,900,000 out of approximately $69,800,000 – represents almost exactly 25% of the contract. The time also represents about 25% of the total time allotted.
For Your Own Safety…
For safety reasons, the Army Corps respectfully requests the public to stay away from the staging area. The amount of heavy equipment in use and the fast pace of work make this important. The Corps is not publishing details of the staging area’s location, though that will soon become apparent due to the increase in traffic. Just remember, these people have a large job to do and little time to do it. Please respect the demands on their time and respect the perimeter of the job site for your own safety. In the next eight months, they will move enough sand to fill up the Astrodome and then some.
Posted by Bob Rehak on July 31, 2018
336 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Seasonal Lowering of Lake Conroe Begins August 1
On August 1, the City of Houston Public Works Department, the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) and the Coastal Water Authority (CWA) plan to begin lowering the level of Lake Conroe as part of a joint operations plan to mitigate flooding threats during the peak of hurricane season. The plan calls for lowering Lake Conroe gradually through small releases – about an inch a day – until the lake level reaches 199 msl (mean feet above sea level).
Intent of gradual lowering of Lake Conroe is to avoid another 79,000 cubic-feet-per-second release rate as we experienced during Harvey. Until normal flow is restored to the West Fork, Lake Conroe will be lowered temporarily and seasonally to mitigate flood risk.
Lake Conroe to Be Lowered 2 Feet Through September
This initial lowering will last through the end of September to create additional storage in Lake Conroe which could delay releases and minimize release rates during a storm, thereby providing a buffer against flooding for residents who live downstream of the dam.
The next lowering would occur during the peak of the spring rainy season – from April 1 – May 31, 2019. However, that lowering would only be by a foot – to 200 msl, because the rain threat is usually lower in spring.
Only Until Dredging Restores River’s Flow
The joint operations plan calls for continuing to lower Lake Conroe seasonally in this manner while the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredges the West Fork of the San Jacinto to restore flow.
Hurricane Harvey deposited tremendous amounts of silt in the West Fork which physically changed the river’s ability to safely pass water during storms. Hence, the dredging.
Phase-One Dredging Has Already Started
Phase one will go from River Grove Park to the West Lake Houston Parkway bridge. Great Lakes, the contractor hired by the Corps, has 269 more days to complete the initial phase.
Phase-Two Still Needs Funding
The total project could take longer. Community leaders are now working furiously to arrange funding to dredge the remainder of the west fork, including the mouth bar.
Mobilization and demobilization comprise 25 percent of the total phase one project costs (approximately $18 million out of almost $70 million). Having phase two ready to start before phase one ends could save that money, creating extra value for taxpayers and enabling even more dredging, say for instance, on the East Fork.
Temporary Lake Conroe Lowering Could Last Up to 3 Years
The City, SJRA, and CWA will continue the seasonal lowerings for up to three three years. They will monitor progress of the dredging and annually re-evaluate the need to lower Lake Conroe. If the river’s flow is restored before three years, the temporary lowering would cease.
Lakes will Operate under Two Different Strategies
LAKE CONROE
Lake Conroe is located upstream from Lake Houston. Large pre-releases immediately before a storm run the risk of pushing water into Lake Houston at a rate that could flood residents. Therefore, the SJRA will release at a much more gradual, controlled rate and maintain the lower level until the largest flood threat passes.
LAKE HOUSTON
Lake Houston, as the lowest lake on the river system, can pre-release more safely. Therefore CWA will pre-release from Lake Houston if the National Weather Service predicts more than 3 inches of rain within the San Jacinto River basin in a 48-hour period. Coastal Water Authority will lower Lake Houston to 41.5 feet from its normal elevation of 42.5 feet.
To track lake levels visit:
4 Million People Depend on City for Water
Lake Conroe and Lake Houston comprise two of the largest parts of the City’s drinking water system. More than 4 million Houstonians and residents of the greater Houston region rely on water provided by the City.
Posted by Bob Rehak on July 30, 2018
335 Days since Hurricane Harvey
How Much Would the Flood Bond Cost You?
When considering property tax implications of the proposed $2.5 billion flood bond, start with how much you currently pay in Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) taxes. Hint: It’s very little.
Only about 1.4% of Typical Property Tax Bill Currently Goes to Flood Control
Only about 1.4% of the average annual property tax bill now goes to Flood Control. The rest funds schools, cities, hospitals, law enforcement, etc. How much you currently pay each year in flood control taxes depends on your home’s value and your exemptions. See some representative costs below.
What homes assessed at representative price points will pay in additional taxes if the Harris County Flood Control Bond passes.
Amount Will Vary Depending on Age, Assessment and Exemptions
If your home is assessed at $200,000 and you are under 65, you pay only $45 annually for flood control. If over 65 in that same home, you pay no flood control taxes.
In a worst-case scenario, Harris County says the flood-control portionof your taxes would double. Would doubling one of the numbers above create a hardship for you? Or would it help you sleep better?
Less than Cost of Flood Insurance
Any increase would be gradual. Bonds are only sold when projects are ready to start. Harris County expects no increase at all until 2020 at the earliest.
Flood Control improvements cost much less than flood insurance. And unlike flood insurance, they might actually prevent your home from being damaged.
Protecting Home and Community Values
Once implemented, the flood mitigation measures in the bond package will help make our entire community more resistant to flooding. That’s important. It helps protect your home’s value, your schools, businesses, roads, bridges and other infrastructure. That helps keep your community growing and makes it attractive for people looking to relocate. In the long run, rising home values will pay you back many times over for your investment in flood control. So send a signal to the world that we’re willing to invest in our future.
How to Check Your Current Assessed Value
To see how much you pay right now, go to hcad.org, click on “Property Search”, then “Real Property” followed by “Search by Address.”
Posted by Bill Fowler on July 29, 2018
334 Days since Hurricane Harvey