Houston, unlike most major cities, still boasts of vast wilderness areas nearby – largely because of the epic flooding problems they have. The wilderness among us somehow manages to attract people to an environment plagued by heat, humidity, frequent flooding and roaches as large as Buicks.
Wilderness is restful. It rejuvenates the spirit. It anchors us.
But in our zeal to live near wilderness, we destroy the very thing that attracted us.
You lose beauty, solitude and the sense of peacefulness that come from watching a deer born in your yard or an eagle land on your tree.
Photographed minutes after birth…outside my front door.
Today, a rented helicopter took me over one of the largest remaining wilderness areas in north Houston. It’s property owned by developers between Spring Creek and the West Fork, south of the Grand Parkway and north of Humble.
Regardless, people have plans to develop this property.
Looking northwest at the confluence of Spring Creek (left) and the San Jacinto West Fork (bottom).Farther west, we encountered this view at the northern end of Townsen Boulevard in Humble. Looking N across Spring Creek running left to right above the middle of the frame.As I snapped this shot, I pondered nature’s uniformity in randomness.
I couldn’t understand why such a large area so close to a major population center remained undeveloped. Then we flew north over it. Below are several representative shots.
The property is riddled with swamps and wetlands.Wading birds such as egrets, great blue herons, roseate spoonbills, ibis and more live here.Swamps stretched for miles. However, we did see dozens of deer stands in some of the higher areas.One hydrologist said homes in these areas should be built on stilts, like on the Bolivar Peninsula, to remain flood safe.
But homes are not being built on stilts.
As we flew north, we saw civilization consuming wilderness like a giant maw.
If developers, regulators and unsuspecting buyers pretend those wilderness areas will not flood, someone could be killed.
Repeat flooding could cause the area to deteriorate and adversely affect the value of homes on higher ground.
Areas downstream will be adversely affected by increased runoff.
Wildlife will be forced to move elsewhere, eliminating one of the primary attractions of the area.
Early buyers who wanted to live next to wilderness will be forced to move….again.
I wish the undeveloped swamp land could be turned into a nature park where people and wildlife could make peace with each other. And actually increase home values.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/22/25
2854 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/2025/06/20250622-DSC_2708.jpg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=17331100adminadmin2025-06-22 21:30:042025-06-22 21:36:54The Wilderness Among Us
6/21/25 – Callan Marine’s San Jacinto West Fork dredging placement area near Luce Bayou is filling up…rather quickly. The City of Houston began its most recent dredging program with Callan on December 20, 2024 – six months ago. The goal: to move 800,000 cubic yards of sediment out of the river near the headwaters of Lake Houston.
Position of dredge on Saturday, 6/21/2025 on West Fork. Looking N toward Royal Shores visible near top of frame on East Fork.Looking south toward FM1960 bridge at top of frame.
From here, Callan pumps the sediment approximately 3.8 miles across the East Fork and up Luce Bayou to a placement area near the Interbasin Transfer Canal.
Route of 18-inch dredge pipe to placement area.
West Fork Dredging Placement Area Filling Up Quickly
To hold the sediment, Callan built a placement area approximately 300,000 square yards by 8 feet deep. That magically works out to (drum roll please) about 800,000 cubic yards!
After removing trees, Callan scraped dirt into a series of berms with a series of internal dikes that force sediment-laden water through a maze. The circuitous route slows water down and allows sediment to settle out of suspension before Callan returns clearer water to Lake Houston.
This afternoon, that maze looked like this.
Luce Interbasin Transfer Canal on lower left. Placement area is more than a half mile long and three football fields wide.
Glare on the water partially masks the depth of sediment, but it’s more visible from a steeper, closer angle.
From the air, it appeared that sediment/water mixture reached within a foot or two of the enclosure’s outer walls.Reverse angle shows proximity to Lake Houston in background.Closer shot shows miniature river delta forming as water seeks its way through the maze. Note height of water relative to height of outer berms in upper left.Water shooting into placement area through 18 inch pipe.Side shot shows impact of stream.
To put the size of that pipe in perspective, a basketball is 9.5 inches in diameter. So, two could almost fit side by side in the pipe.
Outfall back to Luce Bayou and Lake Houston
This job was originally scheduled for a year and the dredge has been pumping for six months so far. At this rate, they may finish early.
Volume Shows Importance of Dredging District
The amount of sediment moved to the West Fork dredging placement area in six months underscores how important the passage of Charles Cunningham’s Dredging District bill was this year.
This has been a wet spring and more sediment keeps moving downriver every day. And we’re still playing catch up with past neglect.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/21/25
2853 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/20250621-DJI_20250621170919_0245_D.jpg?fit=1100%2C619&ssl=16191100adminadmin2025-06-21 21:15:282025-06-21 21:25:30West Fork Dredging Placement Area Filling Up
6/20/25 – Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) has announced that it will unveil the final design of the Woodridge/Taylor Gully Project in Kingwood on July 1. Based on preliminary engineering, HCFCD applied to the the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) via the Texas General Land Office for a grant of $42 million to cover the cost of construction.
According to long-time residents, Taylor Gully never flooded, even during Harvey, until Perry Homes purchased and cleared the 270-acre Woodridge Village property immediately north of Sherwood Trails, Elm Grove and Mills Branch Villages. The property, just across the county line in Montgomery County, forms the headwaters of Taylor Gully and used to be heavily forested.
But shortly after Perry’s contractors started clearing the property, hundreds of homes along Taylor Gully flooded twice in 2019.
Rustling Elms near Taylor Gully in May of 2019
Engineering documents specified that the contractors should have cleared the property in sections and built detention basins for each section before moving onto the next. However, the contractors clearcut the whole property and sloped it toward the homes that flooded before building the required detention.
The fiasco turned into a giant class-action lawsuit. During the lawsuit, Perry’s contractors scrambled to build the stormwater detention basins. However, it also became clear that the detention they were building was about 30-40% short of Atlas-14 standards which Montgomery County had not yet adopted.
County/City Purchase Property from Perry
HCFCD and the City of Houston purchased the property from Perry to keep it from being developed. Early on, they announced plans to turn it into a giant regional stormwater detention basin to reduce flood risk.
Building another stormwater detention basin on Woodridge Village holding 412 acre-feet (virtually doubling capacity).
Expanding a portion of Taylor Gully and lining it with concrete.
Replacing the culverts at Rustling Elms with a clear-span bridge.
HCFCD entered into an Excavation and Removal Contract with Sprint Sand and Clay to get a head start on excavating the new Woodridge Basin. However, when HCFCD applied for HUD funding, by law, they had to terminate the contract. That happened at the end of 2023. Why? Conditions on the property can’t change while the GLO and HUD evaluate grants. It’s a fraud prevention measure.
New Excavation on Woodridge Village as of May 31, 2025
Generic Differences Between Preliminary and Final Design Recommendations
During preliminary engineering, managers try to prove up the value of a concept. But along the way to final design, they sharpen their pencils.
As a project progresses from concept to constructible plans, typically they tighten and incorporate:
Hydraulic and Hydrologic Modeling – with higher resolution topography, updated rainfall data, and detailed channel/basin geometry.
Right-of-Way and Easements – Whereas preliminary layouts assume general access needs, final design incorporates, precise right-of-way limits, utility conflicts, coordination with surrounding landowners, and legal descriptions for acquisition and/or dedication.
Geotechnical Investigations – Soil borings for slope-stability analyses for embankments, groundwater-level monitoring, channel linings, etc.
Structural-Design Finalization – Including sizes, materials, and load capacities for bridges , weirs and detention outlet structures.
Environmental and Permitting Integration
Cost Estimate Updates – Whereas preliminary estimates often have ±30 accuracy, final design includes detailed quantities, updates unit costs and construction phasing for more precise budgets and schedules.
Constructability and Value Engineering – Engineers and sometimes contractors look for ways simplify/reconfigure designs that lower costs.
Utility Coordination – Precise identification of existing utilities (water, sewer, fiber, gas) along with plans to relocate them if necessary or change design.
Public Involvement and Stakeholder Feedback – Where we are now. Feedback sometimes results in design modifications for aesthetics, access, noise or neighborhood concerns. It might also be valuable for inclusion of trails, parks or other recreational elements.
HCFCD has not yet released any of the specific changes between their preliminary and final plans for this property.
Preliminary plans called for replacing these culverts at Rustling Elms and Taylor Gully with a clear-span bridge like the one farther downstream.
HCFCD Hopes to Bid by October
According to HCFCD spokesperson Emily Woodell, “We’re wrapping up design for this project, which is what we plan to cover at the community engagement meeting. Based on current project schedules, this is set to go out for bid for construction contracts in October of this year.”
“We’re planning to amend this into the overall contract with the General Land Office in the very near future, which will allow us to draw grant funds. None of the design work has been funded by CDBG, it was all locally funded. Grant funds will be used for construction.”
HCFCD urges community members to attend the virtual meeting. Remember, it’s:
Tuesday, July 1, 2025
Starting at 6:30 PM
If you have suggestions after seeing the plans, now is the time to share them. So sign up now.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/20/25
2852 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Elm-Grove-9.19_30.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000&ssl=110001500adminadmin2025-06-20 19:44:372025-06-20 19:58:22HCFCD to Unveil Final Design of Woodridge/Taylor Gully Project on July 1
The Wilderness Among Us
Houston, unlike most major cities, still boasts of vast wilderness areas nearby – largely because of the epic flooding problems they have. The wilderness among us somehow manages to attract people to an environment plagued by heat, humidity, frequent flooding and roaches as large as Buicks.
Wilderness is restful. It rejuvenates the spirit. It anchors us.
You lose beauty, solitude and the sense of peacefulness that come from watching a deer born in your yard or an eagle land on your tree.
Two-Hour Helicopter Flight Reveals Hidden Problems
Today, a rented helicopter took me over one of the largest remaining wilderness areas in north Houston. It’s property owned by developers between Spring Creek and the West Fork, south of the Grand Parkway and north of Humble.
Regardless, people have plans to develop this property.
I couldn’t understand why such a large area so close to a major population center remained undeveloped. Then we flew north over it. Below are several representative shots.
But homes are not being built on stilts.
A Park Could Overcome Potential Problems
I’m not saying all the land above has flooding problems. Some areas may be high enough to weather the storm, especially on the northern end. But I see several big problems with all that swampy land to the south.
I wish the undeveloped swamp land could be turned into a nature park where people and wildlife could make peace with each other. And actually increase home values.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/22/25
2854 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.
West Fork Dredging Placement Area Filling Up
6/21/25 – Callan Marine’s San Jacinto West Fork dredging placement area near Luce Bayou is filling up…rather quickly. The City of Houston began its most recent dredging program with Callan on December 20, 2024 – six months ago. The goal: to move 800,000 cubic yards of sediment out of the river near the headwaters of Lake Houston.
From here, Callan pumps the sediment approximately 3.8 miles across the East Fork and up Luce Bayou to a placement area near the Interbasin Transfer Canal.
West Fork Dredging Placement Area Filling Up Quickly
To hold the sediment, Callan built a placement area approximately 300,000 square yards by 8 feet deep. That magically works out to (drum roll please) about 800,000 cubic yards!
After removing trees, Callan scraped dirt into a series of berms with a series of internal dikes that force sediment-laden water through a maze. The circuitous route slows water down and allows sediment to settle out of suspension before Callan returns clearer water to Lake Houston.
This afternoon, that maze looked like this.
Glare on the water partially masks the depth of sediment, but it’s more visible from a steeper, closer angle.
To put the size of that pipe in perspective, a basketball is 9.5 inches in diameter. So, two could almost fit side by side in the pipe.
This job was originally scheduled for a year and the dredge has been pumping for six months so far. At this rate, they may finish early.
Volume Shows Importance of Dredging District
The amount of sediment moved to the West Fork dredging placement area in six months underscores how important the passage of Charles Cunningham’s Dredging District bill was this year.
This has been a wet spring and more sediment keeps moving downriver every day. And we’re still playing catch up with past neglect.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/21/25
2853 Days since Hurricane Harvey
HCFCD to Unveil Final Design of Woodridge/Taylor Gully Project on July 1
6/20/25 – Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) has announced that it will unveil the final design of the Woodridge/Taylor Gully Project in Kingwood on July 1. Based on preliminary engineering, HCFCD applied to the the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) via the Texas General Land Office for a grant of $42 million to cover the cost of construction.
HCFCD will reveal the final design in a virtual public meeting at 6:30 PM on July 1, 2025. Sign up here to attend the webinar.
History of Woodridge/Taylor Gully Project
According to long-time residents, Taylor Gully never flooded, even during Harvey, until Perry Homes purchased and cleared the 270-acre Woodridge Village property immediately north of Sherwood Trails, Elm Grove and Mills Branch Villages. The property, just across the county line in Montgomery County, forms the headwaters of Taylor Gully and used to be heavily forested.
But shortly after Perry’s contractors started clearing the property, hundreds of homes along Taylor Gully flooded twice in 2019.
Engineering documents specified that the contractors should have cleared the property in sections and built detention basins for each section before moving onto the next. However, the contractors clearcut the whole property and sloped it toward the homes that flooded before building the required detention.
The fiasco turned into a giant class-action lawsuit. During the lawsuit, Perry’s contractors scrambled to build the stormwater detention basins. However, it also became clear that the detention they were building was about 30-40% short of Atlas-14 standards which Montgomery County had not yet adopted.
County/City Purchase Property from Perry
HCFCD and the City of Houston purchased the property from Perry to keep it from being developed. Early on, they announced plans to turn it into a giant regional stormwater detention basin to reduce flood risk.
Preliminary-engineering plans later recommended:
HCFCD entered into an Excavation and Removal Contract with Sprint Sand and Clay to get a head start on excavating the new Woodridge Basin. However, when HCFCD applied for HUD funding, by law, they had to terminate the contract. That happened at the end of 2023. Why? Conditions on the property can’t change while the GLO and HUD evaluate grants. It’s a fraud prevention measure.
Generic Differences Between Preliminary and Final Design Recommendations
During preliminary engineering, managers try to prove up the value of a concept. But along the way to final design, they sharpen their pencils.
As a project progresses from concept to constructible plans, typically they tighten and incorporate:
HCFCD has not yet released any of the specific changes between their preliminary and final plans for this property.
HCFCD Hopes to Bid by October
According to HCFCD spokesperson Emily Woodell, “We’re wrapping up design for this project, which is what we plan to cover at the community engagement meeting. Based on current project schedules, this is set to go out for bid for construction contracts in October of this year.”
“We’re planning to amend this into the overall contract with the General Land Office in the very near future, which will allow us to draw grant funds. None of the design work has been funded by CDBG, it was all locally funded. Grant funds will be used for construction.”
HCFCD urges community members to attend the virtual meeting. Remember, it’s:
Tuesday, July 1, 2025
Starting at 6:30 PM
If you have suggestions after seeing the plans, now is the time to share them. So sign up now.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/20/25
2852 Days since Hurricane Harvey