Residents downstream of the dam applauded the move; upstream residents had concerns. On Friday, the Conroe Courier ran an article about the lowering. Not quite half of the 1300 word article discussed the efforts of two Lake Conroe homeowners who were organizing protests and letter writing campaigns against lowering the level of the lake.
The article did not quote any of the Kingwood residents who trekked to Lake Conroe to speak in favor of the motion. Nor did it mention any of the ongoing downstream recovery efforts. Thus, it left the impression that Lake Conroe boat owners were being inconvenienced without cause.
I felt the article deserved a response, so I wrote a letter to the editor which, thankfully, they published Monday night. It describes why a temporary lowering of Lake Conroe is our only defense against flooding for the moment. Until such time as the San Jacinto is dredged to restore its carrying capacity and more flood gates can be added to Lake Houston, we need an additional buffer against flooding. Lowering Lake Conroe is the quickest, easiest way to provide that.
It’s important that Montgomery County residents understand the privations that Harris County residents still live with because of Harvey. It’s also important that we work together to protect lives, livelihoods and property on both sides of the Lake Conroe Dam.
We should not be enemies in the recovery effort. Together, our voices are stronger. We can bring about change faster. All of our lives can return to normal sooner.
Here’s my letter to the editor that tries to put the motion in perspective and build bridges to Lake Conroe homeowners.
It’s important for Lake Houston Area residents to understand that lowering the level of Lake Conroe is not a sealed deal yet. Both the City of Houston, which owns two-thirds of the water in the lake, and the TCEQ, which oversees how water in the lake is accounted for, must both approve the SJRA Board’s motion. Until that happens, Lake Houston area residents must remain vigilant and involved. Take nothing for granted.
Posted by Bob Rehak
May 1, 2018, 245 Days Since Hurricane Harvey
00adminadmin2018-05-01 18:14:492020-01-17 10:10:23Want Lake Conroe Lowered? Stay Involved!
FLOODWARN WORKSHOP
MAY 1, 6:30-8:30 PM
KINGWOOD COLLEGE
20,000 KINGWOOD DRIVE
MUSIC BUILDING, ROOM 117
CLOSEST PARKING IS LOT G
HOSTED BY NWS, FEMA, HCFCD, SJRA
TONIGHT, May 1st at 6:30-8:30 p.m., The National Weather Service (NWS), Harris County Flood Control, and FEMA, and the San Jacinto River Authority are hosting a FloodWarn Workshop. They will talk about the types of flooding we see in the Kingwood/Humble area, the watersheds, forecasts, warnings, flood risks, and flood insurance.
Giant sand dunes like this one where the West Fork meets Lake Houston inhibit the flow of the river. Engineers say that sediment is not being carried out into Lake Houston (background) as expected. Areas behind these dunes experienced massive flooding during Harvey.
Organizers hope the event will help people in the Lake Houston Area better understand what goes into forecasts. They will also address their limitations, the risks associated with severe events, and actions to take in response to various types of warnings.
Flood impacts identify what structures, roads, bridges, etc. will flood when the river reaches a specific level. These impacts drive the establishment of the flood categories of Minor, Moderate and Major.
This FloodWarn workshop will be our opportunity to share our flooding concerns with the National Weather Service. If impacts need to be modified or updated, this is the community’s opportunity to provide that feedback.
Plan to attend. Make sure the NWS knows how important accurate and advanced warning forecasts are to you. With accurate forecasts we can be prepared for the next flood.
Houston at the Crossroads: Resilience and Sustainability in the 21st Century examines population growth, economic vitality of the Houston region, the increasing frequency of severe rainfall events, and the ability of agriculture to sequester carbon dioxide in the ground. The basic premise? Houston’s current financial position in the world is at risk if we don’t change.
Blackburn’s white paper begins by tracing the Houston region’s meteoric growth, from about 110,000 in 1900 to 6.4 million people today. This growth, says Blackburn, was enabled by the intersection of several factors and trends. They included the transition to a carbon-based economy in the early 1900s, the presence of plentiful hydrocarbons in the region, and the development of the Port of Houston at about the time the Panama Canal was completed. Conditions were ideal for Houston to rapidly blossom into the world capital of the oil industry.
Changing Trends Put Houston at a New Crossroads
After the year 2000, however, Blackburn says, the complexion of growth began to change, just as it did in the previous century during the transition from horses to automobiles. We are now at another crossroads.
Concerns about the increasing severity and frequency of extreme weather events, such as Tropical Storm Allison, Hurricane Harvey and other recent 500-year storms have been widely linked to increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Concerns about CO2 have encouraged the development of alternative sources of energy, such as wind and solar. These alternative sources compete with oil and gas, the traditional drivers of Houston’s economic growth.
These trends also work together, according to Blackburn, in a way that makes the region less desirable for corporate re-location. Blackburn cites the recent decision by Amazon, which was looking for a second “headquarters” city. Houston did not even make the top 25 list of cities under consideration despite it’s mid-continent location; huge port; and excellent air, rail and highway transportation networks.
At the Crossroads of the Future and the Past: Decision Time
He makes a good point. We must make sure Houston is positioned for the future, not the past, if we want it to remain vital. The rust belt is littered with examples of cities that failed to see change coming. Blackburn also cites examples of cities that have successfully weathered change through history and discusses how they did it.
Blackburn crammed this 23-page white paper full of charts, graphs, maps, and tables that show the nature of the changes around us. He then poses the central question.
How can we capitalize on our assets to ameliorate our liabilities?
His prescriptions for change make this paper well worth reading. They include the way we manage flood plains and green spaces; how we grow and distribute food; and how we can capture the value of ecosystems by allowing land owners to be compensated for storing carbon through agriculture and forestry. Using nature, he says, is the oil industry’s only viable option for closing the carbon loop.
Practical Prescriptions
Blackburn proposes something called a Soil Value Exchange program. It reminds me somewhat of the emissions trading programs that helped reduce air pollution in Southern California. His descriptions of how farmers and ranchers can verify and capitalize on carbon capture represent hope for the future of a city whose economy is based largely on oil.
When you’re scraping muck out of a flooded home, it’s hard to focus on the big picture. It’s also important. Blackburn’s prescriptions are both visionary and practical at the same time. They are keys to economic resilience and sustainability.
Want Lake Conroe Lowered? Stay Involved!
Last Thursday, the SJRA board voted unanimously to temporarily lower the level of Lake Conroe between one and two feet during peak flood months. Great news…if you live in the Lake Houston area.
Residents downstream of the dam applauded the move; upstream residents had concerns. On Friday, the Conroe Courier ran an article about the lowering. Not quite half of the 1300 word article discussed the efforts of two Lake Conroe homeowners who were organizing protests and letter writing campaigns against lowering the level of the lake.
The article did not quote any of the Kingwood residents who trekked to Lake Conroe to speak in favor of the motion. Nor did it mention any of the ongoing downstream recovery efforts. Thus, it left the impression that Lake Conroe boat owners were being inconvenienced without cause.
I felt the article deserved a response, so I wrote a letter to the editor which, thankfully, they published Monday night. It describes why a temporary lowering of Lake Conroe is our only defense against flooding for the moment. Until such time as the San Jacinto is dredged to restore its carrying capacity and more flood gates can be added to Lake Houston, we need an additional buffer against flooding. Lowering Lake Conroe is the quickest, easiest way to provide that.
It’s important that Montgomery County residents understand the privations that Harris County residents still live with because of Harvey. It’s also important that we work together to protect lives, livelihoods and property on both sides of the Lake Conroe Dam.
We should not be enemies in the recovery effort. Together, our voices are stronger. We can bring about change faster. All of our lives can return to normal sooner.
Here’s the original Conroe Courier article.
Here’s my letter to the editor that tries to put the motion in perspective and build bridges to Lake Conroe homeowners.
It’s important for Lake Houston Area residents to understand that lowering the level of Lake Conroe is not a sealed deal yet. Both the City of Houston, which owns two-thirds of the water in the lake, and the TCEQ, which oversees how water in the lake is accounted for, must both approve the SJRA Board’s motion. Until that happens, Lake Houston area residents must remain vigilant and involved. Take nothing for granted.
Posted by Bob Rehak
May 1, 2018, 245 Days Since Hurricane Harvey
DON’T FORGET FLOOD WORKSHOP TONIGHT!
PLEASE COME!
FLOODWARN WORKSHOP
MAY 1, 6:30-8:30 PM
KINGWOOD COLLEGE
20,000 KINGWOOD DRIVE
MUSIC BUILDING, ROOM 117
CLOSEST PARKING IS LOT G
HOSTED BY NWS, FEMA, HCFCD, SJRA
TONIGHT, May 1st at 6:30-8:30 p.m., The National Weather Service (NWS), Harris County Flood Control, and FEMA, and the San Jacinto River Authority are hosting a FloodWarn Workshop. They will talk about the types of flooding we see in the Kingwood/Humble area, the watersheds, forecasts, warnings, flood risks, and flood insurance.
Giant sand dunes like this one where the West Fork meets Lake Houston inhibit the flow of the river. Engineers say that sediment is not being carried out into Lake Houston (background) as expected. Areas behind these dunes experienced massive flooding during Harvey.
Organizers hope the event will help people in the Lake Houston Area better understand what goes into forecasts. They will also address their limitations, the risks associated with severe events, and actions to take in response to various types of warnings.
The NWS has posted the event on its Facebook page: The event is free and open to the public at Lone Star College – Kingwood at 20,000 Kingwood Dr., Kingwood, TX.
The National Weather Service provides forecasts and river flood warnings for the river gage at the San Jacinto River at Humble. Based on the readings there and elsewhere, the Weather Service forecasts “flood impacts.”
Flood impacts identify what structures, roads, bridges, etc. will flood when the river reaches a specific level. These impacts drive the establishment of the flood categories of Minor, Moderate and Major.
This FloodWarn workshop will be our opportunity to share our flooding concerns with the National Weather Service. If impacts need to be modified or updated, this is the community’s opportunity to provide that feedback.
Plan to attend. Make sure the NWS knows how important accurate and advanced warning forecasts are to you. With accurate forecasts we can be prepared for the next flood.
Houston at the Crossroads: Resilience and Sustainability for the 21st Century
Oil Tanks and Tanker on Houston Ship Channel
Houston at the Crossroads: Resilience and Sustainability in the 21st Century examines population growth, economic vitality of the Houston region, the increasing frequency of severe rainfall events, and the ability of agriculture to sequester carbon dioxide in the ground. The basic premise? Houston’s current financial position in the world is at risk if we don’t change.
Blackburn’s white paper begins by tracing the Houston region’s meteoric growth, from about 110,000 in 1900 to 6.4 million people today. This growth, says Blackburn, was enabled by the intersection of several factors and trends. They included the transition to a carbon-based economy in the early 1900s, the presence of plentiful hydrocarbons in the region, and the development of the Port of Houston at about the time the Panama Canal was completed. Conditions were ideal for Houston to rapidly blossom into the world capital of the oil industry.
Changing Trends Put Houston at a New Crossroads
After the year 2000, however, Blackburn says, the complexion of growth began to change, just as it did in the previous century during the transition from horses to automobiles. We are now at another crossroads.
Concerns about the increasing severity and frequency of extreme weather events, such as Tropical Storm Allison, Hurricane Harvey and other recent 500-year storms have been widely linked to increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Concerns about CO2 have encouraged the development of alternative sources of energy, such as wind and solar. These alternative sources compete with oil and gas, the traditional drivers of Houston’s economic growth.
These trends also work together, according to Blackburn, in a way that makes the region less desirable for corporate re-location. Blackburn cites the recent decision by Amazon, which was looking for a second “headquarters” city. Houston did not even make the top 25 list of cities under consideration despite it’s mid-continent location; huge port; and excellent air, rail and highway transportation networks.
At the Crossroads of the Future and the Past: Decision Time
He makes a good point. We must make sure Houston is positioned for the future, not the past, if we want it to remain vital. The rust belt is littered with examples of cities that failed to see change coming. Blackburn also cites examples of cities that have successfully weathered change through history and discusses how they did it.
Blackburn crammed this 23-page white paper full of charts, graphs, maps, and tables that show the nature of the changes around us. He then poses the central question.
His prescriptions for change make this paper well worth reading. They include the way we manage flood plains and green spaces; how we grow and distribute food; and how we can capture the value of ecosystems by allowing land owners to be compensated for storing carbon through agriculture and forestry. Using nature, he says, is the oil industry’s only viable option for closing the carbon loop.
Practical Prescriptions
Blackburn proposes something called a Soil Value Exchange program. It reminds me somewhat of the emissions trading programs that helped reduce air pollution in Southern California. His descriptions of how farmers and ranchers can verify and capitalize on carbon capture represent hope for the future of a city whose economy is based largely on oil.
When you’re scraping muck out of a flooded home, it’s hard to focus on the big picture. It’s also important. Blackburn’s prescriptions are both visionary and practical at the same time. They are keys to economic resilience and sustainability.
Posted by Bob Rehak
April 29, 2018, 243 days since Hurricane Harvey
Houston at the Crossroads: Resilience and Sustainability in the 21st Century is reproduced here with the permission of the author, Jim Blackburn, and Rice University’s James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy.