Harris County Flood Control District has essentially completed the first two batches of major maintenance projects along Cypress Creek tributaries and is ramping up for the third, according to District spokesperson Karen Hastings.
Current Batch to Cost about $10.8 Million
Construction costs for Batch 3 should total about $10.8 million. Batch 3 includes 11 channels. The projects within them will span 5.8 miles.
Batches 1-3 include channels within the Cypress Creek watershed for which the Flood Control District already has property rights. They were previously developed and altered. They do not generally include natural channels.
Below is a general list of the types of maintenance needed on these channels. However, not every channel will need all the types of maintenance listed.
Desilting is the removal of sediment deposited in channels after multiple rain events. The sediment can restrict the conveyance of channels leading to flooding. See below.
Location of Batch 3 Projects
Location of first project in Batch 3 circled in red. See photos below.
Photos Taken September 12, 2022
Looking west across K-124 at southern end of project. Street is Bridgeview Lane.Looking NW (upstream) across Bridgeview Lane. Father up the channel, still looking NW, at the current limit of construction. Because of the proximity of homes, it would be difficult to widen this channel if that became necessary in the future. Looking back toward SE from NW limit of construction several blocks up.
Altogether, projects such as this one will total almost 20 miles in Batches 1-3 alone. That should help reduce flood risk throughout the Cypress Creek watershed. Estimated completion for Batch 3 construction is Summer 2024.
But the major maintenance won’t stop there. HCFCD expects at least two more batches. The District will separately design each and put each out for construction bidding. Batch 5 will include major maintenance at multiple sites along Cypress Creek itself.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20220912-DJI_0496.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2022-09-12 20:00:312022-09-12 20:03:33Batch 3 of Cypress Creek Major Maintenance Projects Ramping Up
A friend sent me a link to a Facebook post by a landscape/design company called Happy Gardens featuring this image of nature’s flood protection – the root systems of native grasses.
Said Happy Gardens, “This is why you don’t have to water native grasses. And their roots act like sponges to control flooding.”
It’s interesting to see the parts of these grasses that we never see. Note that some of these roots have been folded back and tied up to minimize their height for display purposes! Some are deeper than the lady is tall!
Providing Multiple Defenses Against Floods
Such grasses help reduce flooding several ways. They:
Slow water down in storms, decelerating runoff, and giving more runoff more time to soak in.
Absorb water like sponges.
Bind soil and reduce erosion.
Maintain more of an ecosystem’s natural hydrographic profile, which extends the time of accumulation and reduces flood peaks.
Runoff in natural areas spreads out over longer periods and has lower peaks.
No Watering and Less Maintenance
An additional plus: you never have to water them. They do look a little (pardon the pun) “rangy.” So some neighbors might object…until they flood.
The West Fork, by contrast, had been devastated by sand mining and erosion. The eroded sediment contributed to massive buildups of sand in the West Fork which reduced the conveyance of the river and also contributed to flooding.
Sometimes all you have to do to enjoy the protection of nature is just let it be. I hope this powerful image serves a reminder of that simple fact.
During Hurricane Harvey, the Humble ISD Ag Barn at Deer Ridge Park flooded badly. Shortly thereafter, the school board made a decision to move the ag barn facility to higher ground using money from the 2018 bond.
Since then, the district purchased 7 acres of land at the intersection of Ford and Mills Branch Roads in late 2018, broke ground in 2020, and constructed several new buildings.
Photos of New Facility
The district originally targeted 2021 for opening the facility. But permit issues with the City of Houston delayed the target opening to 2022. Don Thompson, the contractor for the facility, tells me it is now complete. However, as of last Sunday, two dumpsters still remained in the parking lot. Here are several aerial pictures of the beautiful new facility taken on Sunday 9/4/22.
Looking south toward North Kingwood ForestLooking SELooking NNWLooking NNW over detention pond in foreground.
The day before I took these pictures, the area received 2.5 inches of rain. It looks like the detention pond did its job. It absorbed the water and then released it slowly toward White Oak Creek so as not to overwhelm the creek’s capacity and cause flooding downstream.
If all new construction retained its rain, we would all be a lot better off from a flood perspective. Thanks to the Humble ISD for a beautiful new ag barn, which hopefully should make both students, their parents and the animals safer from flooding.
The animals at the old ag barn had to be evacuated several times recently because of rising floodwaters.
Reminder
Today is the statistical peak of hurricane season. We’ve dodged any hits so far this year, but there’s still a lot of weather yet to come.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/10/22
1838 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20220904-DJI_0455.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2022-09-10 11:55:192022-09-10 15:37:13New Humble ISD Ag Barn Construction Complete
And the Memorial Hermann Convenient Care Center next door flooded just days before its scheduled grand opening in 2017. That delayed the opening 14 months for repairs!
What’s in a Name?
Was naming this center “The Docks” a wise move?
Lovett’s brochure and website emphasizes the HEIGHT of docks. Perhaps they thought that would reassure people concerned about flooding.
But the word “Docks” also conjures up waterfront images, reinforced by the proximity of the property to a drainage ditch, a large detention basin, and memories of Harvey. Probably not the best association!
I wasn’t surprised to see that the first two tenants both had a fitness theme. Yoga mats are a lot cheaper to replace than MRI and CAT-scan machines.
That said, many renters want exclusivity within a shopping center; more fitness businesses may not prosper in such close proximity. The YMCA is just three blocks south. And a fitness chain is rumored to be moving into the large retail center one block south next to the new ACE Hardware.
Lovett originally envisioned this center as a strip of restaurants. And their latest brochure, updated in March 2022, indicates they still hope to achieve that. It shows Asian, pizza, breakfast, and TexMex restaurants in remaining spaces.
New Name Needed
Frankly, I wish Lovett hadn’t built so close to major flood risk. Having said that, I hope they can rent the space and eliminate the ghost-town look. The trick may be finding businesses, like yoga, with minimal equipment that would minimize flood damage if it happens.
Having spent 50 years in marketing, I would advise Lovett to ditch their “Docks” name. They don’t have to rename it Mount Kingwood. But please lose the waterfront association. How about something like “The Food ‘n Fitness Center”? Eat up and slim down. Now, that sounds like fun!
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/9/22
1837 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.
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Hurricane Harvey flooded 100 percent of all the businesses in Kingwood Town Center. Recovery has been a long, hard road. Some retailers threw in the towel. Others hung on by their nails. The shopping center on the northwest side of Kingwood Drive and West Lake Houston Parkway was one of the hardest hit – caught between rising waters from Lake Houston and descending waters from Bens Branch. For several years, the entire center looked like a ghost town.
City of Houston crews remove sediment from under Kingwood Drive Bridge over Bens Branch by shopping center.
The remediation efforts seem to have bolstered confidence and encouraged the return of retailers.
Pardon Their Dust
For the last two years, loyal customers had to dodge construction as the shopping center got a facelift. But last month, the construction trailer and fencing disappeared. Today, I counted only four vacancies in the main part of the shopping center. And workmen are busy doing interior buildout on some of those.
Ghost-Town Look Gone
The ghost-town look is gone…replaced by pristine exteriors, new signage, and fresh landscaping. It will only be a matter of time before the remaining spaces refill.
Here’s how the center looks today.
A new Trek bicycle store recently opened, and makes a nice complement to other retailers. Around the corner, a fresh new look for the urgent care center and Walgreens.
Still Searching for Anchor Tenant…
Unfortunately, the center still lacks an anchor tenant.
The leasing agent, NewQuest, is rumored to have been in discussions with a large fitness center to occupy that space or part of it. This morning, I saw electricians entering the space to work. But NewQuest did not return a phone call to confirm or deny a deal with a new tenant. NewQuest’s website still shows the space officially for lease.
…But Appraised Value Quadruples Since Harvey
Regardless, you can see another sign of the shopping center’s success on the Harris County Appraisal District website. The appraised value of the center has more than quadrupled since those bleak days after Harvey.
Five-year appraised value history from HCAD.orgas of 9/8/22.Screen capture from HCAD.org as of 9/8/22.
Welcome Back, Retailers!
If you avoided this center during construction, explore what all the small business owners have to offer.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/8/2022
1836 Days since Hurricane Harvey
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Leaders from the Cypress Creek area met on 9/6/2022 to hear a pitch about forming a Cypress Creek Drainage Improvement District. The purpose: to accelerate projects that could reduce flood damage.
A Gathering of Utility District Heads
Approximately 100 to 120 people attended the meeting. Most represented municipal utility and other special purpose districts.
Much of the area is unincorporated. And when Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey addressed the crowd, he pointed out that those districts represent the “primary form of government” in that part of Precinct 3.
Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey addressing the Cypress Creek crowd about the formation of a drainage improvement district.
What Happened
Seven speakers throughout the one hour and 40 minute meeting reprised several dominant themes.
The steering committee doesn’t yet know all the details of flood-mitigation recommendations or their costs. The meeting was only a first step in soliciting input, gaging interest in, and publicizing such a district.
Creating the drainage improvement district would enable the 450,000 people in the 267-square-mile Cypress Creek Watershed to speak with one voice and get the help they need.
Developing large-scale flood-risk reduction projects can take decades.
“Control your own destiny.” Don’t count on help from Harris County anytime soon because of the current domination of Commissioners Court by a majority with other priorities.
Individual presentations addressed various flood-mitigation options such as tunneling, dredging, and construction of floodwater-detention basins. Cost estimates ranged from $600 million (for a first step) up to as much as $1-, $2- or $3 billion (during the next 20-30 years) depending on the amount of risk reduction people desire.
Forming Drainage District and Funding Projects Could Take Years
Speakers also addressed the steps needed to form a Cypress Creek drainage improvement district. Without going into excruciating detail, it could take years to form a district, determine a project list, estimate costs, determine the best way to fund improvements (i.e., bonds vs. tax increases), and raise money to begin construction.
The implication: start now. The longer residents wait, the greater the risk of flooding.
Issues to Overcome
Members of the steering committee fielded questions from the audience at the end of the presentations.
During Q&A, several in the audience pointed out that that flood risk is constantly increasing because of rapid upstream development. But task force members said that was beyond their purview.
It also became obvious from the questions that some people craved more certainty in plans, costs and funding than anyone at the meeting was prepared to offer last night.
I personally attributed that to frustration over three things:
Public skepticism and frustration over such issues could make the creation of a new drainage district a difficult sell.
Potential “First Step” Benefits
But if people can see past that skepticism, they may get a chance to accelerate flood risk reduction, and attract matching funds and grants from state and federal sources.
Said one engineer in the crowd after the meeting, “It’s amazing how much quicker things go when you have money!” Before the Flood Bond in 2018, the Flood Control District often had to save up multiple years to build one detention basin.
They describe their mission as helping to “facilitate the construction of 22 stormwater detention sites recommended in the Harris County Flood Control District’s Jones/Carter Study as the most feasible means of mitigating flooding along Cypress Creek.”
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20220906-RJR_0927.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2022-09-07 16:28:132022-09-07 20:22:55Effort Begins to Form Cypress Creek Drainage Improvement District
The Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) will soon begin constructing its Lauder Basin Phase 2 in the Greens Bayou watershed. Scheduled for Fall 2022, Phase 2 is located east of Aldine Westfield Road in the area of the Castlewood Subdivision between Aldine Bender and Lauder Roads.
Location of Lauder Basin Phase 2 near Castlewood SubdivisionLooking S over Phase 1 of the Lauder Basin in March 2022. Greens Bayou on right. Phase 2 will go in the trees, upper right.
Size and Scope
This project help reduce existing flood levels by safely holding 651 acre-feet of stormwater during heavy rains. It will involve excavating approximately 1,152,200 cubic yards of soil, cost approximately $22.5 million, and hold 212 million gallons of stormwater. That’s more than a foot of rain falling across a square mile.
Phase II will be a dry bottom stormwater detention basin. A remnant channel, or “oxbow,” in Phase II will be recreated at the bottom of the basin.
Additional trees will be planted post-construction. While the stormwater detention basin’s primary function is to reduce flooding risks, the site may provide multi-use recreational facilities that would be developed by partner entities. Construction of Phase I of this project, located along Greens Bayou between Lauder Road and JFK Boulevard, was substantially completed earlier this Spring.
More Specifics
2018 HCFCD Bond Project C-34 Precinct: 2 Contractor: RES Gulf Coast LLC, dba LECON, Inc. Contract Amount: approximately $22.5 Million Construction Start: Fall 2022 Contract Duration: 581 calendar days (about 1.5 years)
Mid-Reach Program: Greens Bayou cuts across NW Houston to Greenspoint Mall, then parallels Beltway 8 south of Intercontinental Airport. At Aldine-Westfield Road it turns further south, and cuts under 59 by the go-cart track. This project is part of the Greens Mid-Reach program, which has restored a 10-year level of service to the Bayou and is aiming for a 25-year level.
Greens Mid-Reach Program. See Lauder Basin Location in lower right.
Construction Warning
Construction equipment will access the work area via Miranda Street. The contractor will use heavy construction equipment such as dump trucks, excavators, and bulldozers to remove trees, vegetation, and excavated soil.
Motorists should heed all warning and road closure signs and detours. Be alert to truck traffic when passing near construction access points and along truck routes.
Since April 2022, I’ve documented the ever-widening clearing of the new Royal Pines subdivision at the north end of West Lake Houston Parkway. See what the development looked like in:
At the end of August, it appeared as though the clearing was close to complete. Massive piles of dead trees remain to haul away. But the cleared area closely matches the general plan shown below.
Looking ENE across the new, barren Royal Pines subdivisionLooking SSE from NW corner of Royal PinesLooking WNW across Country Colony and Royal Pines, the clearing in the background.General Plan for Royal Pines. Click here for higher resolution version.
All across the region we see this same scenario played out over and over again. Why?
Bloomberg points out, “Money, of course. For homebuilders, trees are a nuisance. To keep a tree alive while building on a lot, they have to keep heavy equipment far away so they don’t compact the soil above its roots. They also can’t push soil up around the trunk. Preserving trees means keeping the topography of the lot unchanged, which often doesn’t fit their plans.”
Memphis Daily News interviewed the president of the local homebuilders association there. The article says that “a developer’s stance on clear-cutting trees often depends on landscape and lot sizes. It’s easier to save trees on larger lots because they allow more room to work.”
“If a developer goes in and he decides he’s going to do two-acre lots, trees are no issue and they’re going to stay,” said Tim Wilson, president of the Memphis Area Homebuilders Association’s executive board. “But if a builder decides the best use for a piece of property is 40-foot lots, then the trees are coming down, every single one of them. That’s because there is no room for a house and a tree on a 40-foot lot.”
Majority of Lots 40-42 Feet
Exploring the links below will show you the general plan and layouts for the first three sections of Royal Pines. Most of the lots are, in fact, 40 to 42 feet wide:
That increases impervious cover. Unless sufficient detention and retention basins slow the water down, accelerated runoff increases the time of concentration downstream. That builds faster, higher flood peaks.
Effect of Urbanization on Peak Stream Flows” by Dr. William Dupre, professor emeritus from the University of Houston.
Impact on Environment
Sciencing.com points out that clearcutting also has other environmental impacts. They include erosion, pollution and flooding. “
“The roots of trees hold moisture and keep soil in place, protecting it from washing away during wind and rain. This erosion can also lead to flooding in waterways. Because trees are no longer holding the soil in place, rain flushes the sediment into waterways. … That can impact the river’s ability to flow properly and cause flooding.”
All this clearcutting has the potential to increase runoff, erosion and sedimentation that could require future dredging…at public expense.
Eventually, the ground cover and forest canopy will regrow. But what about in the meantime? Neighbors have been lucky so far unlike those in Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/5/22
1833 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20220904-DJI_0445.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2022-09-05 16:14:332022-09-05 16:14:37202.8 Acres of Royal Pines Gone. Was It Necessary?
New Caney ISD’s new West Fork High School on Sorters-McClellan Road south of Kingwood Drive celebrated its grand opening on August 23, 2022. Here’s a video of the event. I’ve been following the construction of the school since early 2020.
Construction is the riskiest period in a project as we saw with the aborted Woodridge Village project. Sheet flow during heavy rains flooded Elm Grove Village and North Kingwood Forest twice in 2019, largely because of the failure to follow best practices. Contractors cleared 270 acres before building required detention ponds.
No Flooding During Construction
However, New Caney ISD built a large detention pond at the low end of the site when it started construction. They also planted grass in it right away. Luckily, TA DA, no one flooded during construction. And no major erosion problems were observed. Amazing how safety improves when you follow best practices.
Pictures of Completed Campus
Here are pictures of the school taken 9/4/22, Sunday morning when no students were around. The campus looks beautiful and will make a welcome addition for New Caney ISD students in the area.
Wide shot showing whole campus including detention pond. Looking NE across Sorters-McClellan Road toward HCA Kingwood Medical Center in background.Closer shot looking in same direction. Looking NW from SE corner of site over the detention basin. Track, field events, baseball and a dedicated athletic facility on the left.Looking directly west at back of new high school.Looking south from north end of main complex.Central open-air courtyard, a signature feature of the new school. Gives more classrooms sunlight.Completing the circle. Looking NE again from SW corner of main building.
Historical Photos of Construction Progress
To look back at the sequence of construction photos starting in June 2020, see the links below.
Congratulations to New Caney ISD, its students, and all the neighbors who survived construction.
There’s still a little work left to do. The road in front of the high school is widening. A pile of dirt at the north end needs to be removed. And pipe, most likely for irrigation, still remains in places. But I think we can safely close the books on this project.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/4/22
1832 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20220904-DJI_0405.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2022-09-04 13:23:012022-09-04 13:27:09New West Fork High School Opens
My weird nephew Izzy wants to rent one of those new 660-square-foot homelets going up in the Preserve at Woodridge. He came to me so excited the other day that he was gesturing wildly and sloshed beer all over his Mötley Crüe T-shirt.
“Uncle Bob,” he enthused, “You gotta see these places! I can maybe actually possibly afford one!”
131 homes under construction, 13 to the acre. Photo taken 9/2/22.
That’s saying a lot. Or a little. Izzy isn’t exactly the top earner down at the Crystal Pistol. The owner demoted him from bartender to sweeping up beer nuts and cigarette butts. That happened after the owner learned Izzy had applied to be the head of the Flood Control District. Something about not showing loyalty and appreciation.
“A lease is a pretty big obligation, Izzy,” I said.
“It’s better than living outa the back seat of my Oldsmobile,” Izzy shot back.
“I thought you told me it would be a collector’s item someday.”
All the Amenities
“True,” said Izzy, “but these homelets, they got flush toilets.”
“I can see the advantage there. But they’re so close together, Izzy.”
“That’s one of the big pluses, Uncle Bob.”
“Why is that?”
“No trees to water. No grass to mow. More time for the ladies.”
Some of the homelets are more than 4 feet apart. Density is about 13 homelets to the acre.
“But Izzy. People commute all the way to Kingwood because they like nature.”
“Well, I heard they give you a geranium.”
“Will it fit?”
“Them homelets, they got plenty of room. Some even gots a study.”
“Do you own a book, Izzy?”
“No, but I got me a library card.”
“Have you ever used it?”
“I see your point, Uncle Bob. “
“Izzy, what you really need is a washer and drier.”
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.
