December 2019. Pipelines exposed by erosion at LMI River Road Mine.
Readers filed complaints with the Mine Safety Administration. And soon, contractors started working on “a fix” for the problem, which had lingered for years. Repairs began in January. Then, in March 2020, I wrote about about completion of the repairs.
March 2020. Repairs included the installation of two culverts under pipelines and a concrete swale on top of the culverts.
The Warning Two Years Ago
But after looking at all the sediment spewing from the culverts, I warned that “one has to worry about them becoming clogged with sand and silt.” Below, see what the area below outfall looked like at the time.
At the time I captioned this image with “A big issue in the future may be sediment clogging the culverts.“
Today, Culverts Almost Totally Blocked
Today, the culverts look like this (see below). I took the images below on 7/22/22.
Culverts’ intakes almost totally blocked by sediment. Mine has not maintained them. Water flows from part of the mine on the left to another part on right.
Below, see how the culvert outfalls have also become clogged.
Outfall on West Fork side of culverts.Wider shot. Note how more erosion is beginning on either side of the concrete repairs.
Repeat of Headward Erosion
The shot above illustrates the same type of headward erosion that started causing the safety problem in 2014.
Satellite image of same area from April 2014
Is There A Long-Term Fix?
Short of maintaining one’s property to protect public safety, I’m not sure what the long-term solution is. In my opinion, the first obligation of these mines should be public safety. But that often seems like an afterthought.
Neighbors tell me that this mine no longer operates every day. Perhaps the owner, Liberty Materials Inc., is experiencing reduced demand for its product due to economic conditions.
Regardless of the reason, this problem illustrates the need for the TCEQ to stiffen abandonment procedures for sand mines. The thought of those pipelines rupturing highly volatile liquids during a future flood scares me. It should scare anyone who lives along the San Jacinto. What will happen when LMI is no longer here to maintain those culverts?
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/1/2022
1798 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/2022/08/20220722-RJR_0226.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2022-08-01 17:36:232022-08-01 17:57:24Pipeline Repairs at LMI River Road Mine Need More Repair
The pace of excavation and removal of up to 500,000 cubic yards of soil from Woodridge Village has slowed slightly in recent months. That may be due to rising interest rates, which have slowed housing starts. Contractors use excavated dirt to elevate homesites in new developments. But the Census Bureau says housing starts in June 2022 fell 6.3% below the June 2021 rate.
Woodridge Village Background
Woodridge Village was the failed 670-acre Perry Homes development that twice contributed to flooding hundreds of homes in Kingwood’s Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest Villages in 2019. Harris County and the City of Houston bought the property in 2021 to help reduce flood risk. They plan to do this by building another detention basin.
Perry left the site about 40% short of the floodwater detention capacity needed to meet current Atlas-14 requirements. Since then, Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) entered into an “Excavation and Removal” contract (E&R) with Sprint Sand and Clay to begin removing additional soil. The goal: to get a head start on building an additional detention basin that would meet OR exceed Atlas-14 requirements.
During July, Sprint removed approximately 6,400 cubic yards of dirt.
HCFCD spokesperson Amy Stone
To date, Sprint has removed 48,860 yards of material. That’s 18,860 cubic yards more than the contract minimum for six months. And 1,400 cubic yards more than the minimum for July. So you can see that the rate of removal is dipping slightly.
At almost 50,000 cubic yards for 6 months (or 100,000 yards per year), it would take 5 years for Sprint to reach the maximum. However, by contract, Sprint has 36 months. If Sprint continues to average 6,000 cubic yards per month for another 30 months, it would remove a total of 229,000 cubic yards before the end of the contract term ([30×6000]+ 49,000).
So at some point, Sprint will have to sprint to catch up if they want to remove all 500,00 cubic yards.
Recent Photos Show Growth of Basin
Here’s what the site looked like before and after July’s excavation activity.
End of June
Excavation at end of June 2022. Note where the upper right boundary of the pit stops relative to the storm-sewer pipes at far right.
End of July
End of July 2022. Looking south over eastern edge of pond. Newly excavated area is at left (darker dirt).
About E&R Contracts
E&R contracts provide a head start on construction of detention basins before completion of their final design.
Sprint has agreed to remove up to half a million cubic yards of soil for only $1000. But it makes its money back by selling the soil for a profit on the open market. This provides virtually free excavation to taxpayers and virtually free raw material to Sprint. HCFCD has spent only $230 on the project so far. But the tradeoffs are speed and certainty.
The property above forms the headwaters of Taylor Gully. When HCFCD finishes its Taylor Gully study, things may change.
Final Needs Contingent on Outcome of Taylor Gully Study
Expanding Detention On Woodridge Village so that no channel improvements are necessary.
Determining amount of detention and channel improvements necessary to ensure no adverse impact all the way to Lake Houston.
Finding the optimum balance between maximum flood protection and minimum construction costs.
Deliverables include:
Channel and basin layouts
Estimates of benefits for various levels of storms (100-year, etc.)
Right-of-way requirements
Cost estimates for right-of-way acquisition, engineering and construction management.
Performance metrics, i.e., estimated acreage of land inundation, number of structures in floodplain, number of structures flooded and miles of inundated roadway.
A scoring matrix to rank alternatives.
The red dots show location of current excavation relative to entire scope of Idcus project, from yellow polygon on left to end of red line in forest on right.
Idcus should be done with the study soon. In the meantime, residents will have to settle for the virtually free head start we get.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/31/2022
1797 Days since Hurricane Harvey
1182 Days since May 7, 2019
1049 Days since TS Imelda
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/20220729-DJI_0263.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2022-07-31 13:45:182022-07-31 13:59:52July Update: Woodridge Village Excavation Rate Slows Slightly
The “Tree Muggers” at the new Royal Pines subdivision in Montgomery County at the north end of West Lake Houston Parkway continue their relentless and remorseless destruction of trees. How ironic considering that the name implies the developer will market homes to Tree Huggers! Perhaps they:
Feel the name will blind customers to the reality.
Will offer to plant a ceremonial sapling at closing.
Here’s what Royal Pines looked like at the end of July 2022.
Dead tree limbs stacked two stories high awaiting removal. Newly cleared area is at top of frame to the left of Country Colony in the upper right.Higher angle shows proximity to the Triple PG sand mine in the background. White Oak Creek runs between the mine and the subdivision.Looking NE toward Triple PG sand mine in background. The extent of clearing as of the end of July 2022.Looking SSE across Royal Pines toward the current terminus of West Lake Houston Parkway. Looking SW. The distant clearing is Woodridge Village where similar clearcutting contributed to the flooding of hundreds of homes in Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest twice in 2019.Same direction, but closer and higher. Note the contrast with previous development practices that tried to build homes among the trees.
Old Floodplain Maps Will Put Unsuspecting Buyers at Risk
Note the dotted lines that snake their way through the top of the development. Those represent the 100- and 500-year floodplains.
Notice how a large part of the development is in “Zone X (Shaded).” That’s the area between the limits of the base flood (100-year or 1% annual chance) and the 0.2-percent-annual-chance (or 500-year) flood. I counted more than 80 homes in that zone. I also see six already INSIDE the 100-year zone.
Keep in mind that these flood zones are based on PRE-Harvey estimates. FEMA shows that Montgomery County last mapped this area in 2014. When FEMA approves new POST-Harvey flood maps in the next few years, those zones will expand to take in more of the subdivision.
In Harris County, MAAPnext is revising maps based on higher rainfall probability statistics and current changes in development. And a lot of development has occurred upstream of Royal Pines on White Oak Creek.
MAAPnext advises that, in general, new flood maps will show floodways expand into the 100-year flood zone and the 100-year expanding into 500-year by about 50%.
This is the same problem I talked about yesterday with the Kingland West development in Harris County at the Grand Parkway and the East Fork.
We won World War II in less time than it’s taking to release these new flood maps. Ironically, by the time they’re released, the Tree Muggers will have already invalidated the basis for the new maps. And thus, the cycle of flooding continues.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/30/2022
1797 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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Contractors have begun clearing more than 1,100 acres owned by CH-B Kingland, LLC, north of the newly opened Grand Parkway. Construction plans obtained from Harris County Flood Control District via a FOIA request indicate the developer will build single-family residences. But the documents also indicate that engineers are using pre- not post-Harvey floodplain maps and data. That could be tragic news for unknowledgeable home buyers as well as homeowners already in the area. I have interviewed people near here whose homes flooded twice in the last five years.
While the current maps date back to Tropical Storm Allison, they are still official. But why?
The remaining 4,000 acres span three counties: Montgomery, Harris and Liberty. According to Appraisal District maps in the three counties, CH-B Kingland still owns acreage on both sides of the Grand Parkway. The opening of Segment H of the Grand Parkway will likely help the value of CH-B’s remaining land skyrocket – despite the fact that wetlands pockmark the land.
Looking east along the Grand Parkway at additional land owned by CH-B Kingland not yet being developed. This is immediately east of Kingland West in Liberty County and not part of Kingland West construction plans.
A group called Castle Hill Partners appears on construction plans. Castle Hill Partners (CHP) is a private investment firm specializing in commercial development. The company provides turnkey investment, construction, loan servicing and property management services.
Effect on Flooding
Of Montgomery, Harris, and Liberty counties, Harris has the most stringent flood regulations. And according to a source close to the engineering company (Jones & Carter), Harris refused to permit the plans unless the engineering company followed Harris’ standards in all three counties. That part is good. The summary of floodwater detention below shows that the developer meets Harris County standards.
Screen capture from Kingland West construction plans.
Here is a summary of their Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan. It declares, in writing, that all outfall structures will be constructed in accordance with Harris County standards. The Plan also describes measures contractors should use to prevent sediment from escaping the site.
Location of sand pits matches location of detention pond in Kingland plans.Satellite photo from 12/21.
When I last photographed these pits in June 2020, they had mostly dry bottoms. But the image above shows they now have wet bottoms. I hope there’s enough room in the ponds to hold the required amount of floodwater.
Helicopter photo from 6/20, eighteen months ago.Note small ponds already holding water in pits. Water table is high because of proximity to San Jacinto East Fork.
Contractors will make more room for floodwater with additional excavation adjacent to the ponds. Here’s where the engineers plan to move fill from and to in Phase 1. But there’s still a big problem – the size of floodplains on the maps being used.
Built to Pre-Harvey, Pre-Colony-Ridge Floodplain Standards
Unfortunately, the developer is using old flood maps and data developed after Tropical Storm Allison, not after Harvey.
See the disclaimer in the screen capture below. It appears in small type on virtually every page of the construction plans.
Screen capture from The Trails construction documents explains all calculations are based on old flood maps and pre-Harvey data.
Rosemary Fain and her husband who live just blocks south and east of Kingland West might disagree with that statement about “rare occasions.” Despite being farther from the East Fork than every Kingland West home will be, the Fains flooded twice recently from the East Fork, once during Harvey and again during Imelda. Water rose so high that it bridged out of the East Fork Watershed and started flowing into Luce Bayou – miles to the east!
I saw no reference to current floodplains or recent floods in the plans.
However, more than outdated rainfall-probability statistics affect flooding in this area. Just ask the people of Plum Grove, many of whom never flooded before Colony Ridge.
The sad fact is that the massive 20,000-acre Colony Ridge development in Liberty County, immediately east and north of Kingland, has increased and accelerated drainage. Colony Ridge has ALSO made the 2007 flood maps woefully out of date; the development started after the the old maps’ release – around 2012. Their out-of-control drainage blew out FM1010 less than 2 miles north of Kingland.
So why hasn’t MAAPnext released the new maps yet? They’re reportedly complete. More on that in a future post.
Posted by Bob Rehak on July 29, 2022
1795 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/2022/07/20220722-RJR_0575.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2022-07-29 17:56:522022-08-29 15:11:00Kingland West Clearing 1,123 Acres at FM1010 and Grand Parkway, Using Old Flood Maps
The City of Houston’s new $2 billion Northeast Water Purification Plant between Lake Houston and Beltway 8 East is now more than 50% complete. The last monthly progress report posted on GreaterHoustonWater.com was from more than a year ago. At the time, it showed construction 55% complete. Since then, the City has continued to post detailed periodic construction updates. The latest was in March 2022. It featured 79 pages of photos that dramatize the complexity of such a huge project. A flyover of the plant on 7/22/22 showed even more progress.
The latest timetable shows completion of the first phase early next year and completion of the second in 2025.
The Harris-Galveston Subsidence District says that land subsidence is caused by the withdrawal of groundwater. For that reason, regulations have been put in place to limit the use of groundwater.
By 2025, surface water must supply at least 60 percent of our water. The plant should meet that objective. And, it will wean 80% of the region off groundwater by 2035.
The plant expansion will supply 320 million gallons per day of treated water capacity in addition to the current 80 million gallons per day. So, capacity will quintuple by completion.
The two pipelines leading to the Northeast Water Purification Plant are each 9 feet tall!
September 2020. Looking west toward Beltway.July 2022September 2020July 2022September 2020July 2022
Improved Techniques
According to the City, “The expansion will include conventional treatment processes like the existing plant that help coagulate, settle, filter, and then disinfect water.” Quality will exceed Texas Commission on Environmental Quality requirements.
In addition, says the City, an advanced oxidation process called ozonation will disinfect water to help ensure that harmful organisms such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium are eliminated. Ozonation also helps eliminate taste and odor causing compounds, which improves the aesthetic quality of the water supplied by the Northeast Water Purification Plant.
Posted by Bob Rehak on July 28, 2022
1794 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/20200911-RJR_1592.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2022-07-28 14:36:152022-07-28 15:10:26Construction of Northeast Water Purification Plant Past Halfway Mark
The hand of sand miners weighs heavily on the San Jacinto watershed. Not all miners. But many.
While exploring the river basin by helicopter last week, the contrast between two scenes struck me: 1) The natural blanket of green in Lake Houston Wilderness Park. 2) Sand mines that lined the banks of the East and West Forks for miles.
The trees and natural wetlands inhibit floods. They slow floodwaters down, hold them back during heavy rains, and reduce erosion. The sand mines do not. They may provide some floodwater detention, but the pits are often filled to the brim and their dikes often break.
How you treat the land determines how it treats you. Especially during floods. This aerial photo essay shows how the San Jacinto River Basin used to look and how it looks today.
Lake Houston Wilderness Park
Peach and Caney Creeks border Lake Houston Wilderness Park on the west. The San Jacinto East Fork borders it on the east. The shot below represents the way the whole Lake Houston area used to be.
Looking across the 5000 acres of Lake Houston Wilderness Park – the largest urban nature park in America.
Compare That With These Shots
This first provides a direct comparison.
Sand mine on Caney Creek. Lake Houston Wilderness Park in upper right.
I’ll provide five more shots here, all from the West Fork San Jacinto. They represent more than 500 similar shots I took on 7/22/22.
No Swimming
When I see all this environmental degradation, my mind starts swimming – despite the scary water.
How much sediment gets swept downstream in floods?
Can this land ever return to productive use?
Do other cities allow mining in urban environments upstream from their water sources?
What effect does mining have on the water quality in Lake Houston?
What percentage of our water bills goes to cleaning up this water?
Why doesn’t Texas have performance bonds that ensure sand miners leave the land in habitable shape?
The sand makes concrete. It supports growth. But is all growth good?
Is growth in one area at the expense of public safety in another worthwhile?
Should we limit the concentration of mines in an area?
Why do mines expect the public to pay their cleanup and reclamation costs?
Is it safe to build mines below a dam that releases enough water during floods to break the mines’ dikes?
Are there no alternatives?
Cycle Continues
New Segment H of the Grand Parkway cutting east through forests will attract more subdivisions that require more sand for more concrete.
I encourage rebuttals from any mine owner who wishes to address these questions.
Posted by Bob Rehak on July 27, 2022
1793 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/2022/07/20220722-RJR_0554.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2022-07-27 14:03:372022-08-29 15:08:12The Hand of Sand Miners on the San Jacinto
The Colony Ridge development in Liberty County, aka the world’s largest trailer park, has more than doubled in size in the last 3 years. Measurements in Google Earth show that Colony Ridge, which started clearing land in 2012, has expanded from approximately 8,000 acres in 2019 to almost 20,000 acres today. To put that in perspective, Kingwood comprises approximately 14,000 acres and took more than 40 years to build out.
Colony Ridge started developing on the left (west). It is expanding eastand north.
Growing Pains
But the rapid growth of Colony Ridge has not come without pain:
Rivers of mud continue to flow out of drainage ditches with big rains because the developer flaunted construction regulations for them.
Consequences of Poor Construction Practices
As a result of such drainage issues and exposed soils, more sediment flows downstream than otherwise would. This contributed to sediment buildups on the San Jacinto East Fork (see below). Those, in turn, reduce conveyance and contribute to downstream flooding – unless the public continues to spend millions on dredging.
East Fork Mouth Bar after Imelda but before recent dredging. Average river depth had been reduced to three feet.
Still Not Following Best Practices
Aerial photos taken on 7/22/2022 with Ken Williams and Bill Callegari, two fellow members of the Harris County Community Flood Resilience Task Force, show the current state of the development and construction practices in Colony Ridge. Sadly, not much has improved. For instance, the developer still piles dirt on the edge of ditches without protecting them with silt fences.
Note long drainage ditch cutting diagonally through middle of frame. Developer has piled dirt next to it (middle left of frame) without protecting ditch with silt fencing.Major ditch cutting through older section is sill not protected with back-slope interceptor swales or vegetation.Erosion is rampant.
Water shooting down the ditch above created a major headache during Harvey. See below.
FM 1010 Still Washed Out
Floodwater from the ditch washed out FM 1010. This major N/S thoroughfare still needs repair…five years later!
Break in FM 1010, aka Plum Grove Roadforces residents to detour for miles.
Photos Showing New Development
Area developed last year is starting to fill in with new trailer homes already.Note absence of fire hydrants…still.Looking east at area still under construction.Looking E from NE corner of development.Another area semi-cleared but still unpaved.
If there’s good news in these photos, it is that the developer appears to be leaving more natural ground cover in the newest areas. Still, without vegetation on the sides of ditches, without better construction practices, excess sediment could continue washing into the Lake Houston Area for years to come.
Downstream residents will continue to pay the price for egregious development practices upstream.
Someday, the people who buy these lots will also become flood victims of similar new developments even farther upstream.
Will we continue to repeat mistakes of the past in ever widening circles? Will we continue to sow the seeds of future flooding? Or will we wake up to the fact that we are all part of one giant community?
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/23/2022
1792 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/2022/07/20220726-Screen-Shot-2022-07-26-at-10.27.55-AM-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C854&ssl=18541200adminadmin2022-07-26 15:04:302022-08-29 15:09:39Controversial Colony Ridge Development Doubles in Size
Two new subdivisions are now routing their drainage through or toward San Jacinto West Fork sand mines.
The one already going through a mine is Artavia on the north/east side of the Westfork between FM 1314 and river.
The other is near Woodson’s Reserve on the south/west side of the river just inside the Grand Parkway (SH99). Their ditch currently stops just feet short of another sand mine.
Routing drainage through sand mines raises concerns about the potential for increasing sediment in the West Fork. Increased sediment can reduce conveyance and contribute to flooding.
Accident Waiting to Happen?
During a flyover of the West Fork on Friday 7/22/2022 with Ken Williams and Bill Callegari, two fellow members of the Harris County Community Resilience Flood Task Force, I photographed both drainage issues from the air. They gave me a queasy, “accident-waiting-to-happen” feeling.
So, I reached out to Texas A&M, the TCEQ, the Montgomery County Engineer’s office and two hydrologists to ask about about safety. I could not reach anyone at A&M, TCEQ, or the MoCo Engineer’s office. But this is vacation time.
However, the two hydrologists did express concerns. See them below the pictures.
Wide shot looking SW. Artavia Drainage Ditch heading toward LMI Moorehead mine. West Fork is at far edge of mine in trees.Water from ditch goes into one pond and makes a right turn into another, then……spills out into the West Fork via a pipe or overflow swale.West Fork in foreground runs toward the right and Humble/Kingwood Area.
Second Development’s Drainage
On the opposite side of the West Fork, upstream just south of the Grand Parkway, another new development is expanding near Woodson’s Reserve.
Red dot represents location of helicopter when taking the two shots immediately below.Part of expansionA small part of the clearing. Note drainage ditch on right (not fully completed).Close up of the far end of the shot above.Looking east. West Fork is in trees on far side of mine.
The developer could make the ditch go around the mine. But around would be an expensive proposition. Right now, the ditch ends a half mile from the river.
Going around would add another 2 miles. Plus, to reach the river, the ditch would have to make a sharp U-turn and cut across a series of properties owned by other entities. So, I’m fairly confident that’s NOT the plan.
Looking north across mine. Red X marks current end of ditch. West Fork is on right.
This mine stretches two miles north to south and a half mile east to west.
Concerns of Hydrologists
The two hydrologists who returned my calls both spoke on condition of anonymity. They expressed concerns about the potential for sedimentation and erosion created by routing subdivision drainage through sand mines.
The first acknowledged that the practice might have benefits during small rains. Sediment transported down ditches could get a chance to drop out of suspension before it reaches the river. And the ponds might provide some small floodwater retention benefit, too.
However, he also felt that in large floods the higher volume and speed of the water could churn up sediment in the pond and flush it downstream.
The second hydrologist worried about pressure on the mines’ dikes. He cited the potential for breaches and the risk of sediment escaping into the West Fork and onto neighboring properties.
He also worried about erosion of the loose, sandy soils. Already, he said, you can see significant erosion where they are trying to shore up roadways. He remembered the 56 million gallon spill from the LMI Moorehead mine that turned the West Fork white with sludge. He also remembered how LMI tried to blame it on Artavia at the time.
Confluence of Spring Creek and West Fork. TCEQ alleged that Liberty Mines discharged 56 million gallons of white waste water into the West Fork.Liberty blamed Artavia for flooding the mine. Photo taken 11/04/2019.
I couldn’t find any academic papers written about routing subdivision drainage through mines. Montgomery County may be breaking new ground, so to speak.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/25/22
1791 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/2022/07/20220722-RJR_0283.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2022-07-25 19:12:032022-07-26 07:25:30New Subdivisions Now Routing Drainage Through, Toward West Fork Sand Mines
A popular misperception says Halls Bayou has received no flood-mitigation funding. Yet it has received $175 million since 2000. $65 million of that happened since Harvey.
Channel widening, stormwater-detention basins and neighborhood drainage improvements have reduced flood risk somewhat, but several factors – including the need for more funding – make mitigation difficult. HCFCD has many projects still seeking federal assistance.
The Bond Program approved by voters in 2018 includes more than $110 million for the Halls Bayou watershed. That money could help attract another $236 million in federal matching grants for a total of $346 million. But many projects have yet to receive grants and start construction.
Halls cuts diagonally across the northern part of Harris County between Beltway 8 and Loop 610 North. It joins Greens Bayou before the Ship Channel.
From HCFCD.org on 7/24/2022.Halls, a tributary of Greens Bayou, is the darker shaded area.
Background: Halls Ahead
Halls received an extraordinary amount of damage during Tropical Storm Allison in 2001. Among all 23 Harris County watersheds, it ranked second only behind Greens Bayou during that storm. But Greens has four times the area and three times the population. (Greens had 15,590 damaged structures; Halls had 12,820.)
As a result, HCFCD launched many studies of Halls drainage after Allison. They culminated in the 2013 Halls Ahead Plan. But HCFCD lacked money to fully implement it and still does. All unfunded Halls Ahead projects carried forward into the 2018 Bond Program and many were able to start as you will see in the pictures below. Several have even finished. However…
A Phasing Study designated 58 flood risk reduction projects in 12 phases, with estimated costs between $100 million and $150 million per phase.
Flood Control executives recently traveled to Washington to plead for more help from the Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps now has a pilot program to help economically disadvantaged areas and Halls certainly qualifies. Halls has the highest percentage of vulnerable, Low-to-Moderate Income (LMI) residents of any watershed in Harris County (71%).
Complicating Factors
Blocked roadside ditches trap floodwater in neighborhoods. City of Houston and Harris County Precincts are responsible for roadside ditches, not HCFCD.
Halls is plagued by a combination of factors that make flood mitigation difficult:
Silted-in roadside ditches
Aging stormwater infrastructure
Developments built to older standards
Homes frequently built at street level
Dense population that leaves little room for mitigation projects
Structures built in floodplains that have to be bought out before many mitigation can begin (see below).
Flood History in Halls Watershed
Much of the Halls Bayou watershed developed during or after the 1950s. Take this area immediately east of what became I-45. It was farmland before then.
Google Earth image from 1953.Same area in 1978.Floodplains today. Cross hatched = Floodway. Aqua = 100-year floodplain. Brown = 500-year.Based on data developed after Allison. Floodplains will expand even farther after new updates.
Homes and businesses built in Halls Bayou floodplains created the flood risk. They also make widening channels or building detention basins difficult because of time-consuming, expensive buyouts.
Vital Stats
These statistics help put Halls Bayou flood problems in perspective. Here’s how Halls ranks among 23 Harris County watersheds on:
Watershed size – #16 (42.3 square miles)
Population – #10 (152,358 in 2020 census, down 5% from 2010)
Population density – #6 (3,602 people/square mile)
Dollars per capitain flood mitigation spending – #5 ($1151 per resident)
Dollars per square mile – #4 ($3.9 million dollars per square mile between 2000 and the end of last year).
Damaged structures – #4 (25,691 structures during five major storms since 2000 [Allison, Tax Day, Memorial Day, Harvey and Imelda])
Damage per square mile – #1 (607.4 structures/sq. mi.)
That last point makes recovery difficult for communities, especially less affluent ones. It may help explain the decrease in population.
Allison, Harvey Dramatize Need for Mitigation
HCFCD has documented flooding along Halls 14 times since 1989. But the two worst storms were Allison (2001) and Harvey (2017). Allison damaged 12,820 structures in the watershed. But Harvey damaged fewer – 11,831.
It’s fairly safe to say that without many mitigation improvements made prior to Harvey, Harvey damage would have been worse. However, rainfall distribution patterns make comparisons between the storms difficult.
The following table from HCFCD’s final Harvey report compares rainfall associated with severe, recent storms for various time periods. Tropical Storm Allison exceeds Harvey’s rainfall in the 6, 12 and 24-hr periods. But in the 2-day period, Harvey produced 6.0 inches more than Allison and 8.9 inches more over 4 days.
Photos of Stormwater Detention Projects from 7/19/22 Flyover
Last Tuesday, I flew most of the length of Halls Bayou with two fellow members of the Harris County Community Flood Resilience Task Force, Ken Williams and Bill Callegari. Let’s take a look at several Halls projects already completed or under construction – starting upstream and working east.
Helms Street Basins
East Helms runs between these two small basins just south of Aldine Mail Route Road. HCFCD completed these last year. They hold 119 acre-feet. That’s a little less than 3″ of stormwater falling over a square mile.
The basin will hold 180 acre-feet of stormwater. That’s about 3.5 inches of rain falling across a square mile. It will be a wet-bottom basin with a vegetated shelf.
Looking S at new detention basin. Between Halls Bayou at far end and Isom Street in foreground. Aldine Mail Route Road is under the camera position.
This basin is part of a larger mitigation project that will also extend and enlarge a channel north to the Western Homes subdivision along Aldine Mail Route Road.
Keith Weiss Park
One of the hidden gems of Houston is Keith Weiss Park east of Aldine-Westfield Road. The area is really a series of large connected detention basins disguised as a nature park with hike and bike trails, soccer fields, piers and boardwalks. City of Houston owns the park.
The Keith Weiss project removed 1,770,000 cubic yards of soil to create detention basins that hold approximately 963 acre feet of stormwater storage. That’s enough to hold a foot of stormwater falling across 1.5 square miles.
Google Earth shows that excavation started around 2006 and was substantially completed by 2010.
Wide shot looking east from over Aldine-Westfield Road. Halls Bayou flows away from camera.See close-ups of the three detention ponds below.Western-most basin. Halls Bayou in bottom center.Center pond. Still looking east toward US 59.Eastern-most pond.
Channel Improvements
HCFCD is making channel improvements along Halls in many locations. See project C-41. The area below lies between Keith Weiss Park and US59.
Looking SE along Halls toward US59. According to the HCFCD website, channel conveyance improvements and an additional detention basin are still in preliminary engineering.
Bretshire Stormwater Detention Basin
The Bretshire Stormwater Detention Basin on Halls Bayou added approximately 635 acre feet of additional stormwater storage upstream of Jensen Drive at US 59. It holds a foot of stormwater falling across one square mile.
Looking East across Bretshire Stormwater Detention Basin toward US59. The Fiesta store is by 59, left of center. Downtown is out of frame to the right.
HCFCD also had to buy out a large part of a subdivision to build the Hall Park basin on the opposite side of US 59. Flood Control substantially completed this project in 2018.
Looking NE across US 59 toward the Hall Park basin and Halls Bayou.
Hall Park holds 835 acre-feet. That’s enough to hold a foot of water falling across 1.3 square miles.
This project involved relocating a City of Houston sanitary sewer line and removing approximately 1.2 million cubic yards of soil.
This project required many buyouts that took almost a decade to complete.Roads shown inside the basin have been removed.
As part of its Bayou Greenways 2020 project, the nonprofit Houston Parks Board is designing and constructing the Halls Bayou Greenway – which includes a hike and bike trail, landscaping and neighborhood connections – along the southern edge of the stormwater detention basin. The full Halls Bayou Greenway will provide nine miles of publicly accessible open space from Brock Park to Keith Wiess Park.
In many cases, such stormwater detention basins are disguised as parks. So, many people don’t even recognize them as basins.
Hopper and Little York Basins
Slightly east of 59 at Hopper and Little York, HCFCD constructed two smaller basins in 2021 along a tributary of Halls. Together they hold approximately 200 acre feet. That’s about a foot of rain falling over a third of a square mile. Or four inches across a whole square mile.
Looking west toward 59 at Hopper Basin. Halls tributary cuts diagonally through pond in foreground.Looking S along the same tributary (in shade at left) at Little York basin. Little York runs along the bottom of the frame.
Such projects hold water back during storms until it can be slowly and safely released later when water in the bayou has receded.
Holding Back A Foot of Rain Falling Across Almost 5 Square Miles
Altogether, the detention basins in this post will hold almost a foot of stormwater falling across 5-square miles.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/20220719-RJR_9716.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2022-07-24 08:23:182022-07-24 21:02:55Halls Bayou Has Come a Long Way, But Still Has Long Way to Go
Earlier this week, I photographed the collapse of one of the two last townhome complexes in Forest Cove on Marina Drive. Today, I flew over the demolition site and photographed contractors removing the last of the debris and cleaning up the site.
The images also show the extent of buyouts in the area as well as the last remaining townhome complex opposite the Forest Cove pool. One down. One to go!
Photos Taken on 7/22/22
Looking south toward San Jacinto West Fork. Site of recently demolished complex in foreground. Last complex at top of frame, left of pool.The demolition contractor has removed everything, including foundations and driveways – down to the dirt. This entire area was once filled with townhome complexes, owned or rented by people who loved the river lifestyle.Now only one remains. Harris County Flood Control has bought out the last owner and is doing final inspections before scheduling demolition sometime in August.From dust to dust. All that remains of this address is memories.The excavator is using an I-Beam to level the dirt.
Vast Improvement
Compare the image below with the one above.
After Harvey. Before demolition.This picture was taken in April, 2022.
Harvey was the final insult to these townhomes. These and neighboring properties became uninhabitable because of flooding. 240,000 cubic feet per second made them structurally unsound.
Since Harvey, all the derelict buildings drew drug dealers, graffiti artists and illegal dumpers. Now, the area will revert to nature and become, once again, a haven for eagles and other wildlife that still roam this area.
One down. One to go.
No More Insurable Structures
Many people have asked about the long range plans for this area. Harris County Flood Control now owns the property. It will never be developed. Under the terms of the FEMA grant used to finance the buyouts, “no insurable structures” can ever be placed on this land again. That severely limits possibilities.
So What Comes Next?
However, the land could still be used for parks and trails. Beth Walters, a spokesperson for HCFCD confirmed this afternoon that Harris County and the Houston Parks Board have been in talks about this property. However, she was not aware of any decisions that have been made at this point. Creating something beautiful on this property will likely take fund raising, long-term budgeting, and the cooperation of multiple entities.
The Value of Park Land
In my humble opinion, a long linear park stretching from here to US 59 might be the highest and best use for this land. It would turn a negative into a positive. If a deal can be worked out, it would help restore nearby property values in Forest Cove. These derelict townhomes certainly did not help them.
Many studies point to an increase in home values near parks. This one suggests an 8% to 20% bump. I hope the community can come together around the idea of turning this area into a park.
Meanwhile…a couple miles downstream, developers are busy building even more condos and apartments…even closer to the river. And they say that one of the hallmarks of human intelligence is that we can learn from each other’s mistakesI
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/22/2022
1788 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/20220722-RJR_0462.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2022-07-22 17:54:092022-07-22 21:59:32Forest Cove Townhomes: One More Gone, One to Go
