Want to learn how to create healthy, resilient, natural spaces in your community that can mitigate the effects of flooding? Harris County Precinct 4 will sponsor a free event this weekend at Jesse Jones Park called “Floods and Phytoremediation.”
The event will be held indoors in the park’s Nature Center. People can also participate virtually via Zoom. To register for the virtual alternative, click here. Drop-ins are welcome for the in-person option; no registration is necessary.
What is Phytoremediation?
This event definitely takes the prize for Best Title in the Curiosity Category. I didn’t even know what phytoremediation was. But once I looked it up, I got very interested.
Phytoremediation uses living plants to clean up soil, air, and water contaminated with certain types of hazardous contaminants. The term is a marriage of the Greek phyto (plant) and Latin remedium (restoring balance). It takes advantage of plants’ abilities to concentrate elements and compounds from the environment and to detoxify various organic compounds.
Goal of Program
Organizers of the program hope to make the community more resilient to extreme precipitation events by making people more knowledgeable about the possibilities and getting them more involved.
Staff and volunteers at Jesse Jones Park hope to plant thousands of trees and other vegetation along the creek this fall and winter to:
Help slow and absorb flood waters
Phytoremediate toxins
Prevent erosion
Beautify the area.
“Once established, these areas could be utilized in the research about phytoremediation,” said Jason Naivar, the Superintendent of Jesse Jones Park.
Grants from NOAA and the Boston Museum of Science helped make the program possible.
Learn More about Health Hazards of Extreme Flooding and How Plants Can Reduce Toxicity
Jesse Jones Park and Lonestar College-Kingwood have partnered to bring together experts to speak about the health hazards of extreme flooding. They will also focus on how native plants can help reduce the toxicity of these events.
Speakers include:
Jason Naivar-Superintendent of Jesse Jones Park introduce the program and explain the history of flooding in Jones Park.
Theresa Harris of American Association for the Advancement of Science will speak on initiating public engagement projects.
Dr. Kristy Daniel of Texas State University will speak on volunteer training in science.
Dr. Brian Shmaefsky from Lone Star College Kingwood will discuss general aspects of phytoremediation.
Professor Xingmao (Sam) Ma of Texas A&M University will focus on phytotechnology related to civil engineering practices.
All Jones Park events allow for proper social distancing. Bring your own water bottle, however. Due to Covid concerns, the park’s water coolers are still shut down.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/3/2021
1435 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/20210803-Screen-Shot-2021-08-03-at-3.23.39-PM-copy.jpg?fit=924%2C1200&ssl=11200924adminadmin2021-08-03 15:40:092021-08-03 15:42:15Don’t Miss “Floods and Phytoremediation” This Saturday At Jesse Jones Park
A front moving into the region could bring high hourly rainfall rates and rapid street flooding, according to Jeff Lindner, Harris County’s meteorologist. He says, “A weak front will move into the area today and tonight, and stall near the coast or just offshore on Tuesday and Wednesday.”
Weather Live radar composite as of noon CDT, 8.2.21.
Slow-Moving Front, Training Cells, Possible Street Flooding
“The slow-moving front is moving southward across north and central TX. Numerous showers and thunderstorms have already formed along it. The air mass in the Houston region will become increasingly unstable this afternoon. Expect numerous, slow-moving showers and thunderstorms to develop across the region,” says Lindner.
“The combination of slow movement, deep tropical moisture, and the potential for training all points toward a heavy rainfall threat this afternoon,” he said.
“The main threat will likely be short-term rainfall rates of 2-3 inches per hour leading to rapid onset street flooding.”
Jeff Lindner, Harris County meteorologist
Mainly South of I-10 and Offshore by Tomorrow
Lindner continued, “The front will push toward the coast tonight and may even move offshore on Tuesday. A slightly drier air mass will build into the region behind the front with rain chances focusing near the coast and across Gulf waters later today and tomorrow.”
He sees the main rain chances on Tuesday for areas south of I-10. However, he also predicts much of the activity will be offshore.
Enjoy the slightly drier air mass and “cooler” temperatures behind the front as it washes out by late week. After that, onshore flow will return along with humidity. “By next weekend, heat index values could near advisory levels,” Lindner warns.
Tropics to Pick Up by Mid-August
On an unrelated topic, Lindner sees no concerns for the next 5 days for tropical development in the Atlantic basin. However, Lindner sees signals that the Atlantic basin will become increasingly favorable for development toward mid August.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8.2.21based on information provided by HCFCD
1434 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Radar-8.2.21-noon.jpg?fit=1200%2C1677&ssl=116771200adminadmin2021-08-02 12:26:042021-08-02 12:27:55Possible Street Flooding Later Today
Tyson’s Sponge City article focused on recent Chinese floods from July 17-21, 2021. They hit a large manufacturing center called Zhengzhou with a population of more than 10 million especially hard. Rains there were eerily reminiscent of Hurricane Harvey.
While the Sponge City investments didn’t save Zhengzhou from a 5000-year flood, they did provide many benefits. And many lessons.
Sponge Cities and Green vs. Gray Infrastructure
The title of Tyson’s article is, “To curb urban flooding, China is building ‘sponge cities.’ Do they work?” Answer: Not by themselves. At least not yet. And not for a 5000-year storm.
The Sponge Cities concept has a large green component as opposed to being all gray. Think of gray infrastructure as dams and other concrete based solutions. China has constructed 97,000 dams since the 1950s, says Tyson. That doesn’t even include the dikes and levees also built to prevent riverine flooding in cities built on floodplains. But those alone were not preventing flooding.
China has had a large urban migration in the last 40 years. Since 1978, the country’s urban population expanded fivefold. As concrete replaced green space, urban drainage systems in most Chinese cities proved insufficient to cope with rising flood risk, says Tyson. Hence, a push for more green solutions
Says Tyson, “China’s Sponge City program aims to use pervious pavements, rain gardens, green roofs, urban wetlands, and other innovations to absorb water during storms. The soil then purifies that water and gradually releases it – much like a sponge. The government has invested more than $12 billion in the program since 2014 to help cities create sponge features on 20% of their land, with the goal of retaining or reusing 80% of annual precipitation by the 2030s.”
But the Sponge City idea involves more than just green features. Guy Carpenter, who models climate risks for insurance companies, points out that the concept also includes construction of large capacity drainpipe networks, underground stormwater storage tanks, and other flood-control facilities.
One-Hundred-Year Level of Protection Inadequate for Record Rains
Says Carpenter, “The aim of the Sponge City project is to protect the city from floods with return periods up to about 1-in-100 years (1% annual chance). Both the peak rate of precipitation and the total rainfall amount of this event far exceeded the tolerance of the design scope of the Sponge City.”
Zhengzhou in Mainland China’s Henan Province was struck by tropical cyclones Cempaka and In-fa. They dumped more rain on Zhengzhou in a day – 28 inches – than it usually receives in a year. From start to finish, Zhengzhou received 32.5 inches. The one hour peak was 7.9 inches.
The Sponge City investments were not wasted. Despite the severity of the rainfall, they eliminated 125 previous flood-prone locations (77% of total). They have also proven effective with light to medium precipitation, reducing flood peaks, promoting the sustainable circulation, and recovery of rainwater.
The South China Morning Post reported that the flood caused at least 66 deaths, including 14 in the local subway system and six in a tunnel.
Extreme flooding in Zhengzhou, China, on July 20, 2021, after 28 inches of rain fell in 24 hours. (Image credit: UN Climate Change Twitter feed)
The heavy rainfall almost caused several reservoirs to breach. More than 230,000 people in surrounding areas had to be evacuated as a precaution. Workers are still shoring up the reservoirs.
The severity of this event simply exceeded the flood control and storm-water drainage facilities in the city including the ‘sponge city’ additions. The event had knocked out transportation, communications, water supply, power and other industries.
Zhengzhou’s Hurricane Harvey
Sounds a lot like Houston during Harvey. And it was, relatively speaking.
The following tables from Harris County Flood Control District’s final report on Tropical Storm Imelda compare rainfall totals for different durations during several recent storms including Harvey and Allison. These are the max totals recorded inside Harris County. In some cases, the storms produced higher totals in neighboring counties.
Max rainfall rates recorded in Harris County during different durations three major storms.
Remember, Zhengzhou got 28 inches in a day, 7.9 inches in an hour and 32.5 inches for the storm. So their totals are comparable to Harvey’s.
The South China Morning Post also describes the chaos that reigned in Zhengzhou, much as it did in Houston after Harvey. The Chinese government had invested heavily not just in Sponge Cities, but in Smart Cities. The latter were supposed to provide people with extra evacuation time. However, the Post reported Zhengzhou was cast back into the “digital dark ages” when the disaster knocked out the Internet and electricity. Warnings did not get from officials to the people who needed them.
According to its lake lowering policy adopted last year, the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) should start to drop the level of Lake Conroe this weekend.
Text of Lake-Lowering Policy
The lake-lowering policy states:
“Beginning August 1, release only an amount of water from Lake Conroe to create a one foot capacity to catch rainfall and storm runoff (from 201’ msl to 200’ msl). After September 1, increase capacity an additional six inches (from 200’ msl to 199.5’ msl). If a named storm is predicted to impact our region, the COH may initiate an additional release of six inches (to 199’ msl) by notifying SJRA in writing of their call for release. Recapture beginning October 1.”
As of 5PM Friday, 7/30/21, Lake Conroe stood at 200.87 feet. The only release from the lake was the water feeding the SJRA water treatment plant to supply drinking water to area customers (GRP Diversion).
Before the SJRA can lower the lake, however, the City of Houston (COH) must call for the lowering to start. And according to a spokesman in Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin’s office, the City has called for the release to start.
The City owns two thirds of the water in the Lake and the release will come out of the City’s portion. When the numbers in the box labeled “COH diversion” on the SJRA’s dashboard increase, you’ll know the seasonal release has started.
Judge Mike Mays set a hearing date for Tuesday, August 24, 2021 at 2PM.
Approaching Peak of Hurricane Season
So how is this hurricane season going so far?
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) predicts no tropical activity anywhere in the Atlantic basin for the next five days. That includes the Gulf of Mexico.
However, we’ve already had five named storms this year. And NHC observes…
This chart shows the distribution of storms throughout the season. The peak happens from mid-August to late October.Galveston, Harris, Brazoria, and Chambers Counties get the most hurricane strikes in Texas.Hurricane Strikes in Continental US by State and By Year since 1950
All in all, the Atlantic this time of year is like a casino. You have to play the odds. And that’s what the temporary seasonal lake lowering policy is designed to do – reduce the risk of huge property losses by creating extra capacity in Lake Conroe to help offset heavy rainfall and the need for large releases.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/30/21
1431 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/2021/07/cum-average_Atl_1966-2009.gif?fit=1350%2C791&ssl=17911350adminadmin2021-07-30 17:20:522021-07-30 17:47:21Lake Lowering to Start as Peak of Hurricane Season Nears
I have made two major changes to ReduceFlooding.com by adding a new page dedicated to “Funding” and removing the “High Rise” page from the menu.
High-Rise Issue No Longer Topical, Funding Is
Funding is a hot topic at the moment and the high-rise battle is over…at least for now. Even though I removed the high-rise page from the menu, I did not delete it. Historical researchers can still find it by searching for “High Rise.” If the topic becomes active in the future, I will restore it to the menu again.
The Funding page is broken into two parts. The left contains a summary of the equity debate and how it has evolved in the last three years. It also contains links to the volumes of data obtained from Harris County via Freedom-of-Information-Act requests, as well as statistical analysis of the data. The right part contains links to every related post published since the equity debate started.
Collecting all information related to funding in one place should make it easy for people to find information about their watersheds and where their money is going.
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/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-29-at-5.57.05-PM.png?fit=762%2C404&ssl=1404762adminadmin2021-07-29 17:58:302021-07-29 18:00:29Changes to ReduceFlooding: New “Funding” Page
On July 28, 2021, Stan Sarman, chairman of the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority (LHRA), discussed details of the Northpark Drive expansion project with a group of Kingwood executives. The story below is based on his comments.
Looking ENE across US59 down Northpark Drive. The wooded areas at the entry will be partially replaced with lakes that double as detention ponds.
Improvements Motivated by Traffic Congestion, Railroad Delays and Flooding
The severely congested Northpark Drive will expand from four lanes to six between US59 and Woodland Hills Drive. As part of that project:
A bridge will also be built over the Union Pacific Railroad Tracks that parallel 494.
New bridges will also likely be built over Bens Branch and the Kingwood Diversion Ditch near Woodridge Parkway to provide emergency access during high water events.
The road will be elevated where it usually floods between Glade Valley and the Diversion Ditch.
Service roads will be added to handle traffic not using the bridge over the railroad tracks.
Ten foot wide sidewalks will be added along the entire length of the project to accommodate both pedestrian and bicycle traffic – on both sides of the street.
Detention ponds will be added to the entries at 59.
Landscaping will further beautify the entries and medians.
All drainage will comply with new Atlas-14 requirements.
LHRA will build a bridge over the railroad tracks to improve safety and eliminate traffic blockages. Note how outbound traffic is backed up as far as the eye can see. This and the related images were all taken at noon on Tuesday, 7/28/21.Looking west. This is approximately where the first phase of expansion will stop.
“When completed the roadway will serve as the only dedicated, all-weather evacuation route for Kingwood residents.”
However, construction won’t all happen at once and it won’t start immediately. The project must be built in phases to avoid disrupting traffic as much as possible. The Redevelopment Authority has promised that two lanes of traffic will remain available in each direction for the duration of the project – with the possible exception of limited lane closures during bridge construction. during the bridge construction, which will be the last phase. The Public will be notified when a lane closure is anticipated.
The project will be built in phases starting at US59 and working east. Phase I will go from US59 to a short distance east of Russell-Palmer Road. This is called the Overpass (or Western Phase) of the project. LHRA budgeted $57 million for it.
Construction should start on the Western Phase in late 2021 and will last approximately 30 months. The Eastern Phase should start in summer 2023 and will last approximately 24 months.
Phase II (the Eastern Phase) will go from Russell-Palmer to Woodland Hills. That will cost another $50 million (or more if a new bridge over Ben’s Branch must be built). At this time, the drainage analysis for that portion of the project has not yet been completed.
The total project could exceed $107 million, plus extras.
Stan Sarman, Chairman LHRA
The timing partially depends on tax revenues and grants. It also depends on the purchase of several parcels of land needed for feeder roads around the railroad bridge – not to mention approval by the railroad itself. The railroad reportedly favors the bridge because it improves safety, but is still studying the feeder roads.
After that , the next step will be to solicit bids and review them.
Drainage Improvements Will Make Extra Lanes Possible
One of the more interesting aspects of the project is the conversion of the drainage ditch in the middle of Northpark to buried culverts. Two extra lanes will be placed where the ditch now is. In other words, the roadway will expand inward rather than outward.
Farther east, culverts will replace the drainage ditch down the middle of Northpark. Two new lanes will be built over them.
The ditch that now splits opposing lanes of traffic on Northpark will be replaced by buried culverts. The culverts will telescope up in size from 4’x4′ near the railroad tracks. As you go east toward the Diversion Ditch, they will get larger until they reach 8’x6′.
A 66″ outfall will then restrict flow into the Kingwood Diversion ditch. Thus, the culverts will provide inline, underground detention to help protect people downstream.
Most people think that the properties on both sides of Northpark drain into the ditch. However, only parts of them do. According to Sarman, most of each property fronting Northpark either drains north into Ben’s Branch or south into the Kings Mill Ditch. So the culverts should suffice, he says.
The Redevelopment Authority has posted plans and videos that help explain the project in more detail. For more information, see:
Sarman thanked Houston Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin, Houston Public Works Director Carol Haddock, and the Houston Galveston Area Council for their assistance in keeping this multi-faceted project moving. KSA will also maintain the entries when construction finishes.
Sarman is an engineer by trade. He retired after more than 50 years with Turner Collie & Braden and AECOM. Earlier in his career, he helped design the drainage in Kingwood. His experience and continued involvement provide valuable contributions to this important project.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/28/2021 based on information provided by Stan Sarman and the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority
Texas has a dubious distinction that not many people realize. We lead the nation in flood events and their impacts. Not one of Texas’ 254 counties has escaped flooding. Despite our prowess in engineering, engineering alone has not prevented flooding. As a growing number of leaders are now starting to recognize, success will require the marriage of engineering and conservation.
Historical flood impact since 1996, by county. Each of the state’s 254 counties has plenty of experience with flooding, and the state leads the nation in number of recorded flood events. Visualization by FEMA Historical Risk and Costs. Data from NOAA Storm Events Database.
In 2019, in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, the Texas Legislature set the stage for future flood-mitigation efforts. A diverse collection of stakeholders worked with legislators to include language for conservation-based projects in both the flood planning process and project funding framework overseen by the Texas Water Development Board.
Recently, Dr. Matthew Berg published a paper describing the roles that conservation projects are starting to play in flood planning.
Dr. Berg is the CEO & Principal Scientist or Simfero Consultants. He has given ReduceFlooding.com the right to review and reproduce his copyrighted paper which first appeared in the Texas Water Journal.
Wide Spectrum of Conservation Solutions
Berg begins by describing the wide spectrum of conservation projects related to flood mitigation. They include:
Preservation and restoration toward one end
Smaller-scale features like bioswales, green roofs, and rain gardens somewhere in the middle
Revegetating with native plant species after construction of otherwise traditional structural projects on the other end.
Berg sees a role for nature-based approaches as a component of virtually every flood mitigation project.
Programs Aligning to Promote Use of Natural Solutions
Berg also cites research that has found these strategies can return $7 in benefits for every $1 in project costs.
Benefits range from flood reduction and improved water quality to erosion control, heat moderation, wildlife habitat, property value increases, recreation, reduced maintenance costs, topping up groundwater storage and more.
As a result, Berg is able to cite dozens of nature-based solutions from all around Texas. The sheer volume, diversity and practicality of these examples is a real eye opener.
Even the Army Corps of Engineers is embracing the effort with its “Engineering with Nature Program.” The Corps designed it to bring conservationists and engineers together.
In addition, FEMA introduced a program last year called BRIC (Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities). It emphasizes boosting resilience before a disaster strikes rather than reacting after the damage has already been done.
The Water Resources Development Act of 2020 ensures a meaningful evaluation of nature-based solutions and clarifies the eligibility of natural infrastructure for cost-sharing.
President Biden has joined the bandwagon, too. On his first day in office, he signed an executive order requiring federally funded buildings and facilities to be located away from flood corridors.
These are just a tiny sampling of the dozens of conservation efforts reviewed by Berg.
By the time Phases I and II are complete, the detention ponds will hold 1,600 acre-feet of of stormwater. That’s enough to hold a foot of rain falling across two and a half square miles.
According to HCFCD’s website, construction on Phase I should finish by the end of this year. Phase II should start next year. The two projects have a combined budget of $38.5 million.
If you don’t believe the Flood Control District website, check out Google Earth, or the satellite views in Google Maps and Apple Maps. This project is so big, you can see it from outer space.
Satellite image from Google Earth taken on 11/16/2000. Phase I construction has advanced considerably since then. See below.
The following photos were all taken on Sunday, 7/25/2021, around noon.
HCFCD Lauder Detention Basin Phase I. Looking north across Lauder towards Greens Bayou in background and Bush Intercontinental Airport in distance.NE corner of HCFCD Phase I Lauder Detention Basin, looking east towards JFK Blvd, just south of Greens Bayou.Looking south from over Greens Bayou toward Lauder and the Aldine ISD Mead Middle School in distance.HCFCD Lauder Detention Basin on Greens Bayou. Excavation is now focusing on the pond closest to Lauder in the distance.When I last photographed this basin in April, the area for that last pond was being cleared.Phase II will be built in the wooded area beyond the current Phase I construction.
Still Don’t Believe the Project Exists?
Think the photos are some kind of Photoshop trick? Visit the site yourself. Construction is bustling. On Sunday, around noon, I watched dozens of trucks coming and going while I took the photos above. Here’s how to get there.
Lauder Detention Basin location
Counterfeiting the Currency of Communication
The bizarre thing about this project is that the politicians who say it doesn’t exist are the ones who funded it. Go figure. Such is the sad, sorry state of politics in America today.
I’ve even talked to professors, professional engineers, MBAs, and PhDs in engineering who claim this and similar projects in Halls and Greens Watersheds don’t exist!
Worse yet, they refuse to look at the pictures, go to the construction site, review Flood Control’s website, or trust audited county spending data.
Language is the currency of communication. It’s how we cooperate. How we get things done. It’s one thing to disagree over project priorities. But another to claim projects don’t even exist when they do.
As a consequence, public policy has become divorced from reality. This is worse than being duped by misinformation. It’s the unwillingness of people, even including some journalists, to review available information that helps the public make informed decisions. And it doesn’t bode well for your region.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/28/2021
1427 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/20210724-DJI_0232.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2021-07-26 22:35:482021-07-26 23:42:17Lauder Basin: Another Flood-Mitigation Project that Doesn’t Exist According to Some
The Lake Houston Area Grassroots Flood Prevention Initiative needs your help. The group’s four-year effort to establish best management practices (BMPs) for sand mines in the San Jacinto River basin is drawing to a close. But one of the rules needs strengthening. Leave a public comment to that effect on the TCEQ website. It should only take two minutes.
Background: Proposed Rule is No Rule At All
Here’s the concern:
311.103 General Requirements (c) Pre-mining, Mining, and Post-Mining states: “If a BMP is infeasible, the operator shall use an alternative equivalent BMP and maintain documentation of the reason onsite. The following considerations may be used to determine if a BMP is infeasible (financial considerations; health and safety concerns; local restrictions or codes; site soils; slope; available area; precipitation pattern; site geometry; site vegetation; infiltration capacity; geotechnical factors; depth to groundwater; and other similar considerations).
Allowing twelve (+ an infinite) number of reasons to avoid implementation of BMPs provides so much latitude as to make this rule useless for community protection.
Operators need only retain documentation of their “reason” onsite for not complying, without first getting approval for substituting BMPs.
The Lake Houston Area Grassroots Flood Prevention Initiative recommends that this rule be changed to include mandatory approval by the TCEQ for any variance from standard BMPs. The group also recommends the TCEQ make approved changes available for public inspection on its website.
Leave Public Comment Before Midnight Tuesday
If you agree, please go to the following link: https://www6.tceq.texas.gov/rules/ecomments/ and register your concern. Use your own words or feel free to cut and paste the information in red below – before Tuesday, July 27th at midnight.
I am concerned about 311.103 General Requirements (c) Pre-Mining, Mining and Post-Mining. It gives sand mine operators free license to ignore BMPs for a virtually infinite number of reasons. No approval by the TCEQ is necessary. All operators need to do is keep a note in a file onsite.
There are always those who will bend the rules for their convenience or financial gain at the expense of protecting the community.
Therefore, I urge you to change the wording in this rule so that variation from the BMPs requires approval by the TCEQ. I also urge you to publish any variations on your website for public inspection.
Hurricane Harvey showed us the dangers of sediment blockages in the San Jacinto River. Federal, State and Local Governments are spending $222 million to remove them.
To reduce such blockages in the future – and their associated risk of flooding – the Lake Houston Area Grassroots Flood Prevention Initiative has been working on your behalf since Harvey to get to this point. Please take two minutes to protect four years worth of effort. Take action now.
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/2018/03/Harvey-SanJac_217.jpg?fit=2000%2C1333&ssl=113332000adminadmin2021-07-25 13:38:492021-07-25 13:44:59Take Two Minutes To Help Reduce Flooding in San Jacinto Watershed
So what accounts for the gap between perception and reality?
Most projects are practically invisible from streets. They’re “hidden” behind fence lines, tree lines, gates, or often, under forest canopies.
They’re scattered over dozens to hundreds of square miles. Often, they happen outside of residents’ normal traffic patterns in unfamiliar neighborhoods.
Most people have only a sketchy idea of which watershed they live in.
People could drive by projects and not realize they were flood-control construction as opposed to some other kind.
The projects are often disguised as parks, wetlands or natural areas when finished.
I lunched last week with three people from Cypress Creek who swore that nothing was happening in their 205-square-mile watershed. But actually, within the watershed, HCFCD has spent:
$260 million since 2000, the fourth most of any watershed in Harris County.
$169 million since Harvey – more than any other watershed – period – since Harvey.
Simple, Three-Step Reality Check
So where did all the money go? Here’s an easy, three-step way to learn…that applies to any watershed in Harris County:
If you know your watershed, select it from the list. If not, type your address in the search bar just above the list.
You’ll be taken to a page that lists recent, current and planned projects in your watershed. Click through them and start digging down several levels to learn more about the status of each.
Want to verify the information? Make a list and get in your car. I did that this morning and checked out four Cypress Creek projects between the Katy Prairie and I-45.
It took an hour of planning, three hours of driving, and another 3 hours for drone photography. The hardest part was finding favorable drone launch sites near the projects. But sure enough, all the projects existed. Here’s what I found.
The property will remain protected under a conservation easement with the Katy Prairie Conservancy. The wetlands may be used in the future to offset unavoidable wetland impacts caused by other federally permitted projects.
T.C. Jester Stormwater Detention Basin
South of Cypresswood Drive, HCFCD has 171.5 acres of land split by T.C. Jester. Eventually, this whole area could become one large detention pond. The east side of TC Jester is still undergoing a preliminary engineering review, but excavation has already started on the west side.
East of T.C. Jester at Cypress Creek (foreground).West side of T.C. Jester where excavation has already begun.Start of excavation on west side of T.C. Jester.
The purpose of these projects: to construct stormwater detention on the main stem of Cypress Creek, which will work to reduce flood risks and damages during heavy rains.
A regional drainage study for the watershed found that flooding along tributaries of Cypress Creek is predominately caused by stormwater from a rising Cypress Creek backing up into tributaries. Stormwater detention basins could reduce that backwater.
This ditch was down to a two-year level of service and had flooded neighborhoods on both sides on multiple occasions.
The project will also include the installation of approximately 1,200 linear feet of erosion control for the channel downstream nearer the confluence with Cypress Creek in the distance.
Ridge Top Channel Improvements
Another ditch (K129-00-00) farther east parallels Ridge Top Drive in the Ponderosa Forest area of northwest Harris County.
Here, HCFCD replaced the concrete lining in the entire channel. That included about 3,800 linear feet from Saddlecreek Drive to Cypress Creek. The project also repaired multiple sinkholes or voids that had developed in some areas as a result of stormwater undermining the original channel lining.
Major Maintenance by HCFCD on K129, a Cypress Creek TributaryEarly stages in the design of this project took place prior to the 2018 Bond Election. Construction began in October 2018 and was completed in January 2020.
More than Cypress Creek Projects in the Works
Altogether, I counted more than 20 projects in Cypress Creek at various stages of development. They included:
Swales for extreme rainfall events
Right-of-way acquisitions and floodplain preservation
Buyouts
Neighborhood projects
Stormwater detention basins in various stages of planning and construction
Channel conveyance restorations
Major maintenance projects
Knowing that improvements are happening sure beats living in fear that they aren’t. So do a reality check of the watershed around you.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/24/2021
1425 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/2021/07/20210724-DJI_0167.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2021-07-24 18:10:102021-07-24 18:33:34Reality Check: Easy Way to Learn About Flood-Mitigation Projects in Your Area
