Yet whether you look at total dollars spent or construction dollars, the 2% figure remains.
San Jacinto Watershed Receives Less than $5 Million Per Year in 5 of 8 Years
According to the most recent figures available from Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD), the county has spent $2,071.59 million ($2+ billion) in total since passage of the flood bond in 2018. Yet the San Jacinto watershed has received only $43.65 million of that – 2.11%.
And of the $948.38 million spent on construction since Bond passage, the San Jacinto watershed has received only $19.65 million – 2.07%. See the breakdown by years below:
Data for both graphs sourced from HCFCD Activity Page. *Includes 1 Quarter. **Includes 3 Quarters.
So, whether you look at total or construction spending, the San Jacinto watershed has received less than $5 million per year in five of the last eight years.
So Much for Worst First!
To put those numbers in perspective, compare the size of the watershed to the size of the spending.
The portion of the San Jacinto watershed inside Harris County ranks it as the largest watershed in the county. But that is the smallest portion of the watershed.Compiled from HCFCD data above.
The County sold the flood bond to voters by saying it would fix the worst areas first. However, that has not been the case.
Shortly after voters approved flood bond language that guaranteed an “equitable distribution of funds,” the County adopted an “Equity Prioritization Framework” that eliminated flood damage and flood risk in the allocation of dollars. Linguists and historians may be interested in reviewing accepted definitions of equity and equitable in Websters Third International and Oxford English Dictionaries. The words sound alike, but are not the same.
Some Other Watersheds Have Received Even Less
But as bad as this is for the San Jacinto watershed, consider other watersheds that have gotten even less.
In my opinion, the issue with flood-control spending to date is not just slowness, it’s also fairness.
We’ll have a chance to fix that next year. Primary elections for county commissioners and county judge begin in March 2026. And the general election is in November 2026.
We have another hurricane season to get through before then. Don’t count on another as mild as this one.
Posted by Bob Rehak on October 27, 2025
2981 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-27-at-5.04.28-PM.png?fit=1502%2C894&ssl=18941502adminadmin2025-10-27 17:44:042025-10-27 17:57:58San Jacinto Watershed Received Only 2% of Mitigation Dollars since Passage of Flood Bond
10/26/25 – Harris County Flood Control District construction spending has plummeted in recent years along with total spending. And a leading indicator – construction contract awards – doesn’t show much hope for improvement anytime soon.
Numbers Tell the Story
I’ve posted before about the decline in total spending. It ramped up sharply after voters approved the flood bond in the third quarter of 2018. But then it started dropping relentlessly. The decline largely coincided with a management change made by the Democratic-controlled commissioners court.
The last bar on the right includes only three quarters. But at the current rate, 2025 will equal about $166 million – down about a third from 2024.
Total spending includes many activities besides construction. But flood risk isn’t reduced until construction is finished. And we see a similar decline in construction spending that started when HCFCD management changed at the start of 2022.
But the graphs above only show activity in the rear-view mirror. Looking forward, the picture is equally bleak.
Approved Bids: A Leading Indicator for Construction
Few new projects have had construction contracts awarded in the past year. Of the 16 construction contracts awarded in the previous four quarters, 14 have been for maintenance to existing assets.
Only two, both in White Oak Bayou, have been for new capital assets – the Yale and Arbor Oaks Stormwater Detention Basins. See below.
The prospects for flood-risk improvement in the immediate future look bleak for the vast majority of the county.
HCFCD awarded the construction contract for Arbor Oaks in Q2 this year. But excavation had not yet started as of late September 2025.
Deadline Rapidly Approaching for Grants Totaling $321 Million
The Texas General Land Office (GLO) and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) approved 11 projects for Community Development Block Grants in the Disaster Relief category (CDBG-DR).
The 11 projects including Arbor Oaks total $321 million dollars. But to get the money, HCFCD must complete the projects by February 28, 2027, to meet HUD’s deadline.
However, construction will need to be completed by December 2026 – thirteen months away – because it generally takes two to three months to administratively close out CDBG grants.
But according to HCFCD’s most recent bid outlook, flood control won’t even advertise eight of the 10 remaining projects until next year. And another slipped off the radar altogether.
Phase II of the Brookglen Stormwater Detention Basin received authorization to use government funds in August 2024. Yet HCFCD doesn’t even anticipate advertising it for bids until November 2025 – 15 months. That’s more time than HCFCD has to complete construction.
Little time remains to complete projects of this magnitude. And HCFCD has not explained how it will complete them before the deadline. HUD has already said they will not grant any more extensions.
This represents a real risk. Harris County residents could lose $321 million of Federal funding for important flood damage reduction projects.
The Chronicle reported that Hidalgo said, “What we found was there was no paper trail. There was no qualifications, information, selection committee, evaluation scoring — no documentation whatsoever.”
The Chronicle story added, “Flood control initially promised to reform its contracting process by August 2024, but has since asked for multiple extensions.”
Sound familiar?
No Apparent Sense of Urgency
HCFCD had only four items on the agenda for the 10/30/25 Commissioners Court meeting. Not one of the four items had to do with any of the ten CDBG-DR projects above. One involved a contract name change; the other three involved small property acquisitions.
HCFCD has billions of dollars waiting to be used. But at this moment, not one new capital improvement project is being bid.
Call me old fashioned, but I believe in “pay for performance.” I wonder what metrics Hidalgo used to recommend such a bump in pay. How can someone get paid so much to accomplish so little?
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/26/25
2980 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Construction-.png?fit=1322%2C776&ssl=17761322adminadmin2025-10-26 10:48:382025-11-23 22:46:04HCFCD Construction Spending Continues to Plummet
10/24/25 @ 5PM– FEMA and the National Weather Service Houston/Galveston office have issued a flood watch for the Houston region that will last until October 26 at 5:00AM CDT. See details below.
WHAT
Flooding caused by excessive rainfall is possible.
WHERE
A portion of southeast Texas, including the following areas, Austin, Bolivar Peninsula, Brazoria Islands, Brazos, Burleson, Chambers, Coastal Brazoria, Coastal Galveston, Coastal Harris, Coastal Matagorda, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston Island, Grimes, Houston, Inland Brazoria, Inland Galveston, Inland Harris, Inland Matagorda, Madison, Matagorda Islands, Montgomery, Northern Liberty, Polk, San Jacinto, Southern Liberty, Trinity, Walker, Waller, Washington and Wharton.
WHEN
From late tonight through early Sunday morning.
IMPACTS
Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations. Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
Although soils are dry ahead of this heavy rainfall event, guidance for high rainfall rates suggests some instances of flash flooding. There will be two rounds of heavy rainfall with the first one being late Friday night into Saturday morning and then again Saturday evening into early Sunday morning.
Expect widespread rainfall totals of 2-4″ with isolated higher amounts up to 4-6″. Rainfall rates in the strongest storms could exceed 2-3″ per hour. That could lead to flash flooding if these rainfall rates occur for a prolonged period of time.
We will see a lull in the activity late Saturday morning into the afternoon. That will allow for drainage. So, the flood threat is primarily driven by the potential for high rainfall rates.
You should monitor forecasts and be alert for possible Flood Warnings. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop.
RadarScope Image
At 4:15 PM, a large complex of thunderstorms moving across the Hill Country could clearly be seen on radar images.
From Radarscope Pro at 4:15 PM on 10/24/25 using multiple radar sensors.
The warning areas within the boxes above currently indicate:
Hail from 1″ to 2.5″ in diameter
Winds up to 60 MPH
Rainfall of 1′ to 2″ per hour
Jeff Lindner, Harris County Meteorologist, says tornadoes are possible.
The first line of thunderstorms should move through the Lake Houston area shortly before sunrise Saturday.
Second Line of Thunderstorms Expected Saturday Afternoon
Lindner added that a second round of storms looks to develop Saturday afternoon across the Brazos Valley. It should push southeast across our area. This threat will last from mid to late afternoon well into the evening hours on Saturday. The activity will move from northeast to southeast across the area.
ABC13’s future track predicted the Lake Houston area accumulations could approach six inches of rain after the second round clears the area.
The break between rounds of storms should reduce stream and channel flooding.
Lake Report
Lake Conroe is already down a foot and not releasing water.
Lake Houston is down almost half a foot and releasing water at the rate of 4,500 cubic feet per second. The City hopes to lower the lake by a foot ahead of the storm.
Stay Weather Aware
Keep an eye on the sky. Monitor weather forecasts and lake reports. Here’s how.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Radarscope-4P-10.24.25.png?fit=2178%2C1368&ssl=113682178adminadmin2025-10-24 16:59:362025-10-24 19:39:40FEMA Issues Flood Watch for Entire Houston Region
10/23/25 – Houston District E City Council Member Fred Flickinger announced this afternoon that the City will lower the level of Lake Houston one foot beginning tomorrow morning. The reason: a severe storm arriving Friday night into Saturday morning could dump 2-4 inches of rain over widespread parts of the Lake Houston Watershed. Isolated higher totals up to 6″ are possible where training of thunderstorm cells occurs.
Training refers to a line of thunderstorms that follows a similar path, so that one after another dumps rain on the same neighborhoods.
NOAA’s Severe Storm Center has issued alerts for possible street flooding this weekend for areas that receive high amounts of rain in short periods.
The San Jacinto River Authority is also monitoring rainfall forecasts for the weekend, but has not yet announced whether it will lower Lake Conroe. That lake is already a foot low due to evaporation during the drought. So it likely has enough capacity to absorb the coming rainfall.
Current Lake Level Report as of 5:30 PM 10/23/25
Lake Houston:
Lake Houston is currently at 42.12 feet (normal pool is 42.4 feet). Its gates will be opened beginning tomorrow morning to lower the lake one foot below normal pool, according to pre-release protocols.
Property owners along the lake should secure their shoreline property. Lake Houston levels can be monitored here.
As of 5:30 PM 10/23/25
Lake Conroe:
Lake Conroe is currently at 199.98 feet (normal pool is 201 feet). Lake Conroe levels can be monitored here.
Monitor Official Sources for Current Information:
Periods of moderate to heavy rainfall may continue through late Saturday night or early Sunday morning.
Please use verified news sources for inclement weather information. These include:
Flash flooding is possible. So, stay weather aware and avoid roadways if possible during rain events.
It only takes 6 inches of water to move a car.
HCFCD
Always turn around, don’t drown.
Monitor Travel Conditions Closely with AlertHouston.org
Stay informed of current conditions and avoid traveling near creeks and bayous.
Timely information during emergencies is important. AlertHouston delivers critical information to Houston residents regarding current conditions, expected impacts, and protective actions to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.
Register for emergency alerts through email, text message, voice call, or mobile app push notifications. Most alerts are geo-targeted; subscribers with loved ones around the city may register up to five physical addresses per contact record. Sign up today at www.alerthouston.org.
Threat Starts Friday, But Expect Heaviest Weather on Saturday
As atmospheric lift increases into Friday night and Saturday, showers and thunderstorms will become more numerous. Jeff Lindner, Harris County’s Meteorologist, says that the potential exists for a complex of storms to form over West Texas Friday evening and move toward the Houston area by sunrise Saturday.
This would likely be the first round of more sustained heavy rainfall, according to Lindner. More rain will linger back to the west, so additional thunderstorms and rainfall could develop into Saturday evening.
A few of the thunderstorms on Saturday could become strong to severe with damaging winds and hail being the main threats. However, they do not appear to threaten widespread areas at the moment. Lindner says wind and hail are secondary to the heavy rainfall threat at the moment.
NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has placed nearly all of the area under a “marginal” or level 1 out of 5 severe threat for Saturday.
PivotalWeather.com predicts accumulated rainfall in Harris and Montgomery Counties to reach approximately 3.5 inches with higher accumulations to our north and east. But this could change as the storm gets nearer.
Drought May Offset Potential Stream Flooding
Given recent dry conditions, much of this rainfall can be handled. In fact, it is much needed…as long as it does not fall all at once.
NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center has placed the area under a “slight” risk or level 2 out of 4 for flash flooding on Saturday.
Lindner feels that at this time, bayous and creeks should be capable of handling even the higher predicted rainfall totals. He expects to see significant rises on area streams, but feels significant flooding is unlikely at this time.
Lindner also feels that strong southerly winds will push high tides along the coast 4-5 feet higher than normal. Building seas and higher-than-normal tides could create minor coastal flooding at high tides.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/23/25 at 5:30pm
2977 days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Severe-Weather-Outlook-Saturday-10.25.png?fit=1094%2C816&ssl=18161094adminadmin2025-10-23 17:48:402025-10-23 17:49:32City Lowering Lake Houston in Advance of Flood Threat
10/22/25 – Climate Central, an independent group of scientists and communicators who research weather trends, reported today that 14 separate billion-dollar weather disasters have occurred across the U.S. during the first six months of 2025. They caused $101.4 billion in damages.
Climate Central Now Updating Former NOAA Database
Climate Central has taken over the database of billion-dollar disasters that NOAA stopped updating earlier this year. The self-described “policy neutral” non-profit group addresses climate, sea-level rise, extreme weather, energy, and related topics.
Most Expensive 6 Months on Record
The 14 events recorded just in the first half of this year, between January and June, are well above the inflation-adjusted annual average of 9 events over the past 46 years.
According to Climate Central, the first half of 2025 was the most expensive on record, driven by unprecedented damage from the LA wildfires and damaging Spring severe weather.
The January LA wildfires were the costliest event so far this year — and the costliestwildfire on record — with damages exceeding $60 billion, nearly doubling the previous record.
Need for Data If Costs Shift to States
Climate Central is committed to keeping this critical dataset accessible, timely, and transparent, and will continue to update the analysis to monitor the risk of weather and climate-related disasters.
Adam Smith, Climate Central’s Senior Climate Impacts Scientist, said, “I’m proud to continue this work with Climate Central and to ensure that this vital information remains accessible to the public, researchers, and decision-makers.” Smith formerly headed up NOAA’s U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters Program for 15 years.
While the first half of the year set records, it’s unclear how an unusually quiet Atlantic hurricane season while affect the final totals for the year. So far, not one Atlantic hurricane has made landfall in the mainland US this year, a first since 2005.
According to the New York Times, the annual average of billion-dollar disasters has surged from three per year during the 1980s to 19 per year during the last 10 years.
The increase in costs during that same period is not just a function of weather extremes. “As more people and businesses move into areas that are prone to floods and wildfire, more property is vulnerable to damage,” said the Times article.
The Times quoted Andrew Rumbach, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute. He studies climate effects on communities and said the database serves as a powerful signal that decision making is costing us a lot of money.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/22/25
2976 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20251022-Q1-2-2025-Climate-Disasters-In-US.png?fit=1100%2C639&ssl=16391100adminadmin2025-10-22 18:45:432025-10-22 18:48:22Weather Disasters Cost More Than $100 Billion in First Half of 2025
October 20, 2025 – On October 16, 2025, the Fourteenth Court of Appeals ruled that the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) enjoyed governmental immunity in one set of “takings” claims arising out of Hurricane Harvey. The three-judge panel reversed a ruling by the 152nd District Court in Harris County.
The new ruling said that the SJRA acted reasonably and that the property owners failed to prove their case. The property owners had accused the SJRA of causing or worsening their flooding during Hurricane Harvey as a result of releases from Lake Conroe.
Even so, the ruling runs to 33 pages. Every paragraph represents a Tylenol moment for the plaintiffs. From discussions of applicable law to standards of proof, expert witness testimony and more.
The justices relied heavily on the gravity and immediacy of the threat posed by Hurricane Harvey (page 18) in determining that SJRA deserved immunity. Harvey was “significantly serious” and “likely to produce great harm or danger,” they said (page 20).
Key Factors in Finding
The judges believed that SJRA acted “reasonably,” a pivotal word they applied. “SJRA created a Gate Policy that was intended to minimize threats to life and property and to comply with applicable rules and legal authority. Adhering to that policy during a storm emergency is objectively reasonable,” they added on Page 21.
Further they found (page 25) that the downstream property owners failed to prove that “the threat to life or property posed by Harvey [did] not qualify as grave and immediate.”
And they agreed with the SJRA (page 29) that releasing the stormwater from Lake Conroe was “necessary,” even though:
Some buffer existed before SJRA would have flooded upstream residents
The dam could have withstood higher levels.
In the end, they said (page 31), “The decision of whether, when, and how much, water to release was discretionary and the Property Owners have not presented evidence that the amount released was so extreme as to be objectively unreasonable.”
Conclusion: Reversal With Prejudice
Thus, they concluded, “We reverse the trial court’s order and render judgment dismissing with prejudice [emphasis added] the Property Owners’ statutory takings claims.”
A dismissal “with prejudice” means the case is over. Plaintiffs cannot refile the claim ever again. This final judgment permanently ends the lawsuit and prevents the same issues from relitigation in the future. Except through a successful appeal to a higher court.
It’s unclear how this case differs from several other similar takings cases arising out of Harvey. It’s also unclear at this point whether the plaintiffs will appeal the case.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/20/2025
2974 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/SJRA-Lawsuit-Appeal-Win-e1761012101319.png?fit=1199%2C623&ssl=16231199adminadmin2025-10-20 21:24:082025-10-25 13:36:43SJRA Wins Appeal Against Downstream Homeowners
10/19/2025 – Yesterday, dozens of volunteers from across Kingwood joined together to make a huge difference in Median Madness Round 3. Young and old, male and female, Republicans and Democrats, they all worked side by side. For the good of their community, they attacked a stretch of Northpark Drive where vines and tree limbs had encroached on the roadway, reducing visibility and interfering with traffic.
An HPD officer described the problems. Drivers trying to cross Northpark had problems seeing oncoming traffic without pulling out into the road. Also, large trucks using the inside lane of Northpark next to the median would often swerve into the other lane to avoid overhanging limbs that would scratch their vehicles. The sudden swerves endangered traffic in the outside lane. But that’s no longer a problem. At least in this area near Woodland Hills Drive.
How Area Looks AFTER Clean Up Effort
Thanks to the volunteers and the help of the City workers who gave up their Saturday morning, visibility has radically improved. So have the aesthetics of Northpark Drive!
“After” photo taken on Sunday 10/19/25. Note the broad cleared area next to traffic.Quite an improvement!
Team That Made the Difference
Approximately three dozen volunteers joined members of the City’s Parks and Recreation Department, and City Council Members Fred Flickinger and Julian Ramirez (far right) for the effort.Orientation at rally point.
After a brief orientation, they spread out along Northpark. Some trimmed back vegetation while the others piled up the limbs and vines for disposal. I don’t have the names of all those who participated. But we should all thank them for their efforts.
Team Goes Into Attack Mode
It was a miracle to watch as the pictures below show. Everyone did what needed doing. With a smile. After the orientation, they immediately assaulted the offending limbs and vines with a passion. (See pictures below.)
Professionals from Houston Parks and Recreation handled work high in the trees with special equipment...…while the volunteers with lopping shears handled the rest.Some people piled the debris……as fast as others could trim it.It was a wordless ballet of teamwork.People just did whatever needed doing.Gracie de LeonHumble ISDboard member Elizabeth Shaw (center with long dark hair)No one consistently carried bigger loads than City Council Member Julian Ramirez (At-Large Position #1).There is Ramirez again in the background, hefting another heavy load.James Cook made the Catch of the DayAddie Vincent came representing a group called the Greenbelt Guardians. They patrol Kingwood trails to pick up trash, report downed trees and keep trails clear.Council Member Flickinger (center) with Greenbelt GuardiansAddie Vincent (l) and Blaise Pawlak (r).
It was gratifying to see the next generation of Kingwood residents taking as much pride as their parents did in keeping Kingwood beautiful.
Debra Knebel of Hunters Ridge (l) and another happy volunteer.Knebel is also a board member of the Bear Branch Trail Association.Houston Parks and Recreation Department employee Janet Curtisstrikes a happy pose as her debris pile became taller than she is.
About the Greenbelt Guardians
According to Knebel, the Greenbelt Guardians are students from Kingwood High School, who volunteer to work on greenbelt beautification projects. They clear greenbelts and pick up debris for the various community and trail associations in Kingwood.
The Greenbelt Guardians are available to meet with the community and trail associations to discuss volunteer opportunities.
The leaders of the organization are Broderick Rosello, Blaise Pawlak, and Addie Vincent at Kingwood High School.
Reach out to them if you have time to give. They have an Instagram account: @kw.greenbelt.guardians.
Special Thanks
Thanks to everyone who turned out for Round 3 of Median Madness. You made a huge difference! And you are an inspiration!
Special thanks to Council Member Fred Flickinger for sponsoring the event and to his Deputy Chief of Staff Demari Perez for helping to organize and promote it.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/19/25
2973 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20251018-DSC_3893.jpg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=17331100adminadmin2025-10-19 18:32:162025-10-20 11:08:47Median Madness Volunteers Made a Huge Difference … Again
10/18/2025 – Yesterday, on 10/17/2025, the Northpark Expansion project reached a major milestone. Some might say the project cleared a major hurdle, except the hurdle is about 15 feet below the UnionPacific Railroad tracks.
Whatever you call it, the completion of the second bore under the railroad tracks caused jubilation among board members of the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ 10. Utility conflicts and buried debris delayed completion of the bores and forced construction crews to tackle other parts of the project out of sequence.
A collective sigh of relief could be heard … even through emails.
The twin bores will convey stormwater under the railroad tracks from the west side of Loop 494 to the east side, and from there to the Kingwood Diversion Ditch.
Path of drainage from entry ponds. Additional drainage from the businesses along Northpark will go through culverts under the street where the center ditch used to be.
The boring operation began in May 2025 after years of negotiation with the railroad. Crews had completed the first bore with little trouble, but then ran into a buried, out-of-place water line with the second bore that set them back months.
Next Major Steps
Crews must still place culverts under Northpark itself west of Loop 494 to get stormwater from the south side to the north side. Not necessarily in this order, they must also:
Complete new surface lanes on the south side of inbound Northpark
Finish driveways on the north side of outbound Northpark
Build junction boxes in the two bore pits
Work with UnionPacific as it rewires its signals for the new railroad crossing configuration
Clear “Ditch One” behind the businesses on the north side of Northpark
Pave the surface lanes that will go on either side of the bridge
Begin work on the foundation for the bridge and its abutments
Install permanent traffic lights at I-69
Finish paving Loop 494.
Photos Taken on 10/16-17/25
The photos below show progress made this week.
The yellow truck and crane in the center are demobilizing boring equipment.
This ten second video shows the augur breaking through into the receiving pit.
Video provided by Northpark project manager Ralph De Leon
Here’s how the two pits looked today.
(Looking E.) Crews have removed all equipment from the bore pit on the east side of the tracks.In the receiving pit west of the tracks, you can now clearly see twin 5′ bores...all the way through.When I visited the site, the bore contractors were already demobilizing their equipment.After crews build junction boxes in the pits and connect the drainage under Loop 494, paving crews will be able to complete this last segment and eliminate backups like you see above (upper right).
Elsewhere along Northpark
Friday afternoon, crews were busy working from one end of the project to the other.
Looking W toward I-69 at top of frame. Inbound lanes on the left still need to be paved. The bridge will begin in the foreground where the outbound lanes bow to the right.From opposite direction, looking E, outbound surface lanes will connect across the two bore pitsto the lane already paved in front of the Shell Station (lower left).That will straighten out a major kink in the traffic.Closer to I-69, private contractors hired by the Exxon jobber, Honey Farms, are reworking the stations apron to make room for drainage, sidewalk, street and lighting improvements.
10/17/25 – Houston City Council Member Fred Flickinger wants to remind the entire Kingwood Community about Median Madness Round 3.
The event will be held on Northpark from 8:30am to noon on Saturday, 10/18/25 between Forest Bluff and Bassingham. That’s just east of the commercial area around Northpark and Woodland Hills.
Parking
For parking, HPD will block off both the east and westbound lanes closest to the median. Kingwood Family Dentistry has kindly volunteered to let people use their parking lot as well. And a third option is next to the drainage ditch immediately east of the dentist.
Please remember to bring water and gloves. Also wear closed-toe shoes. All ages are welcome, but adults should accompany anyone under 16.
Chick-fil-A has joined the list of sponsors. Please support them.
Please register here for additional information: MEDIAN MADNESS SIGNUP. And don’t forget to pack a smile.
There’s a chance of rain tomorrow increasing from the single digits in the morning to double digits at noon. But don’t let that dampen your enthusiasm. Cloud cover can make working conditions more enjoyable.
Hope to see you there. Previous Median Madness events have brought together volunteers from across Kingwood. Their enthusiasm and camaraderie were inspiring.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/17/25
2971 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20251009-Median-Madness-3-cropped.jpg?fit=1100%2C678&ssl=16781100adminadmin2025-10-17 17:13:452025-10-17 17:21:17Reminder: Join Median Madness Saturday 8:30 to 12 on Northpark
Update 10/16/25 at 10am – The Planning Department intends to recommend deferring consideration of the general plan discussed below until after the City of Houston District E and Harris County Precinct 3 have have met with the new owner.
10/15/2025 – San Jacinto Preserve and a sister company, Scarborough Houston LLC have purchased approximately 5300 acres of land west of Kingwood from Ryko Development and its sister company, Pacific Indio Properties.
Ryko tried for years to develop the property, most of which is floodplains, floodways and wetlands where the San Jacinto West Fork, Spring Creek, Turkey Creek and Cypress Creek all converge.
Concerns about flooding may have triggered Ryko’s sale after a succession of rapid-fire setbacks:
May 2024 floods and the second largest release from Lake Conroe in the history of the SJRA rekindled memories of Harvey’s devastation.
A Townsen Blvd. extension through the property was taken off Montgomery County’s 2025 Road Bond at the request of neighboring residents and MoCo Precinct 3 commissioner Ritch Wheeler.
Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Ramsey lined up against a bridge that would connect the area to Humble.
Sale of Property to San Jacinto Preserve, LP, Scarborough Houston LLC
Under public pressure on all sides and faced with the loss of connectivity and critical infrastructure support, Pacific Indio sold the property to San Jacinto Preserve, LP and Scarborough Houston LLC in August of this year. Here is the Special Warranty Deed.
Both buyers have common ownership and management, as with Ryko and Pacific Indio. Companies often try to limit liability by setting up different companies for different projects. That way, if one part of the empire encounters trouble, it won’t bring down other parts.
In this case, the names of two men keep showing up: Ryan Burkhardt and James R. Feagin. Among the many companies under their control:
Scarborough Lane Development appears to be at the top of the food chain and headquarters in Addison, TX, a north Dallas suburb. All the other companies list the same address. So even though company names change, the same people control everything.
Scarborough Lane Development’s website says its “always committed to protecting the environment.” And it brags that it is “capable of handling the most challenging development projects.” We shall see.
Land Virtually Covered by Floodplains, Floodways
This project will test their talent as this map in Ryko’s drainage analysis shows. Only the small, dark gray areas in the red outline are above the 500-year floodplain.
Ryko’s drainage impact analysis showed this map of floodplains, floodways and streams on their property (outlined in red).
But keep in mind, that the floodplains will soon expand when FEMA releases new maps based on data acquired after Hurricane Harvey. The floodplain mapping above is from 2014. It predates the Memorial Day Flood, Tax Day Flood, Harvey, and the May 2024 flood.
On Houston Planning Commission Agenda for 10/16/25
San Jacinto Preserve’s (SJP) general plan is on the Houston Planning Commission’s consent agenda for Thursday, 10/16/25. See below. Their engineers chose to render the floodplains in barely distinguishable shades of gray this time.
Lisa Clark, who Chairs the Houston Planning Commission, also represents the San Jacinto Preserve.
Both Harris County Precinct 3 and City of Houston District E have requested the planning commission to postpone consideration until they have had the opportunity to meet with the developer and learn more about the plans.
Here is the General Plan that SJP submitted to the Planning Commission.
This is a pretty high-level plan. It shows planned major thoroughfares, easements, pipelines, property boundaries, drill sites, and floodplains/floodways. But it’s not yet a plat that shows the street layouts of neighborhoods or homesites.
However, it does still show a Townsen Blvd. extension bridging across Spring Creek into Humble. That piqued my interest.
I called Mr. Burkhardt in Addison for clarification, but he did not return my phone call to confirm exactly what their plans are. So we shall have to wait and see. They will have challenges, no doubt.
MoCo Residents Successfully Protest Connectivity Plan
Yesterday, Benders Landing Estates (BLE) Property Owners Association (immediately north of the SJP property had a proposal on the Montgomery County Commissioners Court Agenda. SJP wanted to connect their new neighborhoods through a quiet, residential street (Shady Hills Landing Lane) in BLE.
They felt the street was not suited to handling the volume of traffic that a 5000+ acre development would generate. And their plan to block SJP access through the street succeeded.
Commissioners voted to abandon a one-foot-wide portion of Shady Hills Landing Lane in Benders Landing Estates Section 7. The land will vest to adjoining property owners, who can then effectively block SJP residents from exiting any new subdivisions through their property.
The San Jacinto Preserve development comes with inherent flood risks. At this point, we need to wait and see what they propose. At a minimum, it will likely include:
A new drainage-impact analysis
New plats that show the exact location of homes and their density relative to floodplains
Street layouts
The amount of impervious cover added
How much forest is lost
Flood-mitigation plans
A no-adverse-impact statement from Texas-certified engineers.
Environmental/wetlands studies including impacts on water quality in Lake Houston
Wetlands in SJP floodplain
One seasoned hydrologist held out little hope for the safe development of this property. She told me that developing it would be like aiming a firehose at Kingwood. She also suggested that the developer was putting “profits over people” and that the people of Humble and Kingwood should oppose it for their own safety. Check back often as news develops.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/15/25
2969 Days since Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250622-DSC_2654.jpg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=17331100adminadmin2025-10-15 21:12:412025-10-16 18:02:16Developer Buys 5300 Acres of Floodplains, Floodways, Wetlands from Ryko
