Twenty-four hours ago, Hurricane Delta was simply potential tropical cyclone #26. As of 8 P.M. EDT today, the National Hurricane Center indicated #26 had progressed from tropical depression to tropical storm to hurricane in 24 hours. By tomorrow night, Delta should become a major hurricane as it crosses the resort areas on the northeastern tip of the Yucatan. However, the NHC also predicts that the storm will de-intensify before it makes landfall somewhere between East Texas and the Florida Panhandle on Friday.
Winds Could Increase from 75 to 120 mph
Low wind sheer and warm waters in the northwest Caribbean will allow rapid strengthening over the next 24 to 36 hours. The storm already has sustained winds of 75 mph. NHC gives a better than 50 percent chance of a 35-40 kt increase in wind speed over the next 24 hours. That’s roughly another 40 to 45 mph.
Track Shifts Slightly West
The NHC has shifted the track envelope westward over today, bringing the storm closer to Houston, though we are still slightly outside the cone.
Source: National Hurricane Center
Tropical Storm Force Winds Currently Extend 70 miles From Center
NHC expects additional rapid strengthening during the next day or so. Delta, they say, should become a major hurricane when it nears the Yucatan Peninsula. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 15 miles (25 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend up to 70 miles (110 km) from the center.
At this point, the Houston area has a 10-30% probability of experiencing tropical-storm-force winds from Delta.
Louisiana to Western Florida Faces Largest Danger
NHC advises, “Delta is forecast to approach the northern Gulf Coast late this week as a hurricane. While there is large uncertainty in the track and intensity forecasts, there is an increasing risk of dangerous storm surge, wind, and rainfall hazards along the coast from Louisiana to the western Florida Panhandle beginning Thursday night or Friday. Residents in these areas should ensure they have their hurricane plan in place and monitor updates to the forecast of Delta.”
Impact to Texas Coast?
Jeff Lindner, Harris County Meteorologist, says, “Swells will be increasing over the northwest Gulf of Mexico by mid week with heights increasing into the 5-10 foot range by Wednesday. This will result in increasing tides along the upper TX coast. Current projections indicate 1.0-1.5 feet above normal levels at times of high tides Thursday and Friday. This is subject to change based on the intensity and wind field of Delta over the central and NW Gulf late this week.”
While SE TX is currently outside the “error cone” and direct impacts appear unlikely, Lindner says that its important to closely monitor forecasts for any changes in the track.
Posted by Bob Rehak at 9PM on Monday, 10/5/2020based on data from the NHC and HCFCD
1133 Days since Hurricane Harvey
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Aerial photos of the West Fork Mouth Bar show that the above-water portion on this once-massive sand bar is now down to the width of one excavator for most of its length. A mouth bar is a sand bar where the mouth of a river or stream meets a standing body of water, such as Lake Houston. As water slows when it reaches the standing water, sediment carried downstream drops out of suspension.
The Before Shot
The first photo below shows the West Fork Mouth Bar immediately after Harvey and before any remediation work took place.
Looking south toward Lake Houston and the FM1960 Bridge from Kingwood.Photo of West Fork Mouth Bar taken on 9/15/2017, about two weeks after Harvey.
At that point in time, the mouth bar extended five feet above water in places. It was 3/4 of a mile wide and a half mile from the northernmost part to the small island in the channel south of the bar. But the part you can’t see, below water, is even bigger.
This massive blockage backed water up throughout the Humble/Kingwood/Atascocita area, and contributed to the flooding of thousands of homes and businesses.
Today
I took the shot below on Sunday night, 10/4/2020. While the camera position and lens perspective are slightly different, they are close enough to show the progress made in removing the blockage, or at least the portion above water.
Photo of West Fork Mouth Bar taken on 10/4/2020.The white dots appear to be ducks.
Close comparison of these two photos shows several smaller islands beyond the mouth bar that the Army Corps removed a year ago. At the completion of the Emergency West Fork Dredging Program (2018/19), FEMA agreed to dredge 500,000 cubic yards (CY) of sediment in a 600-acre area between the mouth bar and Atascocita Point in the upper right of the photos. After dredging the 500,000 CY, the Corps increased the average depth of that area to 5.5 feet. However, within weeks, Imelda filled much of that back in.
This year, the City of Houston started excavating the above-water portion of the mouth bar. The bar is now down to width of the excavators used for mechanical dredging. To fund this effort, the City used money left over from Hurricane Harvey cleanup.
This low-level shot facing west shows just how narrow the mouth bar now is.
Biggest Part Remains Below Water
But like icebergs, most of the sediment in sand bars lies below the surface. So even when there’s nothing left for me to photograph from the air, most of the blockage will remain. Two local geologists recently measured several cross sections of the river. The river’s profile looks like this.
Compiled by RD Kissling and Tim Garfield using sonic depth finders and measurement poles.
River depth upstream near Kings Harbor and downstream near the 1960 Bridge is more than 22 feet. Between those two points (which lie about three miles apart), the deepest part of the channel is only about 6-7 feet. Not far from the main channel, however, the river gets much shallower. It’s one to three feet in most places.
In other words, at this point in the West Fork, we still have an underwater plateau – extending three miles – that continues to restrict the conveyance of the river.
The continued presence of this plateau will slow water down and trap more sediment, undermining the effectiveness of earlier efforts.
RD Kissling’s knee. Kissling, a kayaker is standing in 1-2 feet of water about three hundred yards south of the mouth bar. The homes in the background are in Atascocita Point across the river. Photo is looking west.
More Dredging Slated
Restoring the conveyance of the river after decades of deferred maintenance will require much more dredging after the above-water mouth bar is gone.
Luckily, FEMA has agreed to dredge another million cubic yards, according to Houston Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin. State Representative Dan Huberty also secured an additional $30 million in funding in the last legislature to continue the effort.
Stephen Costello, the City’s Flood Czar, is currently working on developing a next-phase plan, but has not yet announced it.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/5/2020
1133 Days since Hurricane Harvey
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The Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) issued its first and final report on Tropical Storm Beta today. The 24-page report found that only 25-30 homes in Harris County flooded from the storm, none in the Lake Houston Area. In most places, streams and bayous remained well within their banks. The report also says that HCFCD flood-reduction projects along Braes and Sims Bayous prevented the flooding of 930 structures. The combination of low rainfall intensities, frequent breaks in heavy rainfall, and dry grounds going into the event likely helped reduce the number of homes flooded, according to the report.
Understanding the Uniqueness of Storms
As with all such HCFCD reports, this one presents a treasure trove of statistics, graphs, charts and illustrations. Taken together, they help you understand the uniqueness of individual storms and how to compare them to each other.
Frequent Breaks in Storm Prevented More Severe Flooding
Tropical Storm Beta could have been much worse. The report says, “While Beta did produce heavy rainfall over the county, there were frequent breaks in the training rain bands.”
Overall rainfall intensities were generally in the 1.0-2.0 inch per hour range.
HCFCD final report on tropical storm beta
Most storm drains in the City of Houston are designed to handle 2″ per hour. The report continued, “The lower rainfall rates along with breaks in heavy rainfall allowed most creeks and bayous and internal drainage systems to effectively carry storm water capacities with limited flooding.”
2- to 10-Year Rains in Most Harder-Hit Areas
In most of the harder-hit areas, the storm dropped between 2- and 10-year rains. Those included Clear Creek, Brays Bayou, Keegans Bayou, Willow Waterhole, Buffalo Bayou, White Oak Bayou and Cypress Creek. One place along Sims Bayou recorded a 50-year rain. All other Harris County watersheds had generally less than a 50% (2-yr) rainfall exceedance probability, says the report. Those rainfall exceedance probabilities correspond to new Atlas-14 rates adopted after Harvey.
Intense Short-Duration Rains Cause Most Street Flooding
House flooding in Harris County correlates strongly to the intensity of short duration rainfall rates. In Tropical Storm Beta, short duration rainfall rates generally fell below intensities that lead to widespread and significant house flooding from:
Overwhelming capacity of primary drainage systems or…
Exceeding capacities of bayous and creeks.
The following chart compares the maximum rainfall amounts recorded in Harris County from Tropical Storm Imelda, Hurricane Harvey, Tropical Storm Allison, and Tropical Storm Beta for various time periods.
From page 3 of HCFCD’s Final Report on Tropical Storm Beta.
The chart above compares the maximum rainfall amounts recorded in Harris County from Tropical Storm Imelda, Hurricane Harvey, Tropical Storm Allison, and Tropical Storm Beta for various time periods.
For the 1-hr rainfall rate, Beta was nearly 50% lower than Imelda, Allison, and Harvey and nearly 8-10 inches lower for the 3-hr rainfall rates.
HCFCD Final Report on Beta
Beta Rates Lower than Other Recent Major Storms
As the chart above shows, rainfall rates associated with Tropical Storm Beta fell significantly below other recent tropical storms that impacted Harris County. The lower rainfall rates were likely a function of a dry air mass wrapping into the circulation, and a general lack of organized and persistent thunderstorm activity.
Beta’s short duration rainfall rates remained slow enough that drainage systems could remain effective. Additionally, dry grounds leading into the event allowed the first few inches of rainfall to be absorbed, helping to reduce run-off.
Jeff Lindner, Harris County Meteorologist
Dramatic NW to SE Rainfall Gradient
The maximum rainfall over 48 hours shows a dramatic gradient aligning from northwest to southeast. As you can see from the iso-map below, people in the Lake Houston Area received less than a third of the rainfall that people received on the southwest side of Houston.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/5/2020based on information from Harris County Flood Control
1133 Days after Hurricane Harvey and 382 after Imelda
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Screen-Shot-2020-10-05-at-2.22.51-PM.png?fit=1064%2C572&ssl=15721064adminadmin2020-10-05 15:10:032020-10-05 15:24:08Final HCFCD Report on Tropical Storm Beta Finds Only 25-30 Homes Flooded
Two more tropical systems are heading into the Gulf of Mexico this week. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) predicts the first, Tropical Storm Gamma, will hook around the Yucatan and then turn north Wednesday into Thursday. It should be in the central Bay of Campeche by Friday, still headed north.
Forecast Track for Tropical Storm Gamma
The NHC predicts the second, potential tropical cyclone #26, will intensify into a hurricane and reach the central Gulf Coast of the U.S. by Friday. While a wide range of uncertainty exists regarding its track, dangerous storm surge and coastal flooding from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle is almost a certainty, according the the NHC. Increasing swells and elevated tides will be possible along the Texas coast from mid- into late-week given both systems over the Gulf of Mexico, according to Jeff Lindner, Harris County meteorologist.
Potential Tropical Cyclone #26 should turn into Tropical Storm Delta on Monday then track NW, reaching hurricane strength before landfall.
Lindner also predicts Delta could become a Cat 2 or even a Cat 3 hurricane before reaching land.
No Impact Predicted for Texas At This Time
At this time (Sunday night, 10/4/2020 at 9:45PM), Lindner also feels that Houston area should feel no direct impacts from either TS Gamma or what will likely become TS Delta.
Double Trouble Again
Earlier this year, we had two tropical systems in the Gulf simultaneously. That was only the second time that occurred since 1933. Now it will occur again…in the SAME year with Gamma and what will become Delta. Meteorologists are already starting to talk about potential interaction between the tropical systems, the so-called Fujiwhara effect.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/4/2020 at 9:45 PM based on data from HCFCD and the NHC
1132 Days since Hurricane Harvey
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The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has fined Quadvest $5,625 for a 48,000-gallon sewage spill in Colony Ridge, a large and growing development in Liberty County near the San Jacinto East Fork and Plum Grove. Quadvest supplies water and sewer services for the development.
The violation occurred in Camino Real, a Colony Ridge subdivision with almost 3500 lots. It happened at a lift station approximately 1,000 feet north-northeast of the intersection of Paul Campbell Loop Road and Plum Drive.
Discharge with Bluish Color Kills Fish
The complainant alleged that the discharge had a bluish color and killed fish. The TCEQ complaint says people were exposed to unsafe levels of pollutants, however, no deaths were reported in relation to the incident except for fish.
Photo of discharge in Maple Branch Creek
TCEQ says Quadvest “failed to prevent the unauthorized discharge of wastewater into or adjacent to any water in the state. Specifically, on July 22, 2019, an electrical failure at Camino Real Lift Station-H located at 342 Road 5002 caused the pumps to fail, resulting in approximately 48,000 gallons of wastewater being discharged into Maple Branch Creek, killing approximately 30 fish.”
Cleanup and Fine Cost Quadvest More Than $105,000
In July, 2019, Quadvest cleaned up the mess. TCEQ estimated the cost at more than $100,000. Then in June 2020, Quadvest CEO Simon Sequeira agreed to pay an additional penalty of $5,625.
Previous Related Violations
During the year before the unauthorized discharge, the TCEQ issued four other notices of violations to Quadvest for:
Sewage overflowing from a manhole at an estimated rate of 10-25 gallons per minute
Failure to maintain an operational alarm system for emergency conditions
Twice failing to secure its lift station from intruders (August and November 2018)
Since this incident, other sewage problems have occurred in Colony Ridge. Stormwater can wash this fecal contamination into adjoining streams and bayous which empty into the East Fork and Lake Houston, the source of drinking water for 2 million people.
More Colony Ridge fecal contamination bubbling up from underground and flowing toward Tarkenton Bayou. Photo taken in June 2020.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/4/2020
1132 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 381 since Imelda
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/2020/06/Black-water.jpg?fit=1200%2C2133&ssl=121331200adminadmin2020-10-04 18:05:332020-10-04 18:05:56TCEQ Fines Quadvest for 48,000 Gallon Sewage Spill in Colony Ridge
The Army Corps has released its Buffalo Bayou and Tributaries Resiliency Study (BBTRS). This is a major, 210-page study of options to reduce flooding on the west side of Houston. One of the main options considered also affects the Lake Houston area on the north side: a dam on Cypress Creek. But it comes at a high environmental cost.
Preventing Water From Overflowing Out of Cypress Creek Watershed
You may remember during Harvey that floodwater spilled out of the upper Cypress Creek watershed and bridged over to the Addicks reservoir. From there, it added to flooding on the west side. So one of the alternatives that the Corps examined was a third reservoir on Cypress Creek. This reservoir would be built on the far west side, north of Addicks. It would benefit not only the entire Cypress Creek area, but areas downstream as well. Cypress Creek drains into Spring Creek and eventually the West Fork and Lake Houston.
Cypress Creek Dam and Reservoir (Alternative #2 in the study) would construct a new 190,000-acre foot reservoir upstream of Addicks in the Cypress watershed. One overflow spillway discharges into Cypress Creek, while a second discharges into the Addicks Watershed. The primary control structure would release into Cypress Creek. First costs for the Cypress Creek Dam are estimated at $2.14 billion to $2.90 billion. Ancillary measures bring the total cost to $4.5 to $6.1 billion.
Interim Mid-Point Report
The Corps’ report does not present final conclusions and recommendations. The report is a mid-point technical document for review prior to recommending a solution.
Loosely Structured Data Dump
As you might expect, this interim report is loosely structured and somewhat hard to follow. Possible reasons: more than 40 people wrote it and five different teams reviewed it. It does not include recommendations, that might provide structure or logic to the organization. Also, it examines many alternatives, both alone and in combination that make it somewhat difficult to follow. They put everything they considered in the document for public review and comment (see below).
Alternatives Examined
Alternatives that the Corps examined include:
Cypress Creek Dam
Upper Buffalo Bayou Dam, Ungated
Extending Additional Spillways within Barker and Addicks Reservoirs to increase storage
Raising Embankments of Addicks and Barker reservoirs to increase storage
Excavating Barker and Addicks reservoirs to increase storage
Constructing tunnels from 33 to 43 feet wide between Barker and the Ship Channel to increase conveyance
Constructing tunnels between 31 and 41 feet wide from the Barker to the Brazos
Diverting water from Barker to Brays Bayou
Widening 22 miles of Buffalo Bayou
The Corps also considered but discarded several other measures, including but not limited to:
Pumping Stations – were neither feasible, nor cost effective.
Injection wells – would not reduce flood risk.
Restoration and preservation of coastal prairies and wetlands – Restoration of one acre of prairie would offset the impact of two acres of single-family land use or an acre of commercial development. However, the land needed was outside of the authorized study area.
Criteria Used to Evaluate Structural Alternatives
The criteria used to evaluate the structural alternatives above included:
Rough order-of-magnitude costs (high, medium or low)
Potential for system-wide impacts (best professional judgment based on engineering, H&H)
Potential impacts to critical infrastructure (number of critical facilities that may be protected along with the number of roads that may be saved from impact)
Required mitigation (defined as the potential number of acres that may be required and categorized and from high to low)
Potential impacts to threatened and endangered species (defined as yes or no)
Impacts to populations (defined as yes or no)
The tables below show how they assessed each alternative on these measures.
Relative Merits of Leading Alternatives
The rest of the report tries to quantify the pros and cons of each of the flood-reduction plans (including combinations of individual measures). The table below summaries the relative merits of leading alternatives.
Safety and Cost Considerations
Because dams and dam modifications weigh heavily this this report, the Corps also included a lengthy discussion of dam safety measures.
However, the rest of the reports focuses on economic and environmental consequences of the proposed alternatives.
The economic consequences include homes or businesses that might have to be bought out and relocated, development that might be encouraged or excluded, the cost of repeat flooding, etc.
Being precise enough to rank order each alternative at this point in the analysis is difficult. However, the Corps does present enough information to help the reader understand the economic consequences of alternative plans.
Environmental Consequences of Cypress Creek Dam
To simplify the rest of this post, I will focus only on the Corps’ environmental concerns about the Cypress Creek Dam.
The Corps frets about implementing any proposed measures within Katy Prairie habitat. They point out, “The Katy Prairie is the last remaining coastal prairie in Harris County and less than 1 percent remains throughout the state. The Cypress Creek Reservoir would have enveloped and impacted nearly all of the known quality Katy Prairie habitat remaining.”
In regard to other environmental consequences of a Cypress Creek Reservoir, the Corps says:
“The Cypress Creek Reservoir would be most likely to induce development, particularly in areas where Cypress Creek overflows currently affect lands. While the Katy Prairie is not formally defined as a park or wildlife refuge, it has been identified by natural resource agencies (US Fish and Wildlife Service and Texas Parks and Wildlife) and conservation groups (Katy Prairie Conservancy, Legacy Land Trust, and Sierra Club) as an area of special cultural and ecological significance. … It is estimated that less than 20,000 acres of Katy Prairie remain in Harris and Waller counties.”
Would Affect 75% of Remaining Katy Prairie
“Implementation of the Cypress Creek Reservoir would significantly alter and degrade more than 75 percent of the remaining range-wide Katy Prairie habitat and a significant portion of the actively managed and preserved remaining habitat. Approximately 90 percent (about 10,400 acres) of the project area is operating under Habitat Conservation Plans, including mitigation banks, in which funding has been provided to maintain and enhance Katy Prairie, stream, riparian, and wetland habitats in perpetuity.
“Construction and operation of the reservoir would prevent future development; however, the primary purpose of the project would be for flood risk management and not habitat conservation. Long-term operation of the project would change the hydrology of the area and make it very difficult to manage the land for conservation of the specific habitats and species.”
Impact on Conservation Easements
The Corps continues, “While it is not anticipated that the habitats would be completely lost, it is very likely that they would have lower habitat quality than under the existing condition or No Action Alternative. Additionally, construction and operation of the dam would violate a number of the conservation easements. Mitigation for the mitigation banks would be needed to ensure paid for credits are appropriately accounted.
“These impacts would also apply to approximately an additional 6,000 acres of Katy Prairie conservation lands that are immediately downstream of the embankment, where the embankment would sever hydrologic connections thereby affecting hydrologic regimes, sediment and nutrient inputs and fragmenting habitats. These indirect impacts would also cause the lands to underperform in expected habitat quality for conservation and could result in conflicts with the conservation easements and mitigation banks.”
Next Steps
It sounds as though the Corps initially wanted to discard the idea of a Cypress Creek Dam. However, it’s still on the table.
The Corps intends to review this document with cooperating agencies, such as Harris County Flood Control. It will also hold a series of public meetings via video conference.
Tuesday, October 13 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Thursday, October 15 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Thursday, October 22 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Monday, October 26 1:00 – 3:00 PM
You are invited to join any of these sessions to learn about the project and submit questions for future responses on the project website.
In the video meetings, the project team will summarize the project goals, the process and progress to date. This information may help inform any comments that you can provide during the comment period.
Written comments make your voice heard. Public comments can strengthen a decision by providing facts or perspectives that could be lacking in the original document. Your feedback helps create an accurate and comprehensive document that supports informed decision-making. You can comment via letter or email.
By postal mail, postmarked by November 2, 2020, to:
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Photo taken on 9/11/2020 shows transportation center in foreground and Perry Homes Woodridge Village in background on other side of Ford Road.
Saving Taxpayers $2 Million Per Year
The District claims that the new 11.7-acre center will save about $2 million in operation costs per year due to shorter routes in half of the District. Management says it should be ready for the 2021 school year and that it will improve response times.
September Aerial Photo Shows Substantial Detention Pond
Here’s what the North Transportation Center looked like on 9/11/2020 from the air. Note the detention pond on the right side of the photo. This pond was one of the first things developed during construction. It also forms a significant percentage of the overall site. Visually, it appears to be about 15-20 percent. And as you can see, it actually holds stormwater!
The transportation facility will be directly across Ford Road from Woodridge Village which has been plagued by flooding problems. You can see Woodridge in the background of the photo above. Woodridge Village contributed to flooding Elm Grove Village twice last year in May and September.
When Humble ISD started clearing land for their North Transportation Center, worried neighbors expressed their concerns about possible flooding. But so far, no damage.
Close up shot of pond and newly poured concrete. Note depth of pondcompared to homes in background and construction container in foreground.Wider shot shows areas where contractors were getting ready to pour new concrete on 9/11/2020.
The Humble ISD has not responded to a request for their drainage analysis.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/2/2020
1130 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 378 since Imelda
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This morning, at its October 1 board meeting, the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) announced the members of its regional flood planning groups. Back in April, the TWDB announced the formation of 15 flood-planning regions and started soliciting nominations for members in 12 categories for each region.
Members of San Jacinto Watershed Regional Flood Planning Group
In Region 6, the San Jacinto watershed, the 12 initial members will be:
According to the TWDB, the regional flood-planning groups (RFPGs) will meet as required to develop their own plans. They must:
Deliver the first regional flood plan no later than January 10, 2023
Adequately represent their associated interest group as it exists throughout the entire region
Consider all the region-wide stakeholders when making decisions
Commit to regularly attending their RFPG meetings
Understand and follow the state flood planning framework and process, as well as review the various materials that will be considered by the RFPG along the way
Solicit and consider stakeholder input in a transparent process
Participate in directing the work of technical consultants
Make decisions and recommendations regarding flood management goals and strategies and flood mitigation projects for their region
Ensure adoption of a regional flood plan that meets all requirements, including that no neighboring area may be negatively affected by an element of the regional flood plan
600 Nominees Considered
The TWDB selected RFPG members from more than 600 nominations. Several groups across the state will have smaller groups. TWDB either did not receive nominations or they could not find qualified candidates in some categories. For a complete list of members in all groups, see the last two pages of this agenda item from today’s TWDB meeting.
The TWDB will soon convene initial planning group meetings. All meetings will include opportunities for public input and will be open and transparent. Meeting notices will be posted to the TWDB’s Regional Flood Planning Group Meetings webpage. One of the many important considerations of the new flood planning groups will be the potential to include additional voting and/or non-voting members to the group.
Making Texas a Safer Place to Live
This is a significant step forward in making Texas a safer place to live. The distinguished members of the San Jacinto RFPG should represent the interests of this watershed capably. They have a little more than two years to formulate a plan. Game on.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/1/2020
1029 Days after Hurricane Harvey
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Last year, the flood during Tropical Storm Imelda washed out the sand supporting a natural gas pipeline running across an easement through the Triple PG Sand Mine in Porter. Luckily, Kinder Morgan (KM) shut the line down before anyone was hurt. KM then drilled 75 feet under the mine and spliced in a new section. But now Triple PG is mining over the new section, once again eroding the the public’s margin of safety.
Of course, it’s possible that the miners won’t get down to 75 feet. But TACA and some West Fork sand mines say they routinely mine 100 feet down.
Eroding Margin of Safety
Just as bad, they’re mining toward five pipelines carrying highly volatile liquids (HVL), potentially exposing them in the next flood, just like they were on the West Fork at the LMI River Road Mine.
The Kinder Morgan natural gas line runs diagonally between the trees in the foreground, parallel to helicopter skid in the lower left.Five HVL pipelines run in the utility corridor in the background.Here’s how that same area looked after Imelda on 9/27/2019, when Caney Creek (right) had flowed through the mine.
Shortly before Harvey, the sand mine started mining next to the road cutting diagonally from top left to bottom right. Then, Harvey flowed through the mine, creating much of the erosion you see here.
Two years later, Imelda cut through the mine again, extending the erosion headward to the point where it could threaten the HVL pipelines in the utility corridor near the top of the frame above during the next flood.
In two years, the headward erosion cut toward the pipelines by 2000 feet.
Triple PG Already Operating Under Injunction
The sand mine sits at the confluence of two floodways and floods repeatedly.
A Travis County Court set a trial date for 6/22/2020, but the trail has been delayed by COVID. Shortly after the Attorney General filed his suit, the owner of the mine, a cardiologist from Nacogdoches, tried to transfer ownership within his family’s companies and trusts.
2020 will certainly go down in history as the year of living dangerously. A miner trying to push his luck is just one more thing we shouldn’t have to worry about…especially when he’s sitting on top of a huge stockpile of sand that he has barely touched in months.
No one has died yet. Hopefully they won’t. But if they do, it won’t take long for a lawyer to argue negligence and triple damages for the Triple PG owners. Of course, they will then likely declare bankruptcy and tuck tail back to Nacogdoches.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/30/2020
1128 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 377 since Imelda
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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Last Saturday morning (9/26/2020), Sally and JG Geis were out walking around Lake Woodlands. They came across a gathering of people protesting a proposed new development on Mitchell island in the lake.
The 23-acre island was originally platted for 19 homes with a minimum size of 7,000 square feet. The new plan consists of 58 high-end residential homesites, which will reportedly start at $1 million.
According to nearby residents, the new plan will affect a pair of nesting bald eagles which visit the area every year.
As if on cue, one of the eagles flew into a nearby tree to watch the protest.
Cell phone photo of bald eagle watching protest at entrance to Mitchell Island on Saturday. By Sally Geis.
Enlargement of eagle within previous photo. By Sally Geis.
Notice of October 1 Online Public Hearing
Public Notice of Project. Photo by Sally Geiss.According to the sign, the Planning Commission will hear virtual testimony starting at 2:30PM on October 1.
From 1+ acre lots to 10 foot lot lines. Note the credit line near the bottom. LJA Engineering! Wherever there is controversy, we seem to find LJA Engineering.
Trying to Beat the Clock on New Regs and Flood Maps?
Cross-hatched = floodway. Aqua = 1% annual chance of flooding. Brown = .2% annual chance. Source: FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer Viewer. Note: These zones could soon change because flood insurance maps are being redrawn.
Proposed layout shows larger lots facing lake and smaller lots facing east where smaller homes already exist. For a high-resolution PDF of the entire plat, click here.
Elevating 58 homes will take lots of fill to meet the CoH minimum elevation requirement. Where will that fill come from? Outside the development? How will that affect the floodplain for surrounding homes? So many questions!
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/2020/09/20200926-IMG_0237.jpg?fit=813%2C1200&ssl=11200813adminadmin2020-09-29 14:47:032020-10-01 15:58:06Bald Eagle Joins Protest of New Woodlands Development
