Giant Leak at Hallett Mine…Again

On December 22, I received an email from a Montgomery County resident named Jody Binnion. He lives near the Hallett sand mine on the San Jacinto West Fork and can see the mine from his home. Binnion said that the level of a 170-acre pond had dropped at least 2-3 feet and maybe more – overnight. He went to investigate and found a giant repair at a corner of the pit near the West Fork. Hallett had already patched the breach, he said.

Photo Courtesy of Jody Binnion, 12/22/2020 at 9:56 am. Looking toward 170 acre Hallett pond that dropped several feet.

Here’s what the patched area looked like from the air ten days later on January 1, 2021.

Looking SE toward the West Fork and US59. The West Fork arcs through the frame on the right.

By the time I shot the scene above from the air, the pond had virtually refilled – either with process water, rainwater, or both.

It’s hard to say with certainty whether this breach was intentional. Binnion arrived after the hole had already been plugged. The TCEQ says it has opened an investigation.

History of Breach

The area had leaked several times before, starting in 2015 according to Google Earth imagery. But the leaks were all relatively minor. The forest between the pond and the river even survived Harvey.

But then, in early February of 2019, Binnion noticed a radical drop in the level of the pond for the first time. Binnion photographed the breach and reported it to TCEQ, but never heard back from the Commission. A Google Earth image taken a little more than 2 weeks later confirms that rapidly rushing water mowed down a 250-foot-wide swath of trees more than 600 feet long. Google Earth also shows fresh repairs in the area. See below.

The trees between the upper pond and the river survived Harvey, but were destroyed sometime the week of February 4, 2019. Note repairs to breach when this photo was taken on 2/23/2019.

The Harris County Flood Warning System shows that the HCFCD gage at US59 and the West Fork recorded only about a quarter inch of rain during that week (February 4, 2019).

A quarter inch of rain in a week makes a storm-induced breach unlikely.

Between 2/2/2019 and 2/8/2019, the gage at 59 and the West Fork registered only about a quarter inch of rain. Only an eighth of an inch fell before the breach.

Ironically, that week I was meeting with TACA, Hallett, other sand miners, the TCEQ, State Rep. Dan Huberty, and Lake Houston Area leaders in Austin that week. It was about greater setbacks from the river for sand mines! But I question whether setback was the issue in this case.

Area Started to Regrow

When I photographed the area on September 2020, vegetation was growing back in.

Photo taken 9/11/2020. Looking toward Hallett’s pit (the white one) with West Fork in foreground.

Aerial Photos of Latest Breach

But then on Jan. 1, 2021, I flew over the area again. This time, I saw – from the air – the blowout that Binnion photographed ten days earlier from the ground. See the pictures below.

Latest breach. Looking SE. Pit on left, West Fork on right. Pond in upper middle is an abandoned mine.
Reverse angle. Looking NW, back toward Hallett Mine on upper level. River is behind helicopter.

It’s unclear whether all of this happened at once. It rained 1.04 inches in the week before Binnion photographed the breach just before Christmas. It rained another 1.44 inches in the two days before January 1. I took the aerial photos above on New Year’s Day, with the exception of the one taken last September.

Excess Sedimentation Can Lead to Flooding

Sedimentation from sand mines, along with natural erosion, has been linked to flooding in the Humble/Kingwood corridor where the West Fork lost much of its conveyance capacity after Harvey. It has cost taxpayers more than $100 million so far to remove the excess sediment. The dredging program continues after more than 3 years.

This sandbar formed on the West Fork of the San Jacinto during Harvey. The Army Corps of Engineers says it blocked the river by 90%. Note how shallow the river was in the areas where water was getting through. This picture was taken two weeks after Harvey. The Corps has since removed the bar as part of a larger effort to restore West Fork conveyance.

If we are ever to reduce the sedimentation problem, we must first get past the fiction that sand mines are not contributing to it. Hallett isn’t the only mine with these issues. The West Fork San Jacinto has 20 square miles of sand mines between I-45 and US59. I have photographed leaks at all but one of them during the last three years, including the New Year’s Day flight.

The photo below shows the confluence of the West Fork and Spring Creek at US59. Guess which way the sand mines are?

West Fork comes from the top of the frame and Spring Creek from the left. Water flows toward the right. Photo 1/1/2021.

This confluence looks this way most months, but not all.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/7/2021

1227 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.

Houston Parks Board to Begin Construction of West Fork Greenway This Month

The Houston Parks Board announced Tuesday that it will begin construction of the San Jacinto Bayou Greenway along the West Fork of the San Jacinto. Construction will start “sometime in January.”

Project Scope

“The new 3-mile Bayou Greenway segment will run from Woodland Hills Drive to Ross Road,” said Lisa Kasianowitz of the Parks Board.

For a printable PDF, click here.

The San Jacinto Greenway project will include:

  • New off-street trails as well as use of existing residential streets for the trail system
  • Trail connection for Kingwood residents at Woodland Hills Drive to access the greenway trails
  • Parking for greenway users within the former Riverview Townhomes Community
  • Planting of native trees, meadows and wildflowers
  • Benches and seating areas
  • Interpretive and directional signage
  • Trash cans and recycling containers

Work Schedule, Precautions

Construction work will take place Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. “Crews may work on Saturdays to make up for any weather delays,” said Kasianowitz. “We expect to minimize potential disruptions. But some noise and dust are associated with this project. So we appreciate the community’s patience.”

Construction should conclude in late 2021 to early 2022. The Parks Board urges residents to remain cautious around construction, intersections, and connecting streets. The Board also requests the public not to enter areas surrounded by orange construction fencing. 

Maintenance

After construction, the Houston Parks Board will implement its Conservation and Maintenance program. That includes:

  • Weekday visits from their Conservation and Maintenance team
  • Weekly trash pickup
  • Bi-weekly mowing of grass along the trail
  • Upkeep of the trail and amenities
  • And any necessary flood cleanup within the greenway.

Future Expansion

In the future, San Jacinto Bayou Greenway will connect into and through Harris County Precinct Four’s Edgewater Park, which is in development. It will also connect to Precinct 4’s Spring Creek and Cypress Creek trail systems.

San Jacinto Bayou Greenway is part of a citywide initiative called Bayou Greenways 2020. For this project, the Houston Parks Board has partnered with the City of Houston, Houston Parks and Recreation, and Harris County Flood Control District.

The Parks Board’s Bayou Greenways 2020 initiative will create a continuous park system along Houston’s major waterways. The program will transform more than 3,000 underutilized acres along the bayous into linear parks. It will also connect 150 miles of hike-and-bike trails.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/6/2021

1126 Days since Hurricane Harvey

January Digest of Flood-Related News in Lake Houston Area

From construction developments to political developments, here’s your January digest of ten stories that could affect flooding or flood mitigation in the Lake Houston Area.

1. New Caney ISD High School #3

This site is located between Sorters-McClellan Road and US59 south of the HCA Kingwood Medical Center. New Caney ISD is building a new high school on the site of the old par 3 golf course behind the car dealerships that front US59. Construction crews are still pouring concrete for foundations and parking lots. Not much happened between flyovers on December 7 and January 1. But then, not much happens anywhere during the holidays. The two photos below show the progress. Construction of the detention pond is nearing completion. However, contractors still need to plant grass to reduce erosion before spring rains arrive.

New Caney ISD High School #3 site as of December 7, 2020
As of January 1, 2021.

New Caney ISD has not posted a project update since last September. Projected occupancy for the building is still Fall 2022.

2. Kingwood Cove Golf Course Redevelopment

I first talked about Ron Holley’s redevelopment of the Kingwood Cove (formerly Forest Cove) Golf Course in April last year. Since then Holley says he has been working with engineers, community groups and regulators to accommodate different interests.

Now, the development is back on the planning commission agenda for this Thursday. Holley is seeking approval of his latest General Plan and Plat. Neither show any detention ponds. The only place they could go would be in “Reserve C.” The General Plan shows that to be in the floodway and 100-year floodplain. Both could soon expand.

The West Fork floodway cuts through the southern part of Holley’s property.

The City raised an issue regarding compliance with regulations governing the re-plat of golf courses at the 12/17/2020 Planning Commission meeting. The City requested information relating to Local Government Code 212.0155.

That regulation requires, among other things, that:

  • Public notice of the re-plat be printed in newspapers
  • The Forest Cove Property Owners Association is notified
  • Residents have an opportunity to voice their opinions at public hearings
  • Owners of all properties within 200 feet of the new plat be notified in writing via US Mail.
  • If 20% of the owners object, the re-plat must win the approval of 3/5ths of the planning commission.
  • The developer proves there is adequate existing or planned infrastructure to support the new development.
  • The new subdivision will not adversely affect health, safety traffic, parking, drainage, water, sewer, or other utilities
  • The development will not have a materially adverse effect on existing single-family property values.
  • The new plat complies with all applicable land-use regulations and restrictive covenants and the City’s land-use policies.

That’s a lot to do over the holidays. So the general plan may need to be withdrawn and resubmitted after all the information has been produced. We should know more by Wednesday afternoon.

3. Dredging

Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin’s January newsletter stated that Disaster Recover Corporation has removed 385,000 cubic yards from the West Fork Mouth Bar out of an estimated total of 400,000 cubic yards.

Then he alluded to dredging another 260,000 cubic yards from the area north of the mouth bar.

He also alluded to a Second Phase: dredging the San Jacinto East Fork and other locations in Lake Houston.

Finally, Martin discussed maintenance dredging. “Additionally,” he says, “during Phase Two of the project, City of Houston, Harris County, HCFCD, SJRA, and Coastal Water Authority (CWA) will develop and execute a plan for the City of Houston or CWA to assume long-term dredging operations on Lake Houston. This effort will include determining funding for dredging operations in perpetuity.”

4. Appointments to SJRA Board

Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Wil Faubel and Rick Mora, M.D. and reappointed Kaaren Cambio to the San Jacinto River Authority Board of Directors. Their terms will expire on October 16, 2025. 

Kaaren Cambio of Kingwood is a field representative for United States Congressman Dan Crenshaw. She is a former member of Women’s Business Enterprise National Investment Recovery Association, Pipeline Contractors Association, and the Houston Pipeliners Association. Cambio received a Bachelor of Business Administration from San Diego State University.

Wil Faubel of Montgomery is President of Borets US Inc. He is a veteran and senior executive in the Oilfield Services industry with more than forty years of service. He has both domestic and international experience and is a lifelong member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and a former board member of the Petroleum Equipment Suppliers Association. Faubel received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Southern Methodist University.

Rick Mora, M.D. of The Woodlands is a partner at US Anesthesia Partners and Chief of Anesthesiology for Memorial Hermann Pinecoft Surgery Center. He has served as chair of the Montgomery County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and is a founding Board member of the non-profit, Los Doctores de The Woodlands. Mora received his MD from the University Of Illinois College Of Medicine.

5. Forest Cove Townhome Buyouts

Harris County Commissioner’s Court will vote today on an item to exercise eminent domain on seven townhomes in the Forest Cove complex. The entire complex was destroyed after Harvey and many owners simply walked away from their properties without leaving forwarding addresses. Flood Control has been unable to find the owners after years of trying. Several may have moved out of the country. Eminent domain on these last few properties will clear the way for demolition of the entire complex and restoration of the area to nature or park land.

The once proud and idyllic townhomes in Forest Cove next to West Fork.

6. Woodridge Village

The purchase of Woodridge Village from Perry Homes is not on today’s Commissioner’s Court Agenda. However, all energies are reportedly still positive. It’s just taking time to work out the complex three-way purchase arrangements.

7. Romerica

Houston PlatTracker shows that the Romerica people may have acquired more land. But so far, they have not returned to the planning commission for approval on the latest iteration of the developer’s plans. No news is good news in this case.

8. Lake Houston Spillway Improvement Project

The City is close to finalizing the Preliminary Engineering Plan. Sources say the benefit/cost ratio looks very positive. We may see the final recommendations this month.

Engineers have examined several alternatives to add more gates to the Lake Houston dam or to increase its spillway capacity.

9. Noxxe Cleanup

The Railroad Commission could start plugging wells, removing storage tanks, and cleaning up the abandoned Noxxe lease in Forest Cove soon. The project manager has submitted work orders for final approval.

Small part of Noxxe lease next to Forest Cove baseball fields.

10. Kings Harbor New Construction

New condos are going up in Kings Harbor faster than Flood Control can tear down the ones in Forest Cove down. And they’re even closer to the river!

See new concrete pads (left center) and new construction (right foreground).

Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/5/2020

1125 Days after 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.

Liberty County Launches Major Investigation into Colony Ridge Irregularities

Wayne Dolcefino announced this afternoon that Liberty County Judge Jay Knight has confirmed the county will launch a major investigation into the controversial Colony Ridge Development. Dolcefino is one of the country’s leading investigative journalists.

Flooding Concerns at Heart of Investigation

The massive housing development between the San Jacinto East Fork and Luce Bayou has sparked flooding concerns for tens of thousands of families both nearby in Plum Grove and downstream as far as Lake Houston.

The probe will focus on the accuracy of soil reports and drainage plans used to justify approval of the neighborhoods.

Wayne Dolcefino

Plum Grove hired Dolcefino to fight years of neglect by county officials as floods washed out roads and damaged most of the structures in the tiny town.

The investigation comes after a widening investigation by Dolcefino Consulting and one day after publication of a post in ReduceFlooding.com titled Flooding of the Fifth Kind: By Government Neglect.

“Right before the new year, two inches of rain in Colony Ridge produced flooding. Creeks in Plum Grove were full to the brim. That’s raising alarm bells,” said Dolcefino.

Pictures of flooded lots WITHIN Colony Ridge also raised alarms. They show that water is not soaking in or running off the way it should.

Flooded lot 24 hours after a 2 inches of rain in two days. Resident keeps throwing sand into the ponds, but it’s not helping much.
A newly developing portion of Colony Ridge.
Another newly developing portion of Colony Ridge. Much of the area has been carved out of wetlands. See USGS map below.
Note water surrounding the house.
New lot next to drainage ditch won’t even drain.
When water won’t soak in, people suffer.

Soil Types Are Key Issue

There is evidence to suggest that LandPlan Engineering mischaracterized the type of soil in its drainage plans for Colony Ridge. Their calculations assumed the soil had a high rate of infiltration when it actually had a low rate.

So instead of water soaking into the ground, it runs off. The presence of so many wetlands in Colony Ridge before development should have been a tipoff.

Most of the wetlands in Colony Ridge before development are gone now, but the problems remain. This USGS map shows where they were. Some areas just should not be developed.

By misrepresenting soil types, LandPlan Engineering understated the amount of detention and drainage capacity needed by 6X to 9X, according to TXDoT guidelines.

Had LandPlan properly represented the soil, Colony Ridge would have had to put in more detention ponds and widen ditches to prevent flooding. But that would have been costly for the developer.

Harris County Flood Control officials worry the drainage problems in Colony Ridge increase flood risk in Harris County. So do downstream residents. I talked to one in Harris County today who has flooded repeatedly since Colony Ridge started clearing land. She is disabled and can’t afford to move. Neither can she afford to stay.

Missing Reports Another Part of Investigation

Liberty County also admits that many of the drainage analysis reports – required by county ordinance – are missing. The county made the admission after Dolcefino Consulting filed formal requests to see the records used by former Liberty County engineer Louis Bergman to recommend approval of the large development.

Liberty County Attorney Matthew Poston confirmed to Dolcefino that 19 missing reports will be part of the investigation.

Hopefully, the investigation will also explain why virtually all the surviving reports are labeled “preliminary.” The county could not supply ReduceFlooding.com with any documents showing changes to or final approvals of the plans.

“We want to see what Bergman signed, and if the investigation proves claims about the soil are untrue that could be a big problem,” Dolcefino said. The former county engineer has refused comment.

His daughter is the new District Attorney for Liberty County. One can only hope that she recuses herself from any part of this investigation.

If damning evidence exists in reports the county DID supply, one can only imagine what’s in those the County can’t or won’t produce.

How the Other Half Lives

Colony Ridge developers “owner financed” many of the lots in the sprawling neighborhood, in part, because many residents do not have driver’s licenses and Social Security numbers. Nearly 97 percent of the foreclosures in Liberty County last year came from Colony Ridge.

Said Dolcefino, “This is the first step in holding Liberty County officials accountable before another neighborhood is approved. We need to know why these documents are missing, and we are going to get to the bottom of this one way or the other.” I second that.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/4/2021 based in part on information from Wayne Dolcefino

1224 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.

2020 Weather Events in Review

Temperature and Rainfall Data for 2020 for the first-order climate sites:

BUSH IAH: 

Average Temperature: 72.1 (2nd warmest year ever recorded, 2017 warmest)

Rainfall 44.77 (5.0 below average)

Hobby: 

Temperature: 73.5 (warmest year ever recorded)

Rainfall: 60.25 (+5.96)

Galveston: 

Temperature: 74.3 (second warmest year ever recorded, warmest was 2017)

Rainfall: 40.47 (-10.29)

College Station:

Temperature: 70.9 (5th warmest year on record, warmest was 2012)

Rainfall: 30.69 (-9.37)

January Events

January 10: EF-1 tornado in western Burleson County southwest of Caldwell. A trailer was thrown 40 yards and a shed destroyed

January 11: a large squall line moves across much of central and eastern TX producing pockets of damaging winds. 70mph recorded in Wehdem in Austin County. Numerous trees down across much of SE TX.

March

March 4: wind gust of 54kts in Brazos County from a line of thunderstorms.

April

April 9: numerous trees down across Walker and Montgomery Counties from 60-70mph winds from severe thunderstorms.

April 18: large hail falls over several areas of southeast Texas. 1.50 inches in Katy, 3.50 inches near Huntsville and Trinity. Golfball size hail near Crosby.

April 19: Tornado touch down off HWY 35 near West Columbia. Golfball size hail 3 miles NNE of Katy. Wind damage reported in Tarkington Prairie in Liberty County.

April 22: a devastating and long tracked tornado occurred across portions of Walker, San Jacinto and Polk Counties. 3 fatalities, 30 injuries, and 10 subdivisions impacted. The parent supercell thunderstorms developed near Giddings, TX around 1:30 pm and continued eastward for over 350 miles before dissipating in southwest Mississippi around 10:00 pm producing several tornadoes. The tornado was rated EF-3 with maximum winds of 140mph and a 30 miles track. 291 homes were damaged and 46 destroyed. This was the single deadliest tornado in SE TX since Nov 15, 1987 when 3 persons were killed in Madison County and is only the 8th multiple fatality tornado in SE TX since 1950.

April 28: rainfall of 3.5-5.5 inches fell over portions of western Fort Bend and eastern Wharton Counties in 2 hours from slow moving thunderstorms.

April 29: widespread damaging winds occurred over much of SE TX from a large and fast moving squall. A total of 817, 994 lightning strikes were recorded from 200pm on the 28th to 800am on the 29th or about 800 strikes per minute across Texas. 73mph wind gust at North Jetty, 60mph at Kemah, 61mph at Crystal beach, 71mph at Caldwell, 54mph at Jamaica Beach, 58mph at Texas City.

May

May 11: strong rip currents resulted in 1 fatality near Surfside in Brazoria County.

May 13: Flash flooding due to heavy rainfall over portions of Jackson County. Numerous roads impassable and some homes flooded in Ganado, TX.

May 14: excessive rainfall of 4-8 inches with a maximum isolated total of 10.35 inches over portions of Jefferson and Orange Counties leads to widespread and extensive flooding.

May 15: slow moving heavy rainfall occurred across portions of Harris and Fort Bend counties during the afternoon and early evening hours. 3.5-5.5 inches fell over portions of Sugar Land in 1-2 hours leading to extensive street flooding. 60-80 apartment units in Pasadena were flooded with 1-2 inches of water.  

May 16: strong rip currents resulted in 1 fatality near Surfside in Brazoria County. This was the second rip current fatality in less than a week.

May 26: Water spout reported near the Bolivar-Galveston Ferry lasting 5 minutes.

May 27: a cluster of severe thunderstorms producing winds of 50-70mph moved across the western and central portions of SE TX. More than 300,000 residents lost power along with numerous downed trees. 71mph at Galveston Island and EF) tornado in Pasadena. Estimated winds of 90mph across portions of Waller County from an EF-1 tornado. 

May 28: A large an long tracked waterspout moved southward along the western shore of Galveston Bay from near Shoreacres to just north of Galveston Island and was filmed by several residences, webcams, and law enforcement.

June

June 25: heavy rainfall of 4-8 inches with isolated totals of 10 inched from Colorado to northern Fort Bend to western Harris County. Numerous road flooded and impassable.

July

July 25: Hurricane Hanna makes landfall on the lower TX coast near Port Mansfield with sustained winds of 90mph. High tides occur along much of the upper Texas coast resulting in beach erosion. 

August

August 27: category 4 hurricane Laura made landfall just east of Cameron, LA with sustained winds of 150mph and a storm surge of up to 18 feet at Grand Chenier. High tides impacted much of the upper TX coast and significant beach erosion. Cameron, LA observation site recorded sustained winds of 93g127mph and Lake Charles gusted to 133mph. Laura was the strongest hurricane to strike the southwest coast of Louisiana since records begin in 1850.

September

September 5-6: 2 fatalities due to rip currents off Galveston Island over the Labor Day weekend.

September 21-23: tropical storm Beta made landfall near Port O’Connor on 9-21 with sustained winds of 45mph. Prolonged coastal flood event along much of the upper Texas coast with tides 2.0-4.0 feet above normal levels for 2-3 days resulted in significant coastal flooding and beach erosion. Flooding rainfall of 8-12 inches of portions of Galveston, Brazoria, and southern Harris Counties. Clear Creek exceeded its banks along nearly the entire channel. 20-25 homes sustained flood damage in southern Harris and northern Brazoria Counties. 

October

October 9: Hurricane Delta made landfall near Creola, LA or 12 miles east of the landfall point of Hurricane Laura 6 weeks earlier winds sustained winds of 100mph. Elevated tides and tropical storm force winds affected much of the upper TX coast. Wind gusts of 101mph at Texas Point, 51mph at UofH, 63mph at Anahuac, 48mph at Freeport, 53mph at Galveston, 47mph at Nassau Bay, 74mph at the buoy 20 miles east of Galveston Island. Delta was the 4th tropical system to make landfall in the state of Louisiana…the landfall of hurricane Zeta in late October over SE LA would be the 3rd hurricane to strike Louisiana in 2020.

November

November 30: The 2020 hurricane season ends with a record 30 named storms, 12 hurricanes, and  6 major hurricanes. A record total of 12 tropical storms made landfall on the US coastline surpassing the previous record of 9 from 1916 (Bertha, Cristobal, Hanna, Fay, Isaias, Laura, Marco, Sally, Beta, Delta, Zeta, Eta (2 FL landfalls)) The US Gulf coast experienced 9 of the 12 landfalls including 5 hurricanes (Hanna, Laura, Sally, Delta, Zeta). The states of TX and LA suffered 7 of the 9 landfalls with only Sally and Eta making landfall east of the Mississippi River. The state of Louisiana experienced the landfall of 5 tropical systems: 2 tropical storms (Cristobal and Marco) and 3 hurricanes (Laura, Delta, Zeta). Laura and Delta made landfall only 12 miles apart roughly 6 weeks apart in southwest Louisiana just east of Cameron. Portions of the state of LA spent a total of 3 weeks within the NHC error cone this hurricane season. The state of LA was under coastal watches or warnings due to a tropical cyclone for a total of 474 hours or 19.75 days.

December

December 30-31: A powerful storm system brought heavy rainfall of 3.5-5.5 inches from Fort Bend to Waller to western and central Montgomery County leading to minor flooding. Widespread and heavy snow developed on the backside of this system on the 31st with 24 inches reported at Big Bend National Park and a widespread area of 4-8 inches over much of SW/WC and NW TX.

Compiled by Jeff Lindner, Director Hydrologic Operations Division/Meteorologist, Harris County Flood Control District

1224 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Flooding of the Fifth Kind: By Government Neglect

The National Weather Service distinguishes between four major types of flooding: coastal, riverine, street and sheet flow. After flying over Colony Ridge on New Year’s Day, I would add a fifth: flooding by government neglect.

Despite dire predictions for the New Year’s Eve storm, the Plum Grove/Colony Ridge area in Liberty County only got about two inches of rain. Yet I saw hundreds of flooded lots. They were all in a development that:

Those residents also live in a county that:

Worst of all, when residents asked for help from their elected Liberty County officials, those officials berated and rebuffed them. They refused even to acknowledge problems in Colony Ridge.

Where It Starts

Irregularities that most banks would catch as part of a title search and survey during the mortgage application process never get caught here.

That’s because the developer targets a vulnerable population more likely to use Western Union money orders than banks. He offers them owner financing with low down payments and interest rates five times higher than the market.

These un-savvy buyers are so desperate to own a piece of the American dream that they wind up mired in one nightmare after another. Many speak English as a second language if they speak it at all.

A Two-Inch Rain

Trade those SVUs in for swamp buggies. Here’s what much of the development looked like 24 hours after two inches of rain fell on New Year’s Eve.

Note how the drainage stops in the middle foreground. Also note how it’s not infiltrating like the engineers said it would.
Close up of home in first shot. At least the home didn’t flood although the four-wheeler and dining area did.
Even if an owner builds up one part of his/her lot, it can flood another.
Lot after lot flooded. Water would not sink in. The soils have a low rate of infiltration, not the high rate promised by LandPlan Engineering.
Totally flooded lot. Note how drainage stops to left of driveway.
Do-it-yourself repairs. But are they up to code?
Former wetlands?

Targeting the Vulnerable

Most of these people never complain. The areas in Mexico and Central America where many came from may have conditions far worse. So what you see here may be an improvement for them.

Still, one can’t wonder whether – in its zeal to grow – Liberty County has turned a blind eye to conditions that violate its own regulations as well as human dignity.

Are they turning the county into another Tegucigalpa for their developer buddy? And in doing so, are commissioners mortgaging the county’s future?

Conditions such as these will take generations to improve. In the meantime, the County’s residents are in for decades of pain due to government neglect. Not just in Colony Ridge, but in neighboring communities such as Plum Grove and others farther downstream.

This developer has permanently altered the hydrology of the watershed in a way that increases flood risk for everyone.

And the county has lowered its standards in a way that will likely discourage investment from quality developers.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/3/2021

1223 Days after Hurricane Harvey and 472 after 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.

Guess Which Way to Colony Ridge

This is the confluence of Caney Creek (left) and the San Jacinto East Fork (right) one day after a New Year’s Eve storm dumped two inches of rain on the area, including Plum Grove and Colony Ridge. The rain turned Colony Ridge, to the right, into a river of mud again.

Looking north at the confluence of Caney Creek and the San Jacinto East Fork (right). The sediment coming from Colony Ridge is a man-made disaster in the making. Photo taken 1/1/2021.

Where the Pollution Came From

Picture courtesy of Michael Shrader, Plum Grove Resident, of Maple Branch near his home on 12/31/2020 as rains ended. Colony Ridge drainage ditch in Camino Real subdivision enters into Maple Branch and then into East Fork.
Colony Ridge Drainage Ditch. Photo taken 1/1/2021. Note lack of sediment controls such as grass, backslope interceptor swales, and silt fences. TCEQ has previously cited the development for piling dirt next to ditches like this and for lack of sediment controls, but has done nothing about it.
See caption above.
Likewise.
And note how the piles of dirt on the left have almost completely eroded away. Photo 1/1/2021.

How Long?

TCEQ continues to be a toothless tiger. Liberty County Commissioners Court sees no problem and refuses to look at the evidence. The developer saves the money. Downstream residents continue to pay the price. Business as usual.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/2/2021 with thanks to Michael Schrader

1222 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 471 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.

Need to Reduce Impervious Cover to Prevent Flooding, Protect Water Quality

One of the most thought-provoking articles I have read lately is “The Need to Reduce Impervious Cover to Prevent Flooding and Protect Water Quality.” This brief, well-written article brings many flood-related issues into sharp focus. The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management produced it. And the National Park Service helped fund it. Even though many of the recommendations would not fly politically in Texas, one might. The report is worth reading just to understand the factors that contribute watershed degradation and their relationship to each other.

Central Role of Impervious Cover In Variety of Issues

One main premise: As impervious cover rises above 10% there is almost always a measurable loss in water quality.

  • Between 10% and 25% impervious cover, these impacts increase, and pollution and flooding become evident.
  • 25%-plus impervious cover creates water quality impacts so severe that it may not be possible to restore water quality to pre-existing conditions.

The report claims that by keeping overall impervious cover below 10%, towns can ensure that land will be able to absorb and filter runoff from developed areas. This, they say, will also prevent excessive flooding, ecosystem impairment and contamination of water supplies.

A second major premise: Because water spends less time on site, infiltration declines dramatically. This can reduce groundwater in urban and suburban areas because there is not enough rainfall soaking into the ground.

The increased runoff that occurs during this process reduces groundwater recharge AND dramatically increases erosion.

Relationship Between Cover, Runoff, Other Measures

According to the EPA, under natural forested conditions, only about 10% of precipitation runs off the surface of a site. Another 50% soaks into the ground. And trees and other vegetation take up a surprising 40% and send it back into the atmosphere through the process of evapotranspiration. This protects the watershed and water quality.

But higher rates of runoff can impact and degrade them. With increasing development, both the rates of infiltration and evapotranspiration decrease as runoff increases. On average, runoff increases more than 5X between natural and fully developed conditions. But extremes can be much higher. See below.

Increases in Runoff Rates

Total runoff for a one-acre parking lot is about 16 times that produced by an undeveloped one-acre meadow.

The Need to Reduce Impervious Cover to Prevent Flooding and Protect Water Quality

Higher rates of runoff create several types of impacts:

  • Hydrological
  • Biological
  • Chemical
  • Physical
  • Health
Hydrological Impacts

The report sums up the hydrological impacts by saying, “Because the water is spending less time on site, infiltration declines dramatically. This is a particular concern in many urban and suburban regions, where groundwater has been reduced because there is not enough rainfall soaking into the ground. The increase in runoff that occurs during this process, combined with the loss of recharge to groundwater, has dramatic impacts on streams.”

Biological Impacts

Biotic integrity is the most sensitive indicator of impervious cover according to the report. “The decline of biological indicators is the first sign of stream degradation, and has been the most commonly studied result of increased impervious cover. As a result of a high percentage of impervious cover, naturally occurring aquatic insects, wetland plants, and amphibians decline and are gradually replaced by species that are adapted to pollution and flooding. … Impacts on overall biotic measurements were seen within a range of 3.6% to 15% impervious cover; the threshold for fish population health ranged from 3.6% to 12%, and macroinvertebrate health declined between a range of 8% to 15%.”

Chemical Impacts

“Impervious surfaces such as roads, driveways and parking lots collect a variety of chemical pollutants and hydrocarbons and discharge them to aquatic systems with every heavy rain.”

“The study found a strong correlation between water quality and percent impervious cover across a range of contaminants, including organic residue, nitrogen, phosphorus, dissolved chloride, and fecal coliform. In each case, as impervious surface increases so does the contaminant of concern.”

Physical Impacts

“Development of impervious cover in a watershed can happen so quickly that stream systems can’t adjust, resulting in erosion of stream banks and alteration of the stream bed, which tends to become straighter, deeper, and more U-shaped.”

“This…sends silt downstream, creating further damage.”

Natural portion of Ben’s Branch downstream from Woodridge Forest. Note heavy erosion and loss of trees. HCFCD spent most of 2019 and part of 2020 cleaning sediment out of the lower reaches of Ben’s Branch and will start another segment in January.
Health Impacts

“There is a strong correlation between increased impervious cover and increased risk to human health. A variety of chronic and acute illnesses are caused by microorganisms that either are swept into water bodies by increased runoff, or flourish because of increased nutrient pollution.”

“People can contract these illnesses through direct contact or through the consumption of tainted seafood.”

Smart-Growth Strategy Reduces Impervious Cover

So what are people to do. We need places to live. As population grows, so must developments.

The next sections of the report deal with strategies to control the growth of impervious cover. Most amount to fighting words in Texas, i.e., regulation and zoning. So here, I will only cover one strategy that the report discussed; it’s market based.

“Generally speaking, as density increases,” says the report, “the amount of impervious cover also increases. However, the overall pattern of development is also important.”

The next part of the report is counter-intuitive. It quotes the EPA, “…the large-lot zoning currently used to accommodate growth requires houses to be far apart, creating unnecessary impervious cover and encouraging more off-site impervious infrastructure, such as roads and parking lots.”

“Moreover, many of the surfaces remaining after large-lot development that are believed to be pervious actually behave like impervious surfaces. Research indicates that the volume of runoff from highly compacted lawns is almost as high as from paved surfaces.”

“The solution is to maintain the overall density [by] encouraging the use of more compact growth techniques that can reduce impervious cover on a per unit basis.”

“…by greatly reducing roads, utilities and other infrastructure costs, this approach can be profitable for developers while reducing house prices for consumers.”

Visually, the strategy looks something like this.

Food for thought as we turn over a new year. As land prices escalate, the market is driving new development in this direction anyway. Land now comprises 40% of the cost of a new home. A homebuilder told me it’s the single largest component of the cost of a new home.

But when I look at Scenario C, it raises a question. What’s the incentive to preserve the open space around the development?

Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/31/2020

1220 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.

Final San Jacinto River Basin Master Drainage Study Released Today, Recommendations Revealed

This afternoon, Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD), San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA), Montgomery County, and City of Houston released final results of the massive San Jacinto River Master Drainage Plan (SJMDP) study which began in April 2019.

It will take weeks to digest all this information. It consists of:

That’s more than 3,600 pages, EXCLUDING the zipped materials.

Executive Summary Summarized

The executive summary includes a heat map of historically flooded areas, estimated structural damage costs in the next 50 years, and projected population growth during the same period. Not surprisingly, the three fasted growing areas (West Fork, Spring Creek and Cypress Creek) also show the most projected damage.

The summary then proceeds to flood-damage-reduction strategies. They include:

  • Detention Basins
  • Channel Improvements
  • Floodplain Preservation
  • Buyouts
  • Flood Warning Improvements
  • Floodplain Re-mapping
  • Policy updates
  • Formation of a vision group
  • Flood Response Improvements (Evacuation planning, protection of critical facilities such as hospitals, etc.)

The exec summary also lists the top sixteen project priorities, estimates their costs, outlines possible sources of funding, and lays out next steps.

Project Location Map
Project rankings. Note: Rankings do not necessarily coincide with numbers on map above.

“Benching” in reference to the Kingwood Area involves lowering the floodplain near the West Fork to increase flood capacity. This link shows how a similar project in California worked.

The proposed projects will provide tangible benefits, including reduction in the number of at-risk structures for a range of storms as shown in Figure 1.10 below.

With these projects in place, the level of a 100-year flood at I-69 and the West Fork could be reduced by 5.94 feet, Likewise, where Caney Creek meets the East Fork, the 100-year flood would be reduced by 2.82 feet.

Next Steps

That’s good news indeed for everyone who lives in the San Jacinto Watershed. With this information now in hand, we now can quantify the benefits of projects, priorities them, and get on with the hard work of actual mitigation.

More news to follow.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/30/2020

1219 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Flash Flood Watch

The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch from 6PM tonight through Thursday afternoon. In the north Houston Area, it includes:

  • Houston
  • The Woodlands
  • Coldspring
  • Trinity
  • Shepherd
  • College Station
  • Huntsville
  • Conroe
  • Livingston
  • Madisonville

The watch extends much farther north and west. It includes the Dallas/Fort Worth Area, Oklahoma, Arkansas where NWS predicts up to six inches of rain.

Where heaviest rains will fall.

Jeff Lindner, Harris County Meteorologist reports increasing risk of excessive rainfall along and west of US 59 and west of SH 288. A strong upper level storm system will combine with increasing moisture and a slow/stalling surface frontal boundary over SE TX tonight. The stalling boundary will produce training.

Lindner adds, “Heavy rainfall of 1-2 inches per hour looks possible and this could be maintained for several hours along/near the stalling front. Where the heaviest rains fall will be determine where the front slows and stalls and at this time areas from Wharton and Fort Bend into western Harris and then northward into Montgomery County have the highest chances.”

“Widespread rainfall amounts of 2-4 inches with isolated totals of 5-6 inches will be possible,” says Lindner. “We need to watch for flooding.”

Areas At Highest Risk of Flooding

While grounds west of I-45 are especially dry, Lindner predicts that the entire San Jacinto basin (west, east, and mainstem) and Trinity basins will be affected – especially in the longer term as water works its way downstream.

Northwest and western Harris County will likely see the highest totals. Responses on the creeks in those areas are likely early Thursday.

Lindner believes most watersheds will be able to handle incoming rainfall up to 4.0 inches. Should western Harris County get more, minor flooding would be possible. Especially along the lower end of South Mayde Creek, the upper end of Little Cypress Creek, the upper end of Spring Creek, and the lower end of Keegans Bayou.  

As of noon on Wednesday, the SJRA shows Lake Conroe at 199.41, slightly below its normal level.

The City of Houston began lowering Lake Houston at noon Wednesday as a precautionary measure. Property owners should secure property along the shoreline. Lake levels can be monitored in real time by visiting the Coastal Water Authority website. 

Heavy rainfall will end Thursday afternoon.

PRECAUTIONARY ACTIONS

A Flash Flood Watch means that conditions may develop that lead to Flash Flooding. Flash Flooding is a very dangerous situation. You should monitor forecasts and be prepared to take action should Flash Flood Warnings be issued. See:

Do not enter or cross flowing water or water of unknown depth.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/30/2020 based on information from the National Weather Service and HCFCD

1219 Days since Hurricane Harvey