After six months of virtual inactivity, Perry Homes’ new Woodridge Village contractors have significantly stepped up work on three detention ponds. All detention ponds are on the northern section of the development. However, recent heavy rains have saturated the soil. The rain also filled two of the three ponds one-third to one-half full. The result: a big muddy mess.
Tuesday, according to Elm Grove resident Jeff Miller, only one excavator was moving. It was trying to let water out of the N1 pond so that work could continue.
Twelve Aerial Photos Taken on Memorial Day
Below are 12 aerial photos of the site taken on Memorial Day, 5/25/2020.
Looking north along the western boundary of Woodridge at the tail of the N1 Pond.Further north, you can see where work has stopped on the tail of N1 (foreground), the Webb Street Entrance in Porter (left), and the N1 pond itself are at the top.
The N1 pond has the least development. Most work to date has focused on the tail. That’s presumably so contractors can keep the entrance to the site open. N1 will probably be the last pond they finish. And they will probably complete it only after they develop a second entrance to the site off Ford Road (see below).
Only Work Tuesday Was Trying To Drain N1
Looking south along the western boundary from over N1, you can see where the tail ends. The tiny trench letting water out of the tail slows down water. It will eventually be replaced by the four-foot culverts you see on the left.
That tiny trench is where the excavator was working today.
Site Holds More Water than N2 Detention Pond
Still looking south, but further down the western boundary, we can see the old and new portions of the N2 detention pond. It is not currently holding much water because contractors have already opened up the sides. That allows water to escape into Taylor Gully (top center).
Note how there’s more water on the site than in N2.Closer shot shows how workers opened up N2 to Taylor Gully (left of top center). They also continue to widen and deepen the pond toward the upper right corner.Rotating about 90 degrees, we can see how saturated the soil is. The northern portion of the site contains an amazing amount of standing water that isn’t yet able to reach the detention ponds.
The northern portion of the site is roughly 200 acres. Assuming an average of three inches of standing water (one quarter foot), that means the northern portion may contain 50 acre-feet of standing water!
Taylor Gully Did Not Appear to Overflow
Looking southeast at North Kingwood Forest (left) and Elm Grove Village (right), areas where hundreds of homes flooded twice last year.A closer shot shows where water in Taylor Gully, when high, is forced to make multiple turns within a few hundred yards to bypass a 3 foot pipe that connects the channel on either side of the county line. Luckily, water did not reach the overflow spillway from the concrete-lined channel during recent heavy rains, according to Jeff Miller.
N3 Pond Greatly Reduced Flow in Taylor Gully
The pond below (N3) sits directly above the portion of Taylor Gully that flooded Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest twice last year. The vast majority of this excavation took place earlier this month.
Rotating to the northeast, you can see the N3 detention pond, now mostly excavated. Miller estimates it’s still one half to one third full. Traveling up the eastern side of Woodridge, we can see tremendous erosion along the banks of N3. Those parallel stripes running down the sides of the pond are called rilling, shallow channels cut in the surface of soil by running water.
Simply Excavating Ponds Does Not Mean They Are Complete
Above, you can see that contractors did not yet have backslope interceptor swales in place. Nor did they have the pipes installed to channel intercepted runoff to the detention pond. Accordingly, runoff went over the edges of the pond and washed sediment into it.
The ponds will not be complete until backslope interceptor swales and pipes have been installed and grass planted along the edges of the ponds to prevent future rilling. The ponds also need concrete pilot channels to prevent erosion in the areas of constant use.
New Entrance on East
The new entrance to the subdivision (background below) will be an extension of Mace Street in Porter on the West. It will connect to Ford Road on the East.
Looking straight east from the top of N3. Note two things: a channel designed to funnel standing water to N3 and the new entrance to the subdivision cut into the woods in the distance.
Mace enters the western side of the subdivision just to the left of that silver roof in the distance of the shot below.
Looking directly west across Woodridge Village while hovering over N3 on the eastern border.
There may be a connection between the type of property Perry develops and the problems that customers later develop. If Perry builds on this property, I pity any poor unsuspecting customers who fail to research its history.
No New Statements on Potential County Buyout
To my knowledge, neither Harris County, the City of Houston, nor Perry Homes have issued any public statements about the status of a buyout of this property. Harris County Flood Control District was considering using it to build a regional flood-detention facility. But County Commissioners added new conditions on any buyout in their last meeting.
Twice-flooded residents in Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest eagerly await new details on the deal. Even if Perry completes work on all the ponds, it will likely not be enough to handle a true hundred-year rainfall event.
Ponds Still Would Not Likely Detain Hundred-Year Rain
Perry rushed to get plans permitted before new Atlas-14 rainfall standards went into effect. They would have required 30% to 40% more detention than the plans that the City and Montgomery County approved.
In the meantime, though, the new detention ponds will greatly reduce the risk of flooding from lesser storms. Also, the National Weather Service has reduced the risk of rain in the next several days. That may give Woodridge Village time to dry out and downstream residents time to catch up on their sleep.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/27/2020 with reporting from Jeff Miller
1002 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.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/20200525-DJI_0054.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=19001200adminadmin2020-05-26 19:41:262020-05-27 11:55:21Update on Woodridge Village Detention Ponds After Recent Heavy Rains
On my most recent flight down the San Jacinto West Fork, I was treated to a rare experience. Just as we flew over US59 heading east, what seemed like a mile-long train started to cross the new Union Pacific rail bridge. As we crossed over the train, the engineer saw me leaning out the door of the helicopter to grab the perfect shot. I think he knew we were documenting progress of the bridge. In salute, or maybe out of pride, he let out a massive blast from his giant air horn. Both the helicopter pilot and I broke out into huge smiles.
A Stirring Moment
It was a stirring moment for someone who has always admired trains. Railroads opened up this country, supported the growth of our cities, and still carry the much of the commerce of our nation on the backs of their rails.
Harvey destroyed the ancient Union Pacific bridge over the West Fork.
Shot taken on March 3, 2018, approximately six months after Harvey. Repairs on the old bridge were still in progress at that point.
First UP had to restore the old bridge to keep traffic flowing.
Then the company had to build a new bridge between the supports of the old bridge.
Finally, once the new supports were in, they had to remove the old ones.
All of that took a little less than a thousand days. And it was fascinating to watch. The result is a tribute to the genius of American engineering and know-how.
Second Major Mitigation Project to Be Completed in Area
This marks the completion of second major flood mitigation project in the Lake Houston Area. The first was TxD0T’s reconstruction of the US59/I69 bridge a few hundred yards to the west. That delayed hundreds of thousands of commuters for 11 months.
The train stretched almost a mile toward Kingwood Drive as it barreled southward. Hopefully, the new bridge may also help reduce train delays at major intersections.
Other Mitigation Projects Still in Development or Being Studied
Other major mitigation projects still in progress or development include:
West Fork dredging to restore conveyance and channel of the river
Additional floodgates for the Lake Houston Dam, to let water out faster
The search for suitable upstream detention to help hold back water during floods
Multiple ditch repairs throughout the area
Drainage studies throughout the San Jacinto River Basin that will undoubtedly lead to additional mitigation projects
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/26/2020 with gratitude to the men and women of Union Pacific
1001 Days after Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/20200511-RJR_2221.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2020-05-26 16:44:442020-05-26 16:46:31Union Pacific Traffic Over San Jacinto West Fork Now Fully Back and Better
The latest interview in my Impact series:Just months before Hurricane Harvey, Jennifer Coulter and her husband, Chris, decided to start a new company called Texas Power Agents. The SBA used the timing of that decision to deny them a loan. And because they were then forced to liquidate their 401Ks to repair their home (a move which Jennifer thought counted as income), the City then denied them a Homeowner Assistance Grant. Through it all, they managed to rebuild their home, grow their company, and grow closer as a family. Long ago, they stopped expecting help from the bureaucracy and rebuilt their home with their own hands and the help of friends. Now, one thousand days after Harvey, they look back at the whole experience as a blessing in many ways.
Bob Rehak: Harvey flooded your home. How badly?
Jennifer Coulter: Almost two-feet. But we gutted up to four feet. The house was unusable for a long time because it’s a one story house.
Jennifer Coulter is dwarfed by the pile of debris in front of her home.
The Great Post-Harvey, Year-Long Camp Out
Bob Rehak: You lived in a camper in your driveway for about a year.
Jennifer Coulter: That was our best move! We went to a friend’s house for a week. And then another friend’s. Once we figured out this was a long-term process, we got a rental property. But the landlord tried to change the amount of the lease after we moved in. So we moved on.
Jennifer Coulter: Then, a friend whose mother’s house had been vacant in Oakhurst for five years invited us to move in and just pay the utilities. But after two months, the family trust decided to sell the home.
That’s when we bought the trailer. We knew we needed to be in control of our living situation. The only way we could do that affordably was with a trailer. But we had to buy a new one; there were no used ones available. And so, yeah, we went to Oklahoma, bought a trailer and lived in it for almost a year in our driveway. Two adults. Two kids. Two cats. And one dog. That actually turned out to be the right decision. We wish we had made that choice first.
Birthday party in the driveway with the new trailer.
Fruitless Search for SBA Help
Bob Rehak: So this whole time you’re working on your house?
Jennifer Coulter: We were gutting it. But we had no means to finance the rebuild. We were trying to figure that part out. So, we applied for an SBA loan. People told us that was our only option, since we didn’t have flood insurance and there was no way to get a home equity loan.
The Coulters ran out of room in their garage and started storing carts and construction materials in their living room.
Bob Rehak: Why didn’t you have flood insurance?
Jennifer Coulter: We live more than two miles from the West Fork in the 500-year flood plain. It was a bad miscalculation.
Bob Rehak: So you started the process of getting an SBA loan?
Jennifer Coulter: Yes,we filled out the application. And because we started a small business just six months before the flood, we were not eligible. We didn’t have two years of tax returns on the business. And we were not receiving paychecks from an employer. They denied us for “inability to repay the loan.” Even though we had great credit and assets well in excess of the amount we were asking for, the SBA denied us.
Drawing Down 401Ks to Afford Repairs
Bob Rehak: Where did you go next?
Jennifer Coulter: To our 401Ks. I had two small retirement accounts and Chris had a sizable one. Taking money out of those would later prove to be yet another fateful decision.
Bob Rehak: You were your own general contractor.
Jennifer Coulter: Yes, we did not have money to pay one. But that meant we had to figure out how to do it ourselves. That created extra stress while we were trying to grow a new business.
Chris and Jennifer Coulter in their front yardworkshop during the rebuild.
Bob Rehak: Back to the search for aid. You eventually applied for a homeowner assistance grant.
Jennifer Coulter: I applied the first day you could back in February 2019.
Bob Rehak: Tell me about that process. Did you start online and then go downtown to finish?
Jennifer Coulter: They never invited us to go that far. The first step was to fill out a survey that screens people. You just give general information about damage to your home, your income level, and that sort of stuff.
Tapping 401Ks Counts Against Them
Jennifer Coulter: So when asked about income, I put what was on our 2018 tax return because I thought that was what they required. But we were cleaning out retirement funds to repair the home, because the business had not yet taken off. I was told that within days or maybe two weeks that someone would reach out to us. And at that point, we would fill out a formal application. Then we would receive whatever funds we may or may not be eligible for. No one ever called back.
So I called them back. At least six times. But every time, I was told, “Well, you’re in priority group six; we’re still working on priority groups one and two.”
We never even made it to the application phase to be considered for anything.
City Won’t Let Them Undo Mistake
Bob Rehak: You said at one point that you reported the withdrawal from your 401Ks as income and you eventually came to realize that was a mistake. Did you try to undo that?
Jennifer Coulter: Yes, I called and said “I’ve made a mistake. I think I put something as income that really shouldn’t be income. How can I amend my survey?”
She said, “Well, we’re addressing them in the order of receipt. So if you changed it, that puts you at the back of the line.”
Bob Rehak: Really?
Jennifer Coulter: I was told not to change a thing, that I had a better chance of moving down the line if I left it as it was. And when I got further into the process and got to speak with an agent, I could work out details then.
Bob Rehak: Who were you talking to at this point?
Jennifer Coulter: The people that answer the phone at the Homeowner’s Assistance Program website.
I haven’t called in several months. It was a total waste of time. This money was allocated to help people like us. But the Small Business Administration denied us a loan, because we had just started a small business. The logic or lack thereof is just mind boggling!
Bob Rehak: So sad!
Turning Corner With Community Support
Jennifer Coulter: We’re not alone. But at least our business is growing. We have great community support. Most of our customers are in the Kingwood and Lake Houston area. And the business is growing by word of mouth. We feel so very fortunate.
We know that our recovery will be a long one. But we’ll get there, whether we receive aid or not.
First Christmas back in the house, even if it didn’t yet have all the comforts of home.
Bob Rehak: Where do you go from here? Are you just going to gut it out or do you still have hope for the loan or the grant?
Jennifer Coulter: I’ll probably see if I can get through to the GLO and give it one last ditch effort. But I assume it’s never gonna happen.
Where’d The Money Go?
Jennifer Coulter: It hurts. We saved so hard and vowed we would never touch that money until retirement. The City of Houston got hundreds of millions to help people like us. And then, according to Channel 13, they’ve managed to rebuild less that four dozen homes in more than a year.
It just makes college for the kids and things like that a big question mark. But we’ll figure it out. We will. We believe in our business and we believe we’ll be successful.
Someday this will all be a distant memory. We’ll work it out. That’s what we do. We put our heads down, work, and move forward.
The Silver Lining
Bob Rehak: How would you characterize this whole experience in a phrase?
Jennifer Coulter: Both a blessing and a curse. At the time, it was dark and scary and heartbreaking.
But then, you know, you pick your head up and you realize that you are surrounded by amazing people. They are willing to share blood, sweat and tears…literally. They helped us tear our house apart and put it back together. They’ve supported our kids. They’ve shared what they can. And that’s more valuable than money.
Chris and I truly feel blessed. Our kids have learned amazing lessons about what is important in life. And we now have this beautiful home that we’ve been able to remake just the way we wanted. As a family, we all had input. We all got to pick things out we wanted.
But we are no happier than when we were living in that trailer together.
Making Us Stronger
Jennifer Coulter: I have no doubt we can handle anything that comes our way, because we have, and we’ve come out ahead. And we would again. It was hard and it was sad, but it wasn’t the end of the world.
Chris kept it in perspective by saying, “This is not a tragedy. This is a major inconvenience.” He maintained that as long as we were healthy and together, we would get through it and come out on the other side. Hearing us say those things and watching us live them enabled all of us to come out of it together – both stronger and happier.
Bob Rehak: Your experience would have torn many families apart. What kept you together?
Jennifer Coulter: Laughter. We laugh together. And we love one another. And we allowed ourselves to have our bad moments and gave each other space when we needed it. But we were always there for each other.
Children made the experience harder because we were aware that everything we said and did was being taken in by them. But we were very honest with them. When we were having a bad day, we let them see us cry. We let them see us be angry and frustrated.
We’d say something like, “We’re having a bad day. But it’s OK. You know, tomorrow will be better.” And it was. And so they got to see that light. That’s real life. You get down. You pick your head up and get up the next day and move forward.
You just do it. You don’t belabor the point that somebody is not giving you something. Make it happen yourself.
Bob Rehak: Would you like to share anything else with people?
“Home is Where Your People Are”
Jennifer Coulter: We lived that motto. We made the best of every place we lived and at every point throughout the process.
The power of people is just really remarkable. And this is a really special place. A lot of people say that. But the love and the support that just came at us from so many people was just really, really remarkable. We’re just very lucky to live in this community.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/25/2020 with input from Jennifer and Chris Coulter
1000 Days after Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Cart-in-Living-Room.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=19001200adminadmin2020-05-25 06:00:002020-05-25 06:05:571000 Days After Hurricane Harvey, Jennifer and Chris Coulter Feel Blessed in Many Ways
Jeff Lindner, Harris County Flood Control Meteorologist just issued a heavy rainfall warning. Lindner notes that the line of strong thunderstorms currently moving across the area will drop rainfall amounts of 1-3 inches.
The good news: the leading edge of this line is becoming detached from the outflow boundary. That suggests storms will weaken as they move southward. Rainfall rates which were 2-4 inches earlier over N Waller and Montgomery Counties have lessened to near 1-2 inches. The main threat now is short duration street flooding in areas with the heaviest rainfall.
Tonight’s Forecast
Lindner points to extremely active radar out west along the Rio Grande. He says that’s where the next round of weather will be developing. He expects it to move quickly toward our area tonight. Models show this line of storms quickly reaching the area between midnight and 400 a.m. But at the speed it’s moving, he predicts only another 1-2 inches for most areas with this line.
Intercontinental Radar as of 8PM Sunday night, 5/24/2020
Monday Prediction
Continued high rain chances. The air may take much of the morning and early afternoon to recover from the early morning line of weather, but temperatures will only need to reach the low 80’s to trigger more storms. It will not take much heating to set things off, he warns. Storm motions could be fairly slow Monday afternoon and this could lead to excessive rainfall rates in a short period of time.
Tuesday-Thursday: Continued Threat
Upper level disturbances remain parked over the state with rounds of storms at nearly any time. Heavy rainfall will continue to be a threat.
Rainfall Amounts Add Up Changing Nature of Threat
Lindner concludes, “Moisture profiles certainly support heavy to excessive rainfall rates as seen today and if storms slow of train for a period of times totals could quickly add up. Grounds will saturate over time leading to increasing and eventually maximum run-off conditions…so the threat may grow from mainly street flooding to potential rises on area creeks, bayous, and rivers.”
Lindner concedes that it’s hard to pinpoint any day or time or location that has a higher flood risk than another. “So we will just have to closely watch each convective episode and be prepared to react quickly,” he says.
Impact of Today’s Rains on Elm Grove
Despite heavy rainfall this afternoon, Jeff Miller, an Elm Grove resident and frequent contributor, drove the streets of Elm Grove this evening. He notes that:
Streets still seem clear as of 8 p.m.
Taylor Gully is about half full, but water is flowing rapidly
Water level is about 2 feet from the top of the twin culverts at the Rustling Elms bridge.
Miller sees the possibility of that culvert being overflowed as a danger.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/24/2020 with reporting from Jeff Miller and Jeff Lindner
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Radar-524.jpg?fit=607%2C1200&ssl=11200607adminadmin2020-05-24 20:14:412020-05-25 05:31:20Heavy Rainfall Threat in Coming Days
A close analysis of swimming pools and river currents in Google Earth satellite images suggests that many San Jacinto East Fork homes were flooded by the West Fork during Hurricane Harvey. Stories from East Fork homeowners suggested as much in the months after Harvey. Many reported water flowing through their property from west to east, not north to south as one might expect. However, to my knowledge, no one presented photographic evidence to support those claims – until now.
Eagle-Eyed Geologist Interprets Satellite Photos
A retired high-level geologist for one of the world’s largest oil companies analyzed satellite images in Google Earth. The eagle-eyed geologist, R.D. Kissling, lives in the Lake Houston area and kayaks that area regularly.
Kissling noted water-borne-sediment coloration changes between the East and West Forks after the SJRA started releasing 79,000 cubic feet per second from Lake Conroe. The image from 8/30/2017 shows West Fork water pushing into the East Fork. Note how water from the East Fork (upper right) and Luce Bayou (far right) are crowded over into a narrow band running down the (east) side of Lake Houston.
Satellite image from 8/30/2017 shows West Fork water (middle left) pushing into East Fork (top right).
Cloud cover obscures images from the previous day.
Flooded Swimming Pools Tell Part of Story
Kissling also examined the color of water in swimming pools. Most homes in Royal Shores on the East Fork have swimming pools that look bright blue on satellite images. See the image below from before the storm.
Swimming pools in Royal Shores appear bright blue before the storm.
But on 8/30/2020 during the storm, many of those had turned brown. Water was starting to recede by then, but note the boat houses still underwater. Above the red line, all swimming pools still appear blue.
Royal Shores on 8/30/2017 during the storm.Note the concentration of brown swimming pools south and east of the red line.North, they are still blue (unflooded).
The photo above is a magnification of the Royal Shores area from the wider satellite image above. Below, I’ve zoomed back out to show the wider image. I’ve also highlighted the Royal Shores homes with brown swimming pools so you can see their their relationship to the West Fork water pushing into the East Fork.
Same image as above but with the part of Royal Shores highlighted that had flooded pools and that was ALSO apparently taking on WEST FORK water.
Conclusions
Of course, by themselves, the swimming pool colors don’t prove that West Fork water flooded East Fork homes. But when considered in conjunction with the first image, they suggest to me the validity of residents’ claims. At a minimum, these images do not contradict those claims, according to Kissling.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/23/2020 based on analysis by R.D. Kissling
998 days after Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/AOI.jpg?fit=1200%2C855&ssl=18551200adminadmin2020-05-23 15:33:052020-05-23 15:33:15Google Earth Images Suggest East Fork Swimming Pools Flooded By West Fork During Harvey
As mechanical dredging whittles down the part of the San Jacinto West Fork mouth bar that sticks up above water, it’s important to think about longer-term maintenance dredging. Remember three things:
How the sand got there in the first place
Why it will be redeposited over time
What the consequences will be of not removing it periodically
How Sand Got There
Most movement of sediment happens during floods. Sand and silt washes downstream from two main sources: natural and man-made.
The natural sources include erosion from river banks and beds.
So-called mouth bars are giant sand bars formed at the mouths of rivers. They form wherever a river enters an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, or reservoir. Whenever water slows, a river will deposit sediment. And it always slows when a moving body of water encounters a standing body of water. It’s a well understood geophysical process that occurs everywhere around the world. A prime example is the Mississippi delta.
Mouth bars are actually part of river delta formation. As they build up, they force a river to split.
Why Intervention Is Necessary In Populated Areas
As sediment builds up, if left alone, it will eventually choke the headwaters of the lake and form a flat swampy lowland. You can already see this beginning to happen on the East Fork San Jacinto.
Looking north at northern part of East Fork Mouth Bar, which has become vegetated. Note how it causes the river to split. The river is carving itself up into a maze of small channels. Photos taken 5/11/2020.Here’s the area immediately below the shot above. It is near the entrance of Luce Bayou to the East Fork. This area went from 18 feet deep to 3 feet after Imelda according to boaters.Photo taken 3/5/2020. Note how the newest mouth bar is forming in one of the channels formed by the previous mouth bar which has become anchored by vegetation.Looking west toward West Lake Houston Parkway Bridge and the West Fork of the San Jacinto. Note how this mouth bar also caused the river to split. Sediment is now being deposited on both sides, and will eventually cause another splitwithout more dredging.Photo taken 5/11/2020.Looking south toward FM1960 from north of the mouth bar. Notice how shallow this section of the river has become. The loss of conveyance contributes to flooding.Photo taken 5/11/2020.From Harris County Flood Control District’s page on the on-going Kingwood Area Drainage Assessment.
Part of the reason for the buildup of sediment behind the West Fork mouth bar is that Ben’s Branch and another major drainage ditch have been dumping sediment into the river there. Luckily, HCFCD is removing sediment from these and other ditches. That will help reduce the problem in the river, but not eliminate it.
Need for Maintenance Dredging
Erosion is relentless. We can do many things to minimize it (preserve wetlands, use best management practices in sand mining and construction, etc.). However, as long as rain falls, we can’t eliminate it.
To my knowledge, until the emergency West Fork dredging program began in 2018, the upper San Jacinto had never been dredged since the Lake Houston Dam was built in 1953. That’s 65 years. Over that time, sediment build up turned into a $100+ million dredging program. And that doesn’t even include flood damages which likely total another BILLION dollars according to a City estimate. Imagine all the heartbreak and misery that could have been avoided had the City budgeted $2 million for dredging each year.
Dredgers keep nibbling away at the mouth bar like an ear or corn, removing one row at a time.Photo taken 5/11/2020. Unfortunately, the effort to remove the portion of the bar above water may make people think the problem is solved, but it won’t reconnect the upstream river channel with the lake.
Imagine the:
Flood losses we could have avoided
Recreational opportunities we could have realized
Reservoir capacity we could have preserved
Home values we could have multiplied.
For all these reasons, we need to start a serious dialog about maintenance dredging. Even if it’s not every year, we need it after every flood. Think of it as a yearly insurance premium against the next disaster.
The Army Corps estimated this bar immediately downstream from River Grove Park blocked 90% of the West Fork. In the three months before the Corps removed it, River Grove flooded six times. Since then River Grove has not flooded at all.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/22/2020
997 Days after Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/20200511-RJR_2501.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2020-05-22 17:58:532020-05-23 11:39:54Putting Mouth Bar Removal in Larger Context; Need for Maintenance Dredging
This is off topic, but it does affect thousands of readers, hence I’m posting this release from the City of Houston solid waste department. Please note: If your community association has private trash pickup, your schedule will vary. These dates and times affect only those with City pickup.
Solid Waste Schedule for Memorial Day/Week
Monday, May 25, 2020 (Memorial Day) CITY HOLIDAY: NO COLLECTION SERVICES. All Facilities and services closed.
Tuesday, May 26, 2020 Monday’s garbage collected, B-Week Curbside Recycling, Yard Waste and 4th Monday’s & 4th Tuesday’s Tree Waste collected. Westpark Recycling Center and Reuse Warehouse re-open. Neighborhood Depositories remain closed.
For more information about solid waste schedules, contact: Jessica Beemer at (832) 393-3008 or email districte@houstontx.gov.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/22/2020
997 Days after Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Trash.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=11200900adminadmin2020-05-22 16:24:082020-05-22 16:24:33City Announces Trash Pickup Schedule for Memorial Day Week
Two days ago, Harris County Commissioner’s voted to heap another demand on the Perry Homes’ Woodridge Village purchase offer. Even though they had already sent a formal offer to Perry last week! Now, before Commissioners cut a check for $14 million to Perry Homes, they want the City of Houston to contribute up to half the construction costs of a regional detention basin, not just half the purchase price of the land. So the City’s costs went from half of $14 million to half of (potentially) $44 million. In other words, they tripled.
Despite the hiccup, however, construction crews at Woodridge Village are back in high gear. After a short rain delay, they continue to excavate all three detention ponds on the northern section.
Martin Provides Text of County’s Original Offer to Perry
“If the parties are unable to execute a mutually agreeable earnest money contract within 75 days after the date of this letter then this offer will be considered withdrawn and void.”
“If this proposed transaction is successful, the City and District (HCFCD) will work together to secure partnership funding from others to include, but not be limited to, the state and federal government in order to build the maximum flood risk reduction benefits at this site.”
The 75-day limit may be ambitious now that the City has to come up with more land (in lieu of cash) – and transfer it to the county before the deal becomes effective. (See below.)
And if other levels of government get involved, such as the State and Federal governments, that could create more delays. It took approximately 950 days to get all levels of government to the point where preliminary engineering could begin on more gates for the Lake Houston Dam. And it will take at least another three years to complete the project, assuming FEMA approves construction.
Conditions Must be Met Before Deal
Time is crucial because Commissioners made it clear Tuesday night that they want to see the City meet conditions on the sale before writing a check. They are not taking the City’s word that the City will fulfill its end of the bargain at some unspecified point in the future. They worry that could take 20 years. This was yet another crucial change in the offer that will require more time.
The County wants the money or land upfront so that it can begin work immediately and limit its potential liability.
Martin Insists Conditions are “No Problem”
Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin insists that the City has no problem with updating drainage and floodplain regulations related to Atlas 14. Nor, he insists, will the City have a problem coming up with land in lieu of cash. However, the City Council has not yet approved either.
“It’s not necessary to take up any issue with this through a City Council vote as there is no Interlocal Agreement to vote on,” says Martin. “Until Harris County Flood Control sends us an Interlocal Agreement to vote on, we don’t take action. We understand HCFC is working on this document as we have daily communication with them.”
Perry Plows Ahead
Meanwhile, Perry contractors continue to excavate detention ponds. Here’s where things stand as of this afternoon.
N1 Pond – Contractors are excavating in a northerly direction to connect the tail of N1 to the main body of the pond.
N2 Pond – Contractors continue to expand and deepen it.
N3 Pond – Contractors are extending it south to where it connects to Taylor Gully. They’re also sloping edges.
Contractors excavating the N3 pond on the northeastern border of Woodridge. Photo taken 4/21/2020 by Jeff Miller.Miller estimates that, weather permitting, they may finish excavating N3 early next month.Of course, it will take longer than that to make the pond fully functional.Contractors excavating the N1 pond in the northwestern corner of Woodridge Village.General layout of detention ponds on Perry Homes’ property.
In addition, contractors are:
Lining more of Taylor Gully with concrete
Getting ready to connect N1 and N2
Using dirt excavated from ponds to raise other areas.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/21/2020with thanks to Jeff Miller for reporting and photography
996 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/20200521-RJR_3015.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2020-05-21 21:46:382020-05-21 22:06:15Detention Pond Work Continues at Woodridge Village Despite Change in County Purchase Offer
Yesterday’s Harris County Commissioners Court meeting contained two separate discussions of vital interest for those worried about flooding in Elm Grove. Thankfully, the Commissioners post video of their meetings online so you can hear exactly what they had to say as well as how they said it.
The meeting went from 10am well into the evening hours. So you can go directly to the relevant portions, I’ve provided the timing code below. All are approximate. Here’s the link: https://harriscountytx.new.swagit.com/videos/62513. Make sure you go to Section V of the video.
County Discusses City’s Partial Adoption of Atlas-14 Standards
The first discussion lasts approximately 10 minutes from 5:20 to 5:30 into the video. It related to Item 1V on the agenda, the adoption of Atlas 14 standards by municipalities within Harris County.
Precinct One Commissioner Rodney Ellis uses that opening to introduce Elm Grove as a topic that wasn’t on the agenda. See Ellis at 5:21:25. He asks how we can get neighboring counties to participate.
Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis speaking on Woodridge Village buyout
At 5:22:29, Blount clarifies that the proposed rule changes would apply to the City’s ETJ (extra territorial jurisdiction. That includes most of southern Montgomery county. Blount explains why that’s important. “It’s about protecting our investment in projects so their benefits are not eroded.” He then clarifies that what the county proposes the City adopt is really “Best practices.”
Then, at 5:23:20, Ellis asks whether adoption of Atlas 14 will affect the prioritization of bond projects. Blount confirms it will.
At 5:24:50, Ellis asks whether City has already adopted Atlas 14. Blount explains the City adopted part but not all of the County’s recommendations. “They say they’re going to but they haven’t,” says Blount. “Adopting halfway isn’t helpful,” he says. “They need to adopt the whole thing…both storm-sewer sizing and detention-pond sizing.”
5:27:50 Hidalgo says “It’s about sustainable growth. We want to make sure we’re not flooding people downstream as we grow.”
5:29:50 Hidalgo transitions the discussion to buyouts and land conservation.
Intro to Discussion of Bond Costs and Elm Grove
The second important part for Elm Grove residents runs 42 mins. In this portion of the meeting, Ellis craftily draws Russ Poppe, executive director of Harris County Flood Control, into a discussion of cost escalation relating to flood bond projects. It later becomes clear when the discussion shifts to Elm Grove that Ellis worries the Perry purchase could consume so much money that it would delay or cancel Precinct One projects. This section runs roughly from 7:53 to 8:35.
If the narrative below sounds disjointed, that’s because it was. People kept interrupting each other. The discussion becomes heated. Ellis keeps repeating the same points over and over again as though his fellow commissioners are dullards and don’t get it.
Price Increases and Status of Bond Budget
At 7:53, Ellis queries Poppe about price increases for mitigation projects. Poppe explains that because of increase demand, the price of riprap is up 3X. Poppe also explains that “haul rates” have increased because they are now hauling dirt farther, i.e., beyond the 500-year flood plain. He says, “The biggest component of our costs is the excavation and hauling of dirt.”
7:56 Poppe talks about buyouts (Item 1B on the supplemental agenda). He talks about available funds, the process, number of homes bought out to date, and 400 applications “in process.”
Ellis Shifts Discussion to Perry Buyout
7:58:10 Ellis raises issue of Perry Homes’ Woodridge Village buyout in Montgomery County.
7:58:30 Ellis talks about original conditions for purchase: City would adopt Atlas 14 including inside its ETJ, that Montgomery County would also adopt Atlas 14, and that the City would contribute assets equal to half of the purchase price. He then estimates that the cost of additional detention ponds on the property could range from $20 – 30 million. Poppe confirms that as accurate.
7:59:30 Ellis adds up component costs: $14 million to acquire, possibly $30 million to develop. “That’s $44 million,” he almost shouts as he leans into the camera.
Ellis Proposes New Condition to Purchase
At 7:59:51Ellis proposes a new condition to the sale. He wants the county’s offer to Perry to now say that half of development costs must also be covered by the City…not just the half of the purchase price. He also says that the City must actually adopt the Atlas 14 requirements in their entirety, not just “promise to adopt them” at some point in the future. Finally, he wants the Atlas 14 requirements to apply to the City’s extra territorial jurisdiction.
He wants a 50:50 split of ALL costs and wants the City to put up assets to purchaseanddevelop the land.
He wants City assets put up before the purchase so that development of the land won’t be in limbo.
He makes a motion clarify the offer. Garcia seconds the motion.
8:06:48 Cagle reminds people that the offer has already been sent to Perry. He says the letter went out without any requirement about the City’s participation in future development of the property.
Argument Over Past/Future Tense in Wording of ILA
8:07:20 Ellis shifts the discussion. He reads the original letter proposing an interlocal agreement (ILA) with the City. He complains about use of the word “executed” in regard to the ILA. It says the Atlas 14 requirements “will be” executed when the ILA is signed. He worries about the future tense. He wants the letter to say “Once Atlas 14 regulations have been adopted” (past tense). By that, he means the deal will become effective once the City has adopted the regulations, not when they promise to adopt them at some unspecified point in the future.
It’s clear that he is wary of City promises. He worries about how long it might take to actually adopt Atlas 14. “They could adopt them 20 years from now.”
8:08:40 Ellis clarifies wording of his motion.
8:09:30 Ellis explains why he’s raising this subject outside of executive session: “to put the light of day on the deal.”
8:09:40 Ellis repeats: “My position is all three. Atlas 14. Half of purchase. Half of construction.”
8:10:20 Ellis paints the downside of investing in Montgomery County. “They could put another development up next door and benefit from $30 million worth of detention ponds we built without putting a dime up and doing nothing to stop flooding.”
8:10:35 Garcia interjects. He wants a policy about how Harris County spends dollars in another county.
8:12:10 Cagle agrees that he wants the City to adopt the Atlas 14 provisions before a purchase. Simply signing an interlocal agreement is not enough, he says.
Radack Proposes Deadline for City Adoption of Atlas 14
8:13:42 Radack says, “The City won’t adopt Atlas 14, so we might as well cut to the chase and adopt a deadline. That gives you a clear path.”
8:15:00 Ellis talks about how the project was “heavily lobbied.” “There’s a lawsuit on it,” he adds. He predicts people will say, “So when are you going to do it.” He implies, “Now, we’re liable” for anything that happens.
8:17:10 Hidalgo asks Poppe: How would you clarify the letter so the City knows Atlas 14 must be adopted (past tense), not just that they will adopt it (future tense).
8:17:20 Poppe reads the letter. It says, “Upon execution of the ILA, City of Houston will adopt by default…” Poppe thinks that language covers the problem.
“County Has Made No Commitment to Do a Project Out There”
8:18:00 Poppe says “We’ve made no commitment to do a project out there.”
8:18:30 Ellis goes rogue-elephant negative. “What are you going to do? Turn it into a birding park? You gonna pay for half of that?”
Hidalgo asks whether the language is clear. Poppe says “I will be happy to share the language tomorrow.”
Ellis says, “I want to make a motion so it will be clear.”
8:20 Ellis again makes the motion that includes the same three conditions: City contributes half of purchase and half of construction. City also adopts all Atlas 14 provisions.
8:21:30 Poppe reminds commissioners that the offer letter was already sent on the 14th of May, the day before the 15th deadline.
8:22:00 Hidalgo restates the motion.
Possibility of State or Federal Participation
8:22:15 At this point the discussion shifts a bit. They examine the possibility of 3rd party participation.
8:22:27 Ellis offhandedly reveals his motives at this point. He doesn’t want others taking money from his projects. “I know how this game works,” he says.
8:23:42 Cagle summarizes changes. “We want the City to ADOPT the standards.” “I’m fine with that,” he says. But then he adds that the second change, about construction costs, “hasn’t been in any of our discussions.”
8:23:55 Ellis asks, “Commissioner, what are we going to do with it?”
Cagle Reminds Commissioners of Two Key Elements
8:24:25 Cagle says, “There are two aspects to this development. One of them is that the developer is already putting in some detention ponds in advance and they did not go up on their price because of that work.” Cagle adds that he wants to build a plan before the purchase. He thinks they may be able to sell the extra dirt that needs to be removed. “Problem is though that that’s slower; it will depend on other projects that are going on in region.” By that he means there needs to be a market for the dirt.
Ellis Again Repeats Concerns
8:27:15 Ellis repeats his concerns yet again. “Houston should put up half of the price.” “Why is Harris County doing it all?” Then he goes back to his demands and says, “The current letter does not reflect all three of those conditions.”
8:29:30 Hidalgo clarifies motion.
Radack Reminds Commission that No Estimates Yet Exist
8:30:40 Radack breaks in and asks how long will it take to come up with an estimate of costs. “It will be very difficult to do anything unless the City and State know how much it will cost.”
8:31:43 A very frustrated and exasperated Jack Cagle says “I feel slapped around.”
8:32:45 Cagle says, “If the second part of the motion is that our partners have to put in as much as we do, I’m fine with that.”
Cagle Makes Motion Reflecting Ellis’ Concerns
8:33:25 Cagle finally makes a motion that includes all three conditions, after Ellis defers to him.
8:33:30The motion passes unanimously.
8:33:38 Ellis asks for yet another restatement of the motion.
8:34:00 Hidalgo reads the motion into the record.
8:34:44 End of Elm Grove discussion.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/20/2020
995 Days after Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Harris-County-Commissioner-Rodney-Ellis.jpg?fit=1200%2C824&ssl=18241200adminadmin2020-05-20 18:49:462020-08-07 13:48:02County Posts Video of Meeting in Which Conditions Were Added to Purchase of Perry Property
In Tuesday’s Harris County Commissioners Court meeting, while HCFCD Executive Director Russ Poppe was talking about buyouts, Precinct One Commissioner Rodney Ellis used the opportunity to go off on a rant about the County’s proposal to buy Woodridge Village from Perry Homes. The result: yet another condition added to the purchase.
City Must Now Cover Portion of Construction Cost, Too
The City of Houston now must come up with land or cash for part of the construction costs for any additional detention ponds built on Perry Homes’ property – not just the purchase price.
The actual amount would equal whatever the County contributes. For instance, if developing the property into a regional detention basin costs $20 million, and the county puts in $10 million, the City would need to put in $10 million also. But if either partner can find Federal or State funding to pay for part of the project, that amount would go down. For instance, if the the Feds or State put in 80% then the City and County would each pay 10%.
City must contribute land or cash worth half the purchase price.
City must adopt County’s Atlas-14 provisions. Those would apply to the City’s Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) as well as the City itself.
Raddick Predicts City Won’t Meet Conditions
Commissioner Raddick predicted there was no way the City would adopt the Atlas-14 requirements.
He also observed that the County would be forcing the City to commit to an expenditure of an unknown size. And that the City wouldn’t know the size for several months because the County has not yet drawn up plans for improvements.
For Elm Grove residents, this is especially worrisome. That’s because, by law, the City Council must approve every City expenditure over $50,000.
So basically, the County is asking for an unknown commitment. Meanwhile, the City cannot make such a commitment until it knows the exact amount. However, Commissioners did not discuss this dilemma in their debate.
Unanimous Vote to Add Extra Condition
The vote by commissioners on the three conditions was unanimous. The motion carried 5-0.
This hill becomes steeper to climb every week.
Perry Site Quiet for Last Two Days
Meanwhile, Jeff Miller reported today that no dump trucks were moving on the Perry Homes’ site. That may have been due to the rains last weekend that are still filling at least the one detention pond and likely filling the others too.
Video of the Commissioners Court meeting won’t be posted until tomorrow. I will link the relevant sections when video becomes available.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/20/2020
995 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 244 since Imelda
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Elm-Grove-9.19_71.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000&ssl=110001500adminadmin2020-05-19 21:41:332020-05-19 21:49:51County Commissioners Add New Condition to Purchase of Perry Homes’ Woodridge Village
