At its Feb. 20 board meeting, the San Jacinto River Authority will decide whether to continue lowering Lake Conroe temporarily until other flood mitigation measures can be put in place. Before then, Donna Dewhirst, a resident of Walden on Lake Houston, wanted to share some reminders of the damage that Harvey and the 80,000 CFS Lake Conroe release inflicted on the Lake Houston area.
A Horror Story in Pictures
Dewhirst’s outdoor kitchen took on knee-deep water. In the background, that’s the second story of her boat dock.As water started to subside, Dewhirst found trees and other debris lodged in her dock. The flood destroyed her boat.A 70-foot surprise became visible when floodwaters receded. The flood also destroyed Dewhirst’s boat.The railroad bridge just down from her caught another boat swept away in the flood.
“The water reached my back porch at the foundation of my home, but amazingly my house and garage got no water in them,” said Dewhirst.
Dewhirst feels lucky.Her neighbors less so.As water receded, the extent of flooding became more apparent.
“It was horrific,” said Dewhirst. “But we were lucky compared to others. I planned returning to a flooded home, but God of Heaven spared me. My son in law had put Flex Seal on the back doors and taped it with duct tape a few feet up. I’m sure that helped. But honestly from the water line on the house, it truly was a sheer miracle we didn’t flood.”
Can It Be Averted In the Future?
Aerial view of Aquatic Drive on Walden on Lake Houston after the Conroe release. Dewhirst believes this photo came from Greg Toole. If not, please let me know. I will correct the credit or remove the image if the author wishes.
If lowering Lake Conroe temporarily until other flood mitigation measures can be put in place, such as additional flood gates on the Lake Houston dam, I’m all for it.
For more information about that program and how to make your voice heard, visit the Lake Lowering page on this web site.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/5/2020
890 Days after Hurricane Harveyand 15 days before the SJRA decision
Nancy Vera and Edythe Cogdill live across the street from each other at the northern end of Village Springs. They moved to Elm Grove to build an idyllic life for themselves and their families. For years, it was a quiet, peaceful neighborhood filled with friends and block parties. Kids played in the streets and rode their bikes to schools on greenbelts. From their front porches, they could look north across the Montgomery County line and see forest laced with streams and trails. Then the bulldozers came. And spring rains. Suddenly, they found themselves at ground zero in a battle with Mother Nature, corporate giants, and a neighboring county that cared more about development than protecting downstream residents from flooding. Each woman flooded twice last year. As I interviewed them together, they shared their thoughts on every aspect of the experience.
Cogdill and Vera live at the tip of this 268-acre clear-cut funnel created by Perry Homes. See white dot for approximate location. Perry still has yet to install 75% of the promised detention.
Rehak: How badly did you flood in May and September?
Cogdill: We had about nine, 10 inches, in May. And 22 inches outside the fence during Imelda, but only 12 or 13 inches in the house. Our fence deflected a lot of water.
Edythe Cogdill looks with worry at Perry Homes’ Woodridge Village. Her home and camper are behind her. Her home flooded twice last year from Woodridge. She captured the harrowing ordeals on video to share with the world.
Rehak: And Nancy, in May, how much did you get?
Vera: We got two feet.
Rehak: And in Imelda?
Vera: Three.
Impact of Flooding on Neighborhood and Home Values
Rehak: We walked your block and discussed each house. All but one flooded. And you are the only two original families left. It’s like you’re living at ground zero.
Vera (left) and Cogdill (right) fret about the impact of renters on their once idyllic neighborhood.
Cogdill: Yes.
Rehak: Most of these other houses have sold to investors?
Cogdill: All with the exception of the one that has a brother living in it now. That family has to keep the house because they just bought it last year; they can’t afford to sell.
Rehak: Talk to me about property values in the neighborhood.
Cogdill: The house next door sold for $93,000. Our appraisal last year was $214,000.
Rehak: So it went for about half?
Cogdill: Another sold for $105,000.
Vera: It was appraised before the floods at over $200,000.
Rehak: Again, about 50 percent. Would that be a fair estimate for these others up and down the block?
Vera: That’s what I’ve been hearing. My son’s friend’s house sold for eighty. That’s on the next street over.
Vera: Most people are getting $80,000 to $100,000 now.
Homes on their block seem to have been in a perpetual state of repair since last May.
Rehak: And what would that one have gone for before?
Vera: $160,000 to $200,000 depending on square footage.
Rehak: Still, about 50 percent.
Vera: Yes.
Remodeling Right Before Flood
Cogdill: We totally remodeled our house in March of 2018, a year before the flood. All new paint inside and out. Totally gutted the bathroom and redid it. Added a very expensive back porch. And then it flooded.
Rehak: Did you have flood insurance?
Cogdill: We did.
Rehak: You did, too? (To Vera)
Vera: We did not have flood insurance in May. But I got flood insurance within a week after the first flood.
Vera’s living room has been reduced to “life with lawn furniture.” She has lived this way for almost a year. She and her husband have so little faith in Perry’s promises to fix Woodridge that they postponed repairs until after hurricane season.
Flood Insurance Experiences in Back-to-Back Floods
Rehak: Talk to me about your flood insurance experiences. You said one of your neighbors had a problem. Even though most of the house was rebuilt after the first flood, they didn’t get credit for that?
Cogdill: The adjuster merged the claims because they did not have their inspection complete before the second flood. They were going to get something out of the second flood, but it didn’t nearly cover the loss. They had to redo everything. And they weren’t reimbursed for everything.
After the second flood in five months and hassles with insurance adjusters, Vera’s neighbors gave up. An investor bought their headaches for 50 cents on the dollar.
And then they took a $10,000 loss on their camper. They bought the camper to live in after the May flood. They were days away from moving back into their house. And then everything – house AND camper – flooded again in September. So they were upside down. Her insurance gave them $10,000 less than what they owed on it.
Never-ending Parade of Contractors
Vera: I just want to get everybody out of my house, because every day, every day, every day, somebody is there.
Rehak: You have no privacy anymore?
Cogdill: You have contractors that say, “We’ll be there at 7:00 a.m.” And then they don’t come. Or you might take off work to let someone in and they don’t show.
Vera: And I had to buy cameras to put in my house, so I can see them.
Cogdill: The lady with the camper worked from home. And they would pound on her door every time, “Well, we’re here.” And she would be on a conference call. She just said, “I can’t do this anymore.” They’re gone now.
Managing Repairs and Full-Time Jobs
Rehak: I hadn’t really considered the “time off from work” aspect of all this. Nancy, you and your husband both work.
Vera: He can’t really take off because he’s overseeing a massive construction project. So I’m doing all the taking off.
Rehak: Where do you work?
Vera: I work for an insurance company. We handle benefits for school systems that we sell insurance to.
Cogdill: I was the construction manager on our rebuild. We were completely done with the remodel from the first flood.
Rehak: How long did it take you?
Finishing First Repairs Then Flooding Again
Cogdill: We finished two weeks before the September flood.
Rehak: How did that feel?
Cogdill: I sat down and I cried. It was exactly like the May flood. I was home alone and calling my husband every ten minutes, and then … then when it came in the back door, I just started bawling. And nobody could get home until right before dark. It started like eight o’clock in the morning.
Home Alone in Rising Waters
Rehak: What does it feel like when the water is coming up?
Cogdill: Everybody’s telling me on the phone, “Do this and do that. Put this up and get the dogs. Be sure you get your medicines. And I’m just looking around like, wow, OK, the dogs are walking through puddles … in the house. We lost our car in the first flood. It was in the driveway.
Postponing Rebuild and Wondering
Rehak: Nancy, after the May flood, you were a little skeptical about what Perry was going to do. So, you didn’t rebuild immediately.
Vera: We lived in a house with no walls, nothing all summer. We put up that Tyvek paper on all the walls. So that kinda helped. My house never got too hot. We were lucky; our air conditioning was brand new. It held up when everybody else was losing theirs.
Rehak: So, when the second flood came, you didn’t have demo to worry about?
The Vera kitchen after two floods, the first without insurance.
Vera: Partially. We had more damage the second time. A lot more.
Rehak: That’s right. You said it went up another foot. When did you make the decision to renovate and why?
Vera: We waited until hurricane season was over. And we said we would try to get it done as soon as possible. I was my own project manager to save money. We’re still on the fence as to whether we should sell and walk out.
I Bought This To Be My LIFE
Rehak: Let’s talk about that. Do you think Perry will sort this out?
Vera: You want to have hope.
Cogdill: You hope that they’re human. You want to keep your home.
Vera: This is my home. It’s not an investment. I bought this to be my LIFE.
Cogdill: This is where I wanted to raise our kids. That’s the reason I live here.
Vera: I don’t want to give up hope because in my gut I don’t want to sell my house. But then do you trust that they can fix it after you flooded twice … and you see that they’re not actually out there doing ANYTHING to problem solve?
The Cogdill and Vera families fret over the Perry detention pond that seems to be under perpetual construction. Building additional detention capacity that might help prevent future flooding does not seem to be a high priority for Perry. Meanwhile, they live in a state of perpetual fear.
Cogdill: It’s fixin’ to be, you know, flood season and all that. Why have they not been doing anything?
Rehak: What would you like to see done out there now?
Cogdill: This is such a hard question because there have been so many things out there that people have said could happen, may happen. The most recent one is to make a 300-acre lake out of it if Harris County Flood Control takes over. But I have worries with that, too. Look at all the places that flood in Harris County.
Vera: Right now, we’re very gun shy about anything. We don’t have the correct answer either, because we’re not experts. All we know is that we don’t want to flood again.
Biggest Fear for Neighborhood
Rehak: Beyond flooding again, what’s your biggest fear for the neighborhood?
Cogdill: Renters won’t take care of property as much as homeowners. They’re not going to keep up their yards. They’re not going to care about landscaping.
Rehak: Beyond your block, how many homes in this area have flipped or are up for sale.
Vera: Close to a hundred.
Ten homes in a row for lease in North Kingwood Forest by the same company. These are directly across Taylor Gully from Vera and Cogdill.
Cogdill: I would say 40 percent.
Rehak: How many more homes do you think flooded the second time than the first?
Vera: About 200 flooded the first time. At least 400 the second.
Living in a State of High Alert
Rehak: What would make you happy at this point?
Cogdill: We just want things back to normal.
Rehak: What do you consider normal?
Cogdill: Not living with the fear. To have everybody’s homes that have been destroyed fixed, repaired, restored back to the original.
Cogdill can never escape the fear of living with the development in the background.She worries about flooding a third time before someone fixes the problem.
Vera: Not to worry every time there’s a storm coming. We were up all night last night, even though we were told we were not going to flood again. But everybody was still glued to the TV, because we’re always on high alert. We ARE going to flood again because nobody has solved this problem. What do I want? To NOT live with anxiety all the time. But it’s always there.
Cogdill: I want to get back to a place where everybody is not whining, complaining, or scared. I want everybody’s homes fixed and to say, “Hey, we’re having a block party this month.” I just want to live in a normal community that’s not consumed with fear.
Accountability and Oversight
Rehak: What role do you see Montgomery County Government playing in all of this?
Cogdill: Montgomery County should be liable. City of Houston should be liable. And once these people start being held liable over this stuff, maybe they’ll stop letting it slip through the cracks. You know, it’s just somebody somewhere along the way pushed a bunch of stuff under the rug. And all of them shut their eyes to it. They all should have been involved. But my understanding is that Montgomery County won’t come inspect it. They have a job. And they should do it.
Vera: My biggest concern is that I don’t know what we can do about it. And we get a lot of spring rain.
Running Out of Hope
Rehak: Have you considered raising your foundation?
Vera: It was going to be like close to a hundred thousand dollars to do it.
A never-ending story: Once immaculate lawns and proudly maintained homes have given way to trash piles.
Rehak: Last question. What do you feel about the way Perry Homes has handled this?
Vera: I think they’re sick.
Such is life at ground zero in the flood zone.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/4/2020 with thanks to Nancy Vera and Edythe Cogdillfor sharing their experience
890 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 139 since Imelda
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/20200111-RJR_6372.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2020-02-04 19:48:332020-02-05 05:38:00Life at Ground Zero in Elm Grove
Last week, according to the Houston Chronicle, Harris County Commissioners discussed in executive session a deal to purchase the Woodridge Village development in Montgomery County. Woodridge Village has contributed to repeated flooding of Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest. At issue: the possibility of turning the land into a regional detention facility that could help the affected communities and others on the East Fork of the San Jacinto.
Bizarrely, the article implied that Harris County Commissioners would be letting developers “off the hook.” What hook? Yes, Perry Homes is being sued by hundreds of homeowners. But Commissioners have nothing to do with the lawsuits and can’t influence them. The lawsuits are moving forward independently, as the article points out later.
The article claimed the parcel being considered for purchase is inside city limits. It is NOT. It is, however, within the City of Houston’s extra-territorial jurisdiction.
Another inaccuracy: The article said “Elm Grove” sits inside the 100- and 500-year flood plains. Only a portion of it does.
Getting to the Heart of the Mystery
The article claims that the new development also sits in floodplains. I agree. But now we’re getting to the crux of the flooding issue and the mystery surrounding these floods. This is where the Chronicle could have won a Pulitzer.
More than a year and a half after Perry Homes clear-cut this land and Elm Grove flooded twice, Perry Homes still has not even completed a quarter of the required detention pond capacity.
A glance at the construction plans and drainage analysis would have shown that Perry Homes did not build what was on paper. They failed to follow the permitted plans.
Perry obtained permits by saying it intended to develop only 30 of approximately 188 acreson the northern portion of the site in Phase 1. They then cleared the entire site, including the “non-existent” wetlands.
To add insult to inaccuracy, the article then goes on to claim that portions of Kingwood have flooded repeatedly in the last five years, as if that explains Perry’s problems. But those areas are not even in the same watershed as Elm Grove! They have separate issues; those other areas were built in the floodway of the San Jacinto river. Elm Grove, on the other hand, never flooded before Perry clear-cut 268 acres immediately upstream from them and then filled existing streams.
Dubious Slant Could Rile Up Voters, Torpedo Deal
Whether intentional, unintentional or both, the article’s omissions, inaccuracies, and mischaracterizations could rile up voters who may fear their tax dollars are being wasted by the “bailout” of a billion-dollar company that they don’t especially like. That kind of publicity often scares authorities who fear blowback. And that, in turn, could torpedo any land purchase and doom desperate people to more flooding. I sincerely hope not.
Advice for Houston Chronicle
If the Chronicle wants to write about this issue, I suggest they research it. Don’t just call both sides and think you have done a good job of balanced reporting. Get to the damn truth. Then maybe more people would buy subscriptions. Why:
People’s lives, homes, lifesavings, and sanity are at stake. I sincerely hope the Houston Chronicle starts digging for answers, instead of shoveling bull.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/4/2020
889 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/20200125-RJR_7493-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2020-02-04 15:55:172020-02-05 10:09:46Would Purchase of Perry Homes’ Woodridge Village by HCFCD be a “Bailout”?
More than 850 days after Hurricane Harvey, the City of Houston has released a 170-page report called Living with Water™. (Caution: 60-meg download.)
A Primer on Green Flood Mitigation
In many ways, Living with Water is a primer on flood mitigation in the Bayou City. It lays out many of the problems we face as a region. It also points to many innovative solutions. It even takes three neighborhoods within the City (Greenspoint, Kashmere Gardens, and Independence Heights) and shows how various “green” strategies could reduce flood risk.
So far, nothing to argue with. The primary value of Living with Water lies in raising awareness of opportunities that can be used to solve problems throughout the region.
High-Level Ideas with No Actionable Plan Yet
But if you were looking for specifics – case studies, costs, plans, timetables, and budget line items associated with recommendations – you will be sorely disappointed. This isn’t that kind of report. And the absence of those specifics 887 days after Harvey will frustrate many who believe we should be far past brainstorming at this point.
Living with Water contains many magic-wand solutions that people in workshops often develop.
For instance, they identified “cooperation” as a strategy. Yet they failed to identify how to get upstream interests to factor downstream impacts into their development costs willingly.
From 2001 to 2016, most new development took place outside the Houston city limits. Yet during the first two decades of this century, the region added approximately three million people, nearly doubling in size. This creates development pressure in low-lying and risky areas that can impact downstream areas.
Another example: the creation of “interceptor streets.” They are never fully defined, but have something to do with storing stormwater under historic streets. Ten years after the implementation of the drainage fee, have we had one such project developed anywhere in the City?
Finally: a recommendation to “Bring back the prairie.” Great. Now how?
The Benefit: A Shared Vision of the Future
Regardless, it’s important that we share a possible vision of the future if we are ever to agree politically on solutions. Living with Water paints a positive vision of what that future could be. It also provides many tangible examples of how we could get there.
In the end, people will remember Living with Water for one thing. It shows how we could turn stormwater from the enemy into a series of amenities that enrich City life.
Whether this effort turns into reality or “credenza-ware” will depend on how quickly the City can implement pilot programs that demonstrate practical, achievable, cost-effective, flood-reducing benefits.
Posted by Bob Rehak on February 2, 2020
887 Days after Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/New-Development.jpg?fit=1200%2C1035&ssl=110351200adminadmin2020-02-02 18:05:132020-02-02 18:10:29City of Houston Releases “Living With Water™” Report
The first placement area: an active sand mine south of the Kingwood College between Sorters-McClellan Road and the West Fork. Note all the sand in the picture below. This sand mine was for sale, but the dredging spoils gave it new life. From here, sand goes to new construction projects across north Houston and southeast Montgomery County.
Looking SE at Placement Area 1, the Eagle Mine. West Fork San Jacinto in lower right. Sorters-McClellan Road cuts diagonally through top of frame above sand mine.Photo taken 1/20/2020.
Placement Area 2
The second placement area: an old pit on Townsend behind some flooded apartments in Humble.
Townsend in foreground turns from east/west to north/south. The apartments were heavily flooded during Harvey. West Fork and Army Corps Command Post in background. Some of this sand being sold too.
Placement Area 3: Berry Madden’s Property
Placement Area 3 is Berry Madden’s property south of the West Fork but north of FM1960. The water below is a back channel of the West Fork. Here, the spoils are being barged in from the mouth bar. The barges offload in the center left and the spoils are trucked inland. Should the dredgers shift over from mechanical to hydraulic dredging, this property can accommodate that.
Berry Madden’s property south of San Jacinto West Fork, west of Kings Lake Estates. Photo taken 1/20/2020. This placement area is just starting up. It will accommodate additional sand taken from the West Fork Mouth Bar. See below.
A Look at Mechanical Dredging
Currently, DRC is mechanically dredging the West Fork Mouth Bar. In hydraulic dredging, sand is pumped upstream continuously via pipeline. In mechanical, excavators scoop sand onto a barge, which shuttles it to a placement area as the pictures below show.
Excavator loads sand from west end of mouth bar onto waiting dredge.Photo by Josh Alberson 2/1/2020.Wider shot shows a second excavator and another barge working together farther east.Photo by Josh Alberson 2/1/2020.60-80 cubic yards are loaded onto a barge which is pushed upriver to Madden’s property. Photo by Josh Alberson 2/1/2020.After offloading, it returns to mouth bar for another load. Round trip time on Saturday afternoon: about 3 hours.Photo by Josh Alberson 2/1/2020.Back at the mouth bar, it’s time for a reload. Photo by Rachel Taylor, 2/1/2020.Bottoms up. Photo by Rachel Taylor, 2/1/2020.
Posted by Bob Rehak with photos from Josh Alberson and Rachel Taylor on February 2, 2020
887 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/20200120-RJR_7445.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2020-02-02 04:19:042020-02-02 14:13:36What Happened to Sand From West Fork Dredging?
Since flooding in Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest last year, the TCEQ has completed half a dozen investigations of Woodridge Village with more in the works. Woodridge Village is the troubled Perry Homes development where contractors clearcut 268 acres while installing less than 25% of the required detention capacity.
The TCEQ has repeatedly charged Perry contractors and subsidiaries with stormwater pollution violations and unauthorized discharge of sediment. Below are results of six investigations that led to a total of 13 citations. Together the 449 pages of these investigations indicate a lax attitude toward regulations, repeated failures to comply, poor coordination among vendors, and lack of awareness of responsibilities.
Investigation 1571093 of Figure Four Partners in June 2019
On June 17 and 18, 2019, TCEQ investigators cited Figure Four Partners, LTD for “failure to prevent the unauthorized discharge of sediment-laden water from the construction site which could contribute to pollution in waters of the state of Texas.” (See Investigation 1571093 and attachments.)
Investigators found Figure Four failed to implement and maintain best management practices. They tracked the illegal discharge 2.5 miles down Taylor Gully. Where the stream entered woods, lack of access prevented tracking the discharge further.
TCEQ ordered the operator to install adequate sediment controls to minimize discharges from the site.
Investigation 1579654 of Rebel Contractors in June 2019
This was an investigation of Rebel Contractors, which had responsibility for the southern 80 acres of the site.
The TCEQ report starts by noting that two previous complaints about Rebel Contractors had been referred to Montgomery County for investigation.
In this investigation, TCEQ collected water samples upstream and adjacent to the development that were not impacted. They also collected samples above the outfall from the development and downstream of it that were.
They found that total suspended solids (TSS) in the non-impacted samples ranged from 29 to 45 milligrams/liter. The impacted samples, however, ranged from 245 to 620 milligrams per liter.
Investigators also looked at total dissolved solids (TDS). Non-impacted samples ranged from 128 to 158 milligrams per liter. Impacted samples ranged from 2053 to 2804 milligrams per liter.
Water from and below the site had significantly higher TSS and TDS.
Investigators allege Rebel failed to implement and maintain effective Best Management Practices. They cited Rebel for “failure to prevent the unauthorized discharge of sediment-laden water from the construction site which could contribute to pollution in waters of the state of Texas.” They also cited Rebel for failure to prepare a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan. It took Rebel six weeks to prepare and submit the plan to the TCEQ.
Investigation 1604733 of Figure Four Partners in October 2019
On October 25, 2019, investigators returned to the site and found Figure Four had violations similar to June. They ordered Figure Four, once again, to install adequate sediment controls that minimized discharges from the site. (See Investigation 1604733 and attachments.) They ordered Figure Four to install adequate controls that reduced discharges.
Investigation 1579655 of Double Oak Construction in June 2019
Double Oak Construction is responsible for clearing and grubbing on the Woodridge site. In June, TCEQ conducted an investigation during which they collected the previously mentioned water samples. They cited Double Oak for failure to prevent unauthorized discharges of sediment-laden water and failure to prepare a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan.
They also found that Double Oak could not identify where discharges went. They thought it was Galveston Bay.
By the end of August last year, Double Oak still had not submitted a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan.
Investigation 1604738 of Rebel Contractors in October 2019
Second verse same as the first. Investigators found elevated levels of suspended and dissolves solids from the site relative to non-impacted areas. TCEQ alleges Rebel failed to implement and maintain Best Management Practices. They also allege discharge of pollutants, i.e., sediment-laden stormwater and failure to post a construction permit.
TCEQ ordered Rebel to control discharges and post a permit. It took Rebel 7 weeks to post the permit.
Investigation 1604741 of D&J Construction in October 2019
TCEQ cited D&J for failure to prepare a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan and failure to include required information on their construction site notice.
886 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 135 since Imelda
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Woodridge-Erosion-by-TCEQ.jpg?fit=1200%2C910&ssl=19101200adminadmin2020-02-01 08:52:322020-02-01 08:57:21Six TCEQ Investigations Lead to 13 Citations for Woodridge Village Developer and Contractors
David Seitzinger, a Kingwood professional engineer, has studied Harvey flooding since it happened. In this letter to the SJRA Board, Seitzinger urges the SJRA to continue its seasonal lake lowering strategy until other flood mitigation measures can be implemented. Here, Seitzinger addresses one of the main causes of misunderstanding about the policy. Many Lake Conroe residents believe the lake will be lowered 1 or 2 feet from its current level (whatever that may be). However, the policy states the lake will NOT be lower below 200 or 199 from its normal target of 201. The SJRA has NOT lowered the lake since last October. Seitzinger shows that evaporation and below-normal rainfalls have taken the lake lower and kept it down, not the SJRA.
Text of Seitzinger Letter
San Jacinto River Authority P.O. Box 329 Conroe, Texas 77305 Re: Lake Level Vote
Dear Board Members,
My message to the Board is to renew and maintain the terms of the SJRA/COH Temporary Flood Mitigation Strategy for Lake Houston and Lake Conroe for 2020.
The agreement is contingent upon the dredging operation in Lake Houston. Unfortunately, the “stream mouth bar”, the most significant river obstacle, has not been removed due to FEMA and Army Corps of Engineers limits that were applied to the first dredging contract, not agreed to by the City of Houston. A new dredging contract and associated funding were released, but contractor mobilization is just starting. This is expected to delay the complete removal by at least one year.
Impact of Drought
I have read about the complaints of the Montgomery County citizens at the recent Board meeting. I think that the lowering of the level as required by the contract is not the real problem. The real problem is the “moderate drought” conditions in the Lake Conroe watershed limiting the ability to refill the lake that successfully occurred in 2018. If we look at Huntsville for watershed drought conditions, its 2019 rainfall is 13″ behind normal. Conroe, on the other hand, is 8″ ahead of normal due to the effects of Imelda that were limited to East Texas.
Watershed drought conditions are not rare occurrences. Looking back over the past 20 years, two other drought periods (2001 and 2011-14) have created low lake levels well below the current level of 199 feet. There was also a period in 2005-06, where the lake level was reduced to 197 feet for six months to repair dam damage due to Rita. I am not sure how many bulkheads were replaced and if property values dropped as a result of those lake level conditions.
Steps Being Taken to Mitigate Flooding
City of Houston and Harris County are taking rapid steps to remove flood-causing obstacles in the West Fork of the San Jacinto River that will reduce flooding risk in the Kingwood/Humble/Atascocita area.
HCFCD and SJRA are leading a comprehensive study of the San Jacinta watershed to model flooding conditions and identify mitigation strategies, which are expected to look at Lake Conroe water releases.
COH completion of the “stream mouth bar” dredging at the juncture of the West Fork and Lake Houston.
COH and CWA design and construction of additional gales at Lake Houston.
I have attached reference materials below for the history of water levels at Lake Conroe to support my lake levels and rainfall statements.
Sincerely, David Seitzinger
Lake Conroe Operation Requirements and Compliance for 2018 to 2020 To-Date
Lake level requirements by “SJRA/COH Temporary Flood Mitigation Strategy”
Lake level 2018 with complete compliance
Lake level 2019 in compliance until October 2019. Lake level is not able to recover due to low rain fall in the lake watershed. Rainfall at Huntsville is is 13 inches below normal and classified as a Moderate Drought conditions. Conroe is ahead of annual by 8 inches due to Imelda in September. Imelda rain did not fall in Lake Conroe’s watershed.
Lake Conroe Last 20 Years of Lake Levels Highlighting Low Level Periods
Rainfall 2019 History Below the Dam
Lake Conroe Water Levels
Historical Variation in Reservoir Storage
Actual Specific Historical Lake Levels
Reservoir Description by USGS
Water level at Lake Conroe has been generally stable with a typical 1- to 2-foot drop in water level during the summer. The exceptions have been in 2001 when drought conditions caused summer water level to fall 3 feet below pool and in 2005-20-06 when damage to the dam caused by Hurricane Rita required the water level to be held at 4 feet below pool for about six months.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/31/2020
855 Days after Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Lake-Level-Compliance.png?fit=2140%2C1374&ssl=113742140adminadmin2020-01-31 14:59:512020-01-31 15:00:04David Seitzinger Letter to SJRA Focuses on Lake Levels and Drought
In 2018, Lake Houston area leaders identified a three-pronged strategy to help mitigate flooding. They dubbed it the “Plea for DDG.” Additional dredging, detention, and gates. Since then, dredging and gates have garnered the most media attention. Yesterday, however, we received some good news regarding additional upstream detention.
HCFCD Buys First Part of Raveneaux Club
The Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) closed on the purchase of the Raveneaux Country Club on January 30, 2020. The final purchase price for 27.63 acres of land was $11,496,427.20 which is also the current appraised value for the property.
Cypress Creek runs through the Raveneaux Club before joining Spring Creek and the West Fork of the San Jacinto upstream from Lake Houston.
The final deal includes a leaseback allowing the Country Club to continue operating for up to one year.
The Flood Control District will begin discussions with the Cypress Forest Public Utility District in February regarding an agreement to acquire the remaining 206 acres that primarily make up the golf course. HCFCD intends to use the land for a future flood risk reduction project in the Cypress Creek watershed.
Benefit to Cypress Creek AND Lake Houston Area
That project could help the Champion Forest area where hundreds of homes flooded during Harvey and other recent storms. It could also help the Lake Houston Area. By reducing and delaying floodwaters coming down Cypress and Spring Creeks, it could help offset releases from the Lake Conroe Dam.
The Flood Control District realizes that community interest in this matter is very high. At this time, project specifics have not been determined. The Flood Control District will have community engagement meetings to solicit input and ideas about the future project.
Some feel the loss of the Club could adversely impact surrounding home values. However, the Club had reportedly been losing close to a million dollars per year for several years and was no longer financially viable.
In a special web page devoted to the acquisition, HCFCD says it cannot predict how property values will change as a result of this proposed project. However, HCFCD “knows that properties with a lower risk of flooding have a higher value than properties with a high risk of flooding.”
First Part of a Larger Solution
It is unlikely that HCFCD will find one undeveloped tract of land large enough to reduce flooding in the Lake Houston Area by itself. Acquiring a combination of smaller tracts such as Raveneaux will likely be necessary. Yesterday, HCFCD took the first step toward a larger solution.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Raveneaux-Location.jpg?fit=1200%2C817&ssl=18171200adminadmin2020-01-30 22:44:502020-01-30 22:58:01HCFCD Closes on First Upstream Detention Property
In response to complaints filed on October 23, 2019, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Houston Region Office issued a Notice of Violation to the developers of Woodridge Village. Figure Four Partners, LTD, a Perry Homes subsidiary, owns Woodridge Village, which contributed to the flooding of Elm Grove Village and North Kingwood Forest in May and September of 2019.
History of Uncorrected Violations by Perry Homes
The TCEQ originally investigated Woodridge Village in response to complaints filed after the May 7, 2019, flood. At that time, the Commission found that Perry Homes, et. al., had failed to implement and maintain effective Best Management Practices. They found that sediment-laden discharges had affected at least 2.5 miles of Taylor Gully. TCEQ sent that violation to its enforcement division.
Page 5 of the report states that pollution prevention measures implemented after the first investigation “did not appear sufficient to prevent sediment-laden discharge…”
The investigator observed tainted discharge 2.5 miles down Taylor Gully to the point where it disappears into woods and then joins White Oak Creek, Caney Creek, the East Fork, and Lake Houston. Said another way, the discharge appears to be polluting waters of the State of Texas and the drinking water for 2 million people.
Sediment laden water from Taylor Gulley where it joined the East Fork of the San Jacinto on January 11, 2020.
TCEQ is requiring Perry Homes, its subsidiaries and contractors to install sediment controls on all areas under their operational control at Woodridge. “There must be adequate structural controls to minimize sediment discharges from the site,” says the TCEQ in “Recommended Corrective Action” on page 7 of the 77 page report.
Perry Contractors Also Investigated
The release of findings today indicates that four Perry contractors at this site were also investigated by the TCEQ: D&J Construction Inc., Rebel Contractors Inc, Texassite LLC, and Double Oak Construction Inc.
No New Structural Controls Appear To Be In Place Yet
No additional structural controls appear to have been installed since the last investigation on October 25th. Sediment-laden runoff from the area of wetlands on the northern section of property continues unabated, although grass planted in other areas may be helping slightly.
Looking SE toward Taylor Gully, Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest from the northwest corner of Woodridge Village. Everything slopes toward the detention pond in the upper left, but no structural controls to reduce runoff are in place.Photo taken 1/20/2020.
Unfortunately, grass planted last summer has been destroyed by new construction activity around the southern detention ponds – the area of highest concern, where water from the site enters Taylor Gully through the double culvert seen in the picture below.
Contractors have destroyed the grass and backslope interceptor swales previously constructed around the S2 detention pond. Erosion continues to etch the walls of the S2 detention pond which should be covered with grass by now.It was substantially complete in August of last year.Construction of the S2 pond continues months after Perry Homes promised the City of Houston construction would be complete. The pond should have been complete by the start of December.
What Next for Troubled Perry Homes and Woodridge Village?
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/2020/01/20200120-RJR_7283.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2020-01-30 19:36:142020-01-30 19:36:30TCEQ Issues Notice of Violation to Perry Homes’ Woodridge Village Development
Harvey and the 80,000 CFS SJRA release during the storm destroyed virtually everything Camille Muñoz Pagel and her family had. The SJRA is now considering whether to continue lowering Lake Conroe seasonally and temporarily until other flood mitigation measures can be implemented. Pagel wants to share her experience in the hope that the SJRA will continue the policy which provides extra safety against flooding for people downstream.
How the Pagel Family Lost Most Everything They Had
That people are upset because they can’t put their bloody boats in the water for a little bit, while we downstream literally put ALL of our prized belongings on our yard is unfathomable.
One of the SJRA board members lives across the street and I hope he remembers what this was like and can reason peacefully with Conroe residents. It’s not a forever solution and it can save lives.
Deerwood Country Club on Sunday August 27, 2017. “The water level is chest deep here – about 5 feet,” said Pagel. The SJRA issued a press release at noon on that day saying they were releasing record amounts of water. By next morning, you couldn’t even see the golf course and the release rate would more than double.Water in the Pagel home reached 4.5 feet after the release. “Almost every belonging we had was below 4.5 feet,” said Pagel.“My kids didn’t get to jet ski. They got to gut their kitchen instead of being in school.” — Camille Pagel.
“I can’t imagine a world,” said Pagel, “where you see families lose everything and can only think of the time you lost jet skiing or boating.”
“If these pictures can help Conroe folks see that this is about more than pleasure boating, please share them,” said Pagel.
— Camille Muñoz Pagel
Well, Camille, I can’t imagine going through what you went through. So here they are world.
Last SJRA Board Meeting Before Big Vote
The next SJRA board meeting on February 20 will be your last chance to comment on their policy of lowering Lake Conroe seasonally until other flood mitigation measures can be put in place. For more details about the meeting and the policy, see the Lake Lowering page on this web site.
Please come. At the last board meeting, Kingwood people were outnumbered at least 20 to 1 by red-shirted residents from Lake Conroe.
January SJRA board meeting. Lake Houston area people are wearing white shirts in the foreground. Lake Conroe people are wearing red shirts.
If you would like to share your pictures and story with Lake Conroe residents, please also consider sending them to me for publication via the Submissions page of this web site.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/30/2019 based on input from Camille Pagel
884 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Camille-Pagel-1.jpg?fit=800%2C1067&ssl=11067800adminadmin2020-01-30 15:39:332020-01-30 15:59:15Camille Pagel’s Hurricane Harvey Experience and Plea to Continue Lowering Lake Conroe
