Harris County Commissioners Approve $700,000 Kingwood Area Drainage Study

Great news! Tuesday, Harris County Commissioners Court approved a $700,000 contract with Neel-Schaffer, Inc. for a Kingwood Area drainage study. The engineering firm will identify flooding sources in the Kingwood area and develop potential solutions.

Data shows that portions of Kingwood have potential for significant offsite flows from Montgomery County as well as ponding locations due to inadequate overland flow conveyance. Said another way, new upstream development is taxing Kingwood’s drainage infrastructure. This project will help ensure that a 100-year flood plain remains a 100-year flood plain, and doesn’t turn into a 10-, 20- or 50-year flood plain.

Area of investigation outlined in red.

Drainage Study Details Outlined in Contract

The contract for the work indicates its scope and details. Discussion of those begins in Appendix A on page 14. The goal of the study is to identify mitigation strategies that will return 12.4 miles of existing drainage ditches and streams within Kingwood to their originally designed 100-year service levels.

Agreement with TIRZ 10

TIRZ 10 is a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone established in Kingwood at the time of annexation. The TIRZ provided a replacement financing mechanism for water, sewer, drainage costs for the development of residential subdivisions once the MUDs were dissolved.

Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) entered into an interlocal agreement with TIRZ 10 (Kingwood) to perform a drainage study of five main Kingwood streams to their confluence with the West and East Forks of the San Jacinto River. The five include:

  • G103-33-00 Bens Branch – From Rocky Woods Drive to WFSR (Length= 3.1 miles)
  • G103-33-01 – From North park Drive to the confluence with Bens Branch (Length= 1.3 miles)
  • G103-38-00 (Kingwood Diversion Ditch)- From Harris County Boundary to WFSR (Length = 4.0 miles)
  • G103-80-01 (Green Tree Ditch) – From Woodland View Dr to the EFSR (Length= 1.5 miles)
  • G103-80-03.1B (Taylor Gully)- From Harris County Boundary to Whiteoak Creek (Length= 2.5 miles)

Flood Control Will Fund Remainder of Streams/Ditches

In addition to the interlocal agreement, Harris County Flood Control District will also study all remaining streams and ditches within the Kingwood Area. Those include another 19.9 miles:

  • G103-33-00 Bens Branch – From Harris County Boundary to Rocky Woods Drive (Length = 2.2 miles)
  • G103-33-02 – From North park Drive to the confluence with Bens Branch (Length= 0.2 miles)
  • G103-33-03 – From Hidden Pines Dr. to the confluence with Bens Branch (Length= 0.1 miles)
  • G103-33-04 – From W Lake Houston Pkway to the confluence with Bens Branch (Length= 1.2 miles)
  • G103-36-00 (Bear Branch)- From Woodland Hills Dr. to WFSR (Length= 2.7 miles)
  • G103-36-01 – From Woods Estates Dr. to the confluence with Bear Branch (Length= 0.8 miles)
  • G103-36-02 – From Woodland Hills Dr. to the confluence with Bear Branch (Length = 0.9 miles)
  • G103-36-02.1- From Kingwood Dr. to the confluence with Bear Branch (Length= 0.4 miles)\
  • G103-36-03- From Royal Circle Dr. to the confluence with Bear Branch (Length= 0.4 miles)
  • G103-38-01- From Laurel Springs Ln. to the confluence with Kingwood Diversion Ditch (Length= 1.3 miles)
  • G103-38-01.1- From Red Oak Terrace Ct. to the confluence with Kingwood Diversion Ditch (Length = 0.4 miles)
  • G103-38-02- From Harris County Line to the confluence with Kingwood Diversion Ditch (Length= 0.7 miles)
  • G103-39-00- From Palmetto Ln. to the WFSR (Length= 1.3 miles)
  • G103-41-00 (Sand Branch) – From Sycamore Creek Dr. to the WFSR (Length= 2.0 miles)
  • G103-41-01- From Elk Creek Dr. to the confluence with Sand Branch (Length= 0.8 miles)
  • G103-45-00- From Trail Tree Ln. to the WFSR (Length= 0.4 miles)
  • G103-46-00- From Forest Cove Dr. to the WFSR (Length = 1.0 miles)
  • G103-46-01- From Sweet Gum Ln. to the confluence with G103-46-00 (Length= 0.7 miles)
  • G103-80-01.1- From Autumn Sage Ln. to the confluence with Green Tree Ditch (Length= 0.3 miles)
  • G103-80-03.1A (Mills Branch) – From Same Way to Whiteoak Creek (Length = 1.5 miles)
  • G103-80-04 (Blackland Gully) – From Maple Knob Ct. to the EFSR (Length = 0.6 miles)

For a map showing the location of these numbered ditches/streams, click here.

Stakeholder Meetings Part of Plan

The scope of work includes several stakeholder meetings with TIRZ 10, homeowner associations, and the community at large. Their purpose: to increase public awareness and understanding of the magnitude of the watershed problems, their complexities and the cost of solutions.

Drainage Study Data Acquisition Phase

The contractor will start by collecting all available information and data including:

  • Construction plans
  • Previous drainage studies
  • HCFCD historical flooding data
  • High Water Marks
  • Watershed Masterplan data
  • FEMA Repetitive Loss properties
  • Flooding reports
  • LiDAR DEM data
  • Aerial maps
  • HCFCD watershed maps
  • Hydrologic and hydraulic models
  • City of Houston GIMS data
  • Any other pertinent technical data in the development of this scope of services.

Field Reconnaissance Phase

Neel-Schaffer engineers will then conduct field reconnaissance of the existing drainage systems, outfalls, and drainage patterns within the project area. That will include field measurements of 27 bridge crossings, 32 culvert crossings, 16 pedestrian bridge crossings and 6 drop structures to be incorporated in the development of hydraulic models.

During this stage, Neel-Schaffer will also measure high water marks; update floodplains; and analyze stream performance and capacity to illustrate flooding issues to the County, TIRZ and community.

Identification of Structural and Non-Structural Mitigation Alternatives

The Engineer will determine structural and non-structural improvement alternatives to bring all streams back up to the 100-year level-of-service.

Neel-Schaffer will perform this analysis using full conveyance at peak flows. Engineers will identify the major constraints that affect the available solutions for each stream.

They will then consider both structural and non-structural alternatives for mitigation.

Structural Alternatives

Structural alternatives include:

  • Improved drainage channels including widening, deepening, and/or lining for increased conveyance capacity.
  • Watershed diversions using enclosed conduits (following existing roadway alignments or other public ROW).
  • New regional or sub-regional detention basins and modification of existing detention basins including inlet and/or outlet structures.
  • Enhanced conveyance using selectective clearing and re-shaping of natural channels.
  • Enhanced flood storage in natural and park areas using small-scale berms and grading.

Non-Structural Alternatives

Non-Structural Alternatives include:

  • Property buy-outs.
  • Coordinated ROW dedications for future improved channels and regional detention basins.
  • Regional detention fees for new development.

Drainage Study Will Consider Detention Ponds

This contract includes identifying detention needs, identifying potential locations, and developing schematic layouts of the detention ponds. It also includes:

  • Proposed Right of Way acquisition
  • Preliminary Cost Estimates
  • A project priority and implementation plan

It is not clear at this point how long this project will take.

This post is dedicated to Barbara Hillburn, the president of the Kingwood Lakes HOA, who fought long and hard to get a project like this started. Thank you, Barbara!

Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/14/2019 with thanks to Barbara Hillburn and Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle

715 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Army Corps Now 70% Complete with Its Portion of Mouth Bar Dredging

The Army Corps has released a new summary of its progress on dredging the mouth bar. The report indicates that Great Lakes, the contractor is now 70% complete. They have dredged 350,000 out of 500,000 cubic yards.

Great Lakes started dredging the mouth bar on June 25th, 2019, as part of a $17,085,861 extension of the original contract (FEMA mission assignment SWD-30).

Current area of operation is the blue area on the far right. Sediment removed from that area is being pumped 10 miles back upstream to Placement Area #2, a sand mine near Kingwood College, on the far left.

Between the start of mouth bar dredging and August 12, Great Lakes dredged an average of 6,363 cubic yards per day. If they can keep that pace up, they should be done by approximately Labor Day – three months ahead of schedule. That’s HALF the predicted time.

Remainder of Project Still Not Decided

What comes next? That still has not been finalized. City, County and State officials have been meeting in the background to determine that. The Army Corps still has not accepted or rejected Berry Madden’s property as a third placement area. And the $30 million appropriated by the State for mouth bar dredging won’t even become available until September 1st.

Meanwhile, Callan Marine, the subcontractor from the original West Fork Emergency Dredging job has pulled its equipment back to the dock opposite Forest Cove. However, Callan has not yet started disassembling its equipment and removing it from the river. According to Houston City Councilman Dave Martin, Callan has agreed to stay temporarily while officials attempt to work out details for the next phase of dredging.

RD Kissling and Tim Garfield, two local geologists who first brought the mouth bar issue to the public’s attention, estimate that 500,000 cubic yards is about one-fourth of the total sediment that must be removed to fully restore conveyance of the West Fork.

How Shallow is It?

The Corps has not yet released (or even developed) plans for mouth bar dredging. We do know the volume they intend to remove, and the general area they intend to remove it from. However, they have refused to divulge how much of a dent their efforts will make in solving the problem.

This photo of a Kings River resident wading across the river shows how shallow it is near the orange channel marker. This resident says boats “beach” behind his property almost every day. Note: Deeper pockets may exist, especially near dredging equipment. The risk of drowning is real. Do not let children attempt this. Photo taken Sunday, August 10, 2019.
The resident made it almost to the channel marker without getting his shorts wet. Shot taken with 6X telephoto lens.
The lake/river within this area averages two to three feet deep. 500,000 cubic yards would lower the average level by another three feet as this calculation shows.

Problem With Stopping after 500,000 CY

The problem with stopping after the Corps finishes its 500,000 cubic yards is that the river behind this area is much deeper. Where the Corps stopped dredging just past Kings Harbor, the river is now 25-30 feet deep. And places are even deeper according to fishermen. That means water coming downriver will be forced to flow uphill in this area. That will force it to slow down and more sediment will rapidly drop out of suspension. Some experts have suggested dredging a deep channel through this area to help restore full conveyance of the river. However, the Army Corps intends to stop after 500,000 cubic yards.

How Army Corps Sees its Role

The Army Corps has prepared a series of FAQs that represent its position on the remainder of mouth bar dredging. Among them:

“Q: What is USACE Galveston District’s plan for the rest of the mouth bar?“

“A. There is no additional work planned for the mouth bar. The current plan for the modification addressing material near the mouth bar can be found on the placemat. USACE Galveston District has no authority to conduct any additional work in the West Fork of the San Jacinto River or Lake Houston. The San Jacinto River is not an authorized federal waterway, the Corps of Engineers dredging operations are currently limited to dredging Harvey-related material. The ongoing work under the contract modification will remove the remainder of material attributable directly to Hurricane Harvey. The sedimentation from recurring annual flows are not within USACE Galveston District’s mission assignment from FEMA. Water flows on the West Fork of San Jacinto River were restored to pre-Harvey levels in December 2018.”

“Q: Who can the public contact for additional concerns with the maintenance of the San Jacinto River?“

“A. For concerns with the maintenance of the San Jacinto River, please contact Harris County Flood Control District, the San Jacinto River Authority and the City of Houston.”

Punt!

Meanwhile the City is still arguing with the Corps about how they arrived at 500,000 cubic yards. More on that later. I have obtained the Corps’ estimate through a FOIA request to the City of Houston. It raises many questions that I am still trying to sort through. More on that later.

Posted by Bob Rehak on August 14, 2019

715 Days since Hurricane Harvey

How This Hurricane Season Compares to Others So Far

With two weeks left in August and no active tropical systems in the Atlantic, Caribbean or Gulf, I started wondering how this hurricane season stacked up against the average. Through the end of July, we had two named storms in the Atlantic. We also had six in the eastern Pacific, none of which threatened land. That makes a total of eight. How does that compare to a normal year? Below is a chart from NOAA. It shows the averages for tropical storms and hurricanes by month.

167 Years of Hurricane History

The first thing I noticed when looking at this table is the clear jump between July and August. Through the end of July, the averages for both tropical storms and hurricanes are below 1. That means the chances of NOT seeing one are greater than seeing one. However, August is where things heat up (pardon the pun). Your chances of seeing one are far greater than NOT seeing one.

Source: NOAA

Distribution of Atlantic Storms by Month

Through the end of July, we exceeded the averages for The Atlantic and Pacific combined. But if you look at just the Atlantic, we are about on average, as the chart below shows.

Source: NOAA
Cumulative Number of Storms Per 100 Years in The Atlantic Basin. Source: NOAA

The official hurricane season for the Atlantic Basin (the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico) is from 1 June to 30 November. As seen in the graph above, the peak of the season is from mid-August (now) to late October.

Current Outlook Clear

However, THIS August has been quiet so far. Season-to-date, we are still slightly above average, but the month of August is unusually quiet. We’re halfway through the month without any named storms in the Atlantic and NOAA expects no activity for the next five days.

Source: NOAA. As of 8/14/19 at 8am EDT.

Regardless, if you are the type to play the odds, so far this year Texans have to consider themselves lucky.

Lake Levels As of Mid-August

With that in mind, let’s look at what the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) and Coastal Water Authority are doing with Lake Conroe and Lake Houston to reduce the chance of flooding in the event of a major storm.

Both lakes are down about a foot. This creates an extra buffer against flooding by creating extra capacity within the lake.

The SJRA began lowering Lake Conroe on August 1. Normal level is 201 feet above sea level. As of this morning, Lake Conroe was at 200.03 feet and the SJRA continued to release water at a minuscule rate of 150 cubic feet per second. Evaporation is doing most of the work. The SJRA says the lake can lose up to an inch per day through evaporation in hot, dry weather, which we have had plenty of lately. You can always check the current lake level at SJRA.net.

The Coastal Water Authority is maintaining Lake Houston at 41.57 feet above sea level. Normal level is 42.38 feet. A recent lowering for dam maintenance combined with lack of recent rain and evaporation have all contributed to the current level.

The SJRA will continue releasing water at a rate that brings Lake Conroe down to 199 feet by September 1. The SJRA will maintain that level through the end of September, then allow the lake to gradually refill with rainwater until it reaches the normal level of 201 feet.

Pre-emptive seasonal lowering helped avoid flooding last spring. Keep your fingers crossed!

Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/14/2019

715 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Respect the Rivers

Jill Boullion, Executive Director of the Bayou Land Conservancy, sent me a link to a fascinating article called Fossil Rivers. It’s about the evolution of the Mississippi River. Even if you’re not a student of geology, the maps are worth looking at as pieces of abstract art. As the author of the article, Geoff Manaugh says, “Colors coil round other colors; abstract shapes knot, circle, and extend like Christmas gift ribbons. This is geology as a subset of Abstract Expressionism: rocky loops of the Earth’s surface in the hands of Jackson Pollock.”

Army Corps map showing the geomorphology of the Lower Mississippi over time.

Says Manaugh, “Indeed, what the Army Corps of Engineers discovered while producing these maps is that the Mississippi River has changed channel completely – and it has done this hundreds, even thousands, of times. In fact, the river’s endless self-alteration still occurs, even as you read these words: the Mississippi, like all rivers, is migratory, destined to wander across the landscape for as long as it continues to flow. It drifts back and forth – sometimes a few feet, sometimes a mile – walled in by its own silt and debris; until there is change: a natural levee fails, or a storm surge bursts into another watercourse nearby, and then the river finds itself on a quick new route to the sea.” 

From US Army Corps of Engineers
From US Army Corps of Engineers

Powerful reminders to respect the rivers! Give them room. Those who build too close will lose in the long run. People can moan about property rights all they want. But in the end, Mother Nature always wins.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/13/2019

714 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Meet Bill King, Candidate for Mayor of Houston, At Los Cucos Tuesday at 6PM

Bill King, Candidate for Mayor of Houston, will visit Kingwood tomorrow to answer residents’ questions about how he would address flooding and other issues. King will offer a sneak peak of his flood plan that will be released next Monday or Tuesday.

  • Los Cucos
  • 23730 Highway 59 North
  • Kingwood, TX 77339
  • Tuesday, August 13, 6PM

RSVP HERE FOR BILL KING EVENT

King (left) with Elm Grove resident Abel Vera after the May 7th flood.

Flood mitigation solutions by their very nature are political. I will be posting similar announcements for other candidates as events arise. My hope is that everyone in Houston can meet the candidates personally, get to know them, and learn about their ideas to reduce flooding. A massive turnout in November will help secure our future.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/13/2019

713 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Ben’s Branch Clean Out to Begin August 19

Good news! Jason Krahn with the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) has announced that the District will start restoring conveyance capacity to Bens Branch beginning August 19, 2019.  The contractor’s official start date is that Monday, but it will take several days to move equipment to the site. “So the citizens of Kingwood should see the contractor on site by midweek,” said Krahn.

Project Scope

The project will include removing and disposing of approximately 76,285 cubic yards of sediment accumulations. This will be a multi-step process. First, HCFCD’s contractor, Solid Bridge Construction, LLC, must remove the soil from the creek. Then the soil must drain and dry. Finally, dump trucks will remove the excavated material.

Scope of Ben’s Branch project outlined in red.

The project will extend from Kingwood Drive south to the library, then east under West Lake Houston Parkway to the YMCA, then south again to an area adjacent to Deerwood Country Club. It will stop 1800 feet from the river where the the ditch flattens out into a natural stream, near the Y canoe launch.

Sedimentation restricting the conveyance of Ben’s Branch between the library and West Lake Houston Parkway. Looking west from bridge.

The east/west portion of this project above became severely silted during Harvey, contributing to flooding in Kingwood Greens, Town Center, the Enclave, Kingwood Village Estates. A dozen seniors died in Kingwood Village Estates from injuries sustained during the evacuation or from the stress of seeing their homes destroyed when they returned.

City Portion of Ditch South of Y Not Included

The City of Houston reports that it has not yet secured maintenance easements from adjoining property owners south of the Y.

Most of the ditch adjoins property owned by the Clubs of Kingwood. Here’s what it looks like from a drone. My thanks to Jim Zura of Zura Productions for his time and expertise in securing this footage.

Ben’s Branch out of the YMCA looking toward Lake Houston. HCFCD project does NOT include this portion which is controlled by the City of Houston. Note the dredge operation in the distance at the end of this video. Drone footage courtesy of Jim Zura, Zura Productions.

For more information about the project, consult the Kingwood pages of the HCFCD website. The project ID is # G103-33-00-X004 – Bens Branch Conveyance Restoration.

Last month, HCFCD completed a clean out of the portion of Ben’s Branch near Northpark Drive and Woodland Hills Drive.

Nine Months to Complete

Krahn expects the lower portion of Ben’s Branch to take 9 months. Construction equipment will access the work area via the established access points from Kingwood Drive, Bens View, West Lake Houston Parkway, and Denmere. The contractor will use heavy construction equipment such as dump trucks, excavators and bulldozers. Motorists should stay on high alert for truck traffic when passing near construction access points. 

Expect Extra Traffic

The average commercial dump truck holds ten to fourteen cubic yards. So this project could result in 5,500 to more than 7,000 round-trips before its over.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/12/2019 with video from Jim Zura of Zura Productions

713 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Before-After Shots of Clean-Out: HCFCD Restoring Conveyance of Taylor Gully In Elm Grove

Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) is nearing completion of its project to clean out Taylor Gully. The project will restore the ditch’s conveyance through Elm Grove. The ditch had become clogged due, in large part, to erosion from months of clear-cutting and construction activities immediately upstream in the new Woodridge Village development.

After the Flood, but Before the Clean-Out

Below, several shots taken shortly after the May 7th flood.

Erosion on Woodridge Village property. Concrete culvert in background is entrance to Taylor Gully on Harris County side of Montgomery County Line.
Another shot of erosion leading to culvert, visible in upper right.
Looking north at same culvert from Harris County side of county line.
Flood debris carried downstream into Elm Grove portion of Taylor Gully
Shot taken at end of May looking south along Taylor Gully. Three weeks after the May 7 flood.

After the Clean-Out

What a difference some backhoes and bulldozers can make!

Looking south from same area today, but from opposite side of Gully. Photo courtesy of Jeff Miller.
Re-contoured backslope swale with new culvert. Photo courtesy of Jeff Miller.
Newly cleared Taylor Gulley Backslope Swale near the homes that flooded in North Kingwood Forest. Photo courtesy of Jeff Miller.
Brand new backslope interceptor structure and improved swale by HCFCD located just north of Creek Manor where it dead ends into Taylor Gulley. Photo courtesy of Jeff Miller.

These backslope interceptor swales reduce erosion, provide additional floodwater storage, and help prevent floodwaters from impacting structures.

One Month From Statistical Peak of Hurricane Season

Today is one month from the peak of hurricane season – September 11. Hundreds of people in Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest will have an additional margin of safety thanks to HCFCD’s Taylor Gully project. Despite three months of near-perfect construction weather, Perry Homes’ contractors have only completed two of five planned detention ponds upstream. More on the construction status of Woodridge Village in my next post.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/11/2019 with photography from Jeff Miller

712 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 3 months + 4 days since the May 7th flood

FEMA Case Studies Dramatize Value of Detention Ponds in Flood Reduction

On August 27, Montgomery County Commissioners will consider a request to close a loophole that lets developers avoid building detention ponds.

Stormwater detention basins store potentially damaging floodwaters temporarily until channels can safely carry water away. Here’s how they work.

Lack of Detention Ponds Contributes to Flooding

The lack of functioning detention ponds in the new Woodridge Village development contributed to the flooding of at least 196 homes across the southern county line on May 7th earlier this year. Since publishing a series of stories about flooding in Elm Grove, dozens of Montgomery County residents have contacted me about similar complaints.

Woodridge Village had only one of five detention ponds fully functioning when this shot was taken after the May 7th flood. Lack of retention for this clear cut area contributed to damaging 196 homes in Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest, plus an unknown number of additional homes in Porter. Drone Footage courtesy of Jim Zura, ZuraProductions.com

All the stories follow a similar pattern. “We never flooded. Then a new development came in and we did.” Residents complain that frequently the new developments alter drainage without adding enough detention to mitigate flooding.

As population growth extends northward in Montgomery County, this will become an oft repeated story. It will affect everyone in Montgomery County, not just those in the southern part and Harris County…unless the loophole is closed.

Case Studies Dramatize Value of Detention Ponds

Doubt the value of detention ponds? Consider these three case studies by FEMA. Each deals with severe rain events and explains how a pond helped reduce or eliminate flooding altogether – for homes that previously flood repetitively. Together, they make a pretty powerful case for closing the loophole.

The first talks about how a pond in Smithville, TX, that was under construction at the time of Harvey. It helped reduce the severity of flooding.

The second discusses a municipal pond in Pine Forest, a small town in Orange County, TX, north of Beaumont. After construction of the pond, “The community of roughly 500 residents and those living downstream from the ponds reported none of the flooding they had seen in the past.”

Victoria Project Protected Homes and Tax Base During Harvey

Closer to Houston, the third talks about a project in Victoria, TX. When Harvey hit the city of 68,000 in August 2017, 440 homes avoided flood damage. The City had completed the Lone Tree Creek Channel Improvement and Detention Facility Project there more than a decade earlier.

In 2005, the city recognized that its rapid residential growth created an overwhelmed drainage basin. Leaders began the planning stages of the Lone Tree Creek Project. “This project forced the creek to store water in the detention pond and not in the residential area,” said John Johnson, floodplain manager for Victoria.

Bottom line: “We are not moving the problem and recreating it elsewhere,” said Johnson.

“The quality of life is improved, and property resale is up as a result of this project,” said Johnson. “The tax base remained intact and property ownership stabilized in neighborhoods surrounding the Lone Tree Creek Channel. The quality of life is improved, and property resale is up as a result of this project.”

Learn More about Flood Mitigation Best Practices

For more information about flood mitigation best practices, see FEMA.

If you, or anyone you know, intend to speak at the Montgomery County Commissioners Court meeting on the 27th, use these real-world examples to reinforce the message to close the loophole.

Help Close the Loophole

Closing the loophole is a no brainer, or at least, it should be.  However, if the court on August 27 is packed by developers and not citizens, expect the status quo – more flooding.

Posted by Bob Rehak on August 10, 2019 with drone footage from Jim Zura

711 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Thoughts expressed in this post represent my opinions on matters of public policy and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP statute of the great state of Texas.

Government Gone Wild: Army Corp Refuses to Release Dredging Documents that Explain Decisions, Delays

The Army Corps has refused to release documents that explain key decisions, delays and plans related to West Fork mouth bar dredging, and a potential placement area for the spoils. At issue are the Corps’ decisions to dredge only 500,000 cubic yards from the area of the mouth bar and to delay approval of the City’s proposed placement area for long-term dredging.

As a result of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request related to these decisions, I also learned that the Corps:

  • Is dredging near the mouth bar without a plan
  • Is almost done with the mouth bar project and hopes to have a plan before it finishes
  • Has repeatedly delayed a decision on a new placement area that could have saved millions of tax dollars.

Meanwhile, the Corps continues sending sediment to a mine that leaks it back into the river. That mine – in the floodway – has a dubious environmental record at best. This seems to be a case of Government Gone Wild.

Dueling Studies Offer Different Opinions of Harvey-related Mouth Bar Volume

The City of Houston and Army Corps have reportedly argued for a year or more about how much sediment Harvey deposited in the mouth bar. Late last year, FEMA required the City to perform a core-sample study using something called the Stockton Protocol. The City hired Tetra Tech to do it. And Tetra Tech concluded Harvey deposited 1.4 million cubic yards. Here is their study.

The Corps, however, evidently did not buy the results. The Corps conducted another study for FEMA using a different protocol. It concluded Harvey deposited 500,000 cubic yards.

The Corps, however, refused to release the results of that study for public review.

FEMA and the Corps went ahead and hired Great Lakes to dredge that volume from the mouth bar. That job is now more than half complete.

As part of their refusal to release their study, they cited the need to keep “pre-decision” information confidential so that inter- and intra-agency personnel could debate the merits of proposals freely. I get that. What I don’t get is how they justify this as “pre-decision.” The job is almost complete!

Dredging Without a Plan

While inventorying the documents that the Corps DID send me, I also discovered that they are now dredging the mouth bar area – without a plan. I know this because I requested the plan and they did not supply it. A Corps representative then explained that they are still working on the plan. They hope to have it done before they complete the $17 million job.

Wasteful Spending?

The Corps could be saving much of that money by using Berry Madden’s property near Kings Lake Estates as a disposal site. That’s because they need more than 5,000 gallons of diesel per day and two extra boosters (plus their crews) to pump sediment 10 miles upriver to an old West Fork sand mine in the floodway.

At the current price of diesel (about $3/gallon), that’s about $15,000 per day for fuel alone. More than $100,000 per week. And more than $400,000 per month. Waaaaay more than the limit on my gas cards. So what does the Corps get for all that?

Dike Breaches of Placement Area in Floodway

Minor floods last December breached the dike of that sand mine at least three times. Sediment continues to sweep out of the mine.

Placement Area #2 near Kingwood College on West Fork. This image is from February, but it is the same mine, whose dikes were breached in December.

It has caused additional shoaling (see below) that will need to be removed some day near the I-69 bridge. It even buried Great Lakes pipes, causing cost overruns for Phase 1.

Shoaling has become so bad through this reach of the river that it buried Great Lakes pipeline, resulting in cost overruns.

A year ago, this same mine was caught on camera deliberately sending its process water straight into the West Fork.

Video provided to ReduceFlooding.Com. Source wishes to remain anonymous.

Yet, while approving this site, the Corps reportedly has environmental concerns over a much closer disposal site that would require less fuel and fewer boosters. It’s also on higher ground and out of the floodway. It’s Berry Madden’s property in Humble immediately west of Kings Lake Estates between the West Fork and 1960.

Five different proposed placement areas on Madden property avoid wetlands (the cross-hatched areas).

The Corps may or may not have good reasons for disliking the property, but they won’t reveal them whatever they are.

After more than a year of environmental and archeological studies costing Madden more than $100,000, the Corps still has not approved or rejected his property. Nor have they explained delays in approving or rejecting it. The documents that the Corps DID supply show that they are throwing one obstacle after another in Madden’s path. Despite the fact that he’s on higher ground and farther from the river than the current placement area.

Meanwhile, the Corps subsidizes the sub-optimal sand mine/placement area above. Go figure!

Potential Setback for Future Dredging

One of the consequences of NOT having an approved site to store additional spoils is that it could delay future phases of dredging. Those potentially include:

  • Additional mouth bar dredging
  • 59 to River Grove Park
  • Maintenance dredging
  • Mouths of ditches such as Ben’s Branch

FOIA Scorecard

I filed my Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the Army Corps 50 days ago. I requested:

  • Their plans for mouth-bar dredging
  • Conference reports of meetings where the mouth bar was discussed
  • Documents relating to the approval of Berry Madden’s property in Humble as a potential storage site.

About a month ago, they requested a clarification. “What do you mean by ‘plans’?” Seriously! The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers needed to have the concept of plans explained????!!!

After more delays and excuses, five days ago, I received a compact disk in the mail with approximately 800 total pages of material. The Corps:

  • OMITTED any mouth-bar plans.
  • OMITTED the Corps study that contradicted the Tetra Tech study.
  • WITHHELD 118 pages of material that could have explained their decision.
  • REDACTED key correspondence relating to Madden’s property.
  • SUBSTITUTED dredging status reports from contractor meetings for conference reports of meetings among City, State and Federal officials where decisions about the mouth bar were considered.

Government Gone Wild

After several phone calls in which I tried to cajole them into supplying the Corps’ study, I received another email from the Corps. It said that they considered my original FOIA request closed. They then asked me to submit another one for the same material that I requested in June. They seem to be treating this as a national-security issue, not a public-safety issue. Why?

Here’s the explanation from the Corps. The letter claims that they need to keep pre-decision information secret in order to foster free discussion between its employees and other government agencies and to avoid confusing the public.

Unfortunately, that does not allow informed discussion among the public, whose safety is at stake. Nor does it recognize the fact that they have already made a decision, i.e, to dredge 500,000 cubic yards and have half-completed the project. So how does this qualify as “pre-decisional”?

You’ll have to ask the man who signed this letter.

He has the title “Initial Denial Authority.” How many levels are there?

In my opinion, this is clearly a government agency out of control. The Corps has made a decision to dredge only 500,000 cubic yards – despite scientific evidence supporting a higher volume of 1.4 million cubic yards. And that scientific evidence was acquired using a protocol that the CORPS AND FEMA DEMANDED.

Who Will Pick Up the Pieces?

That leaves the State, County, City and the public in the lurch. Maybe a Congressional investigation could sort this out. That’s what it will take.

At this point, it’s not clear how, when or if the mouth-bar job will be finished. Five hundred thousand cubic yards is a small fraction of what needs to be removed to restore conveyance to the river.

It’s also not clear how many more hurdles the Corps will put in the way of a placement area farther from the river on higher ground. Or why.

A curtain of secrecy has descended upon this job. I will continue to follow the story. The public has a right to know.

Open Offer to Corps to Rebut Criticisms

If the Corps feels I have criticized it unjustly, I invite a spokesperson to explain the Corps point of view. I promise to reprint the rebuttal verbatim.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/9/2019

710 Days since Hurricane Harvey

The thoughts in this post represent my opinions on matters of public interest and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.

First Phase of West Fork Dredging Completed

The Army Corps has completed the original scope of its West Fork Emergency Dredging Project. Great Lakes, the prime contractor, finished its portion of the job in mid-April. This week, Callan Marine, the subcontractor, finished its portion of the dredging.

Subcontractor Callan Marine Now Demobilizing

Callan has already begun demobilizing. So far, the company has unhooked its dredge from its pipeline and is removing its booster pumps and other equipment from the river. Callan should have all of its equipment back at the command site dock by this weekend.

Yesterday, Keith Jordan, a resident of Kings Lake Estates, greeted the news joyfully. “Hallelujah! It’s simply amazing how quiet it is tonight.  It’s been a long 8 months!” Jordan had a booster pump anchored behind his home the entire time and complained several times to the Corps about noise.

Callan operated the blue dredge that worked the area downstream from the West Lake Houston Parkway bridge since approximately January.

Callan dredge near King’s Harbor on Jan. 31, 2019. West Lake Houston Parkway Bridge in background. Callan booster pump on far side of bridge.

Mouth Bar Contract Extension Ahead of Schedule

In other news, Great Lakes is far ahead of schedule on a contract extension. The extension is a separate mission assignment from FEMA to the Corps for slightly more than $17 million. It involves dredging 500,000 cubic yards of sediment from the mouth bar. The Corps originally thought the extension would take until January, 2020. However, at the current rate, Great Lakes could finish next month – in less than half the time predicted.

Five-hundred thousand cubic yards will barely scratch the surface of what needs to be removed and may not even be sufficient to cut a channel through the mouth bar area, thus leaving most of the mouth bar intact. It is unclear at this time what the plans are to restore conveyance through this area of the West Fork.

Current Dredging Photos from Carolyn Daniel

A reader, Carolyn Daniel, sent me several pictures taken earlier this week from the window of an airplane as it descended into Bush Intercontinental Airport. They show the Great Lakes Dredge south of the mouth bar. The company also removed vegetation from leading edge of the mouth bar itself. Perhaps they hoped that river currents could help erode the bar which contains far more than 500,000 cubic yards.

Great Lakes Dredge near Mouth Bar with Kingwood in background. Looking north. Town Center is on left and Kings Point on the right. Photo courtesy of Carolyn Daniel. Taken 8/5/2019.
Seconds later, as her plane descended, Carolyn Daniel grabbed this shot of mouth bar dredging. Also looking north, it shows Atascocita Point in the foreground and Fosters Mill and Kings Point in the background.

These images illustrate the enormity of the task ahead and the need to be ruthlessly efficient with resources and time.

Challenges Ahead

Tomorrow, I will look at some of the challenges ahead, and some of the obstacles to restoring conveyance.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/8/2019 with photos from Carolyn Daniel

709 Days since Hurricane Harvey