Judge Lauren Reeder of the 234th Judicial District Court has set the trial date in the Elm Grove/North Kingwood Forest flooding case for July 13, 2020.
The docket control order issued by Judge Reeder also lays out the general order of events in the case. On or before:
12/16/2019, all parties to the case must be added and served, a legal process called “joinder.” Inviters this case, more than 200 individual plaintiffs are suing the defendants. Interestingly, the defendants do not yet include the parent company, Perry Homes, or LJA Engineering Inc., the company that designed the development and its detention systems.
4/13/2020, all expert witnesses for parties seeking affirmative relief must be named.
5/13/2020, all other expert witnesses must be named.
6/12/2020, the court will hold a status conference to discuss discovery limitations and alternative dispute resolution (i.e., mediation). The discover period ends on 6/12. All pleadings, amendments and challenges to expert testimony must also be heard by this date.
On 6/29/20 at 1:30 pm, Judge Reeder has scheduled a docket call at which all parties to the case must be prepared to discuss every aspect of the case.
Judge Reeder also tentatively scheduled the trial for 7/13/2020.
Construction on the Woodridge Village development will continue during the pre-trial phase. This has some residents concerned. While the construction of detention ponds is encouraging, any flaws in the construction of the engineering plans will be set in concrete before the case goes to trial. If there are flaws, that could affect flooding for years to come.
Jeff Miller, an Elm Grove resident, reports that two more culverts have been added to Taylor Gulley where it bisects the northern and southern portions of Woodridge Village.
Posted by Bob Rehak on July 25, 2019 with help from Bill Fowlerand Jeff Miller
695 days after Hurricane Harvey
All 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.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Culverts.jpg?fit=1500%2C867&ssl=18671500adminadmin2019-07-25 14:06:432019-07-25 14:08:21Judge Sets July 2020 Trial Date in Flood Case
A CBS 60-Minutes segment last Sunday brought into focus many thoughts I have been struggling to articulate since Hurricane Harvey. The segment featured an interview with a Dutch flood expert named Henk Ovink. Mr. Ovink has some impressive credentials and consults with other countries and cities around the world. At a strategic level, he looks at America and scratches his strikingly bald head. You can sum up his observations in a paragraph.
America, he says, spends hundreds of billions of dollars to repair flood damage and restore communities to the way they were. The Dutch, he says, focus on re-imagining their cities to move structures and people out of harm’s way. The idea is to give floods more room to spread out rather than to confine them within dikes. Instead of incentivizing people with below-cost national flood insurance to build ever closer to danger areas, reward them for moving to safer places.
It’s not as if these are new ideas. We hear people talking about them ad nauseam – at conferences, on TV, in City Council chambers, in newspaper reports. Yet we never take action on them. As a result, homes and businesses flood repetitively. And people die. In contrast, no one has died in a Dutch flood since 1955, says Mr. Ovink.
This raises an obvious question.
What keeps us from adopting simple, low-cost, proven solutions?
The answer should be blindingly obvious, but isn’t … at least to Americans … and especially Texans, who believe in individual freedom and competition more than most.
If you take the time to watch Mr. Ovink’s other speeches and interviews on YouTube, you’ll get a hint. He talks a lot about the spirit of cooperation among the Dutch people. It’s not as if American’s don’t know how to cooperate. It’s that we don’t LIKE to cooperate – if there’s money to be made.
Cooperation Vs. Competition
From a sociological and psychological perspective, humans have two great survival strategies: cooperation and competition. You can see them built into our political fabric at every level, dating back to the U.S. Constitution. We built America on both. Fifty states work together to provide for things like a common defense. But we also have fifty states competing with each other for jobs, economic development, and the freedom to pursue different values.
The contradiction and tension between these two survival strategies defines the American mindset and American politics. Two local, recent examples:
Romerica is trying to build a 3.2 million square foot development in wetlands near the floodway of the San Jacinto West Fork. They know it’s not safe, but they can make money by buying up cheap flood plain land and then sell river views at a profit. Taxpayer-subsided flood insurance protects everyone. So why not?
In Montgomery County, a private water utility is fighting what it calls a “government monopoly” on the supply of water. QuadVest and Simon Sequeira want unlimited groundwater pumping to pump up their profits. They dispute the science that points to the subsidence it will generate, endangering other people’s property.
Lessons from the Pursuit of Loneliness
As I reflected on this, it reminded me of a book I read in 1970, The Pursuit of Loneliness by Phillip Slater. For a sociology book, it became a blockbuster success. It sold more than half a million copies, a monster number at the time.
The New York Times said in a review, “…the book explored the tension between the Lone Ranger individualist who occupies center stage in American myth and the communal interdependence that defines democracy in reality.”
The example I remember best from Slater’s book, which I read almost 50 years ago, concerned migration to suburbs and exurbs. For thousands of years, Slater said, to be civilized meant to be citified. We love all the benefits of living in a city (like jobs, shopping, cultural and sporting events), but our dream is a ranch far out in the country that lets us escape. So we buy it, then lobby to build an eight-lane divided highway to it. Use up two to three hours a day commuting. And pollute the air along the way. We wake up years later only to find that we have destroyed the very lifestyle we we fought so hard to attain.
The book is filled with contradictions like this. For instance, when connectedness brings us happiness, why do we work so hard to live in walled-off homes? I highly recommend it.
Group Vs. Individual
This conflict between cooperation and competition, independence and interdependence, defines the contradictions in our ambitions, politics and lifestyles. It’s what makes America and Texas so insanely great. It’s also one of the things that makes flood mitigation so difficult and expensive. Our belief in individual rights blinds us to the obvious. Maybe we should just give the river room to flood by turning that flood plain property into communal parks that everyone can enjoy. But who will give up their river view? Or the freedom to flood?
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/25/2019
695 Days since Hurricane Harvey
All thoughts expressed in this post are my opinions on matters of public policy. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP law of the great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Harvey.jpg?fit=1500%2C794&ssl=17941500adminadmin2019-07-25 00:46:232019-07-25 01:07:36Giving Rivers More Room: Who Wants to Give Up The Freedom to Flood?
Two new subdivisions, Northpark Woods and Woodridge Village, made me worry about the impact of upstream development on Kingwood and the rest of the Lake Houston area. Could these developments overwhelm the capacity of our drainage ditches? Could they increase our chances of flooding? The consensus among flood professionals: It’s not likely. But they also qualify their answers. Here’s why.
Clear-cut area for new Northpark Woods development in Porter.This 90-acre area will contain hundreds of starter homes in the flood plain of the West Fork (background), ranging from 1200 to 2400SF.
Changes in Detention Requirements Over Time
In the past, upstream development definitely contributed to downstream flooding in places like Bellaire and Meyerland. But that was back before regulations in most cities and counties required detention ponds in new developments. In many cases, no detention was provided for a development because it simply wasn’t part of the requirements of the time.
It’s different now for places like Kingwood because much of the upstream development has required and continues to require detention.
I found that very comforting. However, we also have some challenges ahead to reduce flood risk.
Not All Counties Have Fill Requirements As Stringent as Harris’
As we’ve seen with the Romerica development, Harris County has stringent requirements about filling in floodplains. Not all surrounding counties have those same restrictions. Can we do anything about that?
Kingwood can certainly advocate among all areas upstream that drain to Lake Houston. For instance, take Montgomery County, Waller County, Grimes County, Walker County, San Jacinto County, and Liberty County. Those and associated incorporated areas (e.g., City of Conroe) should not only require detention for new developments, they should adopt drainage criteria and regulations similar to Harris County.
This would mean that new developments would have to mitigate not only for the increased stormwater runoff, but for any fill they add to the floodplain.
Problems in Harmonizing Flood Plain Regulations
This is a big ask for many areas that are looking to attract development and growth. The problem: Many places on the fringes of the City see lax regulations (or a reputation for lax enforcement) as a way to attract growth. The implied pitch to developers is, “Your costs will be lower here.”
Complicating matters, many residents of those counties moved away from the City because they like the freedom. You just have fewer people telling you what to do out in the country.
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) is inviting interested Texans to attend one of 13 flood outreach meetings during the first two weeks of August. They will solicit comments on the new state and regional flood planning process and the new flood financing program, both established during the 2019 legislative session under SB8 and SB500.
Texans are beginning the first stages in the development of a first-ever statewide flood plan.
Jeff Walker, Executive Administrator of the TWDB says the group is holding these meetings prior to the required formal rulemaking process to help ensure that the new programs meet the needs of Texas communities.
The flood planning program will result in regional flood plans in 2023 and the first state flood plan in September 2024. Intended to make drainage and flood projects more affordable for Texas communities, the flood financing program will be funded through a $793 million transfer from the Rainy Day Fund and will become available in 2020.
The 13 meetings are widely scattered throughout the state. The closest to the Houston area is in Tomball.
Beckendorf Conference Center at Lone Star College–Tomball
30555 Tomball Pkwy.
Tomball, TX 77375
9:30-11:30 a.m.
Friday, August 9
Sign up for more information about these meetings and other flood information at the TWDB’s website.
Said Walker, “Your comments will help us craft programs that reflect the diversity and magnitude of the flood needs in Texas. We hope we will see you in August.”
Monitor Master Watershed Study
Additionally, the Kingwood area should closely monitor the San Jacinto River Watershed Master Drainage Plan currently underway. This study will be the critical document that guides future decisions (and funding) for large flood damage reduction projects upstream of Kingwood.
That includes more upstream detention like the Addicks and Barker Reservoirs. Additional detention was one of three critical remediation measures to help improve flood safety in the Lake Houston Area (detention, dredging and gates for Lake Houston – DDG).
Already some areas have been ruled out for additional detention because of new developments going in upstream. The study began last March after Houston, Harris County, Montgomery County and the SJRA obtained FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funds.
Posted by Bob Rehak on July 23, 2019
693 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/BCAeronautics-Oakhurst-West-1.jpg?fit=1500%2C1125&ssl=111251500adminadmin2019-07-23 19:26:512019-07-23 19:34:15Upstream Development Should Not Affect Kingwood Like It Affected Bellaire, But…
My post about Conroe escalating the Montgomery County water wars and putting millions of people in the crossfire from subsidence drew a response from Simon Sequeira, president of Quadvest. Sequiera is one of the litigants arguing for unlimited pumping of groundwater. On Facebook, he dismissively said, “Rehak has an elementary understanding of the issues.”
Who are Simon Sequiera and Quadvest?
Quadvest claims to be the “fastest growing, privately-owned utility company in Southeast Texas.” It has aggressive growth goals. Unlimited pumping of cheap groundwater would help them attain those goals. I consider Mr. Sequeira’s criticism with that in mind. He has some self-interest in this fight. If he wins, he gets even richer. Unfortunately, for millions of people in the Gulf Coast region, money has a short memory.
The article, titled Disaster, Part Two: Houston, discusses subsidence. It begins with the story of a home – built less than 10 feet above sea level – that had subsided 10 feet in the previous 30 years, three of those feet in just the previous 10 years. The home was separated from the shore and surrounded by sand bags when Broyles wrote the article.
In the next paragraph Broyles discusses the cause: “Across the Houston Ship Channel, … the booming plants and industries of the world’s largest petro-chemical complex and the nation’s third largest port had set in motion an inexorable geologic process which destined their quiet neighborhood for the bottom of Galveston Bay. This great agricultural, industrial, and refining economy—and its population—have been fueled by 190 billion gallons of water a year, available easily and cheaply from industrial and municipal wells. These wells have steadily drained the Evangeline and Chicot aquifers (underground water storage systems) faster than they are refilled by annual rainfall. Each year the wells must go deeper to find water. Because of the region’s geology, water is a vital structural component of the clay and sand underlying the land surface; when it is removed, the land sinks.”
Because of its proximity to sea level, Brownwood felt the effects of subsidence first. But the article goes on to discuss the effects of subsidence in the Sixties and Seventies on Pasadena, League City, Clear Lake, the San Jacinto Battle Ground, Galveston, Texas City, and the Johnson Space Center.
The doomsday scenario most feared then and now is a giant hurricane pushing storm surge up the Bay.
The specter of subsidence was so feared by the people of the time that it led to the creation of the Houston-Galveston Subsidence District by the Texas Legislature in 1975, just months after Broyles wrote the article.
Of course, most of Montgomery County is higher than the area bordering Galveston Bay. So why should Montgomery County residents worry?
Red contours show subsidence in last century. Blue contours show subsidence in first 16 years of this century. Note how the small red circle near Jersey Village (A) quickly expanded to the large blue circle around it. Also note (B) the widening gap between red and blue at the top of the frame. This shows that areas that depend on groundwater, i.e., Montgomery County, are subsiding faster than those on surface water, i.e., most of Harris County. Source: Harris-Galveston Subsidence District.
Water level declines start at the well locations where the aquifer is being overpumped. They call the drawdown curves “cones of depression.” Any local district allowing unlimited groundwater pumping would be impacted first and most. Then the effects would spread to neighboring counties such as Harris and Liberty. This could reduce the gradient of the San Jacinto, causing floodwaters to move slower or accumulate in certain places. Jersey Village is already experiencing this type of flooding due to excessive pumping that put it in the center of a giant bowl.
Fault Activation and Property Damage
Broyles’ article goes on to describe another fear: the activation of faults. “Subsidence caused by massive water withdrawal from regions of high compressibility has also nudged into activity more than 1000 miles of faults. These faults, which generally run parallel to the coast, range in displacement from several inches to eight feet. Such a fault has caused the variation in subsidence at the San Jacinto Monument, where one end of the reflecting pool has sunk three feet and the other end six feet.”
“This faulting,” continues Broyles, “… exacerbates the problems caused by relatively even subsidence; sewers, pipelines, foundations, sensitive catalytic units, and other highly sophisticated structures cannot survive faulting.”
One economic geologist quoted by Broyles in 1975 characterized faults as “slow motion earthquakes.” There’s no shortage of pipelines, wells, and oilfield instructure. We should not forget that Humble Oil Company turned into one of the world’s largest brands, Exxon, and started right here. Also, there’s other infrastructure like roads, sewers and water distribution networks to be concerned about in northern Harris and southern Montgomery Counties.
Private Vs. Public Interest
If Mr. Sequeira is smart, he will pay close attention to the end of Broyles’ article. Broyles concludes with a discussion of a massive and messy class-action lawsuit between those fighting for unlimited pumping and those whose property was damaged.
Broyles said, “…People … endangered by subsidence are not accepting the extinction of their property … stoically.”
That should give everyone on both sides of the current water war lots to think about.
Many wells and pipelines run through the Lake Houston watershed. Hmmmm. Subsidence, faulting, ruptures, drinking water for 2 million people. It’s easy to see how this could get even uglier. Before there is any resolution, history may repeat itself.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/22/2019
692 Days since Hurricane Harvey
All thoughts expressed in this post represent my opinions on matters of public safety and interest. They are protected by the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP statute of the Great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/5-Subsidence-Contour-Map-e1541284423714.jpg?fit=1500%2C1289&ssl=112891500adminadmin2019-07-22 00:14:142019-07-22 14:52:27Those Who Deny History Are Doomed To Repeat It: Subsidence in 1974 and 2019
This morning, more than 22 months after Hurricane Harvey, the Barrington held a grand re-opening ceremony for its 18,000 square foot Manor House. When project manager Lauren Blackburn cut the red tape, residents got their first glimpse of a newly renovated and re-imagined community facility without equal in Kingwood, and perhaps without equal in the Houston area.
Houston City Council Member Dave Martin (left of bow) addresses a crowd gathered for the ribbon cutting ceremony.Lauren Blackburn, right, the project manager planned the renovation meticulously. She laid out 72 steps that had to be taken before residents could even vote on the proposal.
Time to Enjoy Life Again
Driving into the parking lot, I could sense the electricity in the air. A large crowd gathered in front of the Manor House. People wanted this.
Residents of one of the hardest hit subdivisions during Harvey were out to make a statement. Every home looked perfectly manicured and freshly painted. Every blade of grass looked neatly trimmed and postcard perfect. Golfers were enjoying the immaculate greens and fairways of the surrounding Kingwood Country Club. Even the bluebirds were singing.
Flowers and flags set the stage.Impressive without being intimidating, the Manor House radiates warmth and welcome.Part of the library in the Manor House.Conference table in the library.A grand piano adorns the entry hall which looks out over the swimming pool.Opposite the piano in the entry hall, another conversation area welcomes residents and guests to sit awhile and stay.The Manor House is large enough to provide couples and friends with private, peaceful places to relax and socialize. It’s designed to bring people together..One end of the Manor House provides an exercise room for adults.The kitchen and dining area include a bar.Game room for kids and teens includes a full size pool table.Game room also includes ping pong……air hockey and more. Before the renovation, the Manor House did not have a game room at all.The Manor House even has a play room for smaller children. Parents and babysitters can bring kids here to play and socialize. The Manor House contains a room big enough to host parties, book clubs, church groups and more.Reception area in the Manor House.Pool area behind the Manor House. A lighted tennis court allows extended play for serious enthusiasts.This cabana provides shade near the tennis courts and swimming pool.ResidentsAudrey and Gabriel Alvarado with their daughters Gloria and Reeva, can all walk to the new Manor House.The Barrington is surrounded by the Kingwood Country Club, one of the largest private clubs in the country. It offers 72 holes of golf. The Club’s Lake Course surrounds the Barrington.
Overwhelmingly Approved by Barrington Residents
Blackburn says her team of residents surveyed the community three times to determine what the new Manor House should offer. Residents volunteered ideas for everything from the types of activities to the art on the walls.
Even though renovations cost more than $750,000, a whopping seventy-two percent of the residents voted for them.
Reflecting Needs of Next Generation
The developer originally conceived the Barrington for people older than 55. However, the survey found that 30% of the families had children under 10. As a result, the design of the original building, built in 2002/2003 changed.
“The community is different and the Manor House reflects the composition and wishes of the community,” says Blackburn.
Cultivating a Sense of Community
“In fact, we designed it to cultivate a sense of community,” said Blackburn. “People can hold all kinds of private events here. Or just hang out with friends. Groups can hold private events. Book clubs. Watch parties. Bible study. Birthdays. Community meetings. Weddings. Receptions. No other community has something like this. It’s what makes us special.”
The Barrington offers stately homes on immaculate streets surrounded by the Kingwood Country Club and nature.
Defined by Dreams, Not Disaster
Yes, the people of the Barrington made a statement today. They said, “We will no longer be defined by disaster. We will be defined by our dreams.” And they’re making those dreams come alive.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/20/2019
690 Days after Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Barrington_14.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000&ssl=110001500adminadmin2019-07-20 22:11:322020-01-17 10:19:46Barrington Is BACK and BETTER!
An old-West saying proclaimed, “Steal my horse; carry off my wife; but don’t touch my water.” Texans fight over water. Even here in the Gulf Coast area. In fact, in Montgomery County, we have a good, old-fashioned water war erupting. Last week in Conroe, it escalated again, putting millions of residents in surrounding counties at risk. Here’s the latest volley in a shot heard across the Gulf Coast.
To someone who hasn’t been following this controversy closely, that resolution sounded innocent enough. Like a little squabble about objectives. But it’s much more.
One side says unlimited pumping has no negative consequences and that restricting the pumping of groundwater violates their constitutional property rights, impinges their freedom, and restricts their ability to grow. They also feel that the forced conversion to surface water is a monopoly conspiracy to run up prices needlessly. They see the other side as over-reaching bureaucrats eager to impose needless and expensive regulation on a population strapped by high water rates (even though Moco surface water rates compare favorably with others throughout the region).
The other side says unlimited pumping will cause subsidence, increase flooding, deplete aquifers, and deny others their fair share of groundwater. They see the other side as selfish water hogs, oblivious to the future, blind to science, and set on an unsustainable course.
Wowsers! How’d we get to this point?
Surface Water Vs. Groundwater: Pros and Cons
Several aquifers lie under the Houston region. Decades ago, people in neighboring counties learned that excessive pumping from these aquifers caused both depletion and subsidence. So they started converting to surface water to limit flood threats and property damage.
However, surface water is inherently more expensive for several reasons:
You have to buy land to create lakes.
You have to build dams and water treatment systems.
You have to build extensive water distribution networks instead of pumping it from under your feet.
All of that creates incentives to continue pumping groundwater.
So groups advocating cheaper water in Montgomery County found two hydrologists who, surprise, surprise, told them subsidence and depletion won’t happen there – even though the area is already subsiding and water well levels have been in decline!
Large amounts of subsidence are already visible in southern Montgomery County where most groundwater pumping takes place.
State Law Requires Neighboring Counties to Approve Pumpage
The state developed Chapter 36 of the Texas Water Code in large part to protect the public interest from private interests. It governs groups such as the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District in Montgomery County.
Chapter 36 legislates goals for districts. They include:
Conservation
Preservation
Protection
Recharging
Prevention of waste
Control of subsidence
Protection of property rights
Balancing conservation and development of groundwater
Using best available science.
Four Steps to Manage Groundwater
By law and convention, groundwater and subsidence districts manage groundwater with a four-step process.
First, they set goals by defining “desired future conditions.”
Second, they model how much groundwater they can pump to meet those goals.
Third, they develop a plan for achieving the goals.
Fourth, they develop rules for implementing the plan.
It’s enlightening to see how those steps have played out in Montgomery County.
Step One: Define Desired Future Conditions
Groundwater management AREAs (GMAs) set “desired future conditions” (DFCs) or goals for a region. This helps prevent selfish decisions by individual groundwater conservation DISTRICTS (GCDs).
Under current law, goals are now set by a vote of all the GCDs in a GMA.
Instead of your local GCD setting goals for its area, the district must go to the GMA and convince the larger group of GCDs to approve goals for the area. This limits local control, but prevents one district from allowing the aquifer to be mined to the detriment of surrounding counties.
Legislators have divided the Sate into 16 groundwater management areas. Multiple groundwater conservation districts comprise each area (see below).For a high res pdf of this map, click here.GMA 14 includes 20 counties (including Harris and Montgomery), five groundwater conservation districts and two subsidence districts. For a high res PDF of this map, click here.
After the districts in a GMA set the DFC or goal, the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) sets the Modeled Available Groundwater (MAG). This is the volume of groundwater that can be pumped in a particular area while still meeting the DFC goal.
For example, if Montgomery County wants to maintain stable water levels in the aquifer (at today’s height), then producers can pump approximately 65,000 acre feet per year. Prior to the introduction of surface water in 2015, producers were already pumping in excess of 90,000 acre feet per year.
Step 3: GCD Develops Management Plan
Once TWDB sets the MAG limit, then the GCD is supposed to develop a management plan that includes the approved DFC and MAG. The plan describes how they will achieve the DFC goals.
The TWDB rejected the Lone Star Conservation District’s (LSGCD) plan because it did not include a DFC and MAG approved by the rest of the districts in GMA 14.
The LSGCD board doesn’t like the DFC that was approved by the other GCDs because it would limit pumpage to a sustainable amount. They think mining the aquifer will have NO negative consequences, either to them or to neighboring counties.
They don’t want to be stuck with the 2010 DFC because those DFCs limit pumpage to a sustainable amount. Their problem:
Texas law doesn’t allow TWDB to approve just any DFC that LSGCD wants. All GCDs in the area must approve the goal.
Step 4: GCD Adopts Rules to Meet Goals
Once TWDB approves the management plan, a GCD must adopt rules to achieve its goals. Most often, this means adopting rules that limit pumpage to no more than the MAG (limit).
However, GCDs can structure rules many different ways to accomplish their goal. For instance, they could proportionally limit everyone’s pumpage by the same percentage. Or establish different classes of users with different rules for each, etc.
To confirm the latter, I downloaded and reviewed the 2010 GMA-14 report on desired future conditions from the TWDB website. On pages 30/31, it lists the goals for Montgomery County’s LSGCD. The goals say things like, “From estimated year 2008 conditions, the average draw down of the Chicot aquifer should not exceed approximately 3 feet after 8 years.” They go into similar detail for other aquifers, but using different dates, time spans and depletion rates.
These goals are, in fact, different from the rules that the judge found unenforceable.
Section on Subsidence in Executive Summary
Note the executive summary in the last report. It says:
“Subsidence is a major factor in GMA 14. The GMA 14 consultants spent considerable time and effort to evaluate potential impacts by the DFCs on subsidence. The only means of preventing subsidence is stabilizing groundwater levels throughout the Gulf Coast Aquifer System. The District Representatives concluded that the only means of stabilizing groundwater levels is to limit groundwater production.”
This report was approved unanimously by every subsidence and groundwater conservation district in the management area plus their consultants.
Complaints by other Districts
If you have a hard time following this (and many people will), consider what other experts in GMA-14 say in their letters to the Texas Water Development Board when protesting the action of the LSGCD:
City of Houston Public Works: “Houston is concerned that (LSGCD’s) Management Plan … does not safeguard aquifer recharge and recovery and does not support efforts to address subsidence.”
Montgomery County Water Control and Improvement District #1: Complains about the loss of wells due to water level declines and the expenditure of millions of dollars to drill new wells and reset pumps. Requests TWDB to reject the LSGCD Management Plan.
West Harris County Regional Water Authority: Urges TWDB to reject LSGCD Management Plan because of the impact it will have on groundwater availability and subsidence in northern Harris County.
Woodlands Joint Powers Authority: Requests TWDB to reject LSGCD Management Plan citing pumping of groundwater above sustainable levels, risk of additional water level declines, land subsidence, and flooding that would negatively impact private property rights throughout the region.
Harris-Galveston Subsidence District: The LSGCD management plan… “underrepresents the amount of subsidence that has occurred in Montgomery County. … Any additional withdrawal could cause pressure declines in Northern Harris County and additional subsidence.”
Protect Your Own Interests
Every person and entity who stands to be negatively impacted by LSGCD and Conroe’s actions should make their voices heard. They should notify TWDB that they oppose LSGCD’s appeal and support DFCs that prevent water-level declines and subsidence. They also should notify newspapers, neighbors, and community groups. Subsidence is irreversible. A few years of unlimited pumping can produce water level declines that take hundreds of years to reverse.
So speak up NOW.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/20/2019
690 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts in this post are my opinions on matters of public interest and are protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP statute of the great state of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/GMA14_GCD_map-small.jpg?fit=1500%2C1140&ssl=111401500adminadmin2019-07-20 01:26:332019-07-22 12:09:00MoCo Water War Escalates, Putting Millions in Crossfire
These two images, taken almost two years apart, show one of the most dramatic improvements to West Fork conveyance – the removal of a giant blockage that the Army Corps nicknamed Sand Island.
Sand Island mysteriously appeared during Harvey almost overnight and virtually blocked the entire West Fork of the San Jacinto. Today, the blockage is gone as the before/after photos below show.
Taking Time to Reflect on Accomplishments
This is what Sand Island looked like two weeks after Harvey. It appeared virtually overnight. I took this shot from a helicopter.
Facing east. Sand Island blocks the entire west fork of the San Jacinto. The Kingwood Country Club is in the upper left portion of the photo. Shot from a helicopter on 9/14/2017.
Bayou Land Conservancy Provides the “After” Photo
Suzanne Simpson, Land Stewardship Director for the Bayou Land Conservancy, was doing a wetlands inventory with her drone near River Grove Park this morning. She captured a similar shot below of the same area.
After more than a year of dredging, Sand Island is finally gone. The Army Corps and Great Lakes have restored conveyance on this portion of the San Jacinto West Fork, immediately downstream from River Grove Park.Shot by Suzanne Simpson with a drone on 7/18/2019.
A Job Well Done
This pair of images shows the dramatic improvement in conveyance to this portion of the river. Kudos to the Army Corps and their contractors, especially Great Lakes, which managed this portion of dredging.
Clearing the river of blockages like these should have a dramatic impact on conveyance and help reduce future flooding.
Great Lakes is now working on the mouth bar farther downriver, while Callan Marine is dredging the area near Kings Harbor. Only the mouth bar was/is a bigger blockage on the West Fork than Sand Island.
Additional thanks go to FEMA for funding the project, the Texas Division of Emergency Management, former Congressmen Ted Poe, and the City of Houston.
Since dredging started almost a year ago, the Corps has removed 1.8 million cubic yards of sediment. That’s enough sand to fill the Astrodome.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/18/2019
688 Days After Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DJI_0033.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000&ssl=110001500adminadmin2019-07-18 21:37:382019-07-18 21:41:01Now You See It; Now You Don’t. Second Biggest Blockage on West Fork GONE!
Harris County Flood Control crews restoring conveyance of Taylor Gully near Harris/Montgomery County line. Video courtesy of Jeff Miller.Woodridge S2 Detention Pond, immediately upstream from Elm Grove on Taylor Gully.Video courtesy of Jeff Miller.
More than 200 homes flooded near Taylor Gully on May 7th that had never flooded before. The ditch winds through Porter, Woodridge Village, Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest. Homes on all four sides of the new development flooded after contractors altered drainage when clearing the land.
LJA Surveyors Worked over Weekend in Elm Grove
Additional still photos taken last Sunday by Nancy Vera also show LJA Surveying the streets of Elm Grove. Vera asked them what they were doing and the surveyors professed (or feigned) ignorance. They said the reason they were there was “above our pay grade,” according to Vera.
LJA Surveying crew working in Elm Grove on Saturday, July 13, 2019. LJA Surveying is a subsidiary of LJA Engineers, the company hired by the developer of Woodridge Village.Note dumpster in background. Families are still repairing homes more than two months after the May 7th flood. Image courtesy of Nancy Vera.LJA Surveying Truck in Elm Grove. Note: glare caused by shooting photo through windshield. Image courtesy of Nancy Vera.
I’m going to take a wild guess and assume that they’re going to claim that some of the homes were in the 100- and 500-year flood plains. Of course, that ignores the fact that none of those homes had every flooded before, not even in Harvey.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/17/2019 with contributions from Jeff Miller and Nancy Vera
687 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_2635.jpg?fit=640%2C480&ssl=1480640adminadmin2019-07-17 21:03:042019-07-17 21:17:27Video shows Taylor Gully Restoration Reaching County Line; Giant Berm Now Separating Elm Grove and Woodridge
Given the amount of sand we’re currently trying to remove from the mouth bar of the West Fork, this post may seem counter-intuitive to many. However…
Worldwide, sand is becoming scarce according to a number of recent reports and articles from respected sources. And as the scarcity transforms economies, it also transforms our environment.
Sand mine complex on the west fork of the San Jacinto adjacent to Kingwood.
Many now question the sustainability of an economy built on sand extraction from rivers and are exploring ways to reduce our dependence on that source … or import sand from places that are still producing it faster than they are using it.
Sand from Greenland?
An article in the New York Times points to people who are actually researching the feasibility of exporting sand produced by Greenland glaciers to Europe where river mining is outlawed in many countries. Such an endeavor would raise the cost of sand.
The article quotes Jason C. Willett, a minerals commodity specialist with the United States Geological Survey. “Currently almost all sand is mined within 50 miles of where it is used,” he said. “Once you move it any distance, it then costs too much.”
Regardless, the world makes so much concrete (more than 10 billion tons a year), that producers are investigating new ways to supply demand. Population is forecast to grow by more than 25 percent by 2050. “That makes sand, which is about 40 percent of concrete by weight, one of the most-used commodities in the world, and one that is becoming harder to come by in some regions,” says the Times.
Sand and gravel make up the most extracted group of materials, even exceeding fossil fuels1.
Urbanization and global population growth are fuelling an explosion in demand, especially in China, India and Africa2.
Roughly 32 billion to 50 billion tonnes are used globally each year, mainly for making concrete, glass and electronics3. (Note: this number is higher than the one quoted above but also includes additional uses.)
This exceeds the pace of natural renewal4 such that by mid-century, demand might outstrip supply2.
Desert sand grains are too smooth to be useful, and most of the angular sand that is suitable for industry comes from rivers (less than 1% of the world’s land)5.
This extraction of sand and gravel has far-reaching impacts on ecology, infrastructure and the livelihoods of the 3 billion people who live along rivers3,6,7
For example, the Nature article says, “In the Mekong delta, the Vietnamese government estimates that nearly 500,000 people will need to be moved away from river banks that are collapsing as a result of sand mining in the channel.”
Likewise, in Bangladesh, the Umngi River expanded when people started mining sand from the river bid.
Another recent report by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) says, “Shifting consumption patterns, growing populations, increasing urbanization and infrastructure development have increased demand for sand three-fold over the last two decades,” claims the UN Report. “Further to this, damming and extraction have reduced sediment delivery from rivers to many coastal areas, leading to reduced deposits in river deltas and accelerated beach erosion.”
The report also called for reducing demand for sand and gravel through improved designs that cut the amount of concrete in buildings and infrastructure. (Lighter designs would also help address carbon dioxide emissions: Manufacturing cement, the reactive ingredient in concrete, creatives about 5 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions.
UNEP also warns that, “To meet demand in a world of 10 billion people without harming the environment, effective policy, planning, regulation and management will be needed. Currently, sand extraction and use is defined by its local geography and governance context and does not have the same rules, practices and ethics worldwide.” The report aims to start a productive global conversation on sand extraction.
“To curb irresponsible and illegal extraction, ” the report suggests a customization of existing standards and best practices to national circumstances.”
Like all large scale transformations, this one will not be smooth or simple. The problem with all such reports is that they apply global observations to local conditions. And local conditions always govern actions and economics. As long as it’s cheaper to mine local sand than import it from Greenland, someone will mine it locally.
Those transportation costs can be a killer. In commodity businesses, every penny saved represents a competitive advantage. When you track that penny through the supply chain to the cost of finished goods ( i.e., to a house, a building, or a street, for example), it can have a substantial impact on affordability.
In a highly competitive, free-market economy like ours, producers will always fight to lower their cost of production. Getting them to voluntarily adopt practices that could benefit society is tough.
We can’t even get sand miners to push back 100 feet from the river. 4,000 miles to Greenland is a bit of a stretch!
That tiny problem aside, the value of reports such as these is that they let us develop alternatives before time runs out.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/16/2019
686 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Harvey-SanJac_27-e1563290173129.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000&ssl=110001500adminadmin2019-07-16 14:21:152019-07-16 14:21:27Is Time Running Out for Sand?
Beginning last year, developers clear cut the area upstream of the Harris County line without sediment control measures in place. That let erosion from the Woodridge Village property (see below) clog Taylor Gully with sediment.
Photo taken after May 7th flood showed massive erosion over large parts of Woodridge Village. Dirt from this area washed through the culvert in the background which had no erosion control measures in place at the time.
Cleaning that sediment out of Taylor Gully will help restore the natural conveyance of the ditch and reduce future flood risk to Harris County residents.
Video courtesy of Jeff Miller. It looks up Taylor Gully toward the Montgomery County Line in the background and then pans downstream toward Rustling Elms. He was standing with his back to Creek Manor.The culvert you see at the start of this shot is the same culvert in the background of the erosion photo above.
Reducing Flood Risk
Approximately 200 homes adjacent to this ditch flooded on May 7th. Residents appreciate every extra margin of safety they can get, especially since Perry homes and its subsidiaries are far from finished with installing detention upstream.
It was less than a week ago that Harris County commissioners accepted the right of way agreement. That allowed flood control to begin this project. Hats off to to the hard and fast working people at HCFCD!
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/16/2019 with video from Jeff Miller
686 Days since Hurricane Harvey
All thoughts expressed in this post are my opinions on matters of public policy 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/2019/07/MaintenanceBeginsTaylorGully.jpg?fit=1500%2C840&ssl=18401500adminadmin2019-07-15 22:07:082019-07-15 22:07:14Excavation of Taylor Gully Began Monday
