TACA Spells Out Industry Position on Societal and Environmental Benefits of Sand Mining

In several places on this website, I’ve talked about sand mines on the West and East Forks of the San Jacinto River. Now, the sand miners are talking about this website – in Austin – to state legislators via their trade group, TACA also known as the Texas Aggregate and Concrete Association. 

Things You Never Knew About Sand Mines

Read the TACA White Paper On The Societal and Environmental Benefits of Sand And Gravel Mining. I’m publishing it here verbatim because it is not posted publicly on the group’s own website.

Fresh sand deposits after Harvey coming out of the sand mines on the west fork of the San Jacinto adjacent to Kingwood. Note that the height of the dune is engulfing several medium sized trees.

In the document, TACA makes direct references to photos and a presentation that appear on this website. “One might look at an aerial image or fly over these operations,” they say, “and errantly [emphasis added] speculate that these operations are a potential source of sediment in a stream or river.” Later they say, “…not all sand operator stock piles were flooded in the recent storm.” They also claim, “…sand operations help to mitigate flooding.”

Sand mine in Porter next to Caney Creek covers approximately 600 acres. This stockpile covers approximately 34 acres. Note erosion patterns from Harvey in this shot taken on 9/14/17. Thirty acres of Kingwood’s East End Park, just downstream from here, was covered with sand dunes up to ten feet high during Harvey.

TACA states that one of its objectives is to promote sustainability and environmental stewardship.

One of my objectives is to promote understanding.

Sand mines on the west fork of the San Jacinto adjacent to Kingwood. Note what appears to be a breach of the dike between the mine on the left and the river about two-thirds of the way up the left side of the photo. Also notice how close the dikes are to each side of the river bank. They leave little room to accommodate flood waters.

 

Sand mines on the west fork of the San Jacinto adjacent to Kingwood.

 

Harvey’s floodwaters breached dikes surrounding the sand mines on the west fork of the San Jacinto. This let sand escape. It was carried downstream and deposited in Humble, Forest Cove, Kingwood and Atascocita.

Please Read White Paper Carefully and Closely

I urge you to read The Societal and Environmental Benefits of Sand and Gravel Mining in its entirety and draw your own conclusions. I ask only that you read it very carefully and closely, as you would a contract, because in a sense, what we are talking about IS a social contract.

Sand mines are given a license to operate next to the source of drinking water for millions of people. Are these particular sand mines operating responsibly?

In upcoming posts, I will discuss research I’ve done into best management practices for sand mining.

Posted June 7, 2018 by Bob Rehak

282 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Surprise in Final Harvey Report

Yesterday, I published on this website the 32-page Final Hurricane Harvey Flood Report from Harris County Flood Control. Today someone asked me, “What was the biggest surprise in it?”  Talk about pressure! Harris County packed lots of meat into those 32 pages! I pondered the question all morning and connected the following dots.

Five Times the Average Flow of Niagra Falls

For me, the biggest surprises were the volume of water going over the Lake Houston Dam and where it came from. At the peak of the storm, the amount of water going over the dam exceeded the volume ofNiagra Falls on an average day by 5X. The final figures actually show more water than previously thought going over the spillway: 491,800 cubic feet per second (cfs) vs. 450,000 cfs previously estimated, an increase of almost 10 percent.

More Flow From East Fork than West

When you look at where all that water came from, there was another surprise. More came from the East Fork than the West! See page 12.

In the East Fork numbers, include Peach Creek, Caney Creek and Luce Bayou; In the West Fork numbers, include Spring Creek and Cypress Creek.

One Third of West Fork Flow Came From Lake Conroe Dam Release

Roughly 240,000 cfs came down the West Fork. Seventy-nine thousand cfs came from the release at the Lake Conroe Dam, according to SJRA estimates. So ONE THIRD of the water coming down the West Fork at its peak was from the release. That’s important for the following reason.

Previously, SJRA indicated the Conroe release was approximately 15 percent of all the water going into Lake Houston. While technically true, this observation clouds the picture of what happened on the West Fork. The West Fork sustained 2.5x more damage than the East Fork and the main body of the lake COMBINED. (See Page 14). Survivor interviews suggest that much of that damage did not happen until the release from Lake Conroe!

Conclusion: Multiple Mitigation Measures Needed

That extra 79,000 cfs underscores the need to:

  • Temporarily lower the level of Lake Conroe during the peak of hurricane season
  • Enhance the carrying capacity and velocity of the West Fork through dredging
  • Add upstream retention that helps offset Lake Conroe releases
  • Add flood gates to Lake Houston.

The last item would increase the release rate of the Lake Houston dam during a major storm. The additional discharge capacity of the ten gates proposed by Mayor Turner could easily equal the 80,000 cfs discharged from Lake Conroe, eliminating a bottleneck on the river.

Of course, if we get another Harvey, many people will flood. No surprise there. But these measures should help reduce the damage, and perhaps eliminate it when we have smaller events, such as the Tax and Memorial Day Floods of 2015 and 2016.

Posted 6/5/2018 by Bob Rehak

280 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Final Harvey Report Puts Flood in Perspective

Jeff Lindner, Director Hydrologic Operations and a meteorologist with the Harris County Flood Control District, just released a fascinating compendium of statistics: the Final Harvey Report. It contains everything you need to know to impress your friends, relatives and someday, your great, great grandchildren. When they’re sitting on your knee someday, you can tell them how you survived the greatest flood since Noah.

Ultimate Guide to the Wrath of Harvey

This is the Hurricane Harvey equivalent of the Baseball Encyclopedia. It contains scorecards for every part of the county. Hollywood could start a game show with this document – Wheel of Misfortune!

The Final Harvey Report details the catastrophic devastation from Harvey flooding that occurred all across Harris County. It also puts the storm in historic context and compares it to other previous record storms. Find statistics on:

  • House flooding by watershed and jurisdiction
  • Vehicle Damage
  • Rainfall statistics (duration, totals, intensity by location, probabilities, % over previous records, peak distribution)
  • Insurance claims and coverage
  • Channel flooding, stream flow and gage statistics
  • And more…much more

Did You Know? A Sampling of Statistics from Final Harvey Report

Volume of flows entering Lake Houston from the San Jacinto Watershed

Want to know the peak inflow to Lake Houston?   491,800 cubic feet per second.

How high was the peak flow over the spillway at the Lake Houston Dam? 425,000 cfs.

What is that equivalent to? 5 times the average flow of Niagra Falls.

What was the max rainfall in one hour? 6.8 inches!

What’s the expected recurrence interval for getting 6.8 inches again in one hour? 1500 years!

How many times were 1″-rainfall-in-15-minute alarms triggered during the storm? 336 times!

Of the 154,170 estimated homes flooded across Harris County only 36% had active flood insurance policies in place the day before Harvey…64% did not have flood insurance.

Of the 154,170 homes flooded 105,340 were outside the mapped 1% (100-yr) floodplain and were not required to have flood insurance. The 154,170 is between 9-12% of the total number of structures in Harris County.

Learn more. Read the full Final HCFCD Harvey Report,

Or check out the Houston Chronicle’s coverage of the subject.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/4/18

Day 279 Since Hurricane Harvey

Harris County Flood Control Meeting in Kingwood Will Be Rescheduled

The meeting sponsored by Harris County Flood Control in Kingwood to explain the upcoming $2.5 billion  flood bond is being rescheduled. The rescheduling is so that County Judge Ed Emmett can attend.

The giant, new dune constricts the cross section of the East Fork by at least 50% near East End Park (background). Note how the dune reaches tree tops. The Army Corps emergency dredging project will not affect anything on the East Fork, so it is important that we put issues, such as this on the County’s flood bond agenda. 

Originally the meeting was to have been held at the Kingwood Community Center on June 14 from 6-8pm. That meeting date has been cancelled and will be reset.

June 14 Meeting Harris County Flood Control District Bond Meeting Cancelled

No new date has been set yet. As soon as the new date has been finalized, I will post it on ReduceFlooding.com.

Thanks for your patience. Few things are more important for the future of our community than this flood bond.

Posted June 4, 2018

279 Days Since Hurricane Harvey

 

 

Now is the Time to Start Thinking about Maintenance Dredging

As we prepare to dredge portions of the West Fork of the San Jacinto River for the first time, it’s also time to start planning and budgeting a regular maintenance dredging program. Let’s make sure that’s included in the August 25th $2.5 billion flood bond referendum.

Back in 2000:

…Brown & Root conducted a Regional Flood Protection Study for the Lake Houston Watershed Flood Program. At that time, Brown & Root recommended dredging as the best option to deal with sediment in the river that had accumulated from major floods in 1994 and 1998. They also recommended regular maintenance dredging every five to 10 years.

Engineers  concluded (on Page E-5), that, “…channel enlargement, primarily through sediment removal, was considered one of the more practical alternatives for achieving flood-level reduction” in this area.

Importance of Maintenance Dredging

On page 47 of its report, Brown & Root also states, “Based on the estimated sediment rate, it is expected that regular maintenance dredging at five to ten-year intervals may be necessary in maintaining the current channel conditions.”

But no dredging ever took place, even though (in conclusion on page 70) Brown & Root said, “…sedimentation may progressively aggravate future flooding as depositional areas develop in the area downstream of the Lake Houston Parkway bridge toward Lake Houston. Sediment control along the West Fork channel can be an effective means to minimizing these continued sedimentation problems.”

Ignoring Recommendations Proved Costly

Today, that report sounds prophetic. Sedimentation is exactly what happened where Brown & Root said it would happen. Here’s how the West Fork looks today where it joins Lake Houston.

During the three 500-year floods in the last three years, this West Fork sand bar at the head of Lake Houston grew exponentially. Engineers say that sediment is not being carried out into Lake Houston (background) as expected.

Major Changes Since 2000 that Have Exacerbated Flooding

Since the Brown & Root report, several major things have changed that make dredging, as well as maintenance dredging, even more important:

  • We’ve been hit by four “500-year storms” (2001, 2015, 2016, 2017). They left massive amounts of sediment in the river that have blocked drainage ditches and backed up the river itself.
  • Development has boomed between here and Lake Conroe. Upstream development brings more water to the river faster, exacerbating downstream flooding.
  • According to the Houston Chronicle, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is redefining a 100-year flood for Harris County. Instead of basing it on 12 to 14 inches of rain in a day, the new standard will be 15 to 18 inches. Said another way, many homes that weren’t in the 100-year flood plain soon will be. That’s because a 100-year flood will be based on a greater volume of rain.
  • Sand mining on the West Fork has radically increased. The orange outlines on the first map below show the locations of sand mines between Lake Houston and Conroe today. Note also the one East Fork mine.

Orange outlines show sand mines currently upstream from Lake Houston area. FM1960 Bridge over Lake Houston is in bottom right of image. Courtesy of Google Earth.

This next image from 1999 shows how many fewer sand mines existed then and how many fewer acres they occupied. Note the changes within the outlines.

At the time of the Brown & Root survey, upstream sand mines occupied approximately one fourth the acreage that they do today. 

Maintenance Dredging Could be Included in New Flood Bond

The proposed Harris County flood bond initiative currently includes language that would permit dredging of the West Fork and drainage ditches.

It is important to remember when considering this bond proposal that the US Army Corps of Engineers is only returning the river to pre-Harvey levels. That’s because they’re working with FEMA money which can only be used on Harvey-related damage.

The Harris County bond proposal, in its current, not-yet-final form states that bond funds may be used for…

…FINANCING FLOOD CONTROL PROJECTS FOR THE DISTRICT, INCLUDING … CONSTRUCTION OF IMPROVEMENTS, INCLUDING DETENTION BASINS, CHANNEL MODIFICATIONS AND OTHER WORKS SUITABLE FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH FLOOD DAMAGE REDUCTION, AND FOR THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION OF SUCH IMPROVEMENTS…

Upcoming Meetings: Bond Meeting Postponed

The Harris County Flood Control District originally scheduled for 6pm on June 14th at the Kingwood Community Center has been postponed due to a conflict with Ed Emmett’s schedule. Stay tuned for updates on the new meeting date. Your attendance is important. Let’s clarify the County’s position on additional dredging and whether they support it. The language above seems sufficient to permit it, but we should clarify that.

And please also attend the meeting on June 11th, starting at 6:30pm, also at the Kingwood Community Center. It will feature the dredging project manager from the US Army Corps of Engineers.

When Dredging Will Help the Most

Dredging alone will not save many people from another storm as intense as Harvey. However, preliminary modeling suggests it could be valuable in preventing flooding from smaller and more frequent events, such as 25-, 50- and 100-year storms. Dredging and maintenance dredging are important parts of a more comprehensive solution to flooding in this area.

Posted on June 4, 2018 by Bob Rehak

279 Days since Hurricane Harvey

 

 

Case for Lowering Lake Conroe up to Two Feet During Peak of Hurricane Season

Dockline Magazine just posted three articles in its Spotlight section about lowering the level of Lake Conroe up to 2-feet during the peak of Hurricane season in late August and September.

“The Case for Lowering Lake Conroe Two Feet During Hurricane Season” represents the Lake Houston point of view. I authored it and have reprinted it below.

“Editorial on Proposal to Lower Lake Conroe Levels” sounds as though it represents the magazine’s point of view. However, it the president of the Lake Conroe Association, a group of volunteers, wrote it.

The third article, “SJRA Proposes Temporary Seasonal Lake Lowering Strategy for Lake Conroe” contains the details of the plan to lower the lake. Jace Houston, general manager of the SJRA, authored it.

Currently, the SJRA and City of Houston back the plan to lower Lake Conroe. The TCEQ  is still evaluating the proposal and expected to rule on it later this month.

The Case for Lowering Lake Conroe by up to Two Feet
During the Peak of Hurricane Season

By Bob Rehak, Lake Houston Area Resident

On April 26, in response to pleas from Lake Houston residents and a directive from the governor (to protect downstream residents from flooding), the SJRA board voted to lower the level of Lake Conroe temporarily. The lowering would amount to one foot during the rainiest months in spring and up totwo feet during the peak of hurricane season in late August and September.

I say “up to” because Lake Conroe loses on average of more than a foot and a half due to evaporation by September. The most likely reduction would be only an additional 4.8 inches. In no case would the SJRA manually lower the level of the lake beyond 199 mean feet above sea level (msl).

Nevertheless, in an open letter posted on May 11, the president of the Lake Conroe Association says his group MUST FIGHT a 2-foot reduction. He makes three arguments. Two feet would: 1) make shallow docks unusable, 2) harm tourism, and 3) reduce values of Lake Conroe homes. He says, “Families expect to enjoy their investment...’”

In the letter, he does not address how long SJRA intended the two-foot reduction to last. Nor does he discuss whether it is necessary to protect downstream residents, so allow me.

These seasonal reductions would only last until the threat to downstream residents can be reduced through other measures. In practical terms, that likely means until: 1) the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers can dredge sand buildups that exacerbate West Fork flooding, and 2) the discharge rate of Lake Houston can be synchronized with Lake Conroe’s to eliminate a bottleneck in the river system. SJRA would re-evaluate the need for temporary, seasonal reductions each year and stop them when these other mitigation measures reduce flood risk.

Downstream residents understand that lowering the lake level will make it difficult for some Lake Conroe residents and businesses to use their docks. However, a temporary lowering should not result in any permanent losses. Lake Conroe goes down almost this much naturally every year. Yet still it bounces back. The area is still renowned for its beauty and recreation. And home values have climbed steadily.

Real, Not Potential Damages

Meanwhile, the damage from flooding downstream has devastated thousands of homeowners and businesses.

According to the SBA, more than 16,000 homes and 3,300 businesses in the Lake Houston area suffered damage during Harvey. A survey last month at a meeting of the Lake Houston Area Grass Roots Flood Prevention Initiative showed that half of the residents are stillnot back in their homes – eight months after Harvey! Likewise, many businesses still have not reopened and many never will.

If you think the flood affected only people who built “too near the river,” think again. I live 1.7 miles from the river in a subdivision where 40 percent of the homes flooded. Many of my neighbors still live in hotels, with friends, or in campers as they try to restore their homes. Home damage in our little 350-acre neighborhood totaled an estimated $40 million. Most residents didn’t have flood insurance because they were nowhere near theflood plain. To finance repairs, many have taken on long-term debt, burned through retirement savings, or cashed in their children’s college funds.

Also, because of West Fork flooding during Harvey:

  • Union Pacific had to replace its bridge, disrupting rail traffic for weeks.
  • TxDoT had to replace part of the I-69 bridge, creating massive traffic delays during rush hours for months.
  • 44 percent of all Lake Houston Area Chamber businesses were adversely affected.
  • 100 percent of Humble businesses between Deerbrook Mall and the West Fork flooded on both sides of I-69.
  • 100 percent of Kingwood’s Town Center businesses closed for months.
  • Memorial-Hermann’s new Town Center facility flooded just before it opened and is still under repair.
  • Kingwood and Deerwood country clubs flooded and still have not fully reopened.
  • Lone Star College/Kingwood lost 11 of its 13 buildings for most of the school year.
  • Kingwood High School closed for 7 months and underwent repairs costing $60 million
  • 4000 students had to be bused to another high school an hour away for all that time
  • Humble ISD closed its Instructional Support Center, Welcome Center and Agricultural Barns for repairs.
  • Tax revenues from the Lake Houston area were impacted by 20-30 percent according to City of Houston estimates.
  • Humble ISD had to give out tax rebates for the last third of 2017.
  • Kingwood’s library closed for more than eight months.
  • River Grove Park had to be excavated from sand up to five feet deep.
  • Kingwood’s only community boat launch became landlocked.

Harvey knocked out the Union Pacific Railroad Bridge over the San Jacinto, disrupting rail service for weeks. Picture taken Sept. 14, 2017.

TxDoT hopes to complete I-69 bridge repairs in September, more than a year after Harvey. Picture taken May 13, 2018.

Causes for Concern

So, what caused all this devastation? Was it purely the magnitude of Harvey? Or are other factors at work?

Release Contributes to Flooding Far Outside 500-Year Flood Plain

First, the release of 79,000 cubic feet of water per second from Lake Conroe at the peakof Harvey made the flood worse. That volume represented about ONE THIRD of all the water coming down the heavily populated West Fork between Humble and Kingwood where most of the damage took place.This extra water flooded people and businesses outside the 500-year flood plain.

New Sand Deposits Back Up River and Drainage Ditches

Second, Harvey swept sand downstream, in part, from approximately 20 square miles of sand mines between I-45 and I-69. This sand blocked and backed up the river at strategic choke points. It also blocked drainage ditches leading to the river.

This massive sand bar grew 1500 feet in length and 12 feet in height during Harvey. It now blocks a drainage ditch (left center) that empties the western third of Kingwood. More than 650 homes flooded in neighborhoods that connect to this ditch.

This sandbar deposited during Harvey is an estimated 8 feet in height and stretches nearly the entire width of the West Fork.

Until dredging removes such deposits, Kingwood and Humble residents live in fear of every approaching storm.

Greater than Expected Flooding on Minor Rains

Third, even minor storms are causing much greater-than-expected flooding because of such blockages.

For example, a late-March storm this year dumped an average of five inches of rain across the watershed. It brought floodwaters two to three feet higher than a similar 5-inch rain at the beginning of last August – just before Harvey. Worse, the March flood happened AFTER Lake Houston had been lowered by 2 feet in anticipation of the storm.

Clearly, something has changed on the river. Because of massive sand deposits, such as those shown below, it won’t take another Harvey to cause significant damage.

During Harvey, thousands of homes and businesses flooded behind blockages, such as this one, where the West Fork enters Lake Houston.

At West Lake Houston Parkway (left), Harvey deposited sand in the tree tops. Sand now blocks water from flowing under the bridge and through the trees during a storm as it did before, narrowing the effective width of the river considerably.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is organizing a dredging project to address such problems and expects to start in June. Until they finish and redraw the flood maps after dredging, no one really knows how many homes would flood due to Lake Conroe releases, such as those we have seen in the last three years.

Artificial Bottleneck

A fourth factor also worries Kingwood residents – the dam on Lake Houston has only two small floodgates. Combined, they have one-tenth the release rate of Lake Conroe’s. This creates a bottleneck. It greatly inhibits the ability of officials on both lakes to coordinate releases of water before storms as a flood mitigation strategy.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has committed to adding ten more gates to Lake Houston and Congressman Ted Poe has asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to fast-track the project.

But still, the gates must be built – just as the river must be dredged. Until we fix these problems, thousands of downstream residents will not be able to sleep soundly at night. For them, this is about survival, not recreation.

The Only Immediate Option to Reduce Flood Risk

Lowering the level of Lake Conroe is the only IMMEDIATE option that will provide a buffer against additional downstream flooding.

How much lowering is necessary? Is that extra foot really needed? If we got another storm as intense as Harvey, it would provide downstream residents only a two-hour buffer! That’s right. The storm would raise Lake Conroe that extra foot in just two-hours.

However, the two-foot reduction isn’t designed to protect against another Harvey. It’s designed to protect downstream residents against lesser floods that are abnormally high because of sand blockages like those shown above.

A two-foot reduction would let Lake Conroe absorb more water, decreasing the chances that SJRA would have to open flood gates. And if they had to open flood gates, it would delay the opening, giving downstream residents more time to evacuate.

The Lake Conroe Association will accept a one-foot reduction, but not two. That extra foot doesn’t seem like too much to ask, given all that’s riding on this decision for downstream residents as they still struggle to recover from billions of dollars in damages.

That buffer would also help protect the hundreds of Montgomery County homes that flooded around Lake Conroe and downstream from its dam.

Could another 500-year storm strike us this year? As unlikely as that seems, consider the fact that we’ve had three so-called “500-year storms” in the past three years. Something has changed out there affecting all of our assumptions. That’s why a little extra insurance would help.

Plea for Support

We ask our neighbors to the northwest for patience and support. Instead of lobbying against us, please join our fight. Help us expedite mitigation measures. With your support, our combined voices will bring change faster, so we can all return to normal life sooner.

Until then, we need to manage the river in a way that respects the lives and property of all residents on both sides of the dam, not just one.

Posted on 6/2/2018 by Bob Rehak

277 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Time is Enemy of Flood Mitigation

Everyone says, “It’s not if, but when we will flood again.” Most people would therefore deduce that “Time is the enemy of flood mitigation.”

The Maryland Reminder

We were reminded of that this week with the horrific images of flash floods raging down Main Street of a small Maryland town. It was the town’s second so-called “thousand-year storm” in 22 months. Just two weeks ago, the Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded the state and county more than $1 million to pay for projects aimed at reducing the flood risk in areas around Main Street. The project had barely begun when the second storm hit, wiping out the town again and killing at least one person. Luckless residents lamented how they had already spent their life savings to fix up their homes and businesses after the first flood.

Reason for Count-Up Calendar on This Site

Yes, time is the enemy. That’s precisely why I have put the count-up calendar at the top of every page on this website and why I sign off every post with the number of days since Hurricane Harvey.

I would urge you to do the same every time you contact friends, colleagues and representatives. Remind them how long it’s been. Don’t let people forget.

Official Start of Hurricane Season

Today is the official start of another hurricane season. Already one tropical storm, Alberto, narrowly missed us before the season even began. So where do major flood mitigation projects stand for our area?

Where Major Projects Stand

The Army Corps of Engineers delayed the opening of bids for the West Fork dredging project until June 12. They expect the project to take through the end of the year … just to go from River Grove Park to the West Lake Houston Parkway Bridge.

The TCEQ is still trying to decide whether to allow the SJRA to lower the level of Lake Conroe during the peak of hurricane season … which, if historical averages hold, would amount to a whopping 4.8 inches (because evaporation usually lowers Lake Conroe already by more than 1.5 feet due to evaporation).

Harris County plans to issue a $2.5 billion flood bond on August 25th, the anniversary of Harvey. Harris County Flood Control is  currently defining projects within that fund and soliciting community input on them. (Please come to the Kingwood meeting at the Community Center on June 14 at 6pm.)

Flood gate additions for Lake Houston? See below.

The Flood-Gate Gauntlet

The City of Houston and Harris County Flood Control hired a consultant to evaluate the idea of adding more flood gates to Lake Houston to increase the discharge capacity during floods.

Then the city filled out a three-page Notice of Intent for the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM). TDEM is part of the Texas Department of Public Safety. A Notice of Intent is like an application to fill out an application! The TDEM uses it to evaluate eligibility of an application before the City goes to all the time and expense of actually filling out the real application.

In May, Houston City Council Member Dave Martin notified the public in his newsletter that, “The Notice of Intent was recently approved by the Texas Division of Emergency Management. The City of Houston is now working diligently to complete this application and submit for selection.”

Currently Working on Application

Stephen Costello said, “TDEM has approved the gates project to go to the application phase. We are meeting with Tetra Tech this week (May 7) to discuss timing of application preparation and submittal. Either way we plan on having all resilience projects applications submitted no later than end of August.”

The City must still submit the real application to TDEM. TDEM prioritizes applications based primarily on benefit/cost analysis. TDEM sends those that provide the most benefit for the buck to the Federal Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) within FEMA. FEMA, of course, is within the Department of Homeland Security.

Submittal Hopefully before End of August

Dave Jackson, Chairman of the State Hazard Mitigation team at DPS, has stated that Texas will send $1.2 billion worth of recommended projects to FEMA by August 25th, the anniversary of Harvey.

“If TDEM approves the project application, TDEM then prepares the grant paperwork for City of Houston acceptance,” says Matt Zeve of Harris County Flood Control who has recently submitted 15 other mitigation projects himself. “That’s when the local match is actually encumbered.” HMGP projects work on a 75/25 split.  That means that if the gates cost $47 million, the City must put up almost $12 million that becomes legally reserved for the project.

Grant Approval and Lining Up Funding

It’s unclear at this time where those matching funds will come from. If they come from Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds, those funds have not yet been released by the Federal Government and probably won’t be until November. The CDBG-DR, of course, is administered by yet another agency of the Federal Government – Housing and Urban Development. However, at least one Federal official thinks the City may also be able to use some funds left over from debris cleanup for the match.

Engineering and Construction

Once the monies are committed and plans approved, the Army Corps of Engineers, part of the Department of Defense, gets involved! I am told that the Corps would approve the engineering of the new flood gates.

Shepherding projects such as this one through the federal gauntlet requires constant supervision. Ted Poe and our senators have asked all departments involved to expedite the project. However, Ted Poe retires at the end of this year and either Todd Litton or Dan Crenshaw will replace him. Both would be freshman legislators.

And don’t forget time for environmental studies and comments.

Ted Poe’s Chief of Staff is optimistic though. “With luck, construction could begin in two years,” said Tim Tarpley.

The Case for Process Re-engineering

If ever I saw a classic case for the need to re-engineer business processes, this is it. For the gates, A TIME-SENSITIVE PROJECT, we have involved or will involve:

  • The City of Houston
  • Consultants
  • The Mayor
  • City Council Members
  • City Engineer
  • The Texas Division of Emergency Management
  • The Texas Department of Public Safety
  • The Governor of Texas
  • Federal Hazard Mitigation Grant Program
  • FEMA
  • Department of Homeland Security
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
  • Department of Defense
  • Community Block Grant Development Disaster Recovery Fund
  • Department of Housing and Urban Development
  • U.S. House of Representatives
  • U.S. Senate
  • Cabinet Secretaries
  • Agency Heads
  • Countless staff members at every entity above
  • Environmentalists

Could we possibly make this multi-jurisdictional morass more complicated? A Rubic’s Cube has fewer facets!

After Pearl Harbor, it took approximately 3.5 years to win World War II. Anyone want to bet on how long it will take to add flood gates to Lake Houston?

Posted June 1, 2018 by Bob Rehak

276 Days Since Hurricane Harvey

Harris County Flood Control Solicits Ideas for Flood Bond Package on New Portion of Website

Harris County Flood Control District has just launched a new portion of its website designed to explain the proposed $2.5 billion flood bond package. Residents will go to the polls on August 25, the anniversary of Hurricane Harvey, to vote on the package. For details about the bond package, access the site at https://www.hcfcd.org/bond-program/.

The site is organized by all watersheds in Harris County. For people new to the Lake Houston area, we live within the San Jacinto watershed. Within each watershed, the site also talks about:

  • Potential project types
  • Community engagement meetings
  • Community input
  • Frequently asked questions

One of the more interesting features of the site is an interactive map with icons representing the locations of potential projects. Clicking on an icon reveals the type of project under consideration at that location, the number of people affected and more.

Preliminary map of projects currently under consideration within the San Jacinto River Watershed.

Transparency and Equity Among Goals for Flood Bond

Remember several important things: In addition to flood mitigation, two goals of this project are transparency and equity. The county wants to ensure that the bond money helps each watershed throughout the area, and that money is spent in ways that will help the largest number of people and yield the greatest benefit. That’s why you see the population numbers for each watershed and the number of people affected by each project as you click on icons throughout the map.

More Projects Than Dollars To Do Them

The county has far more potential projects than dollars. Some projects currently under consideration may not make the final cut. Likewise, other projects not yet listed could make the final cut. According to Matt Zeve of Harris County Flood Control, “Our staff is working furiously to define projects for the bond.”

Community Input Meeting for Flood Bond on June 14

Zeve says the County is also soliciting citizen input through community meetings and the website itself. Mark your calendar. One of the first meetings will be in Kingwood at:

Kingwood Community Center
4102 Rustic Woods Drive
Kingwood, Texas  77345

June 14, 2018
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Citizens can also submit input through the website.

“The Harris County Flood Control District accomplishes its mission by working with our partners and local stakeholders to evaluate, develop, and implement flood damage reduction plans and then perform long-term maintenance of drainage infrastructure,” says the site.

Flood damage reduction plans and projects can include:

  • Modifications of streams and bayous to increase the amount of stormwater they carry
  • Creation of detention basins to store excess stormwater
  • Nonstructural flood mitigation tools
  • Any combination of the above

Types of Flood Bond Projects Currently Under Consideration

Currently, the vast majority of projects fall into the following categories. Types of projects eligible for bond funding include:

  • Voluntary Home Buyouts – The purchase of flood-prone structures from willing sellers in areas that are too deep in the floodplain to benefit from structural flood risk reduction projects, or in areas where flood risk reduction projects are not feasible.  This process includes the demolition of the structure and relocation of the seller to higher ground.
  • Storm Repair – Major maintenance projects that restore the designed function and capacity of a channel or stormwater detention basin.
  • Subdivision Drainage Improvement – Partnership projects with the Harris County Engineering Department and a Municipal Utility District to provide drainage improvements to subdivisions in unincorporated Harris County.
  • Local Projects – Flood risk reduction projects such as channel modifications or stormwater detention basin construction using only Harris County Flood Control District funds.
  • Partnership Projects – Flood risk reduction projects such as channel modifications or stormwater detention basin construction using a combination of Harris County Flood Control District funding and funding from local, state, or federal partners such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Prioritization of Projects

Make sure you read the Frequently Asked Questions. One asks, “How will projects be prioritized?” Answer: “High on the priority list are construction-ready projects with federal funding partners (such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Emergency Management Agency) that give the County “the most bang for its flood control buck.”… Consideration is also given to areas that have a lower level of current protection as compared to other areas in the county.”

The county will give highest consideration to projects that meet the following criteria:

  1. Provides the greatest potential flood risk reduction benefits relative to the community’s population
  2. Causes NO increase in existing flood risks upstream or downstream
  3. Offers potential for multiple benefits, in addition to flood risk reduction
  4. Features long-term viability and relatively low maintenance
  5. Includes a clearly defined drainage issue and flood risk reduction benefit
  6. Uses readily available, proven engineering techniques and industry standards
  7. Poses NO undue burden on disadvantaged communities
  8. Minimizes adverse impacts on the environment

Submit Your Flood Bond Ideas Now

If you have ideas to contribute, submit them now so that they can receive the full consideration they deserve. Remember: when it comes to “equity,” historically the San Jacinto watershed has received 0% of flood mitigation budgets, but we suffered 13% of the damage in the region during Harvey. For an excellent discussion of equity and needs throughout the region, see the Greater Houston Flood Mitigation Consortium’s report.

The consortium’s report provides an excellent summary of the needs of the San Jacinto watershed.

Posted on May 31 by Bob Rehak. Thanks to Clay Crawford the tip.

275 Days since Hurricane Harvey

 

San Jacinto West Fork Emergency Dredging Project Details

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has posted bid specifications for its emergency dredging project on the West Fork of the San Jacinto River between Humble and Kingwood.

Bid documents available publicly online reveal details, maps, scope and timing of the project. Specifications, maps and amendments total more than 300 pages. See highlights below.

Start and Completion Dates

Opening of bids for the San Jacinto River Emergency dredging project, originally scheduled for May 29, has been moved to June 12, 2018. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expects to award the job shortly after bids are opened.

The winning bidder is expected to commence work within five calendar days after the award of the job. The winning bidder is also expected to complete the work within 180 calendar days from the award. That would put the new completion date in mid-January 2019. The core expects bidders to staff the project sufficiently to complete work within that time.

From River Grove Park to Just Beyond
West Lake Houston Parkway Bridge

The project will focus on the area from River Grove Park in Kingwood to slightly east of the West Lake Houston Parkway bridge.

Dredging will start near River Grove Park and end just east of the West Lake Houston Parkway Bridge.

The objective: to restore the main river channel to pre-Harvey conditions by removing sand and other debris, such as dead trees, that obstruct the flow of the river.

Removal and Storage Methods

Sediment may be excavated or dredged mechanically. Regardless of how it is removed, it must be placed in one of two designated sand pits. The first is between Townsen and the West Fork, east of US59 and Wilson Road. The second is west of US59, between Sorters Road and the West Fork, south of Kingwood College.

Sediment will be transported via pipeline or trucks to one of two sand pits for permanent storage.

The disposal area south of the river will be filled first – up to the existing ground elevation. When the pit is filled, it will be graded to prevent ponding and make sure it drains toward the San Jacinto River.

The remainder of the sand will go to the second site near Sorters Road. It is unclear at this point whether enough sand will be dredged to fill those pits.

Restoration

Neither sand, nor other debris, will be stored on the river’s banks where it could be washed back into the river.

Fences, roads, ditches, private or public grounds, and other structures or improvements damaged as a result of the contractor’s operations must be repaired or rebuilt at the contractor’s expense.

If fresh deposits from new storms during the term of the project require additional dredging, the Corps will expand the scope to include those.

To view the full specs, visit this site: https://govtribe.com/project/usace-west-fork-san-jacinto-river-emergency-debris-removal-harris-county-texas.

Questions? Ask the Corp Directly

The Lake Houston Area Grassroots Flood Prevention Initiative will be hosting a meeting June 11 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Kingwood Community Center, 4102 Rustic Woods, 77339. So mark your calendars and plan to attend.

Eduardo Irigoyen, Project Leader for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ San Jacinto River West Fork Dredging Project, will discuss the project and take questions.

Additionally, the Flood Prevention Initiative organizers will provide updates on other important issues. They include the potential lowering of Lake Conroe during August and September (as well as next April and May), dam upgrades for Lake Houston, and the upcoming Harris County Flood Mitigation Bond Election.

The meeting is free and open to the public.

Posted May 30, 2018 by Bob Rehak

274 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Where do you live relative to official flood plains?

During Harvey tens of thousands of people in the Houston area outside of 100-year and 500-year flood plains flooded. Do you really know your home’s location relative to official flood plains? It could be important during lesser floods and affect the cost of flood insurance.

This FEMA web site shows interactive flood plain maps that can give you a wealth of information about the risk to your property.

Feature-rich, Interactive Flood-Plain Map by FEMA

Access FEMA’s Flood Zone map for this area by going to this web page: http://maps.riskmap6.com/TX/Harris/

Then follow these steps:

  1. When you get to the entry page, agree to terms and conditions
  2. Type in  your address to get a detailed view of risk for yourself and your neighborhood. Or you can also type in something more general, such as Kingwood TX, to see the contour of flood plains in the entire community.
  3. On the left-hand panel, check both boxes under “Effective Flood Insurance Rate Map.”
  4. The legend is on the right. Some explanations:
    1. Anything in solid purple is in the FLOODWAY. Expect frequent flooding and major damage.
    2. Anything under the fuchsia diagonal stripes is in the 100-year plain. People there have a 1% probability of flooding every year – and a 26% chance of flooding during the life of a 30-year mortgage.
    3. Anything under grey diagonal stripes is in the 500-year flood plain. People there have a 0.2% probability of flooding every year – and a 5.8% chance of flooding during the life of a 30-year mortgage.
    4. Properties outside those zones are in an area of overall lower risk. Lower-cost, preferred-rate, flood insurance policies (known as Preferred Risk Policies) are often an option in these areas. See your local insurance agent or visit floodsmart.gov for more information.
  5. If you entered your specific address, click the info button above the map, then click the star on your property to learn more about your risk. After the box pops up, you can click “View Detailed Flood Report” for even more information.
  6. You can hide both the legend and check box panels by clicking on the >> double arrows at the top of each panel.
  7. Zoom and move about, as you would Google Maps.
  8. Use the measuring tool above the map to check your distance from flood zones and hazards such as streams, ditches and rivers.

Guide to Terminology

If you need help interpreting all the acronyms and technical language in the check boxes and legend, consult this PDF: How to read a FEMA Map

The PDF above is definitely worth a read. It explains the “language” of flooding and flood insurance. It also explains how to protest a designation if you think the map has misclassified your property, for instance, if your slab has been elevated relative to the average level around you.

Experiment with the different tools and views in the map. Zoom out to see the risk in surrounding areas. The interactive exploration is fascinating.

Regardless of how far you are from flood plains or how high you are above them, if you live in Harris County, seriously consider flood insurance. During Harvey, more homes flooded outside the 500-year flood plain than inside.

A Less Powerful, but Easier-to-Understand Alternative

Harris County Flood Control offers a web site similar to FEMA’s; it has fewer options and less information, but is easier to understand and navigate. It’s actually called a “flood education mapping tool.” See: http://www.harriscountyfemt.org/Index.aspx.

The flood education mapping tool from Harris County Flood Control District has fewer options but is easier to understand.

How to Find the Elevation of Your Home

If you don’t already know the elevation of your home from surveys, deeds or insurance docs, try this web site: https://elevationmap.net/.

My thanks to Paul Margaritis, a long-time Kingwood resident. Paul forwarded this information to RefuceFlooding.com.

Posted 5/29/2018 by Bob Rehak

273 days since Hurricane Harvey