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Editorial: The Secrecy Police and Flood Risk

3/16/26 – If you’ve ever requested public records via the Texas Public Information Act, you know how difficult obtaining them can be. Your success depends, to a large degree, on how embarrassing they could potentially be to a public official.

Want to know how the School Land Board, a group within the Texas General Land Office, got involved in a deal to develop 5300+ acres on some of the most flood-prone land in Southeast Texas that was owned by Scarborough Development? Good luck with that!

How Do They Explain This One?

I initially asked the GLO’s press office about it and was told the land wasn’t in the floodplain. After I showed them flood maps, the GLO “went dark,” as they say in the media business.

Scarborough Land in center from FEMA’s Flood Hazard Layer Viewer: Cross-hatched = Floodway. Aqua = 100-year floodplain, Brown = 500-year. Map dated 2014, pre-Harvey. New draft maps show even worse flooding.

This land lies at the confluence of four major waters: the San Jacinto West Fork, Spring Creek, Cypress Creek and Turkey Creek.

Floodplains Streams from Ryko Drainage Study

So, it’s not surprising that new flood maps recently updated by FEMA show dramatic expansion of both the floodway and floodplains.

Somebody Please Send a Wake-Up Call To Austin

Harris County and the City of Houston have already unanimously passed resolutions against developing the land.

Montgomery County Precinct 3 took a road through the proposed development off of its 2025 Road Bond.

MoCo Engineering demanded a second way into and out of the development, which a bridge across Spring Creek would have provided. But Harris County Flood Control did NOT approve building a bridge across Spring Creek.

One of the most respected hydrologists in the region has said that if the land gets developed, “it would be like aiming a firehose at Humble and Kingwood.”

At least two state reps have tried to get to the bottom of this with little success.

Nearby neighbors who got wind of the deal and fear flooding from it have been trying since 2025 to understand why the state got involved and what the extent of the state’s involvement is?

Stop Sign at the End of the Information Superhighway

The GLO did not produce the requested records for the neighbors. Instead, GLO asked the Texas Attorney General whether it had to release the records.

This morning, the neighbors received a letter from the AG’s office to Ms. Hadassah Schloss, Director of Open Government at the GLO. The letter to Ms. Schloss by Michelle Garza, Assistant Attorney General in the Open Records Division, says GLO does NOT have to produce the requested records.

So, at this point we don’t know:

Whether the deal is on or off
How much the state invested
If the investment is wise
Whether the state can back out without incurring a penalty
What options the GLO and developer are considering
Why the state contended the land was not in a floodplain even though FEMA Maps clearly show it is
Why a state agency charged with flood mitigation is investing in a development likely to make flooding worse.

I’ve never met Ms. Schloss. I’m sure she’s a nice person. But I couldn’t help noticing the irony in her name. In German, “Schloss” means a fortified castle with high walls, often surrounded by a moat to help fend off invading forces. Schloss can also mean “a lock,” as in “locked” doors. And yet, Ms. Schloss is the Director of Open Government for the GLO. But I digress.

Basically, we have government by secrecy.
Bob Rehak

We do know, however, that two executives of Scarborough Lane Development (Ryan Burkhardt and James R. Feagin), the Dallas-based developer behind the deal, made substantial contributions to the re-election campaigns of both Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham and Governor Greg Abbott.

But hey! The secrecy police did their job.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/16/26

3121 Days since Hurricane Harvey

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

Northpark Bridge Work Begins

3/15/26 – Work on the Northpark bridge that will go over the UnionPacific Railroad (UPRR) tracks and Loop 494 began in earnest this week. Contractors began assembling “tubes” made out of rebar that will stretch far underground to form supports for the bridge.

Also an auger has arrived that will soon begin digging holes for the piers. A giant crane will then lift the rebar assemblies into the holes.

How Northpark Bridge Supports Will Be Built

Slurry in the holes will keep them from collapsing in on themselves. Then contractors will pump cement to the bottom of the shaft. The density of the cement will displace the slurry, pushing it up and out of the holes where it will be recaptured.

Contractors will build 43 piers with the longest stretching 85 feet from far underground to the bottom of the bridge.

All photos below were taken on Sunday morning, March 15, 2026.

Abutment area on east side of 494 for northpark bridge — Looking west. The area in the foreground will have retaining walls called abutments. They will support the embankments at the end of the bridge. Farther down toward US59, piers will support the bridge.

*Augur on right will begin drilling holes for the piers that support the center span of the bridge. Crane on left will place rebar tubes into the holes.*

*Close up of the business end of the augur.*

*Rebar tubes that will reinforce concrete pumped into the holes.*

*This crane will place the rebar tubes in the holes for the piers.*

*The other end of the six-lane bridge will “land” between What-a-Burger and PNC Bank west of 494 in the area where you see the dirt.*

*Looking east from over US59. The bridge will eventually stretch from one end of the dirt area in the center to the other and create an all-weather evacuation route across Loop 494 and the UPRR tracks.*

*Pavement on surface roads is creeping closer to the UPRR tracks. Once the two surface lanes on either side of the bridge are in place, the vertical work on the bridge can begin.*

UPRR is still working on permanent crossing gates that will guard the sections of the tracks with the concrete inserts. If you look closely in the picture above, you can see a UPRR worker with an orange vest working in a controller cabinet north/left of the track insert.

Other News: Center Curbs, Entry Ponds and Enclave

In other Northpark news, contractors have completed the center curbs that will stretch down Northpark. Eventually, the area between the curbs will be filled with concrete.

*Center curbs now installed. For the first time, you can see the six lanes that will stretch all the way from the east end of the bridge down past Russell Palmer Road.*

*The new Northpark Enclave development will feature 100 homes on ten acres, but Friendswood has yet to work out Northpark access issues with the City of Houston.*

More excavation took place in the north pond at the US59 entry. The pond is almost ready for placement of the liner that will help retain water. The pond will serve two functions: stormwater retention and beautification.

Heavy rains last week slowed construction a bit, but you can definitely see progress.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/15/26

3120 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Median Madness 6: Joie de Volunteering

3/14/26 – Scores of volunteers – young and old – showed up this morning in picture perfect weather for Median Madness 6. After a brief safety moment by Houston City Council Member Fred Flickinger and Trees for Kingwood’s Chris Bloch, they posed for a team photo. Then, armed with shears and saws, they experienced the joy people feel from volunteering and helping others – a true helper’s high.

A Sense of Purpose and Satisfaction

They attacked a thicket of vines and protruding branches encroaching on traffic along a two block stretch of Kingwood Drive between Fosters Mill and Sand Creek.

There was a palpable air of satisfaction that comes from service to the community. You could see it in the looks of determination on their faces. You could feel it as they team-tackled gnarly growths of vines. See photos below.

*Council Member Fred Flickinger (center, blue shirt) kicked off the morning with a thank you to sponsors Chick-fil-A, H-E-B, Trees for Kingwood and the Houston Parks and Recreation Department*

*Chris Bloch (brown shirt) of Trees for Kingwood instructed the volunteers on their mission and safety.*

*Houston Parks employees turned out to help volunteers. They gathered piles of brush and attacked larger limbs with chain saws.*

*Many of the volunteers were from Kingwood High School groups such as Greenbelt Guardians and the Young Men’s Service League.*

*The army of vine wranglers posed for a team photo before getting down to work.*

*Then they quickly fanned out down the median.*..

*…and got straight to work, pulling vines and stacking them for disposal.*

*Within minutes, the piles of vines started to grow.*..

*…and you could see the smiles all around.*

*Age was no deterrent. This volunteer more than kept up with younger ones.*

*Within the first half hour, Houston Parks employees were pushing the clippings into larger piles for disposal*…

*…and volunteers were spread out on both sides of the median for blocks.*

A Heartfelt Thank You

This community spirit is a large part of what makes Kingwood Kingwood – people giving a Saturday morning to make their community a better, safer place to live. Thanks to all who gave their time and effort!

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/14/26

3119 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Kingwood Diversion Ditch Project Delayed Again

3/13/26 – Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) has asked for a 20-month extension on the Kingwood Diversion Ditch Project scheduled to take 24 months. The original period of performance for the contract was from 4/1/24 to 4/1/26. But backup provided to Commissioners Court shows HCFCD doesn’t even expect to give the vendor a notice to proceed until 4/27/26.

The announced reason for the extension request: “…an unforeseen delay in project cost negotiations to remain within budget…”

“Who negotiates with a vendor for two years on a job with a two year deadline?”
Bob Rehak

See Item #148 on the agenda for March 19, 2026 and the explanation sent to commissioners and the EPA (the grantor).

Top Priority or Lowest?

The Kingwood Area Drainage Analysis recommended expanding the Diversion Ditch as the top priority in Kingwood in 2020.

Preliminary engineering on the project began in 2021. But then the Democrats on Commissioner’s Court forced a management change at HCFCD.

The preliminary engineering was supposed to take 330 days, but it took four years instead. Worse, after all that time, it was criticized for not reflecting actual conditions and obvious recommendations. HCFCD blamed the problems on vendor “personnel issues.”

But it took HCFCD another seven months from publication of the preliminary engineering report to the time they officially delivered it to Commissioners Court for formal approval.

Congressman Dan Crenshaw first requested a $1.6 million grant for Diversion Ditch design in 2021. It was approved in the fiscal year 2022 budget by Congress. Now, HCFCD is requesting a two-year extension until December 31, 2027.

From the identification of the need in the Kingwood Area Drainage analysis on 10/20/20 to the projected end date of 12/31/27, 2628 days will elapse (assuming no more delays).

To put that in perspective, the U.S. won World War II in 1348 days.

So, it will take almost twice as long to redesign a channel as it did to win World War II! That takes some real talent! I’m not sure it’s possible to walk a project any slower and not have Commissioners Court notice. To be fair, the Diversion Ditch IS more than three miles long!

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/13/26

3118 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Cedar Bayou Floodplain-Fill Situation Worsening

3/12/26 – According to the Office of the Harris County Engineer, TXDoT’s prime contractor on the FM2100 expansion operation and a subcontractor have been told to refrain from bringing additional fill into the floodplain of Cedar Bayou. Mr. Yancey Scott, PE, CFM, Assistant Director of Permits, said the County Attorney’s Office hand delivered a letter on 3/5/26 notifying them to stop placing fill in the floodplain.

I have not photographed them bringing any more fill into the floodplain since then. However, the situation does appear to be worsening. Someone is spreading the fill out over an area three times larger on the same property. Now, instead of reaching 20-30 feet up over approximately six acres, it’s being spread across 17 acres.

Imagine standing up in full bathtub, then lying down. You will displace more water when lying because your “footprint” increases. It’s the same with the fill.

History of Operation

For months, TXDoT contractors working on the FM2100 expansion project in Huffman were excavating a detention basin above the floodplain in the Luce Bayou watershed. From there, they trucked the dirt to the Cedar Bayou watershed and dumped it in the floodplain, reportedly without a permit. I first captured the dumping on camera on Feb. 5, 2026.

Despite seemingly violating Section 4.07(e) of Harris County’s Floodplain Regulations, the operation had shifted into an even higher gear by Feb. 23, 2026.

On Feb. 25, 2026, Harris County first shut down the operation. According to local residents, the contractor started hauling the dirt to an alternative site in Liberty County.

But by March 4, 2026, I photographed more trucks bringing more fill to the original property in the Cedar Bayou floodplain on Huffman Eastgate Road. This time they spread it out, though, in the northern part of the red box below.

*Current effective FEMA Floodplain Map dated 6/18/2007*. *Aqua colored area is 100-year floodplain. Note how floodplain extends past Inter-basin Transfer Canal at top of frame.*

*3/4/26.* *I witnessed a steady parade of dump trucks coming from the FM2100 excavation site and dumping their loads* *near the Inter-Basin Transfer Canal at top of frame.*

*3/4/26.* *As fast as the belly dump trucks would empty their loads, a bulldozer spread them out.*

*Meanwhile, more trucks dropped their loads on the southern edge of the red box in the floodplain.* *Both northern and southern areas were receiving dirt on 3/4/26.*

I watched with an incredulous neighbor who had flooded repeatedly, as the steady stream of dump trucks dropped their loads.

Then on Sunday, March 8, I returned. The site was quiet. But I noticed a sizable portion of the original pile on the southern edge of the property was missing.

*3.8.26. Sunday. Large Portion of fill had been relocated to area behind camera.*

*3.8.26*. *Fill from upper right was added to new fill in lower left.*

On March 10, Doug Begley, a staff writer for the Houston Chronicle published his expose of the operation.

Photos Taken on 3/12/26

On 3/12/26, I returned and learned what happened to that chunk of the southern pile. The contractors were spreading it out over the rest of the property along with previously deposited new fill straight from FM2100.

*Cedar Bayou floodplain fill on 3/12/26. Original pile (right) is now being spread out over property to the north (l).*

*3/12/26. Relocated Cedar Bayou floodplain fill is already higher than fence line. Note height of fill in distance relative to height of trees on left.*

*3/12/26. Looking S toward the original pile.*

To put the volume of this fill in perspective, the height of that truck in the foreground is 11’3″. The excavator is completely above it, yet below the bulldozer at the top of the frame, which is still below the top of the pile in the upper frame.

Engineering Department Still Hasn’t Complied with FOIA Request

Floodplain regulations generally prohibit placing fill in either the 500- or 100-year floodplain. They also discourage moving fill from one watershed to another.

This operation reportedly began without a permit. To get a permit, the land owner had to submit a hydrologist’s report explaining how the fill would be mitigated.

I have tried without luck to obtain copies of the supposed report and permit for more than two weeks. At first, I was blocked from making a public information request on the Harris County Engineer’s website. By the time I could make the request, a week had elapsed. Now, almost another week has passed. And they haven’t started processing the request yet.

In the meantime, I talked to five county employees via phone or email, none of whom would (or could) send me the alleged permit and study. I also noted many conflicts between their stories as to the supposed dates of the permit, the cease-and-desist letter, engineer’s study, how/where to report violations, etc.

Only one thing is clear. We may never get to the bottom of all this dirt.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/12/26

3117 Days since Hurricane Harvey

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

Secondary Floods … of Plastics

3/11/26 – After every street flood, we often see floods of another sort: plastics littering our shorelines.

Today, a peaceful walk by the San Jacinto West Fork turned into a horror show when I saw thousands of plastic bottles, cups and food containers littering the shoreline. So, I did some research to see how it typically gets there.

*West Fork Trash* *Accumulation*. *Thousands of plastic bottles, styrofoam cups and food containers.*

Spoiler alert: it doesn’t all come from boaters or fishermen. And lest you think I’m anti-plastic, let me say upfront that I’m not.

Benefits of Plastics

Plastics have many benefits. For instance, they reduce food waste. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, about one-third of all food produced globally is lost or wasted (~1.3 billion tons annually).

However, plastic packaging plays a significant role in reducing losses in:

Transportation
Storage
Retail display
Household storage.

Think how much worse our hunger problems would be without plastics.

Thin, lightweight plastics also reduce packaging and transportation costs.

If Not Recycled…

But if not recycled, plastics can also have a downside. They can persist hundreds of years in the environment.

River systems like the San Jacinto act as plastic transport corridors.

They carry urban litter to estuaries and the Gulf of Mexico. Instead of decomposing biologically, plastics fragment into smaller pieces due to UV light and mechanical abrasion. These fragments accumulate in:

Oceans
River sediments
Floodplains
Agricultural soils
Groundwater systems

From there, they can enter the food chain via fish, birds, and other animals.

Runoff Flushes Plastic Litter into Rivers

The best available evidence indicates that urban runoff and storm-drain systems are among the dominant pathways for plastics to enter the food chain, especially in developed watersheds.

A 2024 review of stormwater microplastics concluded:

Urban runoff is “one of the main sources of microplastics in aquatic systems.”
Stormwater samples contained up to 15,499 microplastic particles per liter in some urban runoff events.

Episodic Nature of Plastic Discharges

Because municipal storm-drain systems discharge directly to rivers or streams without treatment, they function as a direct transport pathway. Up to 80% of plastic entering urban rivers occurs during stormwater runoff events, when neighborhood litter gets flushed into streams and bayous.

Floods dominate plastic transport. Hydrologic studies suggest plastic movement is extremely episodic.

One recent river monitoring study found that 90% of the annual plastic load moved during only 43 high-flow days in a year. Because storm drains generally bypass treatment, plastic moves directly from streets to rivers within minutes to hours of rainfall.

Problem All Over Houston

Houston City Council Member Fred Flickinger says the problem is serious all over Houston. He sent me an article about two men who clean the trash out of Buffalo Bayou using a small barge and a giant vacuum. “It’s a misconception,” says the article’s author, “that the trash comes from people littering directly into the bayou. The vast majority comes from more than 200 square miles of Houston streets that drain into Buffalo Bayou. … Some masses of plastic are so thick, they can be walked on.”

There’s a very simple answer to this problem:

Don’t throw your plastics in the gutter; recycle them.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/11/26

3116 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Save the Date: Median Madness Round 6, Saturday, March 14, 8:30 AM

3/10/26 – On Saturday, March 14, 2026, Round 6 of Median Madness will kick off at 8:30 AM and run till noon. The location for Round 6 will be along Kingwood Drive between Timber Shade Dr. and Cedarville Drive.

That’s three to four blocks east of Town Center between Foster’s Mill and Sand Creek.

Median Madness volunteers exemplify the ten two-letter words that make all the difference in the world: “If it is to be, it is up to me.”

Details of Event

For those who have never participated in a Median Madness event, you’re missing some fun. It’s a chance to make the community look better, improve traffic safety, meet new friends, and work out all your frustrations on those nasty vines.

Please remember to bring water, gloves, goggles and pruning or lopping sheers if you have them. Also, wear closed-toed shoes.

Houston City Council Member Fred Flickinger’s District E staff have organized the event. Trees for Kingwood, Houston Parks and Recreation Department, H-E-B, and Chick-fil-A are sponsoring it.

An adult must accompany children under 16. Here’s what to bring.

The rally point for Saturday still has not been determined, but should be soon. So check back.

Please come. Bring your family. Bring your friends. Bring your neighbors. As my grandmother used to say, “Many hands make light work.”

Past Median Madness Events

To see what past Median Madness Events have been like, check out these posts.

Median Madness 1

Median Madness 2 Rained Out (But the volunteer party sure was fun!)

Median Madness 3

Median Madness 4

Median Madness 5

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/10/26

3115 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Northpark Rail Crossing, 494 Intersection Under Manual Control Tuesday

3/9/2026 – On Tuesday 3/10/26, the UnionPacific Railroad (UPRR) will install new controllers for the Northpark Drive crossing gates. That means the rail crossing AND the Loop 494 intersection with Northpark will be under manual control for most of the day beginning at approximately 8 AM.

TXDoT, UPRR, the City of Houston, and TIRZ-10/LHRA representatives will be onsite to supervise the operation.

Watch for Flagmen and Police

In place of the railroad crossing gates, two flagmen, two motorcycle police officers, and four other police officers will shuttle traffic through the intersection and across the tracks.

Exercise extreme caution and be prepared for sudden stops. Especially if you haven’t had your morning coffee yet.

Ralph De Leon, project manager for the Northpark Expansion project, expected the operation could go 6 to 8 hours.

The “cabinet” that will house the controller has already been installed and energized. See red circle on the right below. UPRR needs to move the electronics from the old cabinet on the left to the new one on the right.

*Old cabinet (l) is blocking new surface lanes which run across concrete inserts in tracks.*

Next, Harper Brothers Construction will finish the new surface lanes across the tracks (see below).

*The new surface lanes will connect across those concrete inserts in the tracks. The bridge will cover the center over the tracks and Loop 494.*

Additionally, work on temporary signals for the two new feeder roads will begin on March 16^th.

Other Northpark News

Excavation of Entry Ponds Restarting

The dirt crew will continue the excavation and grading of the north detention pond for the next two weeks with cement stabilization occurring once final grade is achieved. Then they will install the pond liner and move to the south pond.

*Looking E from over US59. More excavation will start on north entry pond (L) first. South pond (R) will go next.*

Bridge Construction

Excavation of the retaining wall footings will continue next week east of the railroad tracks. Embankment operations for the bridge header will begin after the retaining wall footings have been poured, and the retaining wall panels have begun being set.

*Looking E from over UPRR Tracks. 6-lane bridge will go in center. Two surface lanes for turning traffic will go on either side of bridge.*

*Excavation work has already started on footings for bridge retaining wall. See lower L to upper Center.*

A structures crew will mobilize to the project beginning next week to pour the retaining wall footings, then set and build the retaining walls on the east side of the rail tracks.

Medians: Watch Your Tires

Crews are installing “curb pins” in the median of Northpark east side of the railroad tracks. The pins will hold the curbs that separate eastbound from westbound traffic. Do not try to cross between barrels or you could puncture your tires. Cross only at marked crossing locations.

Anderson Road

On March 9th, Anderson Road (the road next to the tracks that splits off south of Northpark) will return to its final configuration. The temporary asphalt placed previously will be removed and the final grading of the ditch will be completed.

Surface Lanes Near UPRR Tracks

The paving crew will continue to work on the paving in front of Extra Space Storage to finish the westbound paving up to the UPRR right of way and in the center of Northpark in front of Sun Auto. See below.

*Sun Auto on left. Please patronize local businesses during construction.*

Starting on March 23, the paving crew will mobilize to the UPRR ROW to focus on the 4 quadrants of paving up to the UPRR tracks until completed.

A small storm sewer crew will work on the final storm sewer items until the next phase when the UPRR crossings and signals are completed, and traffic is moved to the permanent railroad crossings.

Sidewalks

The sidewalk crew will pave from Russel Palmer to Northpark Christian Church on the outbound side. Then they will pave sidewalk from Marco’s Pizza up to King’s Mill.

Streetlights/Signals

The streetlight crew will continue working on drilling luminaire foundations and luminaire poles.

*First of many new street lights started going up along Northpark last week.*

The permanent signal work at Russel Palmer Road will begin the week of March 9.

Supports for Bridge

Also starting the week of March 9, the drilling subcontractor will begin drilling the 30″ shafts for the bridge retaining walls. They will also pour concrete for the drill shafts.

For More Information

For more information, see the project page on the LHRA website and the three-week lookahead schedule.

To ask questions in person, come to the TIRZ board meeting this Thursday March 12 at 8am at the Kingwood Community Center.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/9/2026

3114 Days since Harvey

The Levee Effect: How Flood Damage Can Rise as Flood Probability Decreases

3/8/26 – The “Levee Effect” is a term coined decades ago in flood mitigation. Some call it the “Safe Development Paradox.” It explains how total flood damage can rise even though flood probability decreases.

The Basic Mechanism

Think of the word “levee” in this case as synonymous with several forms of flood-control infrastructure including levees, reservoirs, and channelization.

After they are built, flood risk appears to be reduced. Land behind the protection becomes more attractive for development. And property values rise.

As population and infrastructure grow in the protected area, exposure to flooding increases. Then, when an extreme flood exceeds the design capacity, damage is far larger than before the protection existed.

*Flooded homes once thought protected by Addicks Reservoir.*

Classic Examples

Mississippi River Levee System

The federal government established the Mississippi River Commission in 1879 to deepen the river channel, improve navigation, prevent major flooding, and increase river-based commerce. Against the advice of experts, the commission recommended raising extensive levees along its channels to contain the flow.

After levee construction, large areas of historic floodplain became urbanized. Agricultural and urban investment skyrocketed.

Then came the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, the most destructive river flood in the history of the United States. It inundated 27,000 square miles up to 30 feet over the course of several months in early 1927. About 500 people died and more than 630,000 people were affected.

The river below Memphis reached a width of 80 miles. But Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana were hardest hit. The flooding triggered a great migration from the south to large cities in the north and midwest.

Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley, California

Levees enabled urbanization of flood basins. Today, millions live below river level. Some areas have only a 100-year level of flood protection. Economic exposure reportedly exceeds $100 billion dollars.

New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina

Levees let large areas below sea level urbanize. When the levees failed in 2005, so much population and infrastructure had accumulated in the protected basin that the consequences quickly became catastrophic.

Eighty percent of New Orleans, as well as large areas in neighboring parishes, flooded. An estimated 100,000 to 150,000 people remained in the City, despite mandatory evacuation orders.

1,392 people died and damage reached $125 billion. That ties it with Harvey for the costliest tropical cyclone ever in the Atlantic basin.

Video on Levee Effect

This 6-minute, 47-second YouTube video illustrates the levee effect and shows how it can make floods worse by opening up floodplains and wetlands to development. It also shows how levees provide protection…up to a point. But when a storm exceeds that level, the consequences can become catastrophic quickly. It contains a mixture of footage from real-life flood events and table-top models.

Transforming Risk

Levees and other flood-mitigation infrastructure shift risk from frequent, low-impact “nuisance” floods to rare, catastrophic, high-impact events.

They hide the underlying risk by preventing small, regular floods that would otherwise remind people of the danger. And that can make the consequences of a major event far greater.

For More Information

See these scholarly articles:

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/8/2026

3113 Days since Hurricane Harvey

SJRA Joint-Reservoir Operations Study Meeting: A Wake-up Call

3/7/26 – On 3/5/26 at the Humble Civic Center, the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) held the first of three meetings to discuss its Joint Reservoir Operations Study. In several respects, the meeting was a wake-up call:

During Q&A, SJRA learned how impatient the downstream public is for flood-mitigation solutions – 8.5 years after Hurricane Harvey.
Public comments showed that PTSD from flooding still lingers.
The average age of attendees appeared to be in their sixties. Younger homeowners and newcomers to the region who have no memory of flooding were largely absent.
Several comments by speakers suggested upstream residents around Lake Conroe are still resistant to the idea of any “pre-release.”
SJRA has no formal pre-release program anymore. As one speaker said, “There are no designated dates or amounts or anything like that. But we work very closely with City of Houston. They make decisions on what we’d like to do.”

Theory of Pre-Release

The idea behind “pre-release” is to release water ahead of a storm, so a reservoir, such as Lake Conroe or Lake Houston, has additional capacity to absorb incoming floodwater. That can shave flood peaks by spreading out releases over longer periods.

SJRA’s Water Resources and Flood Management Division Manager Matt Barrett, PE, said…

“One of the main objectives of the study is to determine if there are any benefits to pre-releases from Lake Conroe and Lake Houston.”
Matt Barrett

Findings in Other River Basins

Studies around the world have proven that pre-releases do have benefits … in certain conditions.

California Department of Water Resources found that “weather-informed reservoir operations” at Lake Oroville and New Bullards Bar Reservoir can further reduce flood risk for communities along the Yuba and Feather rivers during extreme atmospheric river storm events and potentially benefit water supply during drier periods.

Also in California, the Army Corps of Engineers found that “forecast-informed reservoir operations” could increase water supply without increasing flood risk.

In the Delaware River Basin, a “flexible flow management program” mitigates flooding impacts immediately downstream of reservoirs.

A peer-reviewed Journal of Hydrology case study on the Bavarian Danube concluded that coordinated operation of reservoirs in river basins has great potential to improve flood mitigation.

City of Houston Experience

And experience in the San Jacinto River Basin since Harvey has also proven pre-releases have benefits. The City of Houston Public Works Department has documented numerous instances when pre-releases helped prevent downstream flooding, according to Dave Martin, former Houston Mayor Pro Tem.

Pushback from Lake Conroe Association

But pre-release is politically unpopular with Lake Conroe residents. The Lake Conroe Association (LCA) constantly speaks out against it in SJRA board meetings, lawsuits, community meetings, and complaints to the TCEQ. While LCA articulates its concerns as a loss of valuable water, the concerns stem from perceived impacts on recreation and property values.

Iterations of Lake Conroe Pre-Release Strategies

As a result, SJRA has modified its pre-release protocol several times since Harvey.

At first, SJRA lowered Lake Conroe during the two wettest seasons of the year: Spring and Hurricane Season.
SJRA then restricted the amounts and durations of the lowering.
Currently, SJRA lowers Lake Conroe on an as-needed basis – days or hours before major storms. They call the strategy “Active Storm Management.”

The City of Houston owns two-thirds of the water in Lake Conroe and can call for as much as it wants, any time it wants. SJRA reportedly would prefer the City continues calling for the water, so that it doesn’t have to take the heat from the Lake Conroe Association.

Clearly, Active Storm Management is a compromise between upstream and downstream interests. But how does SJRA know when and how much to release before a storm. That depends on weather and the certainty of forecasts. How much rain will fall where? How fast? And how much will run off?

Another Study Objective: Forecasting Tool

That’s where another objective of the Joint Reservoir Operations Study comes in: development of a forecasting tool.

See more details about the forecasting tool below.

The question in my mind is not IF pre-lease is feasible, but WHEN. Clearly, there are some cases where pre-release from Lake Conroe alone does not make sense, i.e., when a storm approaches from the south, as Harvey did and Lake Houston (without its new flood gates) could not release water fast enough to keep up with any release from Conroe. That would just make flooding worse.

But in other situations, i.e., when a storm approaches from the north or northwest, it might make sense – especially after Lake Houston receives its new floodgates. Then you would not be stacking floodwaters from different directions on top of each other.

Scope of Work Associated with Study

The Joint Reservoir Operations Study will also look at past releases from both Lake Houston and Lake Conroe, and use lessons learned to help inform the Lake Houston Gate Operations Policy.

With the data collected, SJRA will develop models that reflect the addition of new gates for the Lake Houston Dam. Then they will evaluate 20 different pre-release scenarios, such as the possibilities mentioned above.

As of this meeting, SJRA had not yet determined which scenarios they would evaluate. However, they will evaluate the consequences on water supply in both lakes.

The worry: if the forecast is wrong and a storm veers away, pre-releases could negatively impact water supply.

Finally, the study will determine the best ways to communicate pre-releases to stakeholders.

The Flow-Forecasting Tool mentioned above will incorporate data from multiple sources, including rainfall, a network of more than 70 stream gages, outflow from Lake Conroe and a model of the watershed. It will inform both gate operations and local officials.

To see the entire presentation, click here. It will help you understand some of the constraints on dam operations including:

Governance of the reservoirs.
Components of Lake Houston Water Supply Operations
Historical floods
Proposed improvements to the Lake Houston Dam
Runoff from sub-watersheds
Differences between water-supply and flood-control reservoirs; Lakes Conroe and Houston are both water-supply reservoirs
Construction differences between the two dams

Next Meetings and More Information

As the study progresses throughout the year, SJRA will hold two more public meetings. A mid-year meeting will be held at Lake Conroe to review progress. And SJRA hopes to reveal the results of the study in The Woodlands before the end of the year.

For more information, see LCLHJointOps.com.

Even if you can’t make the meetings, SJRA welcomes public comments on the study, flood-risk locations and flood impacts.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/7/26

3112 Days since Harvey