Northpark Closed 3 Days as UPRR Replaces Tracks, Signals

3/5/25 – This morning, the UnionPacific Railroad (UPRR) closed Northpark Drive to replace a 200 foot section of track and install new signals. The replacement is necessary because the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ 10 is expanding Northpark Drive to handle increased traffic and to create the first all-weather evacuation route from Kingwood.

The expansion project will feature a six lane bridge over the tracks as well as four lanes of feeder roads at grade level, two lanes on each side of Northpark. A single, welded 200-foot section of track will replace the existing track in order to increase stability of the rail lines under all that traffic and to accommodate new drainage under the tracks.

Traffic Impact

Kingwood residents have known about the closure for months. But now it’s here. And it became clear that many people had not gotten the message. At 10 AM, outbound Northpark traffic had backed up as far as the eye could see. Police were turning it around at a temporary U-turn just before the tracks.

Looking east on Northpark at drivers who didn’t get the message about the road closure.
One car at a time squeezed through the tight turnaround, backing traffic up.

First Stage of Track Replacement

Below are pictures taken this morning of activity around the tracks at Northpark and Loop 494.

Looking SE across Loop 494 in foreground toward Northpark at top of frame. Heavy equipment lined up to move the new track into place.
Closer shot shows area where UPRR will maneuver new section of track into position.

But first, crews had to remove the old track. They started this morning with the concrete panels between tracks over Northpark Drive.

This piece of equipment has a giant “tooth” that loosens gravel around the concrete panels that traffic drives over.
Then the another tooth formed a “jaw” that lifted the panels and placed them on a forklift.
Step and repeat. That procedure continued down the tracks.
After several panels were placed on the forklift, another forklift would take its place.
Ready for pickup on lane 6.

Next steps:

  • Pull up track and ties
  • Maneuver new track into place
  • Insert concrete panels
  • Wire signals
  • Bore under tracks for utilities

Stay tuned for more pics. And stay off Northpark until Saturday. The closure lasts March 5-7.

For More Information

See the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority project web pages. For a history of the project, see these select posts on ReduceFlooding.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/5/25

2745 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Editorial: Government Should Help Manage Uncertainty, Not Create It

3/4/25 – In many ways, the purpose of government is to help us manage uncertainty by working together. For instance:

  • A strong national-defense system provides the stability people need to go about their daily lives and build businesses.
  • The justice system protects us from criminals who would steal our hard-earned money.
  • Traffic systems enable us to get where we’re going safely – in the air and on the ground.
  • Flood-control systems protect us from unpredictable major storms that might otherwise destroy our homes.
San Jacinto West Fork at 59 during Harvey.

Triple Threat For Disaster Relief and Flood Mitigation

But in the last month, newspapers and magazines from coast to coast have blared headlines about the possible impacts of massive federal government staff cuts and a blanket funding freeze on government grants. The cuts and delays potentially affect wide swaths of the federal government including:

Together, these three groups help protect us from natural disasters, recover from them, and mitigate the impact of future severe-weather events.

It’s unclear at this point how budget and staff cuts in these groups would impact disaster-prone areas, such as Texas. But rumors certainly have created a stir. And the uncertainty surrounding the cuts is contributing to potential delays that could jeopardize 60+ flood-mitigation projects totaling $1.1 billion that Harris County has been working on for four years.

Right now, no one can predict what all this uncertainty will bring. And that in itself is bad.

Separating Waste from Need

Predictably, most people have lined up along a partisan divide. But in this national debate, we need a better appreciation of details and nuances.

When I listen to stories of government fraud, waste and abuse, one side of my brain thinks, “We need to get a better handle on that.” Many examples exist in Harris County right under our noses.

But when I listen to stories about DOGE pillaging through one government department after another, I can’t help but wonder whether a series of targeted surgical strikes might work better than a blanket, slash-and-burn campaign.

It reminds me of a cautionary nursery tale dating back more than 500 years. Parents have taught it to countless generations of children around the world to dramatize the value of preparation and attention to detail.

For Want of a Nail, the Shoe Was Lost

For want of a nail, the shoe was lost;
For want of the shoe, the horse was lost;
For want of the horse, the rider was lost;
For want of the rider, the battle was lost;
For want of the battle, the kingdom was lost;
And all from the want of a horseshoe nail.

No government system works perfectly forever. They require constant calibration in response to changing environments. But wholesale, sudden change has the potential to disrupt communities and lives drastically. And I’m not just talking about people whose jobs are affected.

Impacts of Threatened Cuts Already Seen Locally in County Commissioners Court

In Harris County Commissioners Court last Thursday, leaders discussed ways to deal with the uncertainty produced by these possible cuts.

  • Item 11 dealt with financial strategies to deal with uncertainty in case the federal government pulls back grants affecting Harris County employees and programs, including the 2018 Flood Bond.
  • Item 164 dealt with the need to better understand the status of each project in the Flood Bond in the face of a potential billion-dollar budget shortfall.

The Peril of Pendulum Politics

The function of government should be to provide services that give citizens a safe environment to build better lives … in the most cost-effective way possible. It’s not one or the other.

Right now, Harris County has at least $1.1 billion of grants at risk because they are under the HUD umbrella. That makes them tainted in the current environment because of HUD’s statutory mission established under Democratic presidents in the 1960s.

Let’s make sure that in the current swing of the pendulum, we don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.

The DOGE “Musketeers” are reportedly evaluating cuts of 50 – 80 percent of HUD’s staff … plus billions in grant programs.  The County has worked four years to apply for the $1.1 billion in grants. HCFCD conducted engineering studies, prepared flood-remediation plans, and developed estimates.

We have already spent millions of dollars in anticipation of reimbursement. If DOGE nukes CDBG programs, either by directly cutting the grants themselves or the personnel required to process reimbursements, the County will be out the money already invested. That will delay or eliminate future flood control projects entirely.

Is It Wise to Cut $1.1 Billion That Could Save $150 Billion?

Look at those CDBG disaster recovery funds not as a frivolous expense, but as an investment in future safety and cost reduction.  

The flood-control grants will protect against future floods. When the next superstorm like Harvey hits, the $1.1 billion under review will look tiny compared to the damages it could help avoid.

Harvey damages cost $125 billion. Adjusted for inflation, a similar storm today could easily cost in the region $150 billion.

Perhaps DOGE should focus on cutting future expenses, not just today’s. To quote another old saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/4/25

2744 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.

HCFCD Finishes Removing Beryl Debris from Bens Branch

3/3/25 – A Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) spokesperson reports that the District finished picking up Hurricane Beryl debris at numerous locations along Bens Branch in Kingwood on February 27, 2025.

Hurricane Beryl struck the Houston area on July 8, 2024, with winds gusting up to 83 MPH at Bush Intercontinental Airport. Sustained winds exceeded tropical storm strength for approximately six hours in the Lake Houston Area. Wet grounds over a large part of the area from well above average spring and early summer rainfall led to widespread downing of trees.

The storm damage came on top of a derecho earlier in the year that created chaos.

HCFCD claims the piles were not theirs but couldn’t say who they belonged to. However, local leaders who monitored cleanup efforts disagreed.

But Eric Heppen, Harris County Precinct 3’s Director of Engineering, said, “We’re past that now. We’re just going to pick up the piles.” Thank you, Commissioner Ramsey. And thank you, HCFCD.

Some piles, such as those along Bens Branch opposite Bear Branch Elementary on Tree Lane, became highly visible eyesores. They also became temptations for young boys eager to show off their mountain-climbing skills.

HCFCD picking up Beryl Debris from Bens Branch along Tree Lane
Beginning of Tree Lane pickup of Beryl Debris on Tuesday, February 25, 2025

The pictures below show what remained of the Tree Lane piles today.

Nothing. Piles gone!

Thanks to Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey for breaking the logjam (pun intended) over who was responsible for the Beryl debris and arranging for the pickup.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/3/25

2743 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 238 since Beryl

Harris County Commissioners Demand Flood-Bond Project Update

3/1/25 – At the 2/27/25 Harris County Special Commissioners Court meeting, commissioners spent more than an hour discussing the need for a 2018 Flood-Bond update to help deal with a potential billion-dollar funding shortfall.

Previous Flood Control District department heads published a flood-bond update monthly. But the frequency has fallen to annually under the current department head as activity slowed and inflation soared.

Harris County Commissioners Court 69 minute discussion on need for bond update.

Commissioners Openly Concede Funding Shortfall

Against that backdrop, Commissioners and the County Judge openly conceded that all promised bond projects will not get done because of a lack of money. That’s despite assurances on the Flood Control District website that all will get done.

Screen capture on 3/2/25

However, discussion made it clear that commissioners worry whether projects in their precincts will end up on the chopping block. They also worry whether the Flood Control District has followed the Equity Prioritization Frameworks adopted by Commissioners Court.

Reasons for Concerns

The request for an update came as commissioners fretted about the potential cancellation of projects associated with $1.1 billion allocated to Harris County from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) via the Texas General Land Office.

Earlier in the meeting , Commissioners had voted on financial strategies designed to limit the County’s financial exposure in case HUD funding fell through. (See previous post about Item 11),

Thirty-five percent inflation in the non-residential construction sector since the beginning of the bond has also affected the Flood Control District’s purchasing power.

Finally, an unexplained four-year slowdown in activity at the Flood Control District also has commissioners concerned. The slowdown continually decreases purchasing power over time by delaying projects as inflation builds.

Already, the current activity level in dollars adjusted for inflation is lower than before voters passed the 2018 bond.

Analysis of data from HCFCD and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

See below.

Flood Control annual spending since 2017.
HCFCD spending in 2024 roughly equaled 2017 spending after adjustment for inflation.

To complicate matters, the Flood Control District’s website “Active Projects” Page no longer works and hasn’t for months. The District blames it on a problem with their geographic information systems. That affects an interactive map.

But the page also featured a text-based list of active projects and their locations. That has also disappeared with no explanation. And a Harris County source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told me Flood Control has not made an effort to fix the page/map.

Getting up-to-date information out of the Flood Control District has definitely become more difficult. And not just for journalists. Clearly that has commissioners worried, too.

Commissioners Grill HCFCD Head for More Than Hour

Commissioners could have conveyed the update request in a simple memo. Instead they vented their frustrations for one hour and nine minutes. At one point, Adrian Garcia even accused fellow Democrat Rodney Ellis of filibustering!

See the Commissioner’s Court Video from the 2/28/25 meeting. Click on Departments 2 or 2 and scroll to the discussion of Item 164 at 3:33. Commissioner Ellis kicks off the discussion.

Commissioners feared many projects would not be completed. Each explained why he/she wasn’t getting a fair share.

Ellis Request

Rodney Ellis worried whether the District was following his Equity Prioritization Framework. He requested that the update include:

  • Prioritization scores for each project.
  • A clear demonstration of how the bond prioritization framework is being implemented and tracked
  • An explanation of the prioritization of planning, design, constructing and funding of flood-bond projects.
  • Financial analysis showing all completed projects and sub-projects.
  • Lists of all:
    • Projects and sub-projects under construction and awaiting funding.
    • Committed partnership agreements.
    • Signed Inter-local Agreements (ILAs).
    • ILA commitments still in discussion.
  • Remaining available funds.

He emphasized that he “didn’t want to wait until all the money is gone.” He added…

“I know there’s not enough money to do all the projects we talked about and everybody else knows it. I’m just crazy enough to say it in public.”

Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis
Ramsey Concerns

Tom Ramsey worried about $257 million in subdivision drainage projects taken out of his budget. He pointed out that he has 2-3X the number of road miles to maintain compared to other precincts. Yet he has the smallest percentage of the total budget.

Ramsey concluded, “Come back in a way that we can live up to the commitment that we made to the voters in 2018. Right now, we’re struggling to make that happen.”

Garcia Concerns

Adrian Garcia complained about heavy trucks tearing up the roads in his highly industrialized precinct. He also worried about getting enough dollars to complete projects in his precinct.

Briones Concerns

Lesley Briones also worried about getting a fair share of dollars for projects in her precinct. Most of it leaned Republican before redistricting. Without saying it, she implied that the area had been penalized for the way it leaned politicly. She added, “I personally will not feel comfortable going out for a future bond if we haven’t delivered on the 2018 bond.”

Hidalgo: “Is There a Billion Dollars Sitting Somewhere?”

Judge Lina Hidalgo said she remained committed to “lifting up folks that had historically been left behind.” Then she asked, “Has that been achieved to any degree? To what extent have we achieved that?”

“We know we don’t have enough money. What are we going to do, folks?”

Lina Hidalgo, Harris County Judge, during discussion of Item 164 on 2/27/25.

She then discussed pausing non-equity projects and redirecting money to equity projects.

“The other option … go to the voters. I’m not hearing an appetite for that, so I just don’t understand how we solve this without additional money. So my final question, ‘Is there $1 billion sitting somewhere?'”

“It would just be sad to find out that the [projects] not completed rank higher on prioritization.” 

Equity Wins Again

In the end, Commissioners Court requested a recommendation from the Director of Flood Control that would maximize the goal of finishing projects according to the equity prioritization framework, with highest scoring projects finishing first.

Flood Control agreed to present the analysis on May 22. This has the potential to slow Flood Control’s work even more.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/2/25

2742 Days since Hurricane Harvey

We Won World War II in Half the Time That It’s Taking to Start Harvey Flood-Mitigation Projects

3/1/25 – More than 60 flood-mitigation and disaster-relief projects identified after Hurricane Harvey have yet to begin. We won World War II in half that time.

Between Pearl Harbor and the surrender of Japan, 1349 days elapsed. But more than twice that number of days have elapsed since Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

Battleship Arizona
Battleship Arizona, December 7, 1941. Photo courtesy of National Park Service.

At 1349 Days after Harvey, I wrote a post entitled “It’s Official: Harvey Flood Mitigation Is Taking Longer than World War II.” The bittersweet post expressed disappointment about the lack of progress … tempered with hope for the future. But sadly, many of the observations I made then are true today. We still:

Around the time of my first World War II post, I also tried to understand why mitigation took so long. See these posts:

Bush provided numerous recommendations to cut red tape. But sadly, few, if any, have been implemented.

Failure to Prepare is Preparing to Fail

During the last Harris County Commissioner’s Court Meeting, we witnessed Commissioners struggling with this slow-motion disaster that has become a second disaster in itself.

They even spent a full hour requesting an update from HCFCD on the status of bond projects. Those updates used to be a regular monthly report.

Failure to prepare for flooding that you know will come is an invitation to heartbreak and misery. When the next flood happens, the damage will be self-inflicted.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/1/25

2741 Days since Hurricane Harvey

GLO Releases Status of Disaster-Relief, Flood-Mitigation Applications

2/28/25 – Today, the Texas General Land Office (GLO) released the status of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) disaster-relief and flood-mitigation applications from Harris County’s Flood Control District and Housing & Community Development Department.

The grant applications cover almost $1.1 billion dollars in aid for Harris County relating to Hurricane Harvey alone, which the GLO manages for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Today’s updates cover the status of more than 60 projects. A little more than half have already been approved. Twenty-one are still in review. And eight still have not been submitted yet.

Separately, yesterday Harris County Commissioners adopted three resolutions to limit financial exposure during the Federal grant funding freeze.

Let’s look at the disaster-relief and flood-mitigation applications first, then the issue of financial exposure.

HCFCD Disaster Relief Projects

Of the 11 disaster relief projects published by Flood Control, the GLO has already approved 10. Flood Control has not yet submitted the application for the Genoa Red Bluff Regional Stormwater Detention Basin.

All projects in this list total approximately $269 million.

Provided by GLO on 2/28/25

For descriptions of each project above, click here.

HCFCD Flood-Mitigation Projects

HCFCD is submitting 18 projects in the flood-mitigation category. Of those, the GLO has started reviewing 16. HCFCD has yet to submit two.

The 16 projects submitted to date total approximately $510 million out of $541,847,826 allocated for this category.

Only one project below – Taylor Gully/Woodridge – is in the Kingwood Area.

Provided by GLO on 2/28/25.

For descriptions of each project, click here.

For a printable PDF of these two lists, click here.

Housing and Community Development Mitigation and Planning

Harris County’s Housing & Community Development Department also has projects in two categories: mitigation and planning.

Mitigation includes nine projects totaling approximately $150 million. GLO has already approved all except for two still in review.

HC H&CD has already issued notices of intent to release funds for approved projects above.

Housing & Community Development has also requested money for 23 planning studies. The 18 approved or still in review total $10.775 million.

For a printable PDF of these two lists, click here.

County Making Contingency Plans for Federal Grant Funding Freeze

A large portion of the Special Harris County Commissioners Court Meeting yesterday concerned planning for uncertainties regarding the federal grant funding freeze. Specifically on the agenda:

  • Item 11 tried to limit the County’s financial exposure in case projects were started, but promised funding did not come through on the back end.
  • Item 164 requested HCFCD to provide an update on every 2018 flood-bond project (completed, in progress, and not yet started). Commissioners requested dollars expended to date by life cycle stages, locations and subprojects. They also requested a listing of how all projects scored and ranked on the County’s Equity Prioritization Framework.

Those two items alone consumed two hours.

Re: Item 11, Commissioners adopted three motions unanimously:

  • Motion 1 directed OMB to maintain a maximum monthly average of $100 million in outstanding receivables relating to federal grants and to update commissioners court monthly on balances.
  • Motion 2 directed OCA, OMB, the County’s Strategic Planning Committee, and impacted departments to make recommendations for dealing with at-risk, federally funded programs.
  • Motion 3 allowed payment of grant-funded invoices if federal funding is available.

The motions govern management of invoice payments related to grants and establish protocols for prioritizing grant programs.

Rationale Behind Motions in Item 11

Watch the discussion of Item 11 in this video of yesterday’s Special Commissioners Court Meeting. Make sure you click on the segment labeled “Departments 2 of 2.” The discussion starts at 11:02 A.M.

The commissioners want to prevent a significant impact on cash flow and future budget cycles. Their plan includes setting aside general funds and cooperating with the Strategic Planning Committee to identify priority grants.

Additionally, there are strategies to identify at-risk grants, limit financial exposure, and ensure that ongoing expenditures are more closely aligned with the likelihood of reimbursement.

Motion 3 would only allow payment of project/program related invoices if reimbursement seems likely.

The measures apply to all federal grants, not just those listed above. For instance, ARPA funding expires next year and will affect many county employees.

The county averages about $70 million in liabilities every month related to payment of grant invoices (for which the Federal government later reimburses the county). The $100 million limit in Motion 1 reflects an amount that the county cannot afford if the Feds withhold payment.

For the time being, everyone is proceeding as though the funding appropriated by Congress will come through.

Most of those I interviewed for this article believe the President does not have the authority to override laws passed by Congress with executive orders. However, Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) budget cuts could have the impact of hamstringing other departments, such as HUD.

For instance, I talked to two government officials on the condition of anonymity who discussed rumors of staffing cuts greater than 80% at HUD. That could affect reimbursement for tens of billion of dollars in CDBG funds nationwide, because the Department might not have the personnel to process reimbursements.

That could affect most of the disaster-relief and flood-mitigation applications above. But more on that at a future date when and if the rumors become real.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/28/25

2740 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Hallett Finally Plugs Year-Long Leak in Sand Mine

2/27/25 – Hallett Materials has finally plugged a year-long leak in its Porter sand mine on the San Jacinto West Fork.

According to residents who live near the leak, an investigator from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) visited the mine yesterday. For more than six hours, he sampled water leaking from the mine.

A short time later, Hallett, a self-proclaimed environmental leader, started plugging the leak. It had created a river of sludge several hundred feet wide that led straight to the drinking water supply for 2 million people…for more than a year.

History of Leak

Photos taken on February 8, 2024, show that bulldozers created the leak. Those dozer tracks in the image below certainly don’t appear accidental.

Hallett leak
Notice where tracked vehicle shaved down area between Hallett settling pond (far right) and road/woods, letting sediment-laden water leak out of overloaded pond.
Same pond, same sludge, same leaks more than a year later on 2/23/25.

I ran a story about the year-long leak that same day. The post also took the TCEQ to task for magically overlooking the river of what I call Houdini sludge. It can escape from anything, anytime, year round, day or night – without detection by even the most eagle-eyed TCEQ investigator. Slippery stuff, that sludge!

Seriously, I’m sure Hallett will send a blind, part-time, sub-assistant foreman to some TCEQ gulag for re-education and environmental sensitivity training. That should placate the reluctant regulators.”

A note from the sacrificial sub-assistant’s ophthalmologist should also sufficiently explain the “accidental” oversight enough to get Hallett off the hook with a strongly worded apology and a ten dollar fine.

TCEQ’s Biggest Investigation Ever?

The investigator sampling the water this week wouldn’t say much except that this was “the biggest investigation he had ever been a part of.” Of course, previous TCEQ investigators couldn’t find water falling out of a rowboat with a seeing-eye dog.

Pics of Fix

Hallett reportedly parked a bulldozer near where the investigator was working. This afternoon, a resident sent pictures of a pile of dirt the bulldozer pushed against the rising tide of sludge. It was about as deep as a stack of chocolate pancakes at IHOP. See below.

Where one of the rivers of sludge cut across the maintenance road
Hallet leak plugged…
…at least for a day or two.
How long will it last? Vegas is taking odds.
Now, there’s a beautifully engineered bandaid!

What more could a TCEQ commissioner up for reappointment ask?

Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/27/25

2739 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 Will Close at UPRR Tracks One Week from Today for Three Days

2/26/25 – One week from today, Northpark Drive will close for three days – from March 5-7. UnionPacific Railroad (UPRR) will maneuver a two-hundred-foot section of track and ties – welded and bolted into a single, massive unit – into place across what will become ten lanes of traffic and two sidewalks.

Section Already Assembled, Ready, Waiting

UPRR has already assembled the massive section in the TxDOT right of way along Loop 494 that parallels the tracks. According to a UPRR consultant…

The rails, ties and hardware should weigh approximately 55,000 pounds.

That’s the average weight of 22 small cars.

The photos below show the assembly and where it will move.

Assembly area is in old northbound Loop 494 lanes currently scraped to the dirt. Note new section of track near bottom of frame below existing track. Northpark is in upper right of frame.
Track assembly.
Steel plates that cradle rails and hold them in position.
Looking S along Loop 494 (right). Northpark at top of frame. New rail will be centered across Northpark where old rail now crosses it. See below.
Side shot shows placement of new section.

The plan for maneuvering the giant section of track into place has changed several times. The latest indication from UPRR is that they now plan to use four vehicles, one on each corner to lift and place the section. 

Benefits of Single Section

The single, long section of track will provide additional stability for the high traffic area, especially where the track crosses over storm sewers, water lines and other underground utilities.

Once placed, the section will span three vehicle crossovers and two sidewalks.

  • One to replace the existing roadway.
  • Two where new feeder roads will go
  • Two 10-foot-wide multi-use pathways outside of each of the two feeder roads. 

Next Steps

When the track crew finishes, a different crew will install temporary signals and gate arms. Once the feeder roads are constructed, they will return to install permanent signals and gate arms. 

And once the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority’s contractor, Harper Brothers, completes drainage and utility work, they will build two new feeder roads, each containing two lanes, that cross the tracks.

Then, they will abandon the current center lanes so bridge construction can start later this year. The feeder roads will carry all traffic for the duration of bridge construction. 

For More Information

See the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority project web pages. For a history of the project, see these select posts on ReduceFlooding.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/26/25

2638 Days since Hurricane Harvey

HCFCD Picking Up Last of Beryl Debris from Bens Branch

2/25/25 – Today, Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) began picking up remaining Hurricane Beryl Debris from Bens Branch in Kingwood. The cleanup effort began on Tree Lane across from Bear Branch Elementary. More than 600 children in grades K-5 attend school there.

The delayed cleanup effort illustrates the need for community leaders and Flood Control to work more closely together and document cleanup efforts, especially after disasters.

The Fog of Disaster

Beryl left a mess all across the Houston area. The massive cleanup effort involved HCFCD, the City of Houston, FEMA, private contractors, CenterPoint and more working months with little sleep. Responsibilities were inevitably bound to get mixed up on occasion and this was one of them.

HCFCD denies the piles of Beryl debris from Bens Branch were theirs, despite the protestations of local leaders who monitored cleanup efforts.

But Eric Heppen, Harris County Precinct 3’s Director of Engineering, said, “We’re past that now. We’re just going to pick up the piles.” Thank you, Commissioner Ramsey. And thank you, HCFCD.

I’m sure that will be a relief to parents who worried about the temptation the piles represented to young boys eager to test their climbing skills. One of the piles crews worked on today easily exceeded six feet in height.

Chris Bloch, a Bear Branch Trail Association (BBTA) board member, led the fight to get HCFCD to clean up piles at ten locations strung out along the forested portion of Bens Branch, which runs through the center of Kingwood.

Thirteen residents who lived near the stream died as a result of flooding during Hurricane Harvey. Ever since then, residents and the BBTA board have been hyper-vigilant about anything that could back water up in the stream. So, it is good to get this behind us.

Remainder of Piles Should Be Gone by Friday

Jessica Lazo, a HCFCD spokesperson for Precinct 3, said that HCFCD crews should remove the remainder of the debris by this Friday, 2/28/25.

The City removed two piles along Cedar Knolls last week. HCFCD will remove the rest.

First load of two piles near Bens Branch (seen in the background at top of frame) along Tree Lane.
The right equipment makes it look so easy...
…but its not. Note vines and smaller branches mixed with sections of tree trunks.

The photo above shows HCFCD working on the second load of Beryl debris from Bens Branch. After the first, the crew had to drive to the other side of the county to drop off the debris for recycling. According to an employee I interviewed onsite during the operation, few places at this time can handle mixed loads like this. By mixed, he meant large-diameter tree trunks and smaller branches.

So this could be a lengthy process. I’ll let you know when they complete the job.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/25/25

2737 Days since Hurricane Harvey

The High Cost of Living Downstream from Sand Mines

2/24/25 – Yesterday, I posted pictures and video of a river of muck hundreds of feet wide that has poured out of Hallett Materials 170-acre settling pond into the San Jacinto West Fork…for a full year. Today, I’ll talk about the high cost of living downstream from that situation.

Hallett Mine
Click here to see video on YouTube or click on keyframe above.

But Hallett has even more environmental issues. The West Fork now flows directly through one of the company’s other pits. It also flows through a third pit that Hallett sold to a residential developer just weeks before the dikes on the pit failed.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has not addressed any of those problems. It investigated one issue, ignored two others and issued no fines – despite a directive from Texas Governor Greg Abbott to “take action against sand mining operations violating regulations.”

Up the Down Escalator

It became clear after Harvey, that sand clogging the West Fork had contributed to epic flooding downstream from the sand mines. 16,000 homes and 3,300 businesses flooded in the Humble/Kingwood area.

The Army Corps said sediment had reduced the conveyance of the river up to 90% in places. But even after taxpayers bore almost $200 million of dredging costs, the river still has not returned to pre-Harvey conditions. More sand keeps coming.

Sand miners claim rivers naturally convey sediment. True. But that ignores the contribution of 20 square miles of exposed sediment in sand mines once protected by dense vegetation. Call the logic police.

Should we ignore industrial air pollution because bird poop falls naturally from the sky?

Meanwhile, downstream areas pay the price. Until we fix the problem of leaky sand mines, the river will continue to silt in as fast as we can dredge it.

See the photos below taken today at River Grove Park where the Kingwood Diversion Ditch outfalls to the San Jacinto West Fork.

Looking upstream. Outfall of Kingwood Diversion Ditch at River Grove Park on right. Compare what it looked like after Harvey.

Before the Army Corps completed dredging after Harvey, River Grove flooded five times in one six month period. The Corps liberated River Grove in December 2018.

KSA supplemented the Corps dredging and reopened its boat ramp in March 2020. Now, less than five years later, we need serious dredging again. See below.

Looking downstream. Note color of West Fork in this and succeeding pictures compared to water coming from Diversion Ditch.

Note: the water level is down slightly for a dam repair project downstream.

Closer shot shows deepest water is now measured in inches. Reportedly, only kayaks can now get through.
However, the sand bars do make a convenient resting place for waterfowl.
Overhead shot shows how much gap has filled in.

Dredging Estimated to Cost More than Half of KSA’s Cash Reserves

Last year, KSA obtained bids to dredge the outfall. However, the cost amounted to more than $800,000, more than half of KSA’s cash reserves at the time.

Since then, in my opinion, the sedimentation has worsened. So, dredging could cost even more now.

And this is just one ditch among many on the West Fork. All the more reason to reduce sediment coming from upstream sand mines.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/24/25

2736 Days since Hurricane Harvey