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Details of HCFCD Spending in San Jacinto Watershed Since Harvey

10/20/24 – My latest FOIA request revealed some surprising details about Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) spending in the San Jacinto Watershed and how it contrasts to the Brays Bayou Watershed.

For several years, I have tracked HCFCD spending by watershed and project phase on a quarterly basis. I have discovered tremendous disparities in flood mitigation funding across the county.

From high to low, the ratio varies by more than 1000:1. The types of activities also vary greatly from watershed to watershed. The Brays and San Jacinto Watersheds make illuminating examples.

San Jacinto Watershed Vs. Brays

Out of the county’s 23 watersheds, the San Jacinto ranks in the bottom half of total funding since Harvey. Despite being the county’s largest watershed and having the most severe flooding, it comes in at #13 in terms of dollars received.

The San Jacinto Watershed received approximately $40 million between Harvey and the end of the third quarter in 2024. That’s less than 2% of the total $2.03 billion HCFCD has spent since Harvey.

Compare that to Brays Bayou where Commissioner Rodney Ellis lives.

Brays has received 10% of all the money spent by HCFCD since Harvey – $202.4 million out of $2.03 billion. That’s more than five times as much as the San Jacinto.

The totals show an impressive difference. But they don’t tell the whole story.

71% of Brays spending has gone into construction activities that actually reduce flood risk.

Meanwhile, the San Jacinto watershed received a fifth as much in total dollars. And one tenth as much went into construction that actually reduces flooding.
Data from FOIA Request

Details of San Jacinto Spending: Where Money Went

Drilling down even deeper into the data, I discovered that virtually all of the San Jacinto “construction” spending was classified as maintenance. In other words, the construction dollars went toward repairing the insufficient infrastructure that resulted in the county’s worst flooding. Very little went toward construction of new capital improvement projects.

On a sad note, HCFCD reported spending $230 on true capital-improvement construction in the San Jacinto Watershed. That’s not a typo. We’re not talking about thousands or millions. We’re talking about just a little more money than the default withdrawal from most ATMs.

That was for the Excavation and Removal (E&R) Project on the Woodridge Village property. HCFCD later cancelled the E&R project when it applied for HUD grants for Woodridge and Taylor Gully improvements.

E&R contracts give contractors the right to sell dirt excavated from detention basins in exchange for a nominal fee, usually $1,000. They make their money, not from HCFCD, but from developers, homebuilders and road builders who buy the dirt at market rates.

The single largest expenditure in the San Jacinto Watershed since Harvey was for the purchase of the Woodridge Village property itself for $13,994,735.

*Spike in middle of graph is purchase of Woodridge property. Other spike in 2022 was dredging*.

Here’s a breakdown of $40 million in spending against all significant projects.

*Spending in San Jacinto Watershed Since Harvey*	*Amount 17Q3 – 24-Q3*
Purchase of Woodridge Village	$13,994,735
Unspecified Maintenance Projects, most classified as construction	$8,303,416
County’s Share of Dredging (East and West Forks)	$7,278,626
SJRA’s San Jacinto River Basin Master Drainage Plan	$2,777,980
Bens Branch Conveyance Improvements (maint)	$1,788,949
Panther Creek Feasibility Study	$1,744,343
Kingwood Diversion Ditch Preliminary Engineering	$872,759
Baytown Storm Sewer Improvements Design Study	$810,869
Taylor Gully Preliminary Engingeering Study	$584,179
Atascocita Preliminary Flood Reduction Study	$541,186
Drainage Study for Watersheds East of Lake Houston	$298,534
Deer Park Project(s)/Design and Right of Way	$213,089
SJRA’s River Basin Sedimentation Study	$162,500
Indian Shores Partnership Project	$130,000
SJRA’s San Trap Location Study	$128,820
Redesign of Failed Sheet Pile Wall/Location Not Specified)	$118,799
Boggy Gully Study	$42,280
Lake Houston Gates Study	$23,547
USACE Support on West Fork Dredging	$9,265

$7.2 million of the HCFCD money spent in the San Jacinto Watershed since Harvey has gone toward studies. That’s almost twice as much as the $3.7 million spent on studies in the Brays Watershed during the same period.

The engineering studies are necessary to qualify for grants which might eventually lead to construction projects that mitigate flooding. But since the studies exist only on paper, they don’t actually reduce any flooding. At least, not until they qualify the area for funding.

For instance, none of the studies that HCFCD partnered with the SJRA on (River Basin Master Drainage Study, Sedimentation, Sand Traps) have advanced to the construction phase yet.

Less than $2 Million Per Quarter with Two Exceptions

Here’s how San Jacinto Watershed funding breaks down over time.

*Tall blip in middle contains Woodridge purchase. Blip in Q3 22 includes county’s share of dredging*.

The thing that chaps me most about all this is Commissioner Rodney Ellis continually harping about how Kingwood gets all the money. He has convinced low-income people throughout the county that areas with high-dollar homes get all the money. The opposite is true according to the data.

Meanwhile, Ellis is pushing funding from just about everywhere else into the watershed where he lives.

Such heavy-handed politics make me skeptical about the 63% tax increase being proposed by HCFCD.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/20/2024

2609 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.

Nadine and Oscar Form within Hours of Each Other

10/19/24 – Tropical Storm Nadine and Hurricane Oscar formed within hours of each other in the last 24 hours. Neither is a threat to Texas. But they put the Atlantic Basin over the average number of named storms it gets during hurricane season and near the low end of predictions made earlier this year.

*Nadine (left) and Oscar (right) as of 2 PM CDT*

Tropical Storm Nadine

Nadine formed near the Mexican coastline and will quickly move inland near the border with Belize. Nadine’s chances of formation had steadily increased over the last few days.

Hurricane Oscar

Oscar was a different story. Yesterday morning, the disorganized area of showers had only a 20% chance of formation. By this afternoon, it had turned into a Category 1 hurricane with 80 mph hour winds. The small hurricane could strengthen some more today before weakening and dissipating next week.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward from Oscar up to 5 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles. At 2 PM, the eye was 3 miles wide.

Oscar could dump up to six inches of rain on Cuba, Turks and Caicos, and the Bahamas.

The National Hurricane Center predicts no additional tropical developments in the next seven days.

Season To Date

Earlier this year, forecasters predicted an extremely active hurricane season. These two storms – numbers 14 and 15 – put the season total near the low end of the range predicted by the NHC in May.

The table below shows the average number of storms in the Atlantic basin during the last three decades.

So far in the Atlantic Basin this year, we’ve had:

15 named storms
6 hurricanes (Debby, Ernesto, Francine, Isaac, Leslie, Oscar)
4 major hurricanes (Beryl, Helene, Kirk and Milton)

And we still have six more weeks left in the season.

For an excellent recap of the season, including each storm within it, see the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season Page on Wikipedia. It contains narratives on each storm plus statistical tables.

The next storms, if they form, will be:

Patty
Rafael
Sara
Tony
Valerie
William

Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/19/24

2608 Days since Hurricane Harvey

24% Ahead of Rainfall for Year, Houston Slips into Drought

10/18/24 – According to the US Drought Monitor, Houston has officially slipped into a moderate drought.

Talk about wacky weather. According to the National Weather Service, the Houston area has already recorded its average annual rainfall – with two and a half months left in the year.

*Rainfall Year-to-Date for Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport*

NOAA shows that normally we receive 41.52 inches by October 18 in an average year. But so far this year, at IAH, the official recording station, we have received 51.2 inches.

*From NWS NowData. The big jump in the blue line reflects Hurricane Harvey in 2017.*

So, we are 24% ahead of the average annual rainfall for this date … and in drought. But it gets even more wacky.

I live in the center of Kingwood just a few miles northeast of the airport. And my rain gage has recorded 64.58 inches so far. That’s 54% ahead of the average YTD rainfall.

Looking Ahead

The NWS Climate Prediction Center says that a weak La Niña has a 60% chance to emerge by November and is expected to persist through January-March 2025.

What does that mean for the Houston area?

Effect of La Niña on Texas Weather in Fall and Winter

According to ChatGPT, La Niña has significant impacts on Texas weather, especially during the fall and winter seasons. Here’s how La Niña typically affects Texas:

1. Warmer-than-Average Temperatures

Fall and Winter in Texas during a La Niña event tend to be warmer than usual, especially in southern and central Texas. The jet stream tends to shift northward, allowing more warm air to persist over the state. This can lead to milder winters, especially compared to neutral or El Niño conditions.

2. Drier-than-Average Conditions

La Niña often brings below-average rainfall to Texas, particularly in the southern and central regions. This is due to the altered jet stream pattern, which pushes storm tracks farther north, leaving Texas and much of the southern U.S. drier than normal. As a result, drought conditions can develop or worsen, especially in the winter months.

3. Increased Risk of Drought

Because La Niña tends to cause drier-than-average conditions, it can exacerbate drought conditions. This is particularly concerning for Texas, which is prone to periodic droughts. Reduced winter rainfall means less moisture in the soil and reservoirs, affecting agriculture, water supply, and wildfire risks.

4. Wildfire Risk

With drier conditions and warmer-than-average temperatures, the risk of wildfires tends to increase during La Niña winters. This is especially the case in late fall and early winter when vegetation can become dry and more susceptible to fires.

What a wild ride this year has been!!! In the first half of the year, we thought we would drown. Now we could dry up and blow away.

Of course, all averages include extremes. By definition, they mask variation. And this year, they could mask a lot.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/18/24

2607 Days since Hurricane Harvey

HCFCD Explains Scope of Maintenance Needs, Proposition A

10/17/24 – Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) held a meeting Wednesday night at the Kingwood Community Center to explain the scope of its maintenance activities. The exhibits were designed to raise awareness of the types of things HCFCD does in order to help educate the public in advance of the vote on HCFCD’s Proposition A.

Proposition A would increase HCFCD taxes 63 percent.

Not discussed at the meeting:

A basis for the percentage increase in the tax rate
Justification for the amount of the tax increase, i.e., linking objectives/tasks to cost estimates and budgets
How, where or when the additional money would be deployed
Prioritization of maintenance projects, i.e., the Equity Prioritization Framework for Flood Bond Projects.

For those who couldn’t make the meeting, I’ll provide a brief recap of the exhibits below. There was no formal presentation. Residents walked from table to table and asked the staff questions about the oversized poster exhibits shown below. Some of the type gets pretty small when reproduced on a cell phone or tablet, so I’ll provide some context.

At the end, I will also provide some feedback from attendees.

What Does Proposition A Include?

The first poster talked about the proposed tax increase. The small type explains the before and after tax rates if Prop A is approved. The HCFCD tax RATE would go from 3.316 cents to 4.897 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. That’s a 57% increase in the rate. What they don’t show is an average 6% increase in valuations this year, bringing the total increase in your tax BILL up to 63%. The rate is applied to a larger base.

*The small type says that the average homeowner would see an increase of $60/year. Altogether, the new tax would generate $100 million of additional revenue for HCFCD.*

Here is the language you will find on your ballot. Notice that it says the new tax would go toward “operating and maintaining the District’s flood-risk-reduction infrastructure.”

The reference to operations would let the $100 million be spent on virtually anything…like the $3 million Commissioners Court approved last week to hire a consulting firm to write the county’s resilience plan.

Scope of Maintenance Activities

The rest of the posters discussed different types of maintenance.

*Examples of preventative maintenance include mowing and debris removal.*

They vary throughout the year by season. This chart shows seasonal shifts in emphasis. For instance, they plant trees in the fall and winter.

*Channels in the Kingwood area that have received maintenance help since Harvey.*

*Forward-looking maintenance includes things like tree planting; selective clearing; and planting of native grasses and wildflowers.*

HCFCD also does major maintenance projects that border on capital improvement projects.

*Examples include sediment removal from channels; channel sidewall replacement; repairs to concrete lining and outfalls; and erosion repairs.*

See before-and-after examples below.

Service Requests

The pie-chart below shows the major types of service requests that members of the public request. The top categories are:

Debris 29%
Ponding Water 13%
Tree 12%
Unauthorized use 11%
Erosion 10%
Vegetation Overgrowth 9%

*Note also how the level of service requests has remained relatively constant for the last four years. There is less than 5% variation*.

This heat map shows where the most service requests came from in the county.

*Precinct 4 is the pinkish color at the top of the map.*

Beryl and the Derecho

The biggest effort in recent years has been debris removal following Hurricane Beryl and the derecho.

*HCFCD/FEMA contractors have removed 40,000 tons (80 million pounds) of debris so far this year.*

Mixed Feedback/Support

Dee Price, KSA President, was positive. She said, “After attending the Harris County Flood Control District’s public meeting on Proposition A, it is my assessment that Harris County Flood Control District needs additional funds to maintain all of the infrastructure for which it is responsible. It is my opinion that Kingwood would benefit if HCFCD receives additional funds that would enable them to maintain the drainage infrastructure in Kingwood.”

Jeff Miller, an Elm Grove resident who lives near Taylor Gully, said, “HCFCD freely admitted that their performance has been falling short for a long time but that with more funding, they can catch up. I plan to vote for Prop A, but based on our experience with the 2018 flood bond, I’m doing so reluctantly.”

I was skeptical based on previous experiences with the 2018 Flood Bond and 2022 Bond. County commissioners changed those deals after voters approved them. “The same thing could happen with Prop A and the Lake Houston Area could wind up funding projects everywhere but here.”

Turnout for the meeting was approximately 40 people – very low compared to the 13,000 that flooded in the Lake Houston Area in recent years.

Only one thing is certain – either way, you have the power to send a message with your vote.

Two Additional Meetings

HCFCD has scheduled two additional Zoom meetings for people who couldn’t attend in person.

Thursday, October 24 | 12:00 – 1:00 p.m
Wednesday, October 30 | 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/17/24

2606 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Flood Control Tax Meeting Tonight at Kingwood Community Center, 6 PM

10/16/24 – Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) and Precinct 3 will host a tax meeting at the Kingwood Community Center tonight starting at 6 PM. The purpose: discuss the thinking behind HCFCD’s request for what amounts to a 63% increase in taxes to cover operations and maintenance.

See details below.

Ask Tough Questions

Please come to the tax meeting. The community needs your support.

The 63% increase to tax bills will result from a 56% increase in the tax rate applied to a 7% increase in property valuations.

Is it worth it? Whether you see any benefit from the money depends on where you live in the county. Up here in the northeastern part, we’ve been fooled twice already.

When we were promised the 2018 flood bond would take care of the worst flooding first. And when we were told each of the four precincts would get at least $220 million from the 2022 bond. Commissioners Ellis and Garcia along with County Judge Hidalgo changed each deal after the fact.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

So come prepared to ask tough questions. Like:

Why haven’t we seen any benefit from the flood bond after six years?
Why does HCFCD need a 63% increase when it has trouble spending the money it already has?
Is HCFCD capable of administering a larger budget in a timely way?
Is there any guarantee the money will be spent here?
If any money will be spent here, when?
Why is the ballot language so vague and open ended?
Will commissioners divert the tax proceeds to other purposes?
Can you trust commissioners not to change the deal after the vote as they did with the 2022 bond?
If capital improvement money is largely going elsewhere, shouldn’t we assume that maintenance money will follow it?
Why does the HCFCD website no longer list active projects or show where they are?

The Robin Hood Plan

Six years in, money from the 2018 flood bond has not been distributed fairly across the county. The far northeastern part of the county has been severely punished for its Republican leanings, despite having some of the worst flooding in the county.

worst first — *Chart showing feet above flood stage of 33 gages of misc. bayous in Harris County during Harvey.* *The four gages on the left all feed into Lake Houston*

Harris County has 23 watersheds. Since Hurricane Harvey:

The top 11 have received $1.2 billion in flood mitigation funding.
The bottom 11 have received $172 million.

The average difference? 7X. Here’s what that looks like.

Spending by Watershed since Harvey — *Through third quarter 2024. Source: HCFCD data obtained via a FOIA request.*

The San Jacinto River, Luce Bayou and Jackson Bayou watersheds all fall into the bottom 11.

So now that we’ve funneled more than a billion dollars worth of capital improvement projects into low-income areas, who do you think will have the greatest maintenance needs?

I’m going to see what they say tonight at the tax meeting before I make any recommendations. Hope to see you there.

Bring a neighbor. Pack the room.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/16/2024

2605 Days since Hurricane Harvey

HCFCD Spending Drops Even As It Seeks Massive Tax Increase

10/15/24 – Even as Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) pleads with voters for a 63% tax increase, its spending continues to decrease – on both a quarterly and annual basis.

Come to the meeting Wednesday night at the Kingwood Community Center to learn more about HCFCD’s Proposition A on your ballot.

According to HCFCD data obtained via a FOIA request, HCFCD spending declined:

36% from the second to third quarter of this year ($67,983,033 to $43,179,077).
13% from 2023 to 2024 ($252,949,555 to $219,207,447 annualized. I estimated the annualized 2024 figure by adding the average of the first three quarters to their totals.)

See the first two graphs below.

*Unless we see a dramatic turnaround in the fourth quarter of this year, spending will decline for four straight years since its peak in 2020.*

Spending ramped up rapidly after Hurricane Harvey with the passage of the 2018 flood bond. But since 2020, it has declined precipitously and is now almost down to pre-bond levels. Why?

Possible Reasons for Decline

In fairness, the pandemic slowed many businesses, not just HCFCD. But the pandemic is behind us. And flood mitigation spending continues to fall.

The decline also coincides with a change in leadership at HCFCD and a change in direction from Commissioners Court.

The Democratic majority in Commissioners Court has burdened HCFCD processes with frequent changes to the “Equity Prioritization Framework.” The framework prioritizes projects that benefit low-to-moderate income (LMI) areas, not necessarily those with the most flood damage, the most severe flooding, the most frequent flooding or the highest flood risk.

HCFCD hasn’t yet even released flood-risk data requested by the Harris County Community Resilience Flood Task Force four years ago. If this were a poker game, I’d call that a “tell.”

Money Waiting to be Used

To its credit, HCFCD has secured enough matching partnership funding to more than double the $2.5 billion dollars approved by voters. But the District isn’t spending it.

It has taken two years to compile a project list for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Texas General Land Office (GLO), which administers HUD funds in Texas.

Meanwhile, $825 million dollars are waiting in the wings.

HCFCD keeps trying to get the LMI percentage of that $825 million up to 70%, even though HUD requires only 50%. And the deadline for those 13 Disaster Recovery Projects worth $290 million is rapidly approaching.

Roughly 37% of Bond Spent in 60% of Time

More than six years after the passage of the flood bond, HCFCD has spent only about $1.9 billion out of the $5.1 billion available through bond and matching funds. So, the District has used only 37% of the money committed in 60% of the 10 years originally projected for the bond program.*

Meanwhile inflation has taken its toll on purchasing power, putting the future of many projects at risk. HCFCD has requested extensions on CDBG projects, but GLO is still evaluating them on a case-by-case basis.

The LMI Imperative

Currently, LMI considerations heavily influence HCFCD spending. Brays, Greens, White Oak, Halls, Hunting and Sims Bayous all have a majority of LMI residents. Brays is the first bayou to top $200 million in HCFCD spending since Harvey. Greens has topped $175 million. And White Oak is a whisker short of $150 million.

Meanwhile, the San Jacinto watershed ranks 13th out of 23 watersheds. Yet it had the highest flooding in the county during Harvey.

Why vote? Worst flooding in the county. — *San Jacinto at US59 circled in red. Note locations of areas on right that didn’t even flood.*

Current Priorities Shifting a Bit

When looking only at the third quarter of 2024, the picture has somewhat improved for the San Jacinto. During the last quarter, the San Jacinto watershed ranked 7th, but still fell behind White Oak, Halls, Greens and Brays watersheds, all of which have LMI-majority populations.

HCFCD announced the completion of Project Brays more than two years ago. And yet HCFCD still spends more money there than in the San Jacinto watershed, which is the county’s largest … with the county’s worst flooding.

But alas, Commissioner Rodney Ellis lives in the Brays Bayou Watershed. So, we in the San Jacinto will have to wait to see if any money is left to improve Taylor Gully, Woodridge Village or the Diversion Ditch.

And those poor souls who live near Spring Creek, which had the second highest flooding? Well, they’ll have to wait too.

Strange how most of the waiting is being done in Republican-dominated areas. For instance, Jackson and Luce Bayous (both east of Lake Houston) barely register as blips on the graph above.

Tough Tax Questions

So, should you vote for the new flood tax? Not until you learn more.

HCFCD is pushing the 63% tax increase as a maintenance tax, even though nothing in the ballot language restricts the tax to maintenance.

Wednesday night, HCFCD will hold a meeting at the Kingwood Community Center from 6 to 7:30 PM. Be there!

Ask whether you will see any benefit from the tax.

Why does HCFCD need a 63% increase when it has trouble spending the money it already has?
Is HCFCD capable of administering a larger budget in a timely way?
Is there any guarantee the money will be spent here?
If money will be spent here, when?
Why is the ballot language so vague and open ended?
Will commissioners divert the tax proceeds to other purposes?
Can you trust commissioners not to change the deal after the vote as they did with the 2022 bond?
If capital improvement money is largely going elsewhere, shouldn’t we assume that maintenance money will follow it?

I’m going to see what they say before I make any recommendations. Hope to see you there.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/15/24

2604 Days since Hurricane Harvey

* A word about data. The data provided by HCFCD includes maintenance spending, not just capital improvement expenditures from the bond. So $1.9 billion is an estimate. If it varies, it would vary downwards, making the disparity in the percentages greater.

It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over

10/14/24 – Looking at the National Hurricane Center’s afternoon update, Yogi Berra’s famous quote comes to mind – “It ain’t over till it’s over.” Of course, Yogi was speaking of baseball and I’m speaking of the 2024 hurricane season.

NHC posted a new 7-day outlook at 1:28 this afternoon showing two areas of concern. One in the middle of the Atlantic has a 50% chance of development. The one in the western Caribbean has a 20% chance.

The first is where Cat 5 Hurricane Kirk just formed. The latter is the same general area where Cat 5 Hurricanes Helene and Milton formed within the last three weeks.

Central Atlantic Formation Chance Now 60 Percent

Here’s what NHC has to say about the orange area in the Central Atlantic.

A well-defined area of low pressure located roughly midway between the Cabo Verde Islands and the Lesser Antilles is producing limited shower and thunderstorm activity. This system is currently embedded in a dry air environment, and development is unlikely over the next couple of days.

However, this system will move generally westward toward warmer waters. There, environmental conditions could become more favorable for gradual development by the middle to latter part of this week.

A tropical depression could form as the system begins moving west-northwestward and approaches or moves near the Leeward Islands late this week.
National Hurricane Center

Formation chance through 48 hours is only 10 percent. However, formation chance through 7 days is currently 60 percent. The formation chance has steadily increased for this area during the last few days.

Western Caribbean

Regarding that area in the Western Caribbean, NHC says this.

A broad area of low pressure is likely to form over the southwestern Caribbean Sea by the middle to latter portions of this week.

Some development is possible thereafter if the system stays over water while it moves slowly west-northwestward towards northern Central America.

Regardless of development, locally heavy rainfall is possible across portions of Central America later this week.

Formation chance through 48 hours…low…near 0 percent. However, formation chance through 7 days is 20 percent at this hour.

This is near where Helene and Milton began.

Remember: six more weeks of hurricane season. And it ain’t over till it’s over. So keep checking NHC daily.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/14/24

2603 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Tree Lane Bridge Repairs Nearing Completion

10/12/24 – According to the minutes of latest Houston Public Works progress meeting Tree Lane Bridge repairs over Bens Branch were 57% complete as of 10/1/24 with 80% of the budget consumed. However, the contractor has completed a significant amount of additional work since then.

The million dollar project began in February. At the time, Public works predicted it would be complete by summer 2024. Unfortunately, that didn’t quite work out.

Status of Tree Lane Bridge Repairs

Completed as of mid-October:

Work under half of the bridge
Three of the four wing walls on either side of the Bens Branch, upstream and downstream of the bridge
Placement of rip rap next to the two eastern wing walls
Additional pilings/supports under both east and west sides of the bridge
A new storm-drain outfall on the southeast side

Not yet started:

Upstream work on the northwest wing wall
Soil grading (change order still pending)
Clean up
Reseeding

Still not moved:

Several pipes and cables

It’s unclear at this time whether the utilities are holding up any additional work, or whether they even have plans to move their property.

Downcutting of the stream bed through erosion exposed the pipe and cable, which used to be buried.

Pictures taken 10/12/24

In the progress meeting, the contractor estimated completion of Tree Lane Bridge repairs during the first week in November. The pictures below show the status of the work as of 10/12/24.

*A new, concrete bed has been poured to reduce the rate of downcutting by the stream and protect the piers. Note, however, that it only extends halfway under the bridge so far.*

*SE wing wall, new storm drain outfall and rip rap.*

*The four round pilings are new and will provide additional support for the bridge.* *Similar supports have been placed on the opposite side.* *Look closely in picture above.*

*Water pipe and cable still have not been moved.*

*Note new rip rap to the right of the outfall. Rip-rap (the concrete chunks) reduces the velocity of concentrated, flowing water and therefore erosion.*

*NW wing wall is complete, but new concrete bed under north side of bridge has not yet been started.*

*Neither has the* *NW wing wall been started.*

Pictures Taken Earlier

Chris Bloch, a Bear Branch Trail Association board member and local flood fighter, took the three Tree Lane Bridge repair pictures below.

Work in progress on new pilings on 10/3/24. Original bottom of stream bed was approximately three feet higher than current level, as you can see from the concrete still clinging to one of the old pilings.

Luckily, we have been having ideal construction weather since Beryl in early July. The mild drought has kept flow in the channel low, allowing work under the bridge to proceed safely.

Will These Repairs Hold?

Additional upstream development has increased the flow in Bens Branch in recent years. The bridge stood for more than 40 years without problems. However, this is the third set of repairs since 2020.

The current repairs appear more substantial than previous ones. But if the amount of water coming downstream continues to increase, even these repairs won’t last long. Water routinely comes up to the bridge deck.

*Photo by Chris Bloch of Tree Lane Bridge during TS Imelda.*

One cannot overstate the potential danger. Bear Branch Elementary is next to the bridge. More than 600 students attend the school and dozens of school buses routinely cross over the bridge every school day.

Power of Moving Water

For a history of the project and to see what damage to the bridge looked like before repairs started, see these previous posts:

8/11/24 Tree Lane Bridge Repairs Finally Starting Again, Hopefully for Last Time

6/28/24 Tree Lane Project Supposed to be Done Today, But Hasn’t Started

4/9/24 City Begins Tree Lane Bridge Repairs

2/21/24 CoH Public Works Kicks Off Tree Lane Bridge Rehab Project

11/28/23 Tree Lane Bridge over Bens Branch Still Standing

6/12/23 Flood Damage To Tree Lane Bridge Over Ben’s Branch Accelerates

1/29/23 Tree Lane Bridge over Ben’s Branch Damaged…Again

3/21/22 How Insufficiently Mitigated Upstream Development Imposes Taxation without Representation on Downstream Residents

3/31/20 City Completes Repairs on Tree Lane Bridge, But Concerns Remain

2/29/20 Tree Lane Bridge over Ben’s Branch: Before and After Repairs

12/2/19 Tree Lane Bridge vs. Power of Moving Water

Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/12/2024

2601 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Northpark Expansion Shifting into Higher Gear

10/11/24 – The Northpark expansion project has definitely shifted into a higher gear. Today, contractors poured the fourth stretch of concrete along Northpark Drive in four weeks.

Today’s work focused on a new eastbound lane stretching from Russell Palmer Road to approximately 1,000 feet west.

Contractors began at 3 AM on the west and had worked their way east to Russell Palmer by 10 AM when I took the pictures below.

*Looking W. Note fresh concrete left of center running virtually to Russell Palmer in foreground.*

*Looking E. Crews worked like a well oiled machine, spreading then smoothing the concrete.*

*They still need to pave additional lanes north (right) of the one they paved today.*

The purpose of the expansion project is to accommodate growth and create an all-weather evacuation route for 78,000 Kingwood residents.

Crossover Closures

To pave the additional lanes, Harper Brothers Construction closed all of the Northpark crossovers between Russell Palmer Road and the entrance to Kings Mill. Crossovers east and west of that stretch will remain open. The crossovers within that stretch will remain closed for approximately two months.

Next Steps

The Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority also refreshed its 3-week lookahead schedule yesterday. Next up:

Paving prep for westbound lanes starting at Russell Palmer and going to Northpark Christian Church
Traffic switch from Russell Palmer to Kings Mill
More dirt work from Culver’s to Chick-Fil-A for a westbound access road
Demolition of existing westbound lanes between Kings Mill and railroad.
Full closure of Russell Palmer/Northpark intersection for three days (Friday, Sat., Sun.) beginning October 25th.
Paving prep for:
- Southbound lanes of Loop 494 on north side of Northpark
- Southbound lanes of Loop 494 on south side of Northpark
- Northbound lanes
Extend drainage under 494 and railroad tracks

To avoid construction delays, those who can take alternate routes for the foreseeable future probably should. Things will change on a daily basis.

For More Information

Consult the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority project pages. Or see these ReduceFlooding posts:

Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/11/24

2600 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Potential Funding Problem for Taylor Gully Mitigation Project

10/10/24 – Buried within a Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) eight-page status report submitted to Commissioners Court last Tuesday is a potential conflict that could torpedo Taylor Gully conveyance improvements.

Taylor Gully is the lone Kingwood project that HCFCD submitted to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Texas General Land Office for Community Development Block Grant funding. The list of disaster relief and hazard mitigation projects totals $863 million.

HUD Funds via Texas GLO

The HUD/GLO money focuses on projects stemming from Hurricane Harvey that are designed to mitigate future disasters and flooding.

The money is in two buckets: disaster relief ($322 million) and mitigation ($541 million).

DR vs MIT, Above-the-Line vs Below-

Of the 39 projects listed in the status report, Northeast Harris County has three. But the three actually relate to only one project – Taylor Gully Drainage Improvements in Kingwood.

The main Taylor Gully project falls into the Disaster Mitigation (MIT) category.
Two related stormwater detention basins in Woodridge Village at the head of Taylor Gully fall into the disaster relief (DR) category.

A note on page six of the HCFCD status report explains the relationship between the three items. Basically, Flood Control needs the two detention basins to make the Taylor Gully improvements work within the available space.

Rough layout for new Woodridge basin. — *Green basin was started under an E&R contract then paused after HUD funding application. A second basin would need to be built from scratch somewhere within the area designated as G-503-06-00.* *Taylor Gully is blue line labeled G103-80-03.1.*

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The Taylor Gully project is above the funding line. That means there’s room for it in the budget. But…

Potential Conflict

The two detention basins, which are prerequisites, fall below the funding line. That means there is no budget for them unless another above-the-funding-line project falls out of contention or comes in much lower than expected. (Editorial comment: Good luck with that!)

See the note on page six reprinted below.

Taylor Gully Channel Conveyance Improvements (G103-80-03.1-E002), Woodridge Stormwater Detention Basin, Compartment 1 (G503-06-00-E003), and Woodridge Stormwater Detention Basin, Compartment 2 (G503-06-00-E004): Woodridge Stormwater Detention Basin, Compartment 1 (G503-06-00-E003) and Woodridge Stormwater Detention Basin, Compartment 2 (G503-06-00-E004) were originally below the funding line for CDBG-DR. The original engineering analysis indicated that only Woodbridge Basin Compartment 1 was needed for the Taylor Gully mitigation. As the analysis has progressed, it indicates that Compartment 2 (or a portion of it) may also be needed. Due to other projects potentially reducing in budget from the initial estimates, there may be funding available to include the Woodbridge basin in the Taylor Gully project. [Color added for emphasis.] (Bond ID: F-14; Precinct 3).

It’s like saying, “We’ll recommend the highway expansion. But we may not approve the concrete for it.”

Deadlines Looming

To make matters worse, the two detention basins are in the Disaster Relief category. That had a tight deadline – mid 2026. However, the GLO and HUD say that they are granting extensions on a case-by-case basis. HCFCD says they are asking for one. And these two particular projects seem to be in the pipeline under review.

The Taylor Gully conveyance improvements will cost an estimated $25.5 million. The two Woodridge detention basins together will cost an estimated $30.8 million.

The GLO says it is working closely with Harris County Flood Control to process applications and resolve issues as quickly as they arise.

However, unless HUD and the GLO grant a deadline extension, the two basins would need to be completed and all the billing submitted for payment by roughly mid-2026. That would be ambitious, even if they started today.

Worse, if the issue is “available funding,” they’ll need to finalize 14 other projects first to see how much money they have left over before the detention basins can even start.

Government Work is Never Easy

One thing I have learned since Harvey is that nothing associated with flood mitigation moves quickly. In that regard, Harris County Commissioners approved the first draft of the DR project list on 6/6/23.

In fairness, a large part of the HCFCD update deals with reasons for grant-submission and approval delays. They include:

Changes in procedures related to the Authorization to Use Grant Funds under the National Environmental Policy Act.
Confusion over the Supreme Court’s Sackett v. EPA Ruling having to do with the definition of the Waters of the U.S.
New U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requirements to protect endangered species.
Recent changes to HUD’s Environmental Review Process.
HUD’s new Federal Flood Risk Management requirements to review wetland impacts for areas beyond one acre.
Severe weather (Derecho, May floods, Beryl)

Let’s hope they can resolve this one quickly. The fate of hundreds of homes and thousands of residents hangs in the balance.

Make sure you ask about this at the HCFCD tax meeting on October 16 before you vote.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/10/24

2599 Days since Hurricane Harvey