HCFCD Flood-Mitigation Spending Down for Third Straight Year

Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) flood-mitigation spending finished down for the third year in a row last year. Spending for all four quarters totaled $243.1 million, a little more than half of its peak in 2020.

Spending for 2023 was 56% of its 20-year peak in 2020 at $433 million. Here are the exact amounts spent by HCFCD year by year since 2000.

Possible Reasons for Slowdown

HCFCD flood-mitigation spending increased each quarter last year, but the total wasn’t enough to prevent another annual decline.

HCFCD watchers have conjectured about possible reasons for the slowdown. They include:

Bond Fully Funded, But Inflation Taking Toll

Despite the slowdown, there was some very good news last year. During 2023, thanks to those HUD funds, the 2018 flood bond became fully funded.

The original bond contained approximately $5 billion in projects. But voters approved only $2.5 billion. The ambitious project list associated with the bond contained a bet that HCFCD could raise as much money from partners as it did from voters. And last year, the District did just that. Partner commitments now exceed another $2.5 billion.

Now, HCFCD must spend the money before inflation steals it away. Inflation has already reduced the purchasing power of bond funds by 15-20% in the last four years. Twenty percent of a $5 billion, is another billion that the grant writers must raise just to stay even.

Where is Money Going? Will There Be Enough to Finish All Projects?

That raises two questions, “Where is the money going?” It certainly isn’t going proportionally to all watersheds or precincts.

The four graphs and tables below show where the flood-bond money and partner money has gone since Harvey and during the last quarter.

County-wide projects include such things as planning, MAAPnext, subdivision drainage projects and preliminary planning for flood tunnels (see Z-level projects at end of list).

Q3 2017 through end of 2023.

Note that “Since Harvey” includes a year’s worth of spending not in the flood bond. Voters passed the bond on the first anniversary of Harvey. The District spent $172 million during that year. So the actual amount of bond/partner funds spent to date should total a bit over $1.8 billion.

Q4 2023 Spending Shows Shifts in Some Spending Priorities

Compare those figures with the last quarter of 2023 to see how priorities have or haven’t changed.

By comparing this bar chart with the one immediately above, we can see that relative spending in the San Jacinto watershed has remained consistent if dismal. The county’s largest watershed ranked 14th since Harvey and 13th last quarter.

Other noteworthy observations:

Brays Bayou spending dropped to fourth place from its perennial spot atop the pyramid. Most projects in Project Brays are now completed.

Willow Creek dropped from eighth place to last.

Sims Bayou jumped from 12th place to 6th.

Spending in the Little Cypress Creek watershed jumped to first place from fifth…even outpacing county-wide spending. That may be related to engineering for several large land purchases made earlier in the bond for the Harris County Frontier Program. The Frontier Program buys land in optimal locations in developing watersheds for flood-mitigation projects, such as detention basins. Then it leases capacity back to developers.

Fourteen watersheds received less than a million dollars in spending last quarter.

Based on data obtained via FOIA Request

And four watersheds of Harris County’s 23 watersheds received less than $100,000 last quarter.

The difference in spending between the high and low watersheds last quarter was more than 500 to 1!

I need more time to dig into these numbers. Look for additional analysis in the days to come.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/22/2024

2337 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.

First Northpark Entry Pond Taking Shape

One week after contractors began digging the first Northpark entry pond, you can see a broad area that has already been excavated.

Looking S toward Northpark and US59 on 1/21/24.

The decorative pond, when complete, will double as a detention basin to temporarily store extra runoff from the newly widened Northpark roadbed and US59 feeder road during heavy storms.

Stormwater will collect between the pond’s normal water level and the surface of the ground, then drain slowly at a rate (constrained by the outfall pipe) that drainage ditches can safely handle.

Stormwater from 59 feeder road as well as Northpark will flow into ponds.

Why Ponds?

Traffic heading to 59 during an evacuation must not be trapped behind a flooded intersection at the freeway. Likewise, overflowing ditches must not flood homes and businesses in the area. Hence, the need for stormwater detention capacity.

The basins/ponds will also serve as decorative attractions that welcome people to Kingwood, exactly like they do at Kingwood Drive.

Contractors will build one pond on each side Northpark. Culvert that runs under Northpark will connect the ponds and carry overflow from the south pond to north pond.

Overflow from the ponds will then drain east toward Loop 494, under the railroad tracks, and behind the businesses on the north side of Northpark.

What to Expect in Coming Weeks

In coming weeks, contractors will complete the outline of the ponds. But, for now, they will only excavate down to the water table, according to project manager Ralph De Leon. Before contractors can go lower, they need a place to pump water as they dig. That means finishing the drainage-culvert connection(s) to Ditch One first. Ditch One leads to the Kingwood Diversion Ditch and Bens Branch farther east.

So the next steps will be:

  1. Place culvert in the easement between the north entry pond and Loop 494.
  2. Place culvert east of the railroad tracks that will connect to Ditch One.
  3. Connect both segments by tunneling under 494 and the UP Railroad tracks.

A satellite image clearly shows the entire route.

Northpark Drive drainage improvements

Here’s what it route looks like from a couple hundred feet.

Stormwater will travel from the entry ponds in the background at 59 via culvert in the easement (middle of the frame).
Then, the storm sewer will go under 494 (left) and the UP tracks before turning left and going behind two storage facilities.

In the pictures above and below, note the culvert already pre-positioned.

Behind Public Storage and Duncan Donuts, the storm drains will empty into Ditch One (top middle). Photo Oct. 2023.
Looking west. Water will flow through ditch toward the foreground behind Calvary Christian Fellowship (lower left).
Looking opposite direction from same location. Ditch One flows toward St. Martha Catholic Church (top center).

Just before reaching St. Martha Catholic Church, the water will turn right and cross under Northpark in either Bens Branch or the Kingwood Diversion Ditch.

Building from the Ground Up

De Leon emphasized that all underground work (drainage and utilities) must be completed before any road building can begin. The underground work still entails:

  • Building a second CenterPoint gas line on the north side of Northpark. CenterPoint will also build two connections to the first CenterPoint gas line on the south side. The first connection will be at Russell-Palmer Road and the second near Loop 494.
  • Relocating Entergy power lines and transformer.
  • Moving fiber-optic lines from internet and telecom companies.
  • Relocating a water line to Parkwood Baptist Church.
  • Finishing tree transplantation.
  • Tunneling storm drains under the railroad.

All of the above require permissions, permits and inter-local agreements with the City, Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ, utilities, and UP Railroad).

Three-Day Road Closure

At some future point, after those details are worked out, Northpark will have to close for three days. Previously, the plan had been to keep at least two lanes of traffic open in both directions at all times. So this represents a change. But any closure is still months away.

The closure will happen during construction of turn lanes under the bridge that will go over the UP Railroad Tracks.

UP intends to install a one-piece, 100-foot-long section of track and concrete that spans all ten lanes of traffic. The one-piece construction will involve multiple giant cranes. It will also mean shutting down rail traffic. But the final result will be a more stable track.

However, the one-piece construction also means alternate-side road closures are no longer a viable strategy.

Ideal Conditions for Tree Transplantation

The cool, wet weather during the winter months when trees are dormant makes ideal conditions for moving them. The trees should have a much higher survival rate now than during the drought and heat, as we experienced last summer.

For More Information

For more information about the project including construction plans, visit the project pages of the LHRA/Tirz 10 website. Or see these posts on ReduceFlooding:

Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/13/24

2336 Days since Hurricane Harvey

City Will Lower Lake Houston Sunday in Advance of Heavy Rainfall

Houston District E City Council Member Fred Flickinger announced today that Houston Public Works will lower Lake Houston beginning Sunday afternoon. They expect to complete the lowering before rain starts on Monday. Houston Public Works is actively monitoring weather forecasts.

The National Weather Service has predicted 3-5+ inches of rainfall in our watershed beginning Monday through the coming week. A forecast of 3+ inches of rain triggers the opening of the Lake Houston Spillway Gates. 

Gates on Lake Houston. File photo of 2019 release.

Flickinger advises property owners along the lake secure their property, including patio and outdoor furniture.

The Gates will remain open to manage storm inflows until the inclement weather has moved out of our region.

Lake Houston is currently at 42.22 ft (normal pool is 42.4) and Lake Conroe is at 200.64 ft (normal pool is 201.

The City put the lake-lowering policy in place after Hurricane Harvey. It has saved many homes and businesses from flooding during many events since then. The City is even planning on adding additional floodgates to Lake Houston to lower water faster.

Monitor Current Weather Events

To monitor current Lake Houston water levels, visit www.coastalwaterauthority.org.

To see current levels for Lake Conroe you can visit www.sjra.net.

For up-to-the-second weather for your zip code, visit the National Weather Service. NWS published the warnings below on Sunday, 1/20/24.

From Weather.gov on 1/20/24. As of 9:45am.
From Weather.gov as of 1/20/24 at 3:30pm. Updated frequently.

More than the Lake Could Flood, So…

Please keep in mind that flash flooding, affecting roadways and inland neighborhoods, is also possible in this storm. That’s a separate issue. Most storm drains are designed to handle only an inch of rainfall per hour.

Stay weather aware and avoid roadways if possible during rain events. It only takes 6 inches of water to move a car. If you see rising water near a stream, bayou or underpass, always turn around, don’t drown.

For more information, please contact the District E office at (832) 393-3008 or via email at districte@houstontx.gov.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/20/24

2335 Days since Hurricane Harvey

2023 Was Hottest Year since 1895 and 33rd Driest

According to Dr. Mark Wentzel, Hydrologist for Texas Water Development Board, 2023 was the hottest and 33rd driest year for Texas since 1895. That’s 128 years!

“We began 2023 with half the area of the state impacted by drought, the result of a statewide drought that had been ongoing for more than a year,” said Wentzel. “Drought conditions improved early in the year, reaching a low of 23 percent of the state in mid-June. But conditions worsened over the summer and reached a high of 86 percent in mid-September. Conditions improved in the last quarter, and we finished the year with 39 percent of the state in drought.”

Since the start of 2024, the percentage of Texas in drought has declined to 31% and that number could drop even more next week.

Reasons for Optimism

Wentzel continued, “Impacts due to drought have varied across the state. The most impacted surface water supplies have been in Central and South Texas. But we did end 2023 with reason for optimism. El Niño conditions, warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the eastern Equatorial Pacific, are in place and, as a result, continued drought improvements are expected in early 2024.”

Departures from Normal

These maps show last year’s departures from normal for both temperature and precipitation. From a water supply perspective, reds, oranges, and yellows mean trouble on both maps.

Texas Water Development Board

They show areas with above-average temperature on the left and below-average precipitation on the right. As shown on the left, 2023 was warmer than normal everywhere in the state.

As shown on the right, precipitation was also below normal for most of the state. 2023 wound up being the 33rd driest year since 1895. Still, it was an improvement from 2022, which was the 13th driest year since 1895.

Percentage of State In Drought

The next chart shows how drought impacted the state week by week throughout the year.

Texas Water Development Board

At the start of 2023, 50 percent of the state was in drought. That receded to 23 percent by mid-June but expanded again to 86 percent by mid-September.

Between mid-September and the end of the year, drought receded again, falling to 39 percent in December.

As of 1/16/2024, the U.S. Drought Monitor shows that drought has declined even more from year-end levels.

U.S. Drought Monitor for Jan. 16 shows 31% of state is currently in drought.

Drought Impact on Water Supply

Wentzel discussed how drought impacted surface-water-supply systems across the state in 2023.

The most drought-impacted water supplies were in Central and South Texas. Water supplies for Brownsville, Laredo, Temple, Killeen, and Waco reached their lowest values in 30 years during 2023.

Conditions in Waco returned to normal in late October/early November, thanks to beneficial rains. Houston was down only 1% at year end.

As of today, both Lake Conroe and Lake Houston are down only tenths of an inch from their normal levels.

Wetter than Average Winter Predicted for 2024

According to Wentzel, from a water supply perspective, we have reason for optimism. El Niño conditions, warmer than average sea surface temperatures in the eastern Equatorial Pacific, are in place. And as a result, Winter 2024 is expected to be wetter than average. If we can maintain average precipitation through May, typically the wettest month of the year for Texas, we should see significant improvements before summer 2024.

Here Comes the Rain

Widespread and sustained heavy rainfall expected next week could alter the drought situation significantly.

National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center

Parts of the Houston Area could see up to 7 inches of rain in the next 5 days.

According to Jeff Lindner, Harris County Meteorologist, “Widespread amounts of 3-5 inches are increasingly likely over a 3-4 day period. Monday will see the start of some of the heavier rains, with some hourly rates in the 1-2 inch range if we get thunderstorms going over the area.”

Given the slow moving nature of the entire weather system, Lindner expressed concern for repeat cell training. It could enhance rainfall amounts and flood/flash-flood threats. 

Lindner specifically cited several watersheds in north Harris County. Cypress Creek, Spring Creek, Little Cypress Creek, Luce Bayou, Willow Creek, the San Jacinto River basin, and Cedar Bayou tend to drain slowly, he said.

So, the cumulative effect of multiple rounds of rainfall in those watersheds can result in sustained rises over the duration of the rainfall event. However, in other watersheds, he also expressed concern about the threat from sustained heavy rainfall that can produce more rapid flooding.

Keep your eye on the sky!

Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/19/2024

2334 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Vandalism Creates Widespread Telecom Outage in Lake Houston Area

I received a call this morning from Congressman Dan Crenshaw’s office asking for help to publicize a widespread telecom outage in the Lake Houston Area. It affects Atascocita, Humble, Kingwood, and Porter. Comcast appears to be the target of the vandalism. But some AT&T customers also report being affected.

Comcast has set up a webpage that shows pictures of the vandalism. It also informs customers of the status of their repairs.

Repairs Could Take 24-Hours or More

According to Crenshaw’s office, the repairs may not be complete until Friday some time.

Pictures on the Comcast website show multiple fiber-optic lines cut. The lines appear to be both pole-mounted and underground.

Repairs are currently underway.

If you can obtain service, you can track the status of the repairs here.

Below are pictures from Comcast for customers who may not be able to see the Comcast link.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/18/2023

2333 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Extreme 2024 Hurricane Season Predicted

A British website, TropicalStormRisk.com, which has won insurance industry awards for its accuracy, predicts that North Atlantic hurricane activity in 2024 will be more than 50% above the long-term average and 30% above the average for the last three decades.

The website claims it has the best performing statistical seasonal forecast model at all lead times for the period 2003-2023. But it confesses that forecasts six months in advance have high degrees of uncertainty, especially since it’s hard to predict summer sea surface temperatures in the Caribbean during the winter. That said…

TSR predicts 4 major hurricanes, 9 hurricanes and 20 tropical storms.

TropicalStormRisk.com

By comparison, the 2023 Atlantic season produced 3 major hurricanes, 7 hurricanes and 10 tropical storms. The 2023 season ranked fourth for the most-named storms in a year since 1950. An average season has 14 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes, according to NOAA.

Comparisons with Running Averages

Here’s how TSR’s predicted 2024 totals compare to 10-, 30-, and 74-year norms.

TropicalStormRisk.com

ACE stands for Accumulated Cyclone Energy. Various agencies use the metric to express the energy released by a tropical cyclone during its lifetime. The concept can also be applied to groups of cyclones, including a whole season’s worth.

When looking at ACE, TSR claims a greater than 50% chance that 2024 will be in the top third of all seasons between 1991 and 2020.

Methodology and Key Predictors for 2024

TSR divides the North Atlantic into three regions and forecasts each separately before summing them. The three regions include the Tropical North Atlantic, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. Their model incorporates August through September sea surface temperatures and July through September trade wind speeds over the prior 10-year period.

The group believes El Niño has peaked and will weaken throughout the winter and spring of 2024. El Niño events generally suppress Atlantic hurricane activity, according to the National Weather Service. So a weakening El Niño would allow a resurgence of hurricane activity.

TSR also calls for ACE-activity above the 1991-2020 climate norm level based on predictions of warm sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic Main Development Region and Caribbean Sea during August-September 2024. However, they caution that a high degree of uncertainty exists six months out.

For the complete report, click here. Warning: you may need a PhD to understand the statistical reasoning behind their forecasts.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/17/24

2332 Days since Hurricane Harvey

SJRA Releases Third Part of Sedimentation Study

In late December 2023, the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) released the third part of its massive, years-long sedimentation study. SJRA labeled the report “Technical Memorandum 3: Annual Sediment Supply and Storage.” Only seven more steps remain in the 10-step effort.

The Larger Context

The ten steps include:

  1. Inventorying available existing data (January 2023)
  2. Characterizing the subwatersheds (January 2023)
  3. Quantify sediment supply and storage volumes in three representative subwatersheds (just released)
  4. Sediment transport modelling
  5. Extrapolate subwatershed data to entire basin and prioritize sediment sources for investigation
  6. Investigation of hotspots to prioritize management opportunities
  7. Conceptual solution and strategy development
  8. Identification of potential partners
  9. Identifying sources for technical and financial assistance
  10. Synthesize previous findings into final plan and publish

SJRA applied for a TWDB grant to study sedimentation in July of 2020 and accepted the grant in July 2021.

Sediment Supply and Storage Methodology/Findings

The study team collected data from three watersheds in the Upper San Jacinto River Basin: Winters Bayou/East Fork, Peach Creek/Caney Creek, and Walnut Creek/Spring Creek (also referred to as the Willow Creek area in the study). They collected samples, measured isotope concentrations, and performed a chemical analysis to determine a “fingerprint” for sediment originating in those areas. Investigators then compared fingerprints of sediment taken from Lake Houston to identify the likely source or origin.

They also measured erodibility of river banks by assessing such factors as bank height, angle, and material; root depths and density; proportion of the bank covered by vegetation, rocks, logs, etc.; and stability of soil strata.

High-Level Finding

Matt Barrett, SJRA’s Water Resources and Flood Management Director, said, “The key data obtained in the efforts described in TM 3 was the determination of where sediment appears to be originating in the sub-watersheds (i.e. upland runoff vs. streambank erosion).” 

“Our findings are that sediment appears to be originating primarily from eroding streambanks.”

Matt Barrett, SJRA Water Resources and Flood Management Director

The study did not directly examine the relative contributions of clear cutting, construction practices and sand mining to sedimentation.

Other Findings

Regardless, the study yielded interesting information about the soil in each area sampled.

Erosion rates (ft/yr) at the three locations varied by more than 3X. When measured in tons/ft/yr, they varied by 4X.

Table 3 from Page 7 of Technical Memorandum 3

At all three streambank sites, samples were composed of varying proportions of sand, silt, and clay, with sand the most prevalent component. Samples taken from floodplains varied more, but bore a resemblance to the corresponding streambank samples.

Samples from the East Fork San Jacinto stream bank and floodplain had more than 50% fine-grained composition, i.e., silt and clay. See table below.

From page 14 of study.

Study authors say, “…the relatively high proportions of fines in the East Fork … samples indicate(s) appreciable upland sediment contribution, consistent with the Pb-210 data.” (See Page 26). Pb is the chemical abbreviation for lead.

Highest Levels of Lead Coming from East Fork

Chemical sampling of Lake Houston sediments indicates that the highest percentage of lead, a naturally occurring element, was found in the East Fork Mouth Bar.

Looking farther upstream at three possible sources of the lead (upland areas, stream banks, floodplains), the authors found that floodplains and upland areas contributed more than streambanks.

From Page 24 of Technical Memorandum 3.

It’s impossible to determine the exact point of origin of the lead at this point in the study, say the authors.

The report never mentions Colony Ridge per se. Investigation of “hotspots” won’t happen until Step 6. (See list above.)

However, in my opinion, more study is merited to see whether the lead came from the Colony Ridge area. It has been the largest land-disturbing activity in the East Fork watershed in recent years.

Widespread destruction of wetlands in the massive Colony Ridge development may have contributed to the high lead levels. Wetlands can be pollution-catching powerhouses, according to a University of Waterloo study.

Head Scratchers

In the meantime, I’m wondering how the SJRA’s sedimentation study could have omitted the West Fork San Jacinto as a sampling site. The study does not explain. Barrett said only that they couldn’t afford to sample every watershed.

Yet the West Fork has the largest concentration of sand mines in the region (more than 20 square miles in a 20 mile reach of the river).

Typical West Fork Sand Mine

However, the report never mentions the phrase “sand mines.” In one paragraph on page 31, it does mention APOs (aggregate production operations). But I had to laugh. It said that ReduceFlooding.com reported “several purported breaches” of APO berms on the West Fork.

In this context, “purported” means “suspected” according to Webster’s Third International Dictionary.

Sampling Concern: Avoiding the Obvious?

I guess they didn’t see the hundreds of photographs that I took of mine breaches or mines pumping their waste into the river. Nor did they read the TCEQ investigation about a 56-million-gallon release of sludge that turned the West Fork white.

white water caused by flaunting regulations
Confluence of Spring Creek and West Fork (right). White water originated from breach of dike at Liberty Mine.

Neither does the report mention the terms “development” or “land clearing” – recognized by the EPA as major sources of sedimentation.

Rupture of new development’s detention basin wall poured sediment into West Fork after minor rain.

That contributed to this sludge fest on the West Fork.

Confluence of West Fork withy Spring Creek on 11/11/23
West Fork is to the right. But study chose to sample areas upstream on the left.

A friend of mine with a PhD in market research once told me that good research often confirms what in retrospect should have been obvious. But the SJRA study isn’t even sampling the obvious.

No telling where their sedimentation study will go at this point. This reminds me of the SJRA’s sand trap study. It recommended relying on a sediment gage upstream from all the sand mines.

Are they avoiding the obvious in their choice of areas they sampled?

Ultimate Goal

When I asked Barrett what he hoped the study would accomplish, he said, “The ultimate goal is to develop conceptual sediment mitigation solutions and implementation strategies. These could be infrastructure projects (stream restoration, sand traps, etc.).”

He continued, “Or they could be best management practices that could be recommended to appropriate government bodies (recommending riparian buffer or enhanced stormwater protection plan requirements that a county could implement, for example). 

“These solutions will be included in the Sediment Management Plan, which will provide a ‘menu’ of projects that could be implemented to help mitigate the negative impacts of sedimentation.”

I’ll withhold judgement until we get to the end of this road.

For More Information

Read the entire 66-page Technical Memorandum 3. And review other documents currently posted on the SJRA Sedimentation Study website.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/16/24

2331 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Developer Clearing Land Without Normal Safeguards

Kingwood Residences HTX II LLC is clearing 11.5 acres of land on West Lake Houston Parkway (WLHP) without the normal safeguards to control sediment-laden runoff. In recent weeks, concerned residents have emailed me multiple pictures like the ones below.

No silt fence to retain sediment-laden runoff on site.
Instead, runoff is draining into the street and storm sewers.

Normally, contractors would protect storm drains by catching silt with sand bags placed in the gutters. But this afternoon, I saw none of those either…even though the contractors were working furiously on a Sunday afternoon.

The buildup of sediment in our rivers, streams, and channels was a primary contributing cause of flooding. So why don’t contractors exercise greater caution?

Nature of Phase II Still Uncertain

The land in question is adjacent to another 19.7 acres to the northwest owned by the same developer. That land was cleared starting in 2022.

Contractors have been building apartments since then. The work was supposed to be complete by the end of last year, but is still in progress.

Note address.

It’s not clear what the developer plans to put on Phase II’s land, which was purchased from Pinehurst Trail Holdings LLC in June 2023.

However, the address – Kings River Commercial Road – and the developer’s website, suggest it may be commercial. The website boasts that the developer specializes in high-end, mixed-use apartment complexes within walking distance of retail.

Kingwood Residences HTX and HTX II LLC are limited liability companies owned by High Street Residential, a wholly owned operating subsidiary of Trammell Crow Company in Dallas. Their local headquarters are on 2800 POST OAK BLVD STE 400, HOUSTON TX 77056-6169.

More Photos Taken on 1/14/24

All photos below were all taken today, 1/14/24.

Looking N toward San Jacinto West Fork out of sight in background. West Lake Houston Parkway is on left next to soupy area in foreground.

According to the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) gage at the West Fork and WLHP less than a mile north, this area last received rain on January 8 and it totaled only .4 inches.

Reverse angle, looking S. WLHP on right. Kings Park Way cuts through middle of frame.
Detention basin for Phase I (middle left) may or may not serve Phase II.
Cleared trees stacked three stories high.

Enough Detention?

For properties this size, HCFCD requires .65 acre feet of stormwater detention basin capacity per acre of developed land. That comes out to roughly 20 acre feet for these combined properties.

I have requested drainage analyses and construction plans from HCFCD but have not yet received them. More news when I do.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, no wetlands exist on either parcel of land. And current FEMA flood maps show both parcels are out of floodplains.

The primary flooding concerns for these properties appear to be making sure they have sufficient detention capacity and that they don’t clog storm drains with sediment.

Ten Elements of an Effective Erosion and Sediment Control (ESC) Plan

The EPA lists 10 elements of an effective erosion control plan.

  1. Minimize Needless Clearing and Grading
  2. Protect Waterways and Stabilize Drainage Ways
  3. Phase Construction to Limit Soil Exposure and Compaction
  4. Stabilize Exposed Soils Immediately
  5. Protect Steep Slopes and Cuts
  6. Install Perimeter Controls to Filter Sediments
  7. Employ Advanced Sediment Settling Controls
  8. Certify Contractors on ESC Plan Implementation
  9. Adjust ESC Plan at Construction Site
  10. Assess ESC Practices After Storms

In fairness, the developer has left a natural border and phased construction. That’s good. But as the resident photos above show, they are not preventing sediment from leaving the site.

Posted by Bob Rehak 1/14/24

2329 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.

Excavation of Northpark Detention Basins Starts

Excavation of the decorative ponds that will double as Northpark detention basins at US59 began this week.

Contractors will stockpile the dirt in two places for now: behind Duncan Donuts and at a sand mine on Sorters-McClellan Road several blocks to the west. Contractors will use the dirt later to level the road surface and build access ramps for the bridge over the Union-Pacific Railroad tracks.

In other Northpark-expansion news this week, Entergy still has not started moving its utility poles and transformer.

However, CenterPoint has almost finished relocating its gas line under the road’s center drainage ditch to the south side of the road. CenterPoint also surveyed the north side of the street to place a second line there.

Finally, the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority (LHRA) is close to finalizing a drainage agreement with the Union-Pacific Railroad. For more details, see below.

Beginning of Entry Pond Excavation

Contractors will excavate the entry ponds/detention basins in several stages. For now, they will excavate down to the water table. Later, they will excavate below the water table, pumping water into new storm sewers as they dig.

Then they will place a liner at the bottom of each pond.

Finally, the ponds will be filled to the level of the storm sewers with a combination of well- and rainwater. But that will come much later.

The distance between the top of water in the ponds and the surface of the ground will retain stormwater to help prevent flooding of the intersection during heavy rains.

The photos below were all taken on 1/13/2024.

Looking at beginning of excavation of north pond. US59 and feeder on left, Northpark on right.
Looking west toward US59 bridge. These contractors appear to be defining the margins of the pond. Note stakes.
Excavated dirt on right waiting for shipment to a stockpile. Note storm drain on left and the wet earth that indicates proximity to water table.

Bens Branch, which crosses under 59 farther north, often overflows and backs up toward the Northpark intersection. The pipe above will carry water into the pond instead, thus reducing flood risk.

Start of one stockpile behind Duncan Donuts and Public Storage.

Where the Dirt Will Go

The stockpiled dirt will eventually be used to level the roadway over box culverts (when installation is complete) and also to build up ramps for the bridge over the railroad tracks.

When contractors finish placing box culverts, the stockpiled dirt will help level the center of the roadway, which will contain two additional lanes of traffic – one going each direction.

The bed must be raised to the level of the manhole shown above.
Looking west toward 59. Power lines belong to Entergy. They must be moved back to approximately where the fire hydrant is now. Yellow/green flags indicate route of new CenterPoint gas line.

Moving the utility poles back will create room for turn lanes next to the bridge over the rail tracks. The turn lanes must be at ground level for traffic turning north or south onto Loop 494.

Project managers first asked Entergy to move its power lines 2020. The utility still has taken no action. Ditto for the transformer below located near the Exxon station at 59.

Entergy transformer in red circle must also be moved back to make way for additional turn lanes.

An Entergy consultant claimed the company needed 50 weeks to move the transformer above.

The City is reportedly considering legal action against Entergy because of construction delays.

Meanwhile, Entergy continues to promote its social responsibility, even as it holds up construction of the only all-weather evacuation route for 78,000 people.

Railroad Agreement Should Be Resolved by End of January

In the good-news department, the last remaining issue with UP will hopefully be resolved within a couple weeks, according to project manager Ralph De Leon. The Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority sought permission to tunnel stormwater under the UP tracks to Ditch One. The railroad company required no more than a quarter-inch displacement of the tracks. Engineers figured out way to do it by splitting the flow from one pipe through two smaller pipes.

The Agreement covers both the aerial easement over UP’s tracks for the bridge and the railroad’s acceptance of the Construction Plans. The stormwater drainage pipes under the tracks held up UP’s final approval of the plans. Now that that has been resolved, UPRR is ready to accept the plans.  

Approval by the City will occur in the form of an Ordinance adopted by City Council.

The City of Houston contributed $15.4 million to the Northpark Project. Here is the contract between the City and Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority.

For More Information

De Leon said, “Once the UP agreement is signed, and CenterPoint and Entergy relocate their utilities, we can start building roads. Residents should then see a significant increase in in construction activity.”

For more information about the project including construction plans, visit the project pages of the LHRA/Tirz 10 website. Or see these posts on ReduceFlooding:

Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/13/24

2328 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Loop 494, Kingwood Drive Construction Virtually Complete

After more than four years of traffic disruption, TxDOT announced it has completed construction of Loop 494 and Kingwood Drive improvements. Some cleanup and a small section of sidewalk construction remains. So does the switchover from old traffic lights to new. But those things are minor compared to the heavy lifting that started in late 2019.

The result: better, safer, wider access to Kingwood and area businesses with improved drainage.

Photos from 1/10/2024

Here are some drone shots of the $11.2 million project.

Looking E along Kingwood Drive to Loop 494 Intersection. Note additional L/R turn lanes to and from Loop 494.
Closer shot shows remaining sections of sidewalk.
Looking S at elevated and widened Loop 494 that now stretches to West Fork San Jacinto.
Close up of intersection. New pole-mounted stoplights are up, but not yet active. Old wire-mounted lights still need to be removed. Most visible in foreground of shot above.
Looking west toward I-69 and entry ponds. Insperity on left.

Fountain and Irrigation Repairs Up Next

KSA still needs to restore electrical service to the south (left) fountain and will have to repair/upgrade the irrigation systems on both sides of the road. The repairs were postponed while construction was still in progress. KSA has already engaged engineering and landscaping experts to assess the needs and develop estimates.

It was a long slog, but the improvements should help the community and businesses for decades to come. At press time, TxDOT could not be reached regarding when it would finish site cleanup.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/11/24

2326 Days since Hurricane Harvey