On Sunday, 2/18/24 at 12:27 pm, Michelle Chavez photographed a Trammell Crow contractor pumping silty stormwater from a construction site into Kings Park Way near West Lake Houston Parkway. The silty water appeared to be routed through a filter bag.
Contractors commonly use such geo-textile bags to remove oil, grease, sediment, litter and debris from pumped water. But this bag had several gaping holes, undermining its effectiveness. No one appeared to supervise the operation.
Chavez said the water stunk badly. There was so much that it blocked one of the two southbound lanes on Kings Park Way.
Photos of Latest Discharge
See Chavez’ photos and video below.
Trammell Crow contractors pump silty stormwater into street. Looking N along Kings Park Way on 2/18/24 at 12:27 pm.Same location. Same time. Looking S.Note holes in filter. Also note time/day stamp on photo.
Here is a 27-second video that puts all the pieces together and shows the construction activity in the background.
A second resident told me that the pumping continued into Sunday night…well after dark. Discharging on Sunday and at night can help avoid those pesky County inspectors.
Previous Discharges
This was not the first time the contractors had been caught on camera. Silty stormwater from the site has run into the street on several occasions in the last few weeks:
Then on 2/2/24, they flooded the neighborhood again. Harris County Engineering and constables threatened to shut the site down.
After the last visit by Harris County officials, they finally started channelling the water away from Kings Park Way.
Photographed on 2/3/24. Diagonal channel is taking water toward a sediment basin.Some of the water from the SW corner of the site was channeled into a sediment basin. But by 2/13/24, they had filled in the part of the channel….By 2/20/24, two days after the pumping filmed by Chavez, they had filled in most of the channel and were starting to install storm sewers.
Most contractors plan for stormwater before it rains. What a mess!
Why Controlling Discharges from Construction Sites is Important
The EPA had this to say about the importance of controlling stormwater discharges from construction sites. “When it rains, stormwater washes over the loose soil on a construction site, along with various materials and products stored outside. As stormwater flows over the site, it can pick up pollutants like sediment, debris, and chemicals from that loose soil and transport them to nearby storm sewer systems or directly into rivers, lakes, or coastal waters.”
In this case, the water goes straight into Lake Houston, the source of drinking water for 2 million people.
County Engineering Notified Again
Harris County Engineering has once again been notified of the latest discharge, though the results of their investigation have not yet been reported.
Remind me never to rent an apartment here.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/22/24
2368 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.
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City of Houston (COH) Public Works Department held a kick-off meeting with contractors and the Bear Branch Trail Association (BBTA) this morning for the Tree Lane Bridge Rehabilitation Project. Public Works and the contractors outlined plans for the project. They also discussed access through BBTA property and safety protocols.
Chris Bloch (left) and Lee Danner (center) of BBTA met with contractor and Houston Public Works representatives at bridge on 2/21/24.
Construction should begin by mid-March and take approximately 150 days.
Project Scope
The $909,000 project will involve:
Creating access areas for equipment
Removing all existing concrete under the bridge and along the sidewalls
Establishing a 2-foot deep by 32-foot-wide low-flow channel from 20 feet upstream to 20 feet downstream of the bridge
Contractors will meet with the Bear Branch Elementary School principal to understand normal drop-off and pick-up times. They will then work around those times to try to minimize traffic interference.
Regardless, the City urged parents to warn children to stay away from the construction zone, which will be on both sides of the bridge. Lots of heavy equipment will be maneuvering in tight spaces with limited visibility near Bear Branch Elementary. Observe all traffic warnings and flag men.
Reason for Project
Embankments under the bridge have degraded significantly in the last 10 years. This is largely because of jetting.
Jetting is caused when water backs up behind a bridge that is too small for the volume of water coming down a stream. Pressure upstream of the bridge forces turbulent water to shoot out the downstream side destroying anything in its way. See six images below taken 2/21/24.
Looking upstream at eastern side of bridge.Jetting has blown out concrete under the bridge.Damaged storm sewer outfall. Exposed abutment Downcutting as floodwater tries to make more room for itself.Jetting continues to erode a large basin south of the bridge.Note how narrow creek is upstream (Left). Right = effect of jettingdownstream.
It Wasn’t Always This Way
The erosion has started in the last ten years and accelerated with upstream development.
In general, developments increase the time of accumulation of runoff. Compared to a densely developed area, when rain falls on a forest, it trickles its way to the creek. But if it falls on concrete and rooftops, it rushes to the creeks through storm sewers.
For illustration purposes, the graph below shows the actual change along Brays Bayou.
Change in time of accumulation in Brays Bayou as watershed developed over 85 years.
If development were sufficiently mitigated, post-development runoff would be no higher than pre-development. But given the amount of recent erosion, some development upstream from Tree Lane is likely insufficiently mitigated.
I’ve lived near the Tree Lane Bridge for 40 years. For the first 30, erosion was no problem. Now look at it. Compare the two satellite images below.
In 2014, you could barely see creek.Same area in 2023.
Chris Bloch, an engineer, says that at the time of Imelda in 2019, the open space under the bridge was 500 square feet. The design approved by COH and Harris County Flood Control District will add approximately 64 square feet in the form of a low-flow channel. Contractors will add that where the stream has already downcut.
If the 500 SF estimate is accurate, another 64 SF would represent a 12.8% increase in the carrying capacity of the channel under the bridge.
The state of the bridge now is worse than it was after Imelda, BEFORE the last repair job. And no storms since Imelda have even came close to Imelda’s magnitude. That means insufficiently mitigated development may have played a role in building flood peaks faster and higher; and undermining the bridge.
So, will 12.8% be enough to eliminate more jetting? Only time will tell. Keep your fingers and toes crossed.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/20240221-DJI_0037.jpg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=17331100adminadmin2024-02-21 17:59:342024-02-22 14:46:06CoH Public Works Kicks Off Tree Lane Bridge Rehab Project
Entergy power poles sit on City of Houston (COH) rights-of-way. The company also runs underground wires in an easement near US59. Yet after years of discussion, the company still has not moved them to make room for the widening of Northpark Drive. Nor did the company comply with a request by the City to say how it would move them by a March 8th deadline.
The Northpark project is intended, in part, to create an all-weather evacuation route for 78,000 people who live in the Kingwood area. Rising floodwaters during Hurricane Harvey cut off escape routes along Hamblen Road, Kingwood Drive, and West Lake Houston Parkway.
Offending Entergy poles where Northpark will be widened for turn lanes next to the bridge over UP railroad tracks.
So, COH put Entergy on notice. It wrote a letter, discussed in last week’s LHRA board meeting, that was dated 2/6/24. The letter requested Entergy to submit a proposed scheduleand plan by last Friday detailing how it would relocate its facilities within 30 days.
That letter was dated 2/6/24, meaning the equipment should be moved and out of the way by 3/8/24.
Entergy Response Contained Only Hypothetical Schedule
ReduceFlooding.com has learned that Entergy replied to COH Public Works by last Friday as requested. But the reply did not indicate how they would move their equipment by 3/8/24. Nor did it address why Entergy could not meet the 30-day deadline or why the company has taken no action since 2020.
Instead the response suggested Entergy needed many more months, but committed to no firm deadline, according to a COH spokesperson.
Entergy and LHRA had already worked through potential conflicts with other utilities. So, resolving conflicts was not the issue.
I do not have a copy of the Entergy letter to reprint at this time; an Entergy spokesperson refused to provide it, citing potential legal concerns. As a result of the Entergy letter, LHRA has now asked to meet with the City Attorney.
Cost Escalation Possible
Continued delays are escalating the stakes. The Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority (LHRA), which is acting as an agent of the City, has costly contractual obligations to its contractors.
Given the rate of inflation, delays could also reduce the purchasing power of LHRA’s budget. In the last four years, inflation in the construction sector has totaled 15-20%. And this project costs more than $75 million. Yet the original budget included only $3 million for change orders.
A legal battle could take years to resolve. That could needlessly put lives at risk and inconvenience tens of thousands of people daily.
Entergy Motive, Next Steps Unclear
It’s not clear what Entergy – a $4 billion company in Texas alone – hopes to gain through continued delays.
In the past, Entergy asked for compensation to move its poles. But according to an LHRA spokesperson, compensation is not allowable under Texas law because the poles were in a City right of way and not covered by an easement. Thus, any payment would have constituted a “gift of public funds,” which the Texas Constitution prohibits.
Entergy was, however, legally entitled to compensation for moving buried wires in an easement near the Exxon station at US59. Entergy had agreed to move them for $711,000.
Then, within days after the disagreement about payment for relocating the poles, Entergy’s asking price to move the underground wires mysteriously increased by half a million dollars. Simultaneously, their cost estimate went from line item to lump sum – without itemization. Since then, the asking price has increased another $200,000 without explanation.
LHRA has asked to meet with the City Attorney to discuss options and next steps. More news to follow.
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.
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At the abandoned Williams Brothers sand mine on the San Jacinto West Fork, a strip of land – approximately 400 to 500 feet long and up to 50 feet wide – collapsed into the river during the flood in late January.
The dramatic erosion, during a relatively minor (2-5-year) rain event, dramatizes the destructive power of moving water and the need for greater setbacks from the river for sand mines. It also raises questions about abandonment plans for sand mines.
Resident Photo From Boat Shows Collapse
A resident who frequently boats the river and wishes to remain anonymous supplied the picture below. As the resident said, “All that dirt went somewhere. And it didn’t go upstream.”
Looking upstreamadjacent to Williams Brothers Mine south of Kingwood Drive
Aerial Shots Show Extent of Damage
From the air, the same location looks like this.
Williams Brothers Mine on right. Eagle Sorters Mine top left. Note extent of fresh sand on left.Same area from lower angle. Note how trees collapsed into river.Note also how erosion has eaten half of maintenance road around mine.
Where Trees Once Stood
Compare that with the satellite image below from Google Earth taken last year. Note how there used to be a row of trees on each side of the road. Now, trees remain only on one side.
The measuring tool Google Earth shows the width of the eroded strip was approximately 50 feet.
Most of the trees on the river side of the road are now floating down the river somewhere.
Blankets of Fresh Sand Everywhere
The resident who took the first shot above (the one from the boat) has lived near the river for 40 years. He says he’s never seen so much fresh sand deposited in a flood. See below.
Fresh sand flanks both side of the West Fork.Note trail of trees in water.
The images above show the power of moving water. One cubic foot of fresh water weighs 62.4 pounds. And more than 20,000 cubic feet per second moved down this reach of the West Fork during the peak of the January flood. That’s a lot of force on sandy soil.
We Must Plan for River Migration
That force was magnified by the way a river meanders. On the outside of curves, water accelerates. That extra speed accelerates erosion and creates what geologists call the cut bank.
Conversely, water travels less far and slower on the inside of a curve. As a result, sand is often deposited there in what geologists call point bars. Learn more in this post about Why Rivers Move.
Over time, erosion on one side of a river and deposition on another tends to exaggerate curves. Geologists call that process river migration. River migration already broke through the dike of one sand mine slightly upstream.
During the January flood, water flushing through that mine likely contributed to the buildup of sand blocking the Northpark drainage ditch near Northpark Woods.
Looking upriver along West Fork. Red arrow indicated where West Fork migrated through dike of abandoned sand mine.
Note in the photo above that the Northpark Ditch is now blocked by sand higher than ditch itself. This blockage suddenly appeared during the Jan. ’24 flood. It is backing water up toward Northpark Woods and Oakhurst in the upper right. At least some of the sand was likely flushed out through the breach in the dike above.
Need Greater Setbacks from the River For Sand Mines
As I stated in the beginning, this dramatizes the need for greater setbacks from the river for sand mines. At one time, there was no minimum distance.
In November 2021, after years of work by Bill McCabe and the Lake Houston Flood Prevention Initiative, TCEQ adopted new Best Management Practices (BMPs) for sand mining in the San Jacinto River Basin.
The new rules specify “A minimum 100-foot buffer zone is required adjacent to perennial streams greater than 20 feet wide, 50 feet for perennial streams less than 20 feet wide, and 35 feet for intermittent streams.”
Clearly, that may not be enough. For a list of what other states specify, see the Sand Mining page of ReduceFlooding.com.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/27/2024
2363 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/20240216-FullSizeRender.jpg?fit=1100%2C619&ssl=16191100adminadmin2024-02-17 18:29:392024-02-22 08:52:58River Bank Collapses, Taking Half of Sand Mine Road
Since last week’s post about the Northpark expansion project, contractors have made significant progress on the two stormwater detention basins at US59. Contractors are forming concrete retaining walls for both ponds. They have excavated the north pond down to the water table. And, in the south pond, contractors are mounding dirt in three locations for removal and temporary storage.
The ponds are designed to provide storage capacity for excess stormwater that might otherwise flood this crucial intersection. The intersection will provide the final link in the only all-weather evacuation route in Kingwood for 78,000 residents. During Hurricane Harvey, floodwaters blocked both Hamblen Road and Kingwood Drive.
Photos Taken on 2/16/24
I took the following photos at noon on Friday, 2/16/24..
South Pond
Looking NW across the south pond at Northpark and US59. Transplanted trees in foreground.
Contractors are temporarily storying the dirt at the Eagle sand mine on Sorters-McClellan Road. They will later retrieve it to fill in the road bed above the box culverts that are replacing the center ditch down Northpark.
From opposite direction, you can see three mounds of dirt awaiting relocation and the first concrete wall by grass.Ground level shot shows height of pile.
North Pond
Contractors began working on the north pond first, so it is further along. However, excavation is not yet complete. They will do it in two stages. For now, they’ve excavated down to the water table. When pond liners arrive (any day now), contractors will begin the second phase and excavate even deeper.
Looking NNW at north pond. Note wet areas. They indicate level of water table.
The pipe you see lined up in the photo below will help carry excess stormwater in the ponds to Ditch One which parallels Northpark on the north. From there, it will follow gravity to Bens Branch and the Kingwood Diversion Ditch which will carry it to Lake Houston.
Looking SE at retaining wall for what will become the focal point of the North pond.Looking S from over north pond at another retaining wall around a grove of trees.When complete, the ponds should look like this.
CenterPoint Almost Finished Burying New Gas Line
CenterPoint had one westbound lane blocked off at noon today where it was burying a new gas line outside of the City’s easement. Reportedly, the utility is close to finished with the relocation effort. It is replacing one line that used to go down the center ditch with two, one on each side of the expanded roadbed.
As Ralph De Leon, the project manager for the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ 10 said, “It’s one thing for a company to say they’ll handle something. It’s another for them to show up with giant boring machines to make it happen.” De Leon was happy with the progress they were making.
Still No News from Entergy
Entergy had until the close of business today to respond to the City of Houston’s demand for a plan to relocate its electrical services along Northpark. Project coordinators asked Entergy to move its lines in 2020. But the company has not moved anything to date.
It’s not clear at press time, whether Entergy met the City’s deadline. More next week when I learn more from City Hall.
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.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/20240216-DJI_0952.jpg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=17331100adminadmin2024-02-16 18:44:262024-02-16 18:44:28Excavation of Second Northpark Detention Basin Well Underway
Bayou Land Conservancy (BLC) has announced a conservation easement on 966 acres of critical Lake Creek property in Montgomery County. The property is just northeast of Magnolia on Tranquility Ranch, which is owned by Nathan and Lindy Ingram. BLC started working with the Ingrams in 2015.
The conservation easement is across Lake Creek from the 7,000-acre Cook’s Branch preserve owned by the Cynthia & George Mitchell Foundation. The proximity of the two large properties will benefit wildlife by maintaining the “carrying capacity” of the land.
Lake Creek flows diagonally through this satellite image from Google Earth. Note how new developments are gobbling up the natural (green) area in the middle where the conservation easement is.
The 966 acres permanently preserved at Tranquility Ranch help meet BLC’s long-term conservation goals and contribute to the environmental health of the region.
The preserve will function as a wetland and stream mitigation bank, known as the West Montgomery Mitigation Bank. It has credits available to developers seeking to offset impacts in this rapidly growing area.
Wild area along Lake Creek where it flows through Tranquility Ranch.
Featuring a mix of hardwood and pine forest, Tranquility Ranch consists of over 400 acres of existing wetland habitat, 20 acres of streams & ponds, and 13,000 linear feet (2.5 miles) of stream frontage on Lake Creek.
In addition to high quality existing habitat, over 90 acres of wetlands and 300 acres of flooded forests will be improved and restored on the land.
Bottomland hardwoods provide habitat for wildlife.
The 966-acre preserve is part of a larger 1200-acre property that hosts a special event venue called The Wyldes at Tranquility Ranch. It hosts retreats, weddings, and other events.
Benefits to People and Wildlife
Jill Boullion, Executive Director of Bayou Land Conservancy, said, “This conservation agreement makes a significant stride towards BLC’s conservation goals to preserve land in the Lake Houston watershed.”
“We’re grateful to landowner Nathan Ingram and his care and protection of this special place,” said Boullion.
“This land will provide positive impacts in the region for generations to come.”
Jill Boullion, Exec. Director, BLC
Preservation of Tranquility Ranch will provide many community benefits. They include flood control, water-quality improvements for drinking water and recreation, and wildlife habitat. The preserve also is an important nesting, wintering, and migratory stop-over site for many bird species, including owls, raptors, and songbirds.
Importance of Lake Creek Preservation to Downstream Flood Protection
Leaving natural areas natural won’t reduce flooding per se. But it will keep flooding from getting worse.
It will also reduce flood damage by ensuring generous setbacks from areas that flood.
Wetlands are nature’s sponges. They retain runoff that might otherwise quickly add to flood peaks downstream. They also clean water.
Bayou City Waterkeeper ranks the wetlands along Lake Creek as one of the five most critical wetland areas in the Houston Region.
For those who may not know where Lake Creek is, it enters the San Jacinto West Fork just south of Conroe, about 9 miles south of the Lake Conroe Dam. See the big green area in the upper left.
From this map, we can see that rainfall from seven watersheds flows under the US59 bridge. Comparing peak flow data from them during the January 2024 flood, we can see that Lake Creek had the highest discharge rate. See below. USGS graphs are arranged in order from highest to lowest, except for the last, which reflects rain falling in all seven watersheds.
Lake Creek peaked at 20,800 cubic feet per second (CFS)Lake Conroe peaked at 19,100 CFS.Spring Creek peaked at 9,810 CFS.Cypress Creek peaked at 6,580 CFS.Willow Creek peaked at 842 CFS.Little Cypress peaked at 780 CFS.
All of the streams above flow under the US59 bridge.
USGS registered a peak of 40,400 cubic feet per secondat the 59 Bridge.
Note: the first six peaks do not total up to the last because streams peaked at different times.
Of course, these numbers partially reflect uneven rainfall distribution during the January event. And rainfall totals in the Lake Creek watershed were among the highest in the area.
Looking solely at watershed size shows that even if the rainfall distribution had been uniform, Lake Creek would have contributed a major percentage of the overall flow.
And that – in a sentence – is why Lake Houston Area residents should care about conservation along Lake Creek, especially considering that the watershed is developing so quickly!
Conservation Easement Will Protect Land in Perpetuity
BLC conducted an extensive audit of natural resources including wetlands and wildlife on the Ingram property before the conservation agreement was put in place. No matter who the owner is, the easement will run with the land and protect the land in perpetuity. The audit will provide a baseline for future comparison.
Ingram reportedly had offers to buy the land from sand miners and developers but chose to conserve it instead. Said Boullion, “I commend him because obviously it’s not cheap to own and hold that much land in a natural state. So, he looked for a way to monetize his property while conserving the land and benefiting the community. He is one of the most conservation-minded people I know.”
The conservation easement held by BLC will let Ingram sell wetland-mitigation credits through the West Montgomery Mitigation Bank. He will sell them to developers who have no other choice but to disturb wetlands while developing the rest of their property.
BLC is one of the leading conservation groups in the Houston region. It preserves land along streams for flood control, clean water, and wildlife. BLC is a nationally accredited, community-sponsored land preservation organization working to permanently protect land, with a focus on the streams that feed Lake Houston, an important source of drinking water for millions of people.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/25/24
2361 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/20230919-Tranquility-Ranch-Sign-2.jpg?fit=1100%2C825&ssl=18251100adminadmin2024-02-15 16:08:152024-02-16 10:25:47Bayou Land Conservancy Protects Another 966 Acres in Lake Creek Watershed
According to Dr. Mark Wentzel, a hydrologist in the Surface Water Division at the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), January 2024 weather was much cooler and wetter than normal in the Houston area, but the same was not true across the state.
Wentzel issues monthly reports that summarize weather, rainfall (or lack thereof), and water supplies across Texas. His latest report, issued today, covers conditions from the end of December 2023 to the end of January 2024.
Key Stats
According to Wentzel, January was cooler than normal for most of Texas and wetter than normal for about half the state.
At the end of January, 23 percent of the state was in drought, down 16 percentage points since the end of December and the lowest percentage since June 2023.
Statewide, storage in our water supply reservoirs is about 73 percent of capacity, up almost four percentage points since the end of December, but still almost 10 percentage points below normal for the time of year.
Wentzel expects conditions to continue improving over the next few months. But he also says, we have a long way to go to be drought-free statewide.
Summary of key points for Jan. ’24, from TWDB video by Dr. Mark Wentzel
Houston Area Was 2 to 4 Degrees F Cooler, 150-300% Wetter Than Normal
Wentzel provided these two maps from NOAA. They show temperature and precipitation variations statewide relative to what is considered normal for January.
From a water supply perspective, reds, oranges, and yellows mean trouble on both maps. The Houston area was 2 to 4 degrees F cooler than normal and 150% to 300% wetter. However, parts of West Texas were above normal for temperature and below normal for precipitation – the opposite of SE Texas.
Overall, January temperatures were well below normal for most of the state. In fact…
January 2024 was the coldest January for Texas since 2007 and the second coldest since 1988.
Dr. Mark Wentzel, Hydrologist TWDB
Precipitation in January was above average for about half the state.
Overall, we had the wettest January since 2007 and the 10th wettest since 1895.
Dr. Mark Wentzel, Hydrologist TWDB
Even so, all of West Texas and parts of the Panhandle, Central Texas, and the lower Rio Grande Valley were drier than normal.
Drought Becomes Less Severe
Cooler and wetter conditions than average for large areas of the state led to improved drought conditions in the last month.
This Drought Monitor map shows conditions as of January 30. Twenty-three percent of the state is in drought with the tan, orange, and red colors, down 16 percentage points from the end of December.
That’s the smallest percentage of the state impacted by drought since June 2023 and the fourth consecutive month that drought has decreased.
Water Supply Up, But Still Below Normal
January also brought welcome relief to some of Texas’ water supply reservoirs. During the month of January, statewide supplies increased by almost four percentage points, the largest increase in a single month since October 2018.
Most of that increase came in the northeast quarter of the state, where most reservoirs are now back to normal for this time of year.
However, statewide, supplies are about 10 percentage points below normal for the time of year. And conditions are much worse in the south and west.
Drought Forecast Through End of April
What can we expect over the next few months? Here’s the latest seasonal drought outlook from the National Weather Service for conditions through the end of April.
NOAA’s drought predictions for entire country
El Niño conditions, warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the eastern Equatorial Pacific, are in place and expected to moderate temperatures. They will also add moisture to Texas for the rest of the winter.
Unfortunately, improvements aren’t expected to be enough to reduce drought in West Texas or eliminate drought in Central and East Texas.
Looking a little farther out, May and June are typically two of the wettest months for Texas, regardless of El Niño status, giving us a chance for additional improvements before the full onset of summer, says Wentzel
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Meritage Homes of Texas LLC, a company based in Scottsdale, Arizona, has begun clearing 40.2 acres between Kings River and Pinehurst of Atascocita. The company will reportedly build 210 homes there – 5.2 per acre. Although the new development is far above floodplains, wetlands cover a large part of the first phase.
Two Phases of Development
Meritage told homeowners in the area that it plans to develop the land in two phases, with the second still several years away.
The two parcels bracket Pinehurst Trail Drive. The first stretches along Kings Park Way almost to West Lake Houston Parkway (WLHP) on the west. The second stretches to the Atascocita Golf Club on the east. (See satellite image below.)
The presence of wetlands (and a gas pipeline) may indicate why this property was not developed until now.
The definition of “jurisdictional wetlands” has flip-flopped in recent years as one administration after another has tweaked the definition of “waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS). Currently, we’re dealing with Biden’s changes to Trump’s changes to Obama’s changes. It’s not simple.
The definition stretches more than 100 pages and determines what the Army Corps protects.
It’s not clear at this time whether the Army Corps has ruled whether these particular wetlands fall under their jurisdiction.
Western Parcel Being Cleared First
Photographs taken on Feb. 13, 2024, show that contractors have already cleared a significant portion of the first phase, which is on the west. See images below.
Looking ENE toward Lake Houston. This shot shows the first part of clearing adjacent to Texas Laurel Trail and Pinehurst Trail Drive.Wetlands cut through this area.Reverse angle shows full extent of clearing as of Tuesday morning, 2/13/24. Looking W toward CVS (out of sight in background) along WLHP.
Note the small channel that appears to be draining the wetland area. According to the schematic diagram below, homes, driveways and roads will eventually cover this channel and the area it drains.
Layout of Homes and Detention Basins
Plans indicate the area will have 124 30×80 foot lots and 86 40×80 lots. That’s fairly high density. And it will have a high percentage of impervious cover that generates a lot of runoff quickly. Luckily, the development will have four stormwater detention basins, according to the diagram below posted on Facebook.
A resident indicated that a deed to the property requires Meritage to maintain a buffer of at least 25-30 feet of wooded land along the property boundary. That should help retain/restrain runoff, too. See photo below.
So far, contractors seem to be leaving the required setback.
Construction Plans and Drainage Analysis to Follow
According to residents, Meritage just closed on the property in January. Given the recent sale, I do not yet have full construction plans or a drainage impact analysis. However, I have submitted a FOIA Request to Harris County Engineering and will provide them when I get them.
When I photographed the clearing activity this morning, it had silt fence around most of the perimeter (an improvement from last Sunday).
The silt fence is also an improvement over a neighboring development on WLHP by Trammell Crow.
Neighboring Development Still in Quagmire.
Harris County Engineering and Constables shut down construction at the Trammell Crow site after it flooded Kings Park Way, WLHP, and neighboring properties during heavy rains in late January.
This morning, I noticed that contractors are back at work behind tall privacy fences. However, they still lack silt fences along large parts of their property. Moreover, trenches that they dug to drain the property to a sediment pond had been blocked off to accommodate construction equipment. See below.
Trammell Crow contractors were busy this morning piling dirt over the knee-deep muckon their site from heavy rains two weeks ago.
Stormwater is the enemy of construction. That’s why most contractors implement measures to control it upfront in a project, not after the fact. Let’s pray that Meritage’s contractors protect their neighbors better.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/13/24
2359 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.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/20240213-Screenshot-2024-02-13-at-11.31.53%E2%80%AFAM-3.jpg?fit=1100%2C496&ssl=14961100adminadmin2024-02-13 14:56:192024-02-13 15:24:14Meritage Begins Clearing 40 Acres for 210 Homes, Many Over Wetlands
The Association of State Flood Plain Managers has an excellent, educational website called FloodRiskReduction.org. In a few pages, it explains floodplains, sources of flooding and how to understand flood risk. It also breaks down 39 flood-mitigation strategies for property owners, buyers, renters, community associations, officials, representatives, and others.
Part of the site’s magic is a search feature that helps readers zero in on strategies that might help them. It lets users filter strategies by factors such as cost, effort required, maintenance, type of real estate, foundation type, condition of structure and more. The strategies cover everything from DIY projects to those that require professionals.
Finally, the site comes with a list of resources to help implement the strategies.
Organized for Action
I love the organization of this site. Everything about it is designed to help people take action to protect themselves and their property.
“Flood risk is not static. It changes constantly due to development, erosion, land use changes, subsidence of the land, changes in rainfall patterns, sea level rise, and other factors.”
Whereas ReduceFlooding.com gives concrete examples of how such factors interact in a small area so we can mitigate the causes, FloodRiskReduction.org skips to mitigating their effects.
It focuses mainly on telling people how to protect themselves and their property from rising floodwaters. In that sense, it’s a fundamentally different, but complimentary approach.
Wide Range of Strategies
The strategies range from home elevation to waterproofing, building relocation, grading and more. Much more. There’s even a section on demolishing a structure and rebuilding it outside of the floodplain and harm’s way.
Not for the faint of heart. Home of man who elevated his home by himself to get it above neighborhood flooding.
My favorite, however, is “Flood-free site selection.” It talks about identifying flood hazards and their frequency as part of the home buying and/or homebuilding process. It focuses on avoidance as a form of mitigation.
Each of the strategies comes with a series of concrete steps you can take to reduce your flood risk.
For instance, “flood-free site selection” includes discussions of how to:
Review FEMA flood maps
Review nearby flood-protection structures such as dams
Examine historical records
Seek advice from local experts, such as floodplain managers.
Compare Options for Exploration
As you might expect from the photo above of a man who elevated his home by himself using a series of car jacks, ASFPM’s site comes with a long list of cautions and disclaimers.
Regardless, FloodRiskReduction can help educate people about their options in an afternoon. It’s a quick, simple list of thought-starters and a great way to compare options to explore.
For ease of future reference, I will post a link to the ASFPM site in the links page of ReduceFlooding.com.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/12/24
2358 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/20191012-RJR_3651.jpg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=17331100adminadmin2024-02-12 13:10:032024-02-12 13:21:00ASFPM Catalogs, Explains Flood-Mitigation Strategies: A Review
The Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ 10 (LHRA/TIRZ) Board Meeting on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024, focused almost exclusively on issues that have delayed the Northpark expansion project. LHRA/TIRZ also announced lane closures beginning Feb. 19, 2024.
One Source of Hold Ups Resolved, Another Remains
The Northpark expansion project is designed to move more traffic faster and to create an all-weather evacuation route for 78,000 Kingwood residents in the event of another major flood, such as Hurricane Harvey.
Two major hold ups have been:
Reaching right-of-way agreements with Union Pacific Railroad (UP)
Getting utilities, such as CenterPoint and Entergy, to move gas and electric lines.
As of this week, all railroad agreements have been resolved.
Approval of the agreements by the Houston City Council should be a formality.
And CenterPoint should complete the relocation of their gas lines within a week or two.
However, Entergy has not even started relocating its equipment. They were given notice four years ago to do so.
The board discussed the possibility of condemning an existing Entergy easement within the limits of Northpark Drive right of way, but ultimately decided to defer action for one more month. The outcome is inevitable. Entergy must move its equipment. But members hope to avoid the expense and delays of litigation involved in a condemnation proceeding.
It is unclear what Entergy hopes to gain through delays. In the meantime, it is jeopardizing its public image in the most densely populated part of its Texas service area.
Entergy Must Resolve Three Problems
Entergy has:
Utility poles it must move out of the City’s right of way.
A transformer next to the Exxon station at US59 on LHRA/TIRZ property.
Underground electricity lines that would be paved over in several places.
The existing wood poles between 494 and the Kingwood Diversion Ditch are in the City’s right-of-way. Entergy has sought reimbursement to move those, however, they are on City property and not entitled to reimbursement.
The transformer next to the Exxon station now sits on property purchased from Exxon by the LHRA/TIRZ.
Entergy wants 52 weeks and more than a million dollars to move this transformer in the Exxon parking lot at US59 and Northpark Drive.
Regarding the third item, utilities commonly run electricity lines under streets in urban environments. But Entergy apparently does not want that in this case and has not made arrangements to move the lines.
To resolve such conflicts, LHRA agreed to pay Entergy $711,000 in July last year. But then a consultant for Entergy demanded $1.462 million – doubling the costs. LHRA balked. The extra money wasn’t and isn’t in the budget. Neither were the cost increases itemized. Said another way, Entergy didn’t break down what caused the price increases.
Itemized Costs Being Demanded
To make sure Entergy is not folding in un-reimbursable costs such as relocating poles in rights of way with allowable relocation costs for the transformer, Ralph De Leon, project manager for LHRA, said he has requested itemized costs and a schedule of values for each part of the job from Entergy.
A schedule of values includes such things as material costs as well as labor costs. For instance, one line item might read, “X people at $Y/hr times Z hours.” He also wants to see that schedule signed and stamped by a licensed PE, whose license could be revoked for falsifying information.
Entergy First Notified in 2020
The LHRA Board reviewed a history of attempts to resolve the Entergy conflict issues. They included 22 meetings/discussions between October 2020 and January 2024.
October 2020: Began coordinating utility impacts with Entergy and other utility companies (at 60% design stage). Held COH utility coordination meeting.
December 2020: Entergy reached out and asked if there were opportunities for relocation reimbursement. Held COH utility coordination meeting.
January 2021: Held COH utility coordination meeting.
February 2021: Held COH utility coordination meeting.
March 2021: Held COH utility coordination meeting.
June 2021: Began discussions regarding the ground transformer near Exxon gas station. M&S had preliminary plans prepared.
February 2022: Held COH utility coordination meeting.
March 2022: Held COH utility coordination meeting.
April 2022: Held COH utility coordination meeting.
July 2022: M&S determined that their preliminary plans were incorrect and had assumed overhead line relocations for crossing over Northpark Drive.
August 2022: M&S noted that their utilities were in an easement and would require reimbursement from LHRA.
September 2022: Additional correspondence regarding reimbursement for relocations. Teams meeting with M&S to discuss relocations.
October 21, 2022: M&S provided a draft cost estimate via email. Total estimated costs for the relocations were $1,218,000.
January 2023: Field meeting with M&S, AT&T and Exxon representative to discuss relocations on Exxon property. M&S provided easement documentation for their utilities and continued discussion about reimbursement. Wade Carpenter (Entergy attorney) began involvement in the conversations.
February 2023: Entergy attorneys reviewing the matter internally.
March 3, 2023: M&S noted that utility relocations in easement (primarily west of Loop 494) would cost $710,000 and would be seeking reimbursements for these relocations. For utility relocations east of Loop 494, those would cost approx. $500,000 and Entergy deemed these costs as non-reimbursable as they are not in easement.
May 17, 2023: M&S confirmed that relocation costs west or Loop 494 are reimbursable ($710,000) and relocation costs east of Loop 494 ($500,00) are non-reimbursable.
July 19, 2023: M&S provided draft agreement for relocations with relocation costs shown to be $711,186.26.
August 2023: Coordination with M&S on timeline of relocations.
October 2023: M&S noted that they are waiting for the go ahead to send plans to construction group.
December 2023: Coordination with M&S regarding fiber companies attached to their poles. M&S provided an update relocation cost estimate with a new total being $1,462,135.57.
January 2024: Coordination with M&S on timeline of relocations.
M&S is an Entergy consultant.
30-Day Deadline Given on Feb. 6, 2024
On February 6, 2024, Carol Haddock, Director of Houston Public Works, sent Entergy a letter giving the company 30-days to move its property. The letter included a request to submit a timeline for the relocations by Feb. 16.
Haddock’s letter parallels one sent by LHRA/TIRZ10 on Nov. 9, 2020, which the City says suffices as proper legal notification. That’s because the LHRA/TIRZ10 is acting as an agent of the City.
The City’s position is that Entergy is not moving into the City’s footprint. But the city is getting bigger and expanding into Entergy’s footprint. It appears that the City has the upper hand at the moment.
Impact of Delays
De Leon believes the City’s letter will resolve enough issues to keep crews busy for now. Next up:
Continuing excavation of two stormwater detention ponds at US59 and Northpark
Placement of box culverts in the middle ditch
Creation of some temporary lanes on the north side of Northpark.
However, he admits that the Entergy delays have caused problems. Instead of following the optimal critical path, his contractors are hopscotching around to keep crews busy.
If Entergy continues to delay, he could face contractual penalties, including costly demobilization.
Lane Closure Announced
LHRA/TIRZ posted this announcement on its project website. It affects westbound traffic.
“Beginning February 19th, Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority’s (LHRA’s) contractor, Harper Brothers Construction will be closing the right two lanes of westbound traffic near the Northpark/I-69 intersection. The first month of this closure will leave two westbound lanes open – the existing left turn lane and one through lane. The next 3 months of the closure will switch traffic onto the newly constructed lanes while construction of the existing left turn lane and through lane are completed. Westbound traffic should expect delays and alternative routes are encouraged. For this phase of work the contractor will be installing new storm sewer pipes and inlets along with new concrete roadway.”
Two westbound lane closures beginning Feb. 19circled in red.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/20240124-DJI_0271-Edit-copy.jpg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=17331100adminadmin2024-02-10 19:16:172024-02-10 22:02:53Entergy in City’s Crosshairs, Northpark Lane Closures Announced
