bens branch Archives - Reduce Flooding

Surveyors Staking Out Property on WLHP in New Floodway

3/25/26 – On 3/24/26, I photographed partially cleared property owned by HS Tejas LTD on West Lake Houston Parkway (WLHP) between the Kingwood YMCA and Kings Harbor.

*Approximate area of partially cleared land* *circled in red.*

According to Dustin Hodges, Chief of Staff for District E City Council Member Fred Flickinger, the City has received no permit applications for developing the property yet.

*From Harris County Appraisal District. HS Tejas also owns the long, narrow property between the highlighted parcel and WHLP.*

To be clear, an owner does not need a permit to survey his property. But the survey may be required as preparation for:

Subdividing land/plat approval
Developing in floodplains
Title companies or lenders

So, this is an early sign that something could soon happen with the property. However, it’s not yet clear what HS Tejas plans.

Who Is HS Tejas?

HS Tejas is a company owned in part by Kingwood developer Ron Holley. Holley sold floodplain/floodway property on South Woodland Hills to a company affiliated with Romerica back in 2012. Since then, Romerica has tried repeatedly to develop the property with little luck using various concepts including:

Currently, Holley is also trying to develop Royal Shores Estates in the floodway and floodplain of the San Jacinto East Fork south of Kings Point.

Shifting Floodplain Maps

New flood maps show the floodway has expanded and now encompasses virtually all of Holley’s property. From a flooding perspective, a floodway is more hazardous than a floodplain because of the speed of water. To see how large the floodway has grown, compare the two images below.

Current:

FEMA’s current, effective flood map (dated 2007) shows most of Holley’s property is in a floodplain, not the floodway.

*Cross-hatch = floodway. Aqua = 100-year floodplain. Brown = 500-year floodplain.* *Red oval = approximate area of HS Tejas property.*

Updated Draft Map Based on Atlas 14

See below how much the floodway has expanded.

New draft floodplain map From HCFCD. https://www.maapnext.org/Interactive-Map. Dark gray is floodway. Light green ua 100-year floodplain. — *New draft floodplain map From HCFCD. See https://www.maapnext.org/Interactive-Map. Dark gray is floodway. Light green is 100-year floodplain.*

Once the new draft maps become effective, Holley will have a much harder time developing the property because of restrictions on building in floodways. So, the impending map change may have something to do with the surveying.

Pictures Showing Recent Activity

Below are several pictures taken on 3/24/26 that show the partial clearing.

*Note Deerwood golf course and Bens Branch in upper left. Looking slightly east and south from over WLHP.*

*Looking S toward Self Storage and Memory Care facility in upper right.*

*Memory Care facility in lower right.* *Looking E toward Deerwood.*

*Looking W toward WLHP from over Bens Branch in bottom of frame.*

Putting Flood Risk Into Perspective

The areas shown above are about a half mile from the San Jacinto West Fork along Bens Branch.

As a result of Harvey flooding, 12 residents of Kingwood Village Estates died. KVE is an assisted living facility more than a half mile north (farther from the West Fork).

Moreover, ALL of the adjacent businesses, townhomes, apartments and homes flooded in:

Kings Harbor
Kingwood Greens
Fosters Mill
The Enclave
Kings Crossing
Kingwood Town Center
Even Memorial Hermann’s brand new Convenient Care Center which had not opened yet
Kingwood High School…to the second floor!

A floodway is not only defined by the speed of floodwaters. In Houston, the floodway is regulated as the portion of the floodplain required to convey the 100-year flood with no increase in water surface elevation. However, FEMA-mapped floodways may have been delineated assuming up to a 1-foot rise.

Developers cannot bring fill into a floodway. So, doing anything on this property will likely mean stilts, structural analyses, and more. Chapter 19 of the City’s floodplain regulations lays out the requirements.

Current activity is not visible from WLHP. So, please contact me if you hear or see anything.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/25/26

3130 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.

How Crenshaw Saved Kingwood Project from Chopping Block

1/30/26 – A four-million dollar earmark secured by U.S. Representative Dan Crenshaw for widening the Walnut Lane Bridge in Kingwood saved the entire $44 Million Kingwood Diversion Ditch Project from being killed by the Democratic members of Harris County Commissioners Court.

U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw gives the thumbs up to the Walnut Lane Bridge project. Widening the bridge is necessary to widen the Kingwood Diversion Ditch (background) which will also help reduce flood risk along Bens Branch.

Crenshaw requested the funding in 2023. Congress awarded it in 2024. Then in 2025, the Democratic members of Harris County Commissioners Court passed a motion to reallocate all funding from projects that fell below the top quartile of their equity prioritization framework to projects in the top quartile. That was because inflation had eaten up 25-30% of the purchasing power in the 2018 Flood Bond.

Ramsey to the Rescue

At the time, Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey PE warned that killing projects in Quartiles 2, 3 and 4 could have dire unintended consequences. The Diversion Ditch project fell into Quartile 3.

After the Democrats saw how much partnership funding they would lose by killing projects in the lower quartiles, they relented. In their next meeting, they voted to exempt projects in the lower quartiles that already had partnership funds committed.

That breathed new life into the Kingwood Diversion Ditch project because it included widening of the Walnut Lane Bridge which Crenshaw had already secured funding for.

Multiple Benefits: A Texas Twofer

But the project will benefit far more of Kingwood than just the people who live in Diversion Ditch floodplains. It will also benefit people who live near Bens Branch. That includes the Villages of Bear Branch, Kings Forest, Hunters Ridge, Town Center, Kings Harbor and Kingwood Greens.

That’s because widening the Diversion Ditch will take excess stormwater out of Bens Branch and allow water to move safely down the Diversion Ditch. The planned improvements will take Bens Branch from a 2-year level of service to a 100-year level.

Bens Branch and Kingwood Diversion Ditch — *Kingwood Diversion Ditch in white, new outfall in green, and Bens Branch in red.*

That means homes in the Bens Branch floodplains should be safe in anything up to a 100-year storm. Currently, the stream is at risk of flooding parts of its watershed every two years.

Twelve seniors died along Bens Branch in the Harvey flood who lived at Kingwood Village Estates. That’s a third of all the people in Harris County and a fifth of all the people in the state who died as a result of Harvey flooding.

When the Diversion Ditch project is completed, Crenshaw will have helped protect people and property values in approximately half of Kingwood.
Bob Rehak

Crenshaw Support Crucial on Other Projects, Too

The Kingwood Area Drainage analysis found that, based on the number of people who benefit, the Diversion Ditch project is one of the two most important in Kingwood. Another is the Taylor Gully/Woodridge Project which Crenshaw also secured funding for.

In fact, Crenshaw secured funding for 10 Lake Houston Area Projects in 2024 alone.

Editorial Comment: I interviewed Crenshaw in 2018 when he first ran for Congress and have followed his work in Washington ever since. The man is a warrior, scholar and leader. He fights tirelessly to improve the lives of his constituents. He studies issues. And thoughtfully and patiently explains them. There’s no way he could have known what Commissioners Court would do in 2025 when he proposed the Walnut Lane Bridge funding in 2023. Regardless, his proactive effort will improve the safety of tens of thousands of his constituents.

For more information including a timetable for the Kingwood Diversion Ditch Project, see this recent post.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/30/26

3076 Days since Hurricane Harvey

HCFCD Begins Repairs to Bens Branch Tributary

5/29/25 – On 5/16/25, Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) announced a series of maintenance repairs in Kingwood. One was on a tributary of Bens Branch that runs down the west side of West Lake Houston Parkway toward Kingwood Town Center. Yesterday, I received a report from Chris Bloch, a flood activist in Kingwood, that they had started.

HCFCD is making repairs to a ditch romantically named G103-33-01-X007. See #10 in the center of the map below.

Photos Taken on 5/29/25

Below are several pictures taken today at the start of the project. I’m sure it will look better when they finish.

*Bens Branch Tributary Repairs near Rustic Woods in Kingwood Town Center*

*Closer shot shows extent of slide slope and back slope repairs.*

Swales behind the side slopes intercept water draining toward the ditch. In the lower right above, you can see a cement structure that helps convey water through a pipe from that swale to the bottom of the ditch. That helps prevent erosion to the side slopes.

*Looking S toward Kingwood Drive at top of frame behind the old HEB shopping center*

*Looking N from Rustic Woods at current extent of repairs*. *Note the difference in the width of the ditch above and below where the pipe enters near the center of the frame.*

More News to Follow

I’ll post more pictures as the project progresses. It’s important to maintain the conveyance of ditches as the flooded merchants in the shopping center above can attest. It still hasn’t completely recovered from Harvey flooding almost eight years ago. This should be very welcome news for them.

Maintenance is a never-ending challenge for HCFCD. They have more than 2500 miles of ditches to maintain. If you see them working near you, please give me a heads up through the contact page of this website.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/29/25

2830 Days since Hurricane Harvey

HCFCD Finishes Removing Beryl Debris from Bens Branch

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/3/25

2743 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 238 since Beryl

Bens Branch Erosion Forces Installation of New Bridge

1/9/25 – The widening of Bens Branch caused by ever-increasing amounts of water coming downstream from new upstream developments has forced the Bear Branch Trail Association to replace an aging wooden bridge with a new $300,000 steel truss bridge.

*Old Bridge Between Cedar Knolls and Park Royal in Bear Branch Trail Association*. *Photo by Chris Bloch.*

*New steel-truss bridge in same area being hoisted into place today.* *Photo by Chris Bloch.*

The creek has widened from 32 to 50 feet since Tropical Storm Imelda in 2019. The new steel-truss bridge became necessary to accommodate the wider span.

Upstream Growth and Importance of Bridge

Contractors installed the new bridge about a hundred yards south of the Pines Montessori School on Cedar Knolls. It connects Park Royal in Bear Branch Village to Cedar Knolls in Kings Forest Village.

It is also a major connector for foot and bicycle traffic between the western and eastern halves of the 100+ mile Kingwood trail system.

Thousands of residents use it, including students going to/from Bear Branch Elementary, Kingwood High School and Pines Montessori.

The Bens Branch watershed extends northwest all the way up into fast-growing Valley Ranch area in Montgomery County. Over the years, ever-increasing amounts of runoff have widened the watercourse, undermining the supports of pedestrian and street bridges alike.

The Tree Lane Bridge about a 1000 feet upstream from today’s bridge replacement had to have its entire substructure refurbished last year because of excessive erosion. That was at least the third set of repairs since Imelda.

The pedestrian bridge also was pummeled by the power of moving water.

*Eroded support for old bridge. Photo by Chris Bloch.*

Erosion Also Undercut Trees

During floods in January, May and July last year, erosion also claimed hundreds of trees that fell into the creek, backing water up and contributing to flooding.

*Example of erosion just a few feet downstream from new bridge.*

*Trees hauled out of Bens Branch after Beryl remain stacked on Tree Lane waiting to be hauled away.*

Pictures of New Bridge Installation on 1/9/25

The next group of pictures shows the new bridge and its placement today.

*Before installation. The new 5,000 pound steel bridge will have concrete* *poured in the tray surrounding the deck.*

*The concrete abutments are sunk deep into the ground.*

*Overhead shot shows riprap stacked on both sides. It will protect the edges of the embankment next to the bridge from erosion.*

*Wooden “matts” had to be placed under the crane to stabilize it for the heavy lift in rain-soaked soil.*

*Then a forklift and a backhoe maneuvered the new bridge down the trail to the stream.*

*As the crane slowly lifted the bridge into position, workers guided it with ropes from a safe distance.*

*They guided the bridge by hand* *for the last foot or so to make sure it was squarely seated on steel posts embedded in the concrete.*

*One whack from a sledgehammer and everything locked into place.*

More to Come

Workers still have to:

Pour the concrete deck
Place the riprap
Finish the approaches to the bridge
Replant trees destroyed by heavy equipment.

The new bridge should help reduce erosion. The cross section under the bridge increased from 120 square feet before Imelda to 420 square feet with the new design – a 3.5X or 250% increase. That will make it easier for water to flow under the bridge without backing up, causing jetting, or flooding the nearby Montessori school.

The project should be complete by the end of January 2025.

Thanks go to more than 2,800 members of the Bear Branch Trail Association who paid for the new bridge and its engineering. And a special “thank you” goes out to three volunteer members of the BBTA board – Lee Danner, Chris Bloch and Chris Arceneaux. They supervised the installation today in driving rain and near-freezing temperatures. They exemplify a dedication to excellence and community service that makes Kingwood such a wonderful place to live.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/9/25 with help from Chris Bloch

2690 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Clearing of Beryl Debris from Creeks and Channels Continues

9/14/24 – Clearing of Beryl debris from Harris County creeks and channels by HCFCD/FEMA contractors continues more than two months after the storm that struck Houston on July 8, 2024.

Prolonged 65-80 MPH winds raked the Lake Houston Area for hours, downing thousands of trees.

Who’s Responsible for What

The cleanup effort has advanced on two fronts: streets and channels. The City of Houston and Harris County precincts (in unincorporated areas) manage street cleanup. Harris County Flood Control District manages the creeks and channels.

I previously reported about the City’s efforts and its debris-tracker website. I also published a story about how to report problems discovered in streams and ditches.

But I really haven’t shown the latter crews in action.

HCFCD/FEMA Crew Clearing Backland Gully

Chris Bloch, a local flood activist, rode along with some Harris County Flood Control Distict/FEMA contractors and grabbed these photos of the equipment they are using. Bloch took the pictures below on Backland Gully in Kings Point.

*A marsh buggy, also known as an amphibious excavator, grabs onto tree blocking the channel and…*

The contractor is clearing trees from numerous channels in the Kingwood Area. His company is also working Bens Branch, Bear Branch, the lowest reach of Taylor Gully, White Oak Creek, Green Tree Ditch, Mills Branch, Caney Creek and more.

The contractor estimated his company has removed 2,000 tons of debris so far, but the number changes hourly.

Immensity of Job

Last week, they finished the area upstream of the Tree Lane Bridge on Bear Branch. But the equipment they used there is too small to handle the size and volume of trees that fell downstream from the bridge given the depth of the channel.

They have their work cut out for them.

See examples below. I took all six photos on 9/13/24 within a quarter mile stretch of Bens Branch downstream from Tree Lane.

Such blockages can catch other debris being swept downstream in storms and back water up, flooding homes.

HCFCD maintains 2500 miles of ditches, bayous and streams. If a quarter mile segment of one looks this bad, one can only imagine how long it will take to finish the job.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/14/24

2573 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 68 since Beryl

Tree Lane Bridge over Bens Branch Still Standing

The recent drought has reduced the rate of erosion under the Tree Lane/Bens Branch Bridge for now. But with wetter weather expected, we need to accelerate the repair effort. Recent pictures show the desperate need for repairs to the bridge. It’s next to Bear Branch Elementary School where more than 600 students attend grades K-5.

Power of Moving Water

The current state of this bridge and the area around it is a testament to the power of moving water … more than engineers designed the bridge to handle.

Water jetting under the bridge during storms has ripped away great slabs of concrete, eroded side walls, and partially blocked a storm drain outfall.

*Condition of Tree Lane Bridge over Bens Branch* *on 11/24/23*

It has also eroded the channel. Rip rap has done little to halt the erosion.

*11/24/23. Condition of Tree Lane Bridge over Bens Branch.*

Downcutting has exposed utility lines. And stormwater has carried chunks of concrete downstream like toothpicks.

*11/24/23. Bens Branch downstream of Tree Lane Bridge.*

Before Hurricane Harvey, the tree canopy in this area was so dense, one could barely see Bens Branch from the air. Now, there’s a gaping hole in the landscape caused by the “jetting.”

*11/24/23. Downstream erosion of greenbelt caused by jetting water from under bridge.*

As more and more water builds up behind the bridge during storms, it causes water to shoot under the bridge with greater pressure and accelerate erosion.

One can’t help but wonder whether the random and cumulative impact of several large storms caused this damage. Whether insufficiently mitigated upstream development helped nature along. Or whether the bridge simply reached the end of its normal life.

The City of Houston attempted to repair this bridge in March 2020. By January of 2023, it was worse than ever. And in June of 2023, I wrote about damage accelerating.

But a prolonged, intense drought last summer put an end to the acceleration. A close comparison of recent photos with those taken six months ago shows that the bridge now looks much like it did last June.

When Will Bridge Be Fixed?

I have learned that both the City of Houston and Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) are studying the bridge. In August, the City even allocated money to fix it. However, HCFCD worried about the impact to its Bens Branch channel. The two entities are now trying to reach a mutually agreeable solution.

Having lived near here for 40 years, one thing is clear to me. We can’t count on drought to prevent more erosion forever.

During El Niño years (like now), much of Texas is cooler and wetter than average. Northern storms generally track farther south, producing more clouds, rain and severe weather, according to the NWS.

Perhaps we’ll get some good news on Tree Lane bridge repairs or replacement by Christmas. I’ll let you know when we get the engineering report.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/28/23

2282 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Guefen Clears 17 Acres Between KPHS, St. Martha for 131 High-Density Homes. Will Detention Pond Be Enough?

Guefen Development Partners has announced that it will build a “luxury single family build to rent multifamily community” [sic] on 17 acres between Kingwood Park High School and the St. Martha Church on Woodridge Parkway.

*Future site of Preserve At Woodridge. Looking W toward St. Martha Church across a drainage ditch that empties into Bens Branch.*

Nine Homes Per Acre with 65% Impervious Cover

Guefen will build 131 units on 14.65 acres. The rest of the 17 acres will contain a detention pond. That works out to nine homes per acre. RG Miller, the firm that engineered the “Preserve at Woodridge” estimates the development will have 65% impervious cover. See the Plans here. (Caution: large file, 21 mb download.)

Grass will definitely be in the minority. I’m not sure what the Preserve is preserving. The site certainly preserves no trees.

Pictures Taken This Week

Here’s what Guefen’s land looks like as of this week.

*Looking E. Cleared area between St. Martha and Kingwood Park High School baseball fields will hold 131 homes and a detention pond.*

*Guefen’s detention pond will border the drainage ditch that empties into Bens Branch about a block south.*

Basis of Detention-Basin Calculations

The technically inclined reader may appreciate the detention calculations below. The basis for the calculations is a 16.1 inch rain in 24-hours which is the Atlas-14 amount used throughout Montgomery County. MoCo specifies an average to keep things simple for developers. Their average is slightly less than the 17.3 inches specified by NOAA for the Kingwood area.

*See pages 17-24 for the drainage portion of the subdivision plans.*

Will the Detention Pond Be Enough?

With other high-density developments going in upstream along Bens Branch, I hope Guefen’s detention pond capacity will suffice. Brooklyn Trails, several blocks upstream on another tributary of Bens Branch, lacks about 30% of the capacity needed to meet Atlas-14 requirements according to my calculations.

Montgomery County’s Subdivision Rules and Regulations specify that outfall ditches, such as the one in the first photo above only need to carry a 25 year rain. (See page 9.) With that in mind, it seems like Guefen’s detention pond so near a ditch would fill up quickly from ditch overflow in a 25-year rain and provide little detention benefit for anything heavier, for instance, 50-100 year rains.

If that ditch ever needs to be widened, like Hall’s Bayou, the fact that so many homes are built so close to it will severely limit mitigation options.

You can’t build mitigation projects if you don’t have the land.

668 SF Homes with “Interior Garages” and “Luxury Vinyl” Flooring

The 131 single-family detached homes will range in size from 668 square feet to 1,255 square feet and feature “luxury vinyl” flooring. The press release boasts of an “amenity suite” including interior garages. It’s hard to imagine how much living space would be left in 668-SF homes with “interior garages.”

So I checked the plans. I found 29 parking spots labeled “garage spcs.” Many more exterior parking spaces exist. But no one, it appears, will be unloading groceries from his/her car directly into a kitchen. Your “interior garage” could be several homes away.

Nor do all the homes front on a street. That’s going to make moving day hard for your college buddies. You know who your real friends are when they’ll go the distance for you.

Speaking of going the distance, in case of an emergency, that firetruck may be parking 250 feet away from some homes. That’s almost the length of a football field.

Build-to-Rent

According to Guefen’s website and press release, the company sees a niche market for this type of housing in the Kingwood area. They are building these homes to rent them, not sell them. The company normally specializes in multifamily and student housing.

While plans show detached homes, they also show five to six feet of separation. That should be enough to dampen most stereos. So party on, Wayne!

Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/10/2021

1534 Days since Hurricane Harvey

High Chance of Thunderstorms Every Day into Next Week

After a few drier days during the Memorial Day weekend, wet weather is returning and will last into next week. We should see a high chance (50% or greater) of thunderstorms every day for the next week.

Pattern Similar to Last Month Setting Up

According to Harris County Meteorologist Jeff Lindner, the upcoming pattern will resemble the heavy rains of early last week and similar patterns in 2015 and 2016. Slow moving low-pressure systems over the southwest US will send multiple disturbances across Texas starting today and lasting into early next week.

*Harris County Flood Control inspects damage from heavy rains in May to recently repaired Ben’s Branch. Photo courtesy of Chris Bloch.*

Onshore winds will ensure a steady influx of Gulf moisture, high humidity and rainfall production. Disturbances will emerge from northeast Mexico into central and south central Texas nearly every day. Clusters and complexes of thunderstorms will develop and move east into the Houston region.

Difficult to Precisely Predict Heavy Downpours

“When exactly each disturbance will rotate out of Mexico is uncertain. And what state the local air mass will be ahead of each disturbance will also be hard to determine,” said Lindner.

But this pattern, he continued, “will support complexes and clusters of thunderstorms from Tuesday onward – with both a heavy rainfall and marginal severe weather threat. Some days will likely have higher threats of both.”

Widespread rainfall of 3-5 inches is likely over the next several days.
Jeff Lindner, Harris County meteorologist

While our minds may be inclined to spread such totals out evenly over the course of 5-7 days, “that is usually not how it works,” warns Lindner. “At this time of year, we could see 1-3 inches fall in a few hours or less as clusters and complexes move across the region.”

Grounds are still wet from the 10-15 inches of rainfall in May. It will not take much rainfall to trigger run-off and renewed rises on area watersheds, especially as rainfall totals accumulate over time.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/1/2021, based on information provided by HCFCD

1372 Days since Hurricane Harvey

City Repairing Storm Sewer Outfalls

One of the most often overlooked points of failure in drainage systems is the lowly storm sewer outfall. When rain flows into the storm sewer on your street, it travels through pipes underground until it reaches the “outfall” at a stream or drainage ditch. If the outfall becomes blocked or damaged, it can back water up and contribute to street flooding.

Often, the damage to the outfall is so remote and difficult to find, that unless someone makes it his or her specific mission, it can go undetected.

Chris Bloch Takes on the Mission

Luckily for Kingwood residents, retired engineer Chris Bloch has made it his mission to identify damaged outfalls and bring them to the attention of the City of Houston. In his quest to help the Kingwood community, Bloch has trudged through mud, muck, brambles and underbrush for years. But his persistence has finally started paying dividends.

Recently the City repaired four outfalls that empty into Bens Branch. The repairs coincided with Harris County Flood Control District’s project to restore conveyance of the channel between Rocky Woods and Kingwood Drive. The result: reduced flood risk to surrounding neighborhoods.

*Locations of four outfalls recently repaired by City of Houston in conjunction with HCFCD restoration of Bens Branch*

Below: pictures before and after the repairs.

Outfall #1: Cedar Knolls At Woods Estates

*Outfall #1 before repairs. Severe erosion exposed then partially severed pipe.* *The erosion resulted from churning water behind a logjam in the natural section of Bens Branch.*

*The logjam that created the erosion has since been removed* *by HCFCD.*

*Outfall #1 drained approximately 10.7 acres.*

The outfall repaired by the City was upstream of HCFCD’s Ben’s Branch restoration project. Of the two other outfalls in this photo, HCFCD repaired the one in the foreground and the City repaired the one in the middle. See Outfall #4 for more info on that one.

Outfall #2: Laurel Garden and Bens Branch

*At point #2, drain pipe had cracked and was pushed upward, causing water to back up.*

A sinkhole also developed along this line. That usually results from part of the pipe collapsing in on itself. Dirt above the hole then erodes into the pipe. The City plans to address the sinkhole now that Flood Control has finished its work.

Outfall #3: Wildwood Ridge Near Deerbrook

According to Bloch, this area originally had 22 feet of corrugated metal pipe and another 50 feet of concrete pipe sections that failed. Erosion undercut the pipe and washed it away.

As erosion widened and deepened the area around the destroyed pipe and a manhole, trees fell into the widening “ditch.” The blockages caused the water to churn, creating even more erosion.

Below is the “after” shot. Instead of replacing all the pipe, the City created a wider ditch that will greatly improve street drainage in this watershed.

*The area eroded by the damage to outfall #3 has been replaced by a side ditch. It will provide more than enough conveyance to handle water exiting the 36″ pipe.*

In the picture above, the rocks surrounding the outfall are called riprap. Riprap is a permanent layer of large, angular stone, cobbles, or boulders typically. Riprap armors, stabilizes, and protects the soil surface against erosion and scour in areas of concentrated flow, such as at outfalls.

*The storm sewer outfall #3 services a drainage area of 28.6 acres.*

Outfall #4: East Side of Bens Branch at Rocky Woods and Wildwood Ridge

During a storm, the cover on this manhole blew off. Later, young people threw wood into the open manhole and started fires while they drank beer.

*Before repairs.* *The manhole acted as a chimney that made it easy to have a roaring fire.*

*People also threw beer cans and other debris into the manhole.*

Eventually the sewer line became completely blocked according to the City. As a result, storm water backed further up the line. Increased pressure lifted covers off of all upstream manholes. In addition, the pressure forced storm water out between the concrete pipe joints and created a number of sinkholes.

Due to all of this damage approximately 580 feet of 24-inch sewer line and three manholes had to be replaced by the City. This is probably one of the most expensive cases of vandalism Kingwood has experienced.
Chris Bloch

With the line completely blocked, it was of no use and storm water runoff from this area would flow further down Wildwood Ridge where several homes suffered flood damage.

*Outfall #4 after repairs. Note also replacement of the manhole.* *Not shown: the 580 feet of other repairs including more manholes.*

*The drainage area serviced by this sewer is only 5.6 acres, the 24-inch line was more than adequate for this acreage.*

Kudos to the City and Bloch

These are just four of several repairs underway. More news to follow.

Thanks to the City of Houston, Mayor Pro Tem and District E Council Member Dave Martin, and his staff for coordinating these repairs with the Public Works Department. Residents will sleep much better in the next big storm.

Thanks also to Chris Bloch for his tireless efforts in reporting these issues. If you find similar problems near your home or business, please report them through the contact page on this web site. I’ll make sure they get to Chris who will make sure they get to the people who can help.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/18/2021 based on information and photos collected by Chris Bloch

1328 Days since Hurricane Harvey

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