Tag Archive for: breaches

Post-Dredging Survey Shows Average Depth in West Fork Mouth Bar Area To Be 5.579 Feet

A recent mouth bar survey shows that dangers still likely lurk just beneath the surface. Here’s why they will only get worse if we don’t take action.

Corps Survey Shows Average Depth South of Mouth Bar

An Army Corps survey of the West Fork Mouth Bar area conducted on 9/4/2019 shows that the average depth after dredging is a bit more than five and a half feet. And that’s only because they surveyed some areas pretty far downstream from the mouth bar.

The survey contains 21,766 sampling points. You can review them all here, in this 507-page PDF. Unfortunately, my web host does not allow posting of Excel files. So you can’t explore the data as conveniently as you might like.

The Corps did not measure the mouth bar itself, which appears to be about four feet high in places. So that also skewed the data. And I am sure that the shallow areas near the bar prevented the survey boat from acquiring information there to. For instance, there are no recorded depths less that one foot.

Scattergram of All Soundings

This graph helps visualize where the bulk of the values lie as well as the extremes and range.

Distribution of Values

A bar graph is another way to visualize the distribution of values. On the vertical axis, we can see the number of soundings. On the horizontal axis, we can see the depth in feet. About half the survey points fell within the 5-6 foot range. That’s not surprising for a survey with an average depth of about 5.5 feet.

Sedimentation from Imelda Not Included

It’s important to realize that the Corps conducted this survey AFTER dredging, but BEFORE Imelda. We saw how much sediment came down the East Fork – enough to raise the bottom depth from 18 feet to 3 or 4 feet between Luce Bayou and Royal Shores, according to boater Josh Alberson.

The East Fork now has its own mouth bar.

West Fork Flooding

Of course, Imelda did not dump as much rain on the West Fork. So flooding there was less severe. But it still ranked as a “major flood.”

At US59, the flood peaked at about 8PM on September 19th as you can see in the graph below from the Harris County Flood Warning System.

From HarrisCountyFWS.org.

This map from Jeff Lindner, meteorologist for Harris County Flood Control, shows the distribution of rainfall across Harris and souther Montgomery Counties, plus streams that flooded. The purple color applied to the West Fork indicates it experienced a major flood. Note: these are 48-HOUR rain totals.

Source: Harris County Flood Control District

In fact, I have heard reports of the river flooding streets in Atasocita Point and Fosters Mill, long after the peak of the storm. Other areas may also have flooded.

Imelda’s floodwaters also ruptured a number of sand mine dikes on the West Fork. They then carried a significant amount of sediment downstream. I took the shot below on 10/2, almost two weeks after the storm. It shows the convergence of Spring Creek and the West Fork, just west of the US59 bridge. Note the huge difference in the color of water between the two streams.

Confluence of Spring Creek (left) and West Fork San Jacinto (top and right).

That’s, in part, thanks to breaches like the one below in West Fork sand mines that were still open long after the flood.

One of many breaches in West Fork sand mines on 10/2/2019, still open almost two weeks after Imelda. This one was at the Hallett Mine in Porter. This same dike breached during Harvey.

You could see the impact downstream.

Flying over the mouth bar on the same day (10.2.19), I noted new deposits in the undredged area between the mouth bar and Kings Point/Fosters Mill. See exact location in the wider shot below.
Virtually none of the mouth bar itself has been removed. Nor was any of the area to the right of the mouth bar. Only the area to the left of it has been dredged and only three feet. That brought average depth to 5.5 feet. Photo taken 10.2.19, looking west.
This shows the most-downstream profile in the US Army Corps of Engineers plans for the initial dredging campaign. Where the Corps stopped dredging, bottom depth was a minimum of 22 feet below the water surface elevation. Some boaters, though, have reported even greater depths in this area…as much as 38 feet.

What does all this mean?

The Corps has shortened the ramp between where it stopped dredging in Phase I and where it started dredging the mouth bar area. While they increased the conveyance by a minor amount, water will hit an underwater wall when it gets to the mouth bar. It’s like herding water into a box canyon. If the City were to lower the lake by 5.5 feet, you would see a sediment dam about a half mile long.

Despite dredging three feet, the mouth bar in its current state will still contribute to flooding…in my opinion.

The City still has not announced any plans for additional dredging despite the availability of more than $40 million earmarked for that by the State and County.

The Great Lakes Dredge has been anchored at the mouth bar for a month and a half. Recently, a crane showed up at the Army Corps command post opposite Marina Drive in Forest Cove. One can only wonder whether Great Lakes will pull their dredge out of the river like Callan did last month.

The Value of Self-Reliance

If dredger(s) have to remobilize at a later date, the cost could eat up close to half of the money earmarked for dredging by the State and County. Mobilization in Phase I cost approximately $18 million.

FEMA and the Corps have refused to dredge more than the 500,000 cubic yards that they already have. Nevertheless, Stephen Costello, the mayor’s flood czar, is making one more plea for reconsideration.

This whole episode reminds one of the wisdom of self-reliance.

The City needs to put up some of its own money out of that billion dollars we’ve paid in drainage fees to:

  • Redo the post-dredging survey to see how much sediment Imelda deposited.
  • Model the effects of various flood scenarios.
  • Share the results with the world.
  • Take appropriate action to restore public confidence.

I find it incredible that after two years of arguing about this, no one has yet modeled the effects of the mouth bar on flooding and shared it with the world.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/10/2019

772 Days after Hurricane Harvey and 21 since Imelda

The thoughts expressed in this post represent my 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.

More Breaches Discovered at Triple PG Sand Mine; Implications for East Fork Flooding

The Triple PG Sand Mine on Hueni Road in Porter breached its dikes during Imelda in more places than originally observed. Despite the breaches still being open, and despite multiple investigations into the mine’s operations, the mine resumed business today. Trucks went in and out all afternoon. At the end of this post, I will discuss some of the implications of these multiple breaches and their possible contribution to flooded homes.

Second Flyover Reveals More Breaches

During my initial helicopter flyover on 9/28/19, I could only observe three breaches in the Triple PG Sand Mine dikes because of inclement weather. On a second flyover on 10/2/19, I observed several more. Other people discovered several more from the ground or boat.

Here’s what I saw from the air and ground. These pictures have been sent to State Representative Dan Huberty, the TCEQ and the Mine Safety and Health Administration in the Department of Labor. The TCEQ forwarded them to the Attorney General’s office.

Below: the approximate locations of breaches for orientation purposes. All aerial photos taken on 10/2/19.

Approximate locations of eight breaches in the Porter Triple PG mine during Imelda.

Breach #1

Partial breach along Caney Creek in the northern section of the mine, looking south toward the mine’s ponds.

Breach #2

Another pond in the far northern area shows evidence of a breach and severe erosion. This shot looks northwest.

Breach #3

Looking NW from over the main dike that separates the main part of the mine from the northern area. The dike cuts from the upper left toward lower right and has a massive breach. The angle of the downed trees suggests that Caney Creek overflowed on the north, swept through all the ponds to the north and then broke into the mine through this breach.

Breach #4

Partial breach. Hovering over Caney Creek in the foreground, looking west into the pit.

Breach #5

Hovering over Caney Creek in the foreground, looking west into the pit. This breach was opened in May and never closed properly.
Same breach, but photographed from the reverse angle. Hovering over the pit, looking east toward Caney Creek.

Breach #6

The southern dike of the mine is behind these trees. It obviously didn’t hold back water sweeping through the mine. It pushed these fences in from the north toward the south. Photo taken 10/6/19.
Many homes immediately below the mine flooded also. The so-called dike that runs along the southern edge of the mine is really flush with the ground level in this area. Photo taken 10/6/19.

Breach #7

Hovering over the pit looking toward the west dike of the mine and White Oak Creek, which breached into the mine.
Reverse shot. Looking east into the mine from over White Oak Creek.

Breach #8

The mine’s main stockpile sits on the western side of the mine. Rain seems to have washed much of it into the creek below the dike.

Direction of Flow

Note additional erosion to main stockpile. It sits at the confluence of two floodways: Caney Creek’s and White Oak Creek’s. You can see the influence of those two creeks in the erosion. This shot faces west. Caney Creek came in from the north (right to left). White Oak Creek came in from the west (top middle to left middle). Note the sand pushed up against the building. See close up below.
Sand pushed up against northern edge of building indicates the main flow came from the north…Caney Creek.

Sand Clogging River

Much sand now clogs the river that wasn’t there before Imelda. No doubt, some sand came from river bed and bank erosion. But it’s hard to believe that none of it came from the Triple PG Sand Mine, which sits in two floodways and whose dikes breached in at least eight places.

The shot below looks across the northeastern section of Riverchase. Many homes flooded in this area. When you look at the river, you can see a possible contributing factor: giant sand bars that consume two-thirds of the width of the river.

The breaches, the sand clogging the river, and the flooded homes all argue for moving mines back farther from rivers. Texas is the only state that has no minimum setbacks for mines. During Imelda, the East Fork and its residents paid the price for that policy.

Northeastern Riverchase, where several homes flooded near the river. Note giant sand bars just beyond the trees. Residents have commented on all the sand in streets. East End Park lies to the right of the giant bar. It also suffered from massive sanding during Imelda, in the area immediately opposite the bar.
A reverse shot of this bar shows that it is not only wide and long but tall. It reaches into treetops. The helicopter was hovering over East End Park for this shot and the camera is looking north.

Altogether, I took almost a thousand shots from the air last Wednesday along the East Fork between 99 and Lake Houston and from Lake Houston up the West Fork to the Woodlands. More findings in future posts.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/6/2019 with help from Josh Alberson and Charlie Fahrmeier

768 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 17 since Imelda.

All thoughts in this post represent my opinions on matters of public interest and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP statute of the Great State of Texas.

Triple PG Mine Dikes Breach in Multiple Places, Contributing to Giant East Fork Sand Buildups

Of all the sand mines on the East and West Forks of the San Jacinto, the Triple PG Mine is unique. It alone sits inside the confluence of TWO floodways. The Prabhakar Guniganti family owns the mine. So far they have cleared, grubbed and mined about 700 of the 2000 acres they own in the area. But that hasn’t stopped them from receiving timber exemptions from the Montgomery County Appraisal District on the land being mined (that has no timber).

After Harvey, when I found 30 acres of sand up to 15 feet deep covering East End Park (just downstream from the mine), I rented a helicopter to see where the sand came from. That’s when I discovered this horrific mine for the first time.

Owned by Cardiologist Turned Sand Miner

Prabhakar Guniganti is a cardiologist from Nacogdoches who has broadened his practice into mining and land development.

I hope he’s better at cardiology than mining. His mine has received 15 citations in the last two years from the Mine Safety and Health Administration (see the MSHA site for a key to the citations). The one highlighted in yellow had to do with a breach.

Fifteen in two years averages out to more than one every other month. And that does not even include notices of enforcement from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, for instance when Tony Buzbee, candidate for Mayor discovered a massive breach in the dike of the Triple PG mine back in May.

Will This Never Stop?

Last week, Charlie Fahrmeier, a Lake Houston Area resident and an expert in sediment control, observed the same breach open AGAIN. Right above East End Park, which was destroyed by sand AGAIN.

So Friday, I rented another helicopter to see what I could see. What I saw turned my stomach. There was more than one breach. There were at least two and possibly three.

It appeared that Caney Creek (from the north) and White Oak Bayou from the west “captured the pit.” The streams then apparently crossed the mine sweeping out through the breach on the southeast side back into Caney Creek and then down the East Fork of the San Jacinto River.

White Oak Creek approaches the mine from the west and Caney Creek runs along its north and east sides. From the images below, taken a week after Imelda, it appears that the both creeks captured the mine and cut across it. From FEMA’s National Flood Hazard Layer Viewer.

Where Breaches Occurred

The TCEQ fined Triple PG $16,875 for breaches one and two that were first reported after the May 7th storm. TCEQ has opened another investigation into the most recent breaches. Fines could be more substantial this time.

Three Breaches from the Air

Looking north from over the pit toward Caney Creek out of frame on the top. Water likely entered the mine from the north as Caney Creek reached flood stage and cut across the point bar above the mine.
Taken 9/27/19.

A reverse shot shows how water tore through the mine.

Looking south from over Caney Creek, you can see how current ripped through the mine. The road across the mine in the middle of the frame had been recently repaired when I took this shot on 9/27/19.
At the far end of the shot above on the west (right) side of the mine, I found this breach near White Oak Creek. Taken 9/27/19.
Looking east, directly across the mine, I saw this breach in the same location as the May breach. That’s Caney Creek in the background. Taken 9/27/19.
This close up shot of the same breach looking west from over Caney Creek shows how flimsy the repair was from earlier in the year. It was nothing but some sand dumped into a hole. Taken 9/27/19.

Designed to Fail?

Two engineers told me that patch looked like it was “designed to fail.” Mine Safety and Health Administration regulation §56.20010 regarding retaining dams specifies that “If failure of a water or silt retaining dam will create a hazard, it shall be of substantial construction and inspected at regular intervals.” Clearly, sand is not substantial. “Built properly, that repair would not have reopened in this past flood,” said Fahrmeier.

 TCEQ Requirements for Dike Construction and Repairs

Here are the TCEQ requirements for constructing dikes and levees. Note the paragraph on page 2 about structural integrity. “Construction must be based upon sound engineering principles. Structural integrity must withstand any waters which the levee or other improvement is intended to restrain or carry, considering all topographic features, including existing levees.”

These dikes had the structural integrity of a sand castle at a beach when the tide comes in.

Also interesting: Paragraph 4, Rights of Third Parties to be Protected. It’s a good read as far as regulations go.

Certainly, East End Park, just downstream was not protected.

KSA just finished cleaning up East End Park from Harvey. The organization spent close to $200,000 to restore trails covered in sand that reached to the treetops. Now the entire Kingwood community will have to sacrifice again. This area used to be a boardwalk over wetlands. The sign used to be shoulder high. Now it’s knee high.
Another trail covered in sand and silt. Not all of this came from the mine; some came from river erosion. But the serious problems first appeared after the mine.

How to Tell Mine from River Sedimentation

Charlie Fahrmeier who first discovered the most recent breach said that when he discovered it, water and sediment was streaming out of the mine. The water color was distinctly different from the color of water coming down Caney Creek. If the creek were responsible for all the sedimentation, the colors would have been reversed.

Caney Creek Now Averages 1.7 Feet Deep

In a future post, I will examine the growing mouth bar on the East Fork. That’s right. The East Fork and Caney Creek are barely navigable now. John Alberson took his jet boat up Caney Creek today and noted giant sand bars stretching across the river below the pit. He said the deepest part of the creek was 1.7 feet. The more sand there is in the creek and East Fork, the less room there is for water, so the higher the water rises during a flood.

How to File a Complaint With Mine Safety Authorities

I encourage everyone to file a Hazardous Condition Complaint with MSHA.  You can do it online at https://lakmshaegov01.msha.gov/HazardousConditionComplaint.aspx.  If they get enough complaints it could elevate the review. 

Here’s some information you’ll need to file:

  • Mine ID: 4104950
  • Mine Name: Triple PG Sand
  • Mine Operator: Triple PG Sand Development LLC
  • Mine is in two zip codes but breaches appear to be in 77365.
  • Location of Breach #1: Long 30.102968°, Lat -95.171932°
  • Location of Breach #2: Long 30.055360°, Lat -95.104712°
  • Location of Breach #3: 30.065451°, Lat -95.102904°

Please help shut this mine down. It’s dumping its process water loaded with sediment and chlorides into your drinking water. Moreover, the City doesn’t have enough money to dredge the East Fork and its tributaries every time we get a big rain. Let’s stop this problem at the source. We need sand for concrete, but we don’t need it from this mine.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/29/2019

761 Days since Hurricane Harvey

The thoughts expressed in the post represent my opinions on matters of public interest and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US constitution and the Anti-SLAPP statute of the great State of Texas.