Wastelands to Wetlands, Part III: Turning Ideas into Action
3/31/25 – In the first two parts of this “Wastelands to Wetlands” series, I presented a vision for restoration of the San Jacinto West Fork and listed all the various parties who have an interest in the effort and could help. But how do you coordinate them? Who would take responsibility/authority for ensuring restoration? And how would you measure their success? That is the focus of this post.
My purpose is to start a dialogue that gets people moving in the direction of a solution. I don’t claim to have all the answers. Nor do I believe that this is the only way to get to a solution.
Need for Leader to Guide Restoration
Right now, no group or leader exists for such an effort. But restoration will never happen unless someone takes the initiative (or has the responsibility) to turn ideas into action.
In business, I learned that if you put two people in charge of a project, no one is in charge. Right now, we have more than a dozen groups theoretically in charge of permitting various aspects of restoration. But none is in charge of oversight and coordination. That’s a problem.
Do We Use Existing Group or Start New One?
Several contenders for the job already exist. But do they have the knowledge, skills, funding and desire to take on the additional work?
The San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) theoretically has the authority. And they have established a flood management division. But do they have the desire to take on the environmental restoration job? They architected a massive Master Drainage Plan for the entire river basin. But after more than four years, they have yet to implement one recommendation from it. SJRA seems focused on capturing water in Lake Conroe and selling it.
Further downstream, the Coastal Water Authority has the responsibility for managing Lake Houston. But no one has given them responsibility for fixing upstream issues between the two lakes that pollute their water.
Unless one of these two groups accepts restoration as a mission and dedicates the resources to achieving it, we need to create another authority responsible for the area between Lake Conroe and Lake Houston – a West Fork Restoration Authority.
Mission Defined
Their mission: turn wastelands into wetlands. How? 1) Restore abandoned mines using a combination of grants and matching funds dedicated to the effort by the state legislature. 2) Monitor active mines to ensure they comply with their abandonment plans when the time comes. 3) Coordinate the efforts of all affected parties to ensure they are additive and contribute to the long-range plan over time.
Creating such an authority would require action by the state legislature in 2027. It’s too late for this session.
Board Structure
A board appointed by the governor and affected parties, such as the City of Houston, Montgomery County, the mining industry, and residents, could manage the West Fork Restoration Authority.
Suggested Success Metrics
How would they measure success? Here’s a list of major needs, metrics, and milestones.
- A) Completion of business plan
- B) Acquisition of staff
- C) Completion of engineering study
- D) Design of solution and component parts
- E) Costs estimates
- F) Publication of long-term plan with stages/tasks outlined
- G) Successful grant applications, funds raised
- H) Permits obtained
- I) Acres revegetated
- J) Linear feet of trails installed
- K) Reduction of erosion
- L) Water-quality improvements
- M) Publication of quarterly and annual progress reports
- N) Creation of case study that communicates knowledge gained to guide similar efforts elsewhere
Time Limited
The State’s Sunset Commission would review the Restoration Authority at regular intervals (currently 12 years) and dissolve it after completion of its job or for lack of progress.
Need
Do we need such an Authority? In my opinion, YES! The economic future of the region depends on eliminating the blight that contributes to flooding. The West Fork has:
- Approximately 20 square miles of sand mines, many abandoned, between Lake Houston and I-45
- Become completely blocked in some areas
- Broken through the dikes of at least five sand mines.
The American Rivers organization named the West Fork one of the most endangered rivers in America.
And we still have not completed a $200 million dredging program that began in 2018.
Back in 2019, I posted 72 pictures that showed the extent of sand mining on the West Fork. Sadly, not much has changed since then. In fact, things have gotten worse.

We need the area’s elected leaders to work together to restore the West Fork as mines like the one above play out and the miners move on to other areas.
We need their help in turning Wastelands into Wetlands. Otherwise, the next generation will be stuck with the situation below.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/31/25
2771 Days since Hurricane Harvey