Below is a brief digest of nine items concerning flood risk in the San Jacinto River Basin. Many of the groups mentioned need public input on their recommendations before they move forward. So make your voice heard.
Flood Gate B/CR
Addition of More Flood Gates to Lake Houston: Engineers expect to have a Benefit/Cost Ratio (B/CR) worked out no later than mid-October 2022. The ratio depends on the alternative selected (i.e., quantity of gates, type of gate [crest vs. tainter], and gate location [spillway vs. earthen portion of dam]. The engineers need to balance upstream and downstream safety with benefits, costs and environmental impact. Finding the optimum balance is not simple. And any solution is likely to cost more than the original FEMA budget. Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin has had discussions with authorities at the state level about additional funding.
Engineers first examined more crest gates on the Lake Houston Spillway (left) and are now examining additional tainter gates in the earthen portion of the dam (right).
Related to San Jacinto River Authority
The SJRA could have its own digest this month.
Subsidence and Water Well Operational Costs: This hour-plus interview with Jace Houston on Hank’s Think Tank puts the Montgomery County Water Wars into perspective. Houston discusses the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA); its mission; contracts with municipalities and MUDs; rates of water usage in Harris and Montgomery Counties; aquifer recharge rates; how aquifer drawdowns escalate operational costs; how the SJRA got into the water treatment business and more. Whether water costs or subsidence concern you, it’s well worth watching.
SJRA Groundwater Reduction Plan Committee Meeting: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2022 – 11:30 A.M. Go in person if you would like to make a public comment or watch it online. This month, the invited guest speaker is Samantha Reiter, General Manager at the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District.
SJRA Sunset Review: The Texas Sunset Act requires the Sunset Commission to periodically review SJRA and recommend whether to change state law to improve the authority’s efficiency and effectiveness. The Legislature ultimately will decide whether to adopt Sunset Commission’s statutory recommendations. The Sunset Commission also may adopt management directives for SJRA that do not require statutory change. The Sunset process has three stages: review; public meetings and input; legislative actions on Commission recommendations. The Staff report will be published in November 2022. Visit www.sunset.texas.gov to learn more and sign up for email alerts on the report.
Sedimentation: The SJRA is leading an Upper San Jacinto River Basin Regional Sedimentation Study. It needs your input! The SJRA has developed a sediment deposition dashboard that shows locations in watersheds with known issues. Do you know locations that experience sediment deposition? If so, email floodmanagementdivision@sjra.net. The SJRA would like to add them to its dashboard. What kinds of information are they looking for? Where the sediment comes from; where it builds up; what causes build-ups, etc. Both photos and text are welcome.
The San Jacinto West Fork has 20 square miles of sand mines in the 20-mile reach between I-45 and I-69.
Regional Flood Plan Open Houses
San Jacinto Regional Flood Planning Group Meetings on DRAFT Plan. The San Jacinto Regional Flood Planning Group submitted its DRAFT Regional Flood Plan to the Texas Water Development Board on Aug. 1, 2022. Here’s my summary. The public is invited to provide feedback on the DRAFT Plan and learn more about flood risk, stormwater management, and flood mitigation projects in two upcoming open houses.
In-Person Public Open House: Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the White Oak Conference Center, 7603 Antoine Dr., Houston, TX 77088.
Virtual Public Open House: Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. (Register here to receive Zoom access information).
There were three major flood-related anniversaries this month that could also have their own digest.
Anniversary of Great Galveston Hurricane: After all the hoopla surrounding the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Harvey, most people missed the anniversary of the deadliest natural disaster in North American history. It happened on September 8, 1900. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the storm killed more than 6,000 people, destroyed more than 3,600 buildings and pushed 15 feet of water ashore. It was so devastating that it reshaped the region. It caused people and businesses to move further inland to a then-tiny city called Houston.
Hurricane Harvey Mitigation Update: On September 2, I gave a talk at Kingwood College about Hurricane Harvey and the status of flood-mitigation efforts in its wake. It starts with a look back at the damage from Harvey. Then it covers why we flood. And finally, it discusses the status of approximately two dozen mitigation efforts. See it on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/PjXX042NEPE.
Homes on Village Springs in Kingwood were still recovering from a May 7th, 2019 flood when they flooded again during Tropical Storm Imelda in September.
And that’s your September digest.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/16/2022
1844 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/20210101-RJR_4942.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2022-09-16 14:11:312022-09-16 14:15:33Flood Digest: Brief Updates on 9 Flood-Related Items
Below are updates on three items recently in the news: Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) Grants, Affordable Housing Investigations, and Subsidence.
Texas Water Development Board Grants Affecting Houston Region
Last week, I posted a story about flood mitigation assistance grants being considered by the TWDB. The Houston region qualified for eight and the TWDB approved them all…unanimously. However, the checks aren’t in the mail yet.
TWDB approved the following subject to FEMA final approval:
32 structures in Houston, Jersey Village, Pearland and Taylor Lake Village will receive financial assistance for elevating structures.
1421 structures in Bear Creek Village (near Addicks Reservoir and Highway 6) will see their drainage improved by Harris County Flood Control District HCFCD).
61 repetitive loss structures will be bought out by HCFCD.
1 hotel with a severe repetitive loss history dating back to 1979 will also be bought out by HCFCD.
40 repetitive-loss structures in Montgomery County will also be bought out.
FEMA requested more information for further review on each project. So when/if FEMA gives final approval to each of the above, they should be good to go. That usually happens by January.
Texas projects considered for further review by FEMA
Clear Lake Apartment Complex Recommended by Mayor
On September 21, the former director of Houston’s Housing and Community Development Department (HCDD) turned whistleblower and accused the mayor of recommending a multi-family housing deal in Clear Lake that was not in taxpayers’ best interests. It turns out the Mayor’s former law partner would have benefited by $15 million from the deal, but the department’s recommendations would have provided four times more affordable housing for essentially the same amount of money.
That ignited a firestorm in the media and on City Council. HUD, GLO, the County Attorney, and the City Attorney (with the help of two US Attorneys) and City Council are all investigating.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner at Kingwood’s last town hall meeting in October of 2018.
GMA-14 Makes Subsidence DFC Optional
For several years now, the state’s Groundwater Management Area 14 (GMA-14) in southeast Texas has struggled to define Desired Future Conditions (DFCs). These are long-term goals that address groundwater conservation and the maximum amount of subsidence allowable.
In each county in GMA 14, no less than 70 percent median available drawdown remaining in 2080 and no more than an average of 1.0 additional foot of subsidence between 2009 and 2080.
Initial DFCs
However, days before the final vote on this statement, State Senator Robert Nichols, intervened. He wrote a letter to each of GMA-14’s groundwater conservation district leaders “urging” them to make the subsidence metric optional. At that point, the debate ended. The final DFCs adopted by GMA-14 read:
In each county in Groundwater Management Area 14, no less than 70 percent median available drawdown remaining in 2080 or no more than an average of 1.0 additional foot of subsidence between 2009 and 2080.
This revised statement was quietly approved on October 5, 2021. At its January 5, 2022, meeting, GMA-14 will approve the report that accompanies the DFCs when they are submitted to the TDWB.
Of the five groundwater conservation districts in GMA-14, four voted for the new DFCs and one abstained. The new DFCs will likely be challenged in court by areas threatened by subsidence.
Makeup of Groundwater Management Area 14
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/11/2021
1504 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.
Below is a quick digest of six flood-related stories affecting the Lake Houston Area.
Dredging is a Slow Go
Mechanical dredgers are slowly working their way through the channel south of Royal Shores. It connects the East and West Forks of the San Jacinto. Without dredging, the dredging equipment itself would not be able to make it through the channel.
However, the pace of the dredging is painfully slow. You can see the progress by comparing the two pictures below. I took them 22 days apart.
Taken on July 11, 2021Taken on August 2, 2021. Google Earth shows they went a little more than 600 feet in a little more than three weeks.
At about 200 feet per week with about 2,000 more feet to go, they should reach the East Fork in about another ten weeks.
Several boaters have commented on how the dredges can wait hours for a pontoon to ferry dirt back to the placement site. Their net takeaway: very inefficient. During a July 8 meeting at the Kingwood Community Center, Stephen Costello called this method of dredging “unsustainable.” He’s sooooo right. We will run out of luck long before we run out of places to dredge.
Mechanical dredging (shown in the photos above) is far slower and less efficient than hydraulic. Great Lakes hydraulic dredges removed 500,000 cubic yards of sediment from the mouth bar area in just two months – July and August of 2019. DRC’s mechanical dredges removed another 600,000+ cubic yards in the 19 months between January 2020 and July 2021.
Interestingly, Google Earth shows that when the dredgers reach the East Fork, they will be closer to the Triple PG Sand Mine in Porter than the current placement area south of River Grove Park. The Triple PG mine will also be less than half the distance of a mine that the Army Corps previously pumped spoils to from the mouth bar– the Eagle Sorters Mine on the West Fork.
Hmmmm. Triple PG. A placement area for East Fork spoils? A return to hydraulic dredging? Interesting thoughts.
Seasonal Lowering of Lake Conroe
Seasonal lowering of Lake Conroe has started as planned. SJRA is releasing 75 cubic feet per second, according to their dashboard.
Seasonal release is shown as a City of Houston (COH) Diversion.
When the lowering started on August 2, a day late, the lake was at 200.87. So releasing 75 CFS has brought the lake down .19 feet, a little more than 2 inches. Barring large rainfalls, this rate should reach the objective of 200 feet by September 1.
The National Hurricane Center shows two areas of concern in the Atlantic as of 2PM, Friday August 6th.
A few hundred miles south of the Cabo Verde Islands, a tropical wave (orange area) and a broad area of low pressure could turn into a tropical depression by late this weekend or early next week. Formation chance through 5 days…medium…60 percent.
Another tropical wave approaching the Lesser Antilles is a lower threat. NHC predicts development, if any, of this system will be slow and occur early next week. Formation chance through 5 days…low…20 percent.
NOAA Issues Mid-Season Hurricane Outlook
Another forecast released two days ago by NOAA says that atmospheric conditions are still conducive for an above-average hurricane season. See their predictions in the right hand column below. These numbers include the five named storms so far this season.
Attorney General Lawsuit Against Triple PG Mine Still Active
Craig Pritzlaff of the TCEQ assures me that despite visible lack of progress in the Attorney General’s lawsuit against the Triple PG mine for illegal discharges, the AG has not dropped the case. “Indeed, very few, if any, cases referred to the AG for civil prosecution are ever dropped,” he says. “Litigation, particularly environmental litigation, is a complicated and lengthy process. That process was further complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which halted court dockets across the State throughout 2020 and into 2021.”
Condos 250 Feet from 250,000 CFS
A Chinese developer is building yet more condos even closer to the West Fork in the Kings Harbor neighborhood.
See new construction bottom center. Lai finished the units at the right earlier this year. The nearest unit above will be about 250 feet from the San Jacinto West Fork.
During Harvey, more than 250,000 cubic feet per second came through this area. It flooded homes and businesses more than 10,000 feet from the river.
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/2021/08/20210802-DJI_0286.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2021-08-06 16:46:402021-08-07 19:38:36Digest: Updates on Six Lake Houston Area Flood-Related Stories
Below are updates on seven flood-related topics from around the Lake Houston Area and Texas.
Plugging of Noxxe Wells in Forest Cove Delayed
Peter Fisher of the Texas Railroad Commission reports that its Oil & Gas Division is about eight to 10 weeks away from plugging the NOXXE wells in Forest Cove. Noxxe abandoned the lease when Harvey cleanup costs forced the company into bankruptcy. The Commission’s General Counsel notified Fisher on March 4th that another operator is attempting to take over the NOXXE leases. “At this time we do not know for sure which wells they are interested in. Therefore, we are currently in a holding pattern on plugging the NOXXE wells,” said Fisher. TRRC has already finished cleanup of the rusting tanks in Forest Cove, but several wells still appear to be leaking based on aerial photos that show oil on ponds and in the public water supply.
Black substance in West Fork/Lake Houston stretched for about a half mile on December 7, 2020, next to one of many abandoned Noxxe wells.
Texas GLO and Houston Declare Truce for Time Being
Last year, the Texas General Land Office (GLO) tried to claw back funds allocated to the City of Houston for several Harvey-related disaster assistance programs. Why? The City fell seriously behind deadlines, even as the reimbursement program was expiring. Then the two sides reached a settlement and the City took back some programs. Houston will continue to administer $835 million in programs – Homeowner Assistance (reimbursement program), Single Family Development, Multifamily Rental, Small Rental, Homebuyer Assistance, Buyout, Public Services and Economic Revitalization Programs.
However, the GLO included strict program benchmarks with language that includes: “Program Benchmarks: Subrecipient’s failure to achieve a Program Benchmark in the Subrecipient Agreement may result in the termination of the Program and/or funds being removed from the Contract, at the GLO’s sole discretion.” HUD’s rules include that funds be expended – not allocated – by August 2024, plus one more year for close out, or else HUD will retain the funds.
On December 30, 2020, the GLO received 48,000 documents that had no discernable naming conventions, were not grouped by applicant, and were mostly unsearchable. The GLO had to open each document to determine which applicant it belongs to and file accordingly. On January 27, 2021, the GLO received a transfer of additional files that appear to be mostly environmental assessments, but once again, were not organized. The GLO has sorted the files from the City of Houston and the GLO team is contacting applicants to request missing or outdated documentation to move them towards construction.
We received data for 7,176 files, but nearly half had none or only one of the documents needed for a complete application to achieve HUD eligibility. “We are in the process of contacting all applicants to determine which ones still wish to participate and request the documents we need to complete their files,” said a GLO spokesperson.
Court Reverses Air Quality Permit for APO
Texans for Responsible Aggregate Mining announced that on March 5, a district court in Austin struck down an air-quality permit for a quarry. Alabama-based Vulcan Construction Materials needed the permit to proceed with a controversial project.
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) had initially granted the permit in 2019 after two years of heated legal wrangling between Vulcan, the nation’s largest producer of construction aggregates, and an alliance of Comal County citizens, community groups and Comal ISD.
459th Civil District Court Judge Maya Guerra Gamble ruled that:
TCEQ’s assertion that the quarry would not harm human health or welfare was not supported by evidence.
Vulcan’s emissions calculations were not representative and not supported by substantial evidence.
Vulcan’s air quality analysis did not account for cumulative impacts or emissions from the quarry and roads.
Vulcan’s choice of background concentration was arbitrary or capricious.
In the contested case hearing, the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) judge erred in allowing Vulcan to hide behind “trade secret” claims.
Plaintiffs were denied due process when the SOAH judge allowed Vulcan to conceal data using the “trade secret” excuse and did not allow plaintiffs to cross-examine Vulcan.
Vulcan’s proposed mining operation in the Texas Hill Country would stretch across nearly three miles of the environmentally sensitive Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone, the primary water supply for over two million people in New Braunfels and San Antonio.
Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District Punts on Subsidence Again
After several filibusters, the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District Board again deferred publicly adopting a position on subsidence or approving the second half of its subsidence study in a mercifully brief March 9th meeting. The District’s general manager and counsel are reportedly querying stakeholders on the subject. But time is running out before GMA-14 meeting. The LSGCD may have to call a special meeting before the next GMA-14 meeting on April 9th to resolve those issues. It will be interesting to see what they come back with. Simon Sequeira, of Quadvest, one of the largest independent water pumpers in the county is a stakeholder.
Kerr County Commissioners Support Best Management Practices for Local APOs
The adoption of best management practices by sand mines in the San Jacinto watershed has been a legislative goal of area groups since Harvey. It was during Harvey that floodwaters swept through mines and flushed sand downstream where it contributed to the flooding of thousands of homes and businesses. Now the Hill-Country group, Texans for Responsible Aggregate Management reports they have achieved a victory of sorts.
On March 1st, 2021 the Kerr County Commissioners’ Court unanimously passed a resolution supporting TRAM’s legislative goals, as well as a resolution encouraging Kerr County APOs to adopt Best Management Practices (BMPs) in order to minimize adverse health effects and nuisance issues. The resolution was sparked by concerns over West Texas Aggregate LLC’s desire for a permanent rock and concrete crusher facility near the airport east of Kerrville.
LCRA Adopts Commercial Dredging Moratorium on Highland Lakes
On February 24, 2021, The Lower Colorado River Authority Board of Directors adopted a one-year moratorium prohibiting commercial dredging on the Highland Lakes until new rules are established. This action states that LCRA will not review pending permit applications such as the Collier Materials Inc. permit application for commercial dredging on the Llano River and cancelled the public meeting scheduled for March 10, 2021.
The Board determined that new rules are necessary to address commercial dredging projects and their potential impact on water quality, aquatic life and public safety on the lakes. Over the next year, LCRA will review potential water quality impacts of commercial dredging, coordinate with other entities, and conduct a robust public and stakeholder input process.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/18/2021
1297 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/2021/03/20201207-Aerial-Dec-2020_1561.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2021-03-18 20:43:552021-03-18 20:46:04Flood Notes: Quick Updates on Multiple Flood Related Topics
From construction developments to political developments, here’s your January digest of ten stories that could affect flooding or flood mitigation in the Lake Houston Area.
1. New Caney ISD High School #3
This site is located between Sorters-McClellan Road and US59 south of the HCA Kingwood Medical Center. New Caney ISD is building a new high school on the site of the old par 3 golf course behind the car dealerships that front US59. Construction crews are still pouring concrete for foundations and parking lots. Not much happened between flyovers on December 7 and January 1. But then, not much happens anywhere during the holidays. The two photos below show the progress. Construction of the detention pond is nearing completion. However, contractors still need to plant grass to reduce erosion before spring rains arrive.
New Caney ISD High School #3 site as of December 7, 2020As of January 1, 2021.
Now, the development is back on the planning commission agenda for this Thursday. Holley is seeking approval of his latest General Plan and Plat. Neither show any detention ponds. The only place they could go would be in “Reserve C.” The General Plan shows that to be in the floodway and 100-year floodplain. Both could soon expand.
The West Fork floodway cuts through the southern part of Holley’s property.
The City raised an issue regarding compliance with regulations governing the re-plat of golf courses at the 12/17/2020 Planning Commission meeting. The City requested information relating to Local Government Code 212.0155.
That regulation requires, among other things, that:
Public notice of the re-plat be printed in newspapers
The Forest Cove Property Owners Association is notified
Residents have an opportunity to voice their opinions at public hearings
Owners of all properties within 200 feet of the new plat be notified in writing via US Mail.
If 20% of the owners object, the re-plat must win the approval of 3/5ths of the planning commission.
The developer proves there is adequate existing or planned infrastructure to support the new development.
The new subdivision will not adversely affect health, safety traffic, parking, drainage, water, sewer, or other utilities
The development will not have a materially adverse effect on existing single-family property values.
The new plat complies with all applicable land-use regulations and restrictive covenants and the City’s land-use policies.
That’s a lot to do over the holidays. So the general plan may need to be withdrawn and resubmitted after all the information has been produced. We should know more by Wednesday afternoon.
3. Dredging
Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin’s January newsletter stated that Disaster Recover Corporation has removed 385,000 cubic yards from the West Fork Mouth Bar out of an estimated total of 400,000 cubic yards.
Then he alluded to dredging another 260,000 cubic yards from the area north of the mouth bar.
He also alluded to a Second Phase: dredging the San Jacinto East Fork and other locations in Lake Houston.
Finally, Martin discussed maintenance dredging. “Additionally,” he says, “during Phase Two of the project, City of Houston, Harris County, HCFCD, SJRA, and Coastal Water Authority (CWA) will develop and execute a plan for the City of Houston or CWA to assume long-term dredging operations on Lake Houston. This effort will include determining funding for dredging operations in perpetuity.”
4. Appointments to SJRA Board
Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Wil Faubel and Rick Mora, M.D. and reappointed Kaaren Cambio to the San Jacinto River Authority Board of Directors. Their terms will expire on October 16, 2025.
Kaaren Cambio of Kingwood is a field representative for United States Congressman Dan Crenshaw. She is a former member of Women’s Business Enterprise National Investment Recovery Association, Pipeline Contractors Association, and the Houston Pipeliners Association. Cambio received a Bachelor of Business Administration from San Diego State University.
Wil Faubel of Montgomery is President of Borets US Inc. He is a veteran and senior executive in the Oilfield Services industry with more than forty years of service. He has both domestic and international experience and is a lifelong member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and a former board member of the Petroleum Equipment Suppliers Association. Faubel received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Southern Methodist University.
Rick Mora, M.D. of The Woodlands is a partner at US Anesthesia Partners and Chief of Anesthesiology for Memorial Hermann Pinecoft Surgery Center. He has served as chair of the Montgomery County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and is a founding Board member of the non-profit, Los Doctores de The Woodlands. Mora received his MD from the University Of Illinois College Of Medicine.
5. Forest Cove Townhome Buyouts
Harris County Commissioner’s Court will vote today on an item to exercise eminent domain on seven townhomes in the Forest Cove complex. The entire complex was destroyed after Harvey and many owners simply walked away from their properties without leaving forwarding addresses. Flood Control has been unable to find the owners after years of trying. Several may have moved out of the country. Eminent domain on these last few properties will clear the way for demolition of the entire complex and restoration of the area to nature or park land.
The once proud and idyllic townhomes in Forest Cove next to West Fork.
6. Woodridge Village
The purchase of Woodridge Village from Perry Homes is not on today’s Commissioner’s Court Agenda. However, all energies are reportedly still positive. It’s just taking time to work out the complex three-way purchase arrangements.
7. Romerica
Houston PlatTracker shows that the Romerica people may have acquired more land. But so far, they have not returned to the planning commission for approval on the latest iteration of the developer’s plans. No news is good news in this case.
8. Lake Houston Spillway Improvement Project
The City is close to finalizing the Preliminary Engineering Plan. Sources say the benefit/cost ratio looks very positive. We may see the final recommendations this month.
Engineers have examined several alternatives to add more gates to the Lake Houston dam or to increase its spillway capacity.
9. Noxxe Cleanup
The Railroad Commission could start plugging wells, removing storage tanks, and cleaning up the abandoned Noxxe lease in Forest Cove soon. The project manager has submitted work orders for final approval.
Small part of Noxxe lease next to Forest Cove baseball fields.
See new concrete pads (left center) and new construction (right foreground).
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/5/2020
1125 Days after 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/2021/01/Screen-Shot-2021-01-05-at-1.44.19-PM.png?fit=1266%2C1054&ssl=110541266adminadmin2021-01-05 13:35:232021-01-05 13:51:37January Digest of Flood-Related News in Lake Houston Area
Here’s a digest of recent flood-related happenings. Follow the links for more detailed information.
Texas’ First-Ever Regional Flood Planning Process Gets Underway
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) is helping recently formed regional-flood planning groups deliver 15 regional flood plans by January of 2023. These regional flood plans will form Texas’ first-ever state flood plan, due to the legislature by September of 2024.
The Board designated flood-planning group members on October 1st. The regional flood planning group meetings are publicly posted under the Texas Open Meetings Act. The first meetings were posted on the TWDB website and the Secretary of State website. Groups have two objectives:
Reduce current flood risk
Prevent creation of new flood risk
Flood Projects Move Closer to Funding
Flood projects eligible for funding through the State’s Flood Infrastructure Fund (FIF) moved one step closer to becoming a reality this week. Select applicants are currently submitting complete (as opposed to abridged) project applications to the TWDB. These applications will help Texas communities finance drainage and flood mitigation and control projects.
Eligible entities submitted 280 abridged applications for more than $2.3 billion in financial assistance.
TWDB culled that list to fit the available $770 million in funding for structural and nonstructural flood projects. Of that $770 million, TWDB will allocate $231 million (30 percent) to grants and $539 million (70 percent) to loans with no interest.
TWDB Chairman Peter Lake characterized this program as one of the biggest steps the State has ever taken toward flood mitigation.
As of November 5, 2020, the TWDB had received 125 applications from cities, counties, water districts, and other political subdivisions. The deadline for full applications is November 23.
Spring Creek Flood Control Dams Conceptual Engineering Study
Lake Conroe/Lake Houston Joint Operations Study
Flood Early Warning System for San Jacinto County
Chuck Gilman, SJRA’s Director of Water Resources and Flood Management, said, “We hope to receive final notice on our four full applications in late December or early January.”
“The causes and effects of flooding vary from region to region, so there is no single ‘silver bullet’ solution to mitigate floods,” said Lake. “It is critical that we support Texas communities as they plan for and mitigate future risks based on their unique needs and circumstances.”
The Board will consider approving financial assistance commitments at public meetings in the coming months.“Financial assistance will help communities with both flood planning and project implementation. While we can’t avoid natural disasters, we can mitigate the damage they do,” said Lake.
Fire and Flooding
Fire and flooding may seem like a strange combination. But yes, fire can contribute to flooding. I first noticed this phenomenon on an island called Guanaja in the Bay of Honduras where I used to scuba dive. One year, poachers set fires at the bottom of a hill to drive exotic tropical birds toward nets at the top of the hill. The next year, half the hill slid into the Caribbean during heavy rains.
So what does that have to do with Houston? As drought approaches, developers continue to set fires to clear land. That kills all the grasses that retain soil. When rain does return, that soil will wash downstream and likely contribute to the mouth bar growing on the San Jacinto East Fork. Reduction of the river’s “conveyance” can back water up and contribute to flooding.
Drought Vs. Flooding
Jeff Lindner, Harris County Meteorologist says, “The focus for the last several years has been on flooding and heavy rainfall. We’ve had floods in some portion of Texas for each of the last 5 years. However, the onset of moderate to strong La Niña conditions in the Pacific appear to be swinging the state back toward a dry period.”
“What was predicted to be an active period next week is slowly decreasing both “cold” and “moisture” wise in recent model runs, as is typical in La Nina winters,” says Lindner.
Climate Prediction Center outlooks for the next two weeks indicate below average rainfall and above average temperatures. Similar outlooks continue for three months. Vegetation health will continue to decline, but likely at a slower rate than during the hot summer months when heat is maximized.
Three month outlook from NOAA predicts below average rainfall across southern US.
So be careful of outdoor burning (see story above). Many counties have already imposed outdoor burn bans.
Note outdoor burn ban in Liberty County.
The only positive side of drought is that it can make ideal construction weather for flood-mitigation projects (see two stories above).
Harris County Community Flood Resilience Task Force Has First Meeting
The Harris County Community Flood Resilience Task Force held its first meeting earlier this month. The first order of business: expand the group’s membership from five to 17. The group is creating a web site which will accept online applications; it should be up shortly.
The application deadline: December 11. Stay alert for more information if you are interested in representing your area. Preference will be given to those:
Who have flooded
Represent flood-prone communities
Have knowledge in certain areas, such as housing, public health, engineering/construction, urban design/planning, flood-risk mitigation, environment, etc.
Water Baron of Montgomery County Takes On World; Lawyers Drool
Simon Sequeira, CEO of Quadvest and the Water Baron of Montgomery County, continues his War with the World. At the last GMA14 meeting, lawyers are reportedly lining up to get a piece of the action and licking their lips.
Sequeira also supplies water to Colony Ridge in Liberty County. Several years ago, he led a fight to get the board of the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District elected rather than appointed. Then he backed candidates who favored unlimited groundwater pumping and promised to Restore Affordable Water.
Broken Promises
While groundwater is cheaper than surface water, water bills reportedly failed to come down. However, he has stopped paying the SJRA. Sequeira says he is setting aside that money in a special fund in case he loses his legal battle with the SJRA. But his legal battles go far beyond the SJRA. He’s also taking on the rest of GMA14.
GMA14 includes the 15 colored counties above, each represented by a different conservation district. Montgomery County (dark blue) has the Lonestar Groundwater Conservation District.
Purpose of Groundwater Management Areas
GMA stands for groundwater management area. GMAs were set up years ago, in part, to make sure that one county doesn’t hog groundwater, depriving surrounding areas and creating subsidence. So the other counties in GMA14 get to approve (or not) the groundwater withdrawal rates in Montgomery County.
They do that by defining “desired future conditions.” How much drawdown in an aquifer is acceptable? How much subsidence can people and infrastructure tolerate?
GMA14 wants Sequeira to leave 70% of the water in aquifers intact and to produce no more than 1 foot of subsidence.
Hired-Gun Experts Defy Scientific Consensus
Ever since, Sequeira took on this fight, his hired-gun experts have been trying to prove subsidence doesn’t pose a threat in Montgomery County. Unfortunately, data and models don’t agree with him. His pumping has already created subsidence in MoCo and now threatens northern Harris County, too.
Strangely enough, while science has shown – and the rest of the world believes – that unlimited groundwater pumping causes subsidence, Sequeira does not. His profit margin depends on cheap groundwater, unfettered by fees designed to encourage people to convert to surface water.
Five Alternative Plans Considered
Sequeira and company originally proposed three alternative plans to GMA14 that involved pumping:
900 feet of decline in the Jasper Aquifer
700 feet of decline in the Jasper Aquifer
250 feet of decline in the Jasper Aquifer (Similar to Run D scenario, modeled below.)
Of those three, GMA14 only considered the last (even though Lone Star and GMA14 use different criteria to describe the volume pumped).
GMA14 countered by adding two more alternatives that involved even less pumping:
115,000 acre-feet per year (Similar to Lone Star’s Run D scenario. See below).
97,000 acre-feet per year
61,000 acre-feet per year
The two sides are still arguing about how much can be pumped safely. And that’s why the lawyers are drooling.
Models Show Unacceptable Subsidence from Sequeira’s Least Damaging Plan
Subsidence can alter the landscape in ways that cause water to collect in areas that otherwise might not flood. The maps below model projected subsidence in south Montgomery and northern Harris Counties. And we know that this model under-predicts subsidence. That’s because it doesn’t model ANY subsidence from the Jasper aquifer.
Sequeira’s least damaging plan would cause up to 3.25 feet of subsidence in southern Montgomery County and up to 3 feet in northern Harris County, according to GMA14. See below.
Pumping 115,000 feet per year would cause up to 3.25 feet of subsidence in southern MoCo.
The same amount of pumping would cause up 3 feet of subsidence in parts of Kingwood and Huffman, and a foot or more in much of the rest of Harris County.
Effect on Humble, Kingwood, Atascocita, Huffman Areas
If you live in the Lake Houston Area and you stare at that last subsidence map long enough, eventually you will come to a jaw-dropping realization. The Lake Houston spillway is only subsiding by a foot. But the headwaters of the lake are subsiding up to 3 feet. Imagine filling your bathtub with water and then tilting it two feet.
Homes and businesses in the headwaters of Lake Houston will be lowered2 feet relative to the spillway.
That’s a huge amount. Those who built homes a foot above the hundred year flood-plain would find themselves a foot below it. Those who had a couple inches of water in their homes would have more than two feet after subsidence.
Battle Lines Drawn
So the battle lines are drawn. Sequeira wants to allow up to 900 feet of decline in the Jasper aquifer. And GMA14 wants no more than 1 foot of subsidence with 70% of the aquifer intact. That would mean pumping less than 100,000 acre feet per year.
The presence of so many lawyers in the last GMA14 meeting reportedly has the smaller groundwater management districts nervous. One observer used the word “intimidated.” Some don’t have financial resources to fight Sequeira.
Lawyers I talk to believe Sequeira has little chance of winning a lawsuit. But who needs a favorable judgment when you have an army of lawyers that can intimidate the other side into backing down.
However, if Sequeira is successful, he could open up himself and the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District to billions of dollars in “takings” claims. The lawyers make out coming and going.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/20/2020
1179 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.
