Dredging Update Archives - Reduce Flooding

5/1/2025 – My last dredging update was in April. So it’s time for another.

Judging by aerial photos, Callan Marine seems to be making steady progress in its San Jacinto West Fork dredging program for the City of Houston. The dredge has moved farther downstream. And the placement area in Huffman next to the Luce Bayou Inter-Basin Transfer Canal is filling up.

The Story in Pictures

dredge-plan for west fork — *In April, the dredge was located west of #4. Yesterday it ws working between #4 and #5.*

*Looking S toward Lake Houston from above West Fork. Note dredge in distance near tip of Kings Point (left).*

Closer shot shows dredge pipe that pumps spoils to placement area far upstream.

*Men worked on the giant dredge bit as I photographed the scene.*

*From there, spoils travel 3.8 miles to the placement area up Luce Bayou near the Inter-Basin Transfer Canal.*

*West Fork Dredging Spoils Placement Area near Luce IBT Canal (left)*. *Pipe near tree line on left brings water/sediment from lake.*

*Reverse angle shows compartments in maze that slows down incoming water. As water slows, sediment drops out of suspension. Eventually, this will form a base strong and high enough to build homes on.*

*Already, parts of the placement area are solid enough to support heavy equipment.* *The area shown above on the left has reached the height of the dike walls.*

Note how the workers are building out and into the placement area in two directions. They adjust the length and position of the pipes to concentrate the flow where they want to build up the earth. From there, the bulldozers and excavators help compact the material into a solid foundation for beneficial use.

*This image shows the height of the sediment relative to the walls of the pond. Several vertical feet remain in most of the placement area.*

*After most of the sediment has dropped out of suspension, water returns to the lake via the temporary canal (center).*

Status of Cunningham’s Dredging Bill in Austin

Since Hurricane Harvey, we’ve spent hundreds of millions of dollars on dredging to play catch up from decades of neglect.

Moving sediment deposited in Lake Houston by erosion is a massive, but necessary project. The lake supplies water for more than 2 million people and has already lost a large percentage of its storage capacity.

That’s why House Bill 1532 by Rep. Charles Cunningham is so important. The bill would create a permanent dredging and maintenance district for the lake.

Dredging also reduces flood risk by restoring conveyance and eliminating sediment blockages.

On April 29, 2025, the House approved HB1532 overwhelmingly. 114 representatives voted for it. 19 voted against. Two voted Present. And one abstained.

Yesterday, the bill moved to the Senate on its slalom through the legislature. You may want to urge Sen. Brandon Creighton to support it.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/1/25

2802 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Since last month, dredgers have removed one island and have started on another in the massive complex of sand bars laid down during Harvey and Imelda on the San Jacinto East Fork where it meets Lake Houston.

Current Location

Another island in the San Jacinto East Fork Mouth Bar complex. — *Another island in the San Jacinto East Fork Mouth Bar complex is being dredged away. Photo taken on Sunday afternoon, 2/20/22. Looking downstream toward Lake Houston.*

The sand bar already eliminated was toward the top and left side of the frame above. It stretched almost 2000 feet.

Now dredgers are focusing on the giant bar in the middle above.

Mouth Bar Complex in 2020 Before Start of Dredging

The shot below, taken from the opposite direction, helps put things in perspective.

Looking upstream at the East Fork Mouth Bar complex in March 2020 before dredging. The bar dredgers already eliminated is the bright white one in the foreground. Now they’re working on the one farther upriver and to the left.

More Current Shots Taken Today

*Looking NE at dredging in the East Fork Mouth Bar Complex. It looks like they may have started here and moved elsewhere for some reason. Photo taken 2/20/22.*

*This shot more than the others, gives one a feeling for the immensity of the task.*

Long Range Dredging Plan

The City of Houston’s purchasing website does not indicate whether the City has yet awarded the project to develop a long range dredging plan. Last month, the purchasing agent for the City, Bridget Cormier, stated that “The City has not yet made a decision, nor a recommendation for award yet.” She explained, “We are still in the evaluation phase and have requested additional information from suppliers that moved forward in the process.”

It took three months just for contractors to dredge their way through the Royal Shores channel to get to East Fork (July, August, September 2021). East Fork dredging started in October last year. Spoils are currently being ferried back to land south of the West Fork, opposite River Grove Park. There it dries before TexDoT hauls it away for use in roadbuilding.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/20/2022

1636 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Tag Archive for: Dredging Update

May 2025 San Jacinto West Fork Dredging Update