Tag Archive for: dredging

Mistaken Reports of Dredging Near US59 Bridge; Where Things Really Stand

In the last two days, several people have reported dredging near the US59 Bridge. What they actually saw, however, was not a dredge; it was dredge pipe, booster pumps and other related equipment being positioned to pump spoils to Placement Area #2, the Eagle Mine just south of Kingwood College on Sorters Road.

Here’s where things stand a little more than two weeks since the launch of the first dredge on August 20, 2018.

Both the Army Corps and Council Member Dave Martin swear that the scope of the project has not changed. The original scope covered approximately 2.1 miles of the West Fork from River Grove Park to Chimichurri’s just east of the West Lake Houston Parkway Bridge.

Illustration from US Army Corps’ contract plans for West Fork Dredging showing project scope.

Some confusion arose over that when the first dredge anchored WEST of the West Lake Houston Parkway Bridge for almost two weeks. The dredge anchored near the overhead electrical lines in the middle of section C-102.

Last week, the Corps continued to position dredge pipe and booster pumps between the first dredge and the command site just south of Forest Cove. Additionally, Corps engineers scouted out the route upstream to Placement Area #2.

Army Corps personnel scouting area between Placement Area 2 and the command site last week.

This week, the Corps started pre-positioning pipe, booster pumps and other equipment up the West Fork between the Command Center and Placement Area #2. Below are several pictures taken this afternoon that show what’s happening where.

 This is the booster pump mistaken for the dredge. It is anchored between the railroad bridge and the northbound feeder lanes for US59.

Additional equipment started towing pipe up the West Fork past the confluence of Spring Creek, just west of USt59.

Dredge #1 also started to move farther downstream, closer to the West Lake Houston Parkway Bridge.

Taken from West Lake Houston Parkway Bridge looking west, upstream.

Placement Area #1 started receiving sand and was already partially filled when photographed late afternoon Friday.

Placement Area #1 south of the river behind the apartments on Townsend is already receiving spoils.

This portion of the old sand pit has already filled back up with sediment. Notice the slight curvature of the surface. It’s higher on the right than on the left. Wading birds are already picking over the sand looking for a meal that may have been dredged up from the river.

At the opposite end of the pit, water drains out and back to the river after sediment has settled out.

Dredge #2 is scheduled to launch by October 15, according to Lt. Col. Mark Williford with the US Army Corps of Engineers. As of today, though, dredge #2 was still docked at the command site in its usual place.

Dredge #2 is still anchored at the command site as of Friday afternoon, 10/5/18 at 5pm.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/5/2018, with photographic help from Kevin Rehak.

402 Days since Hurricane Harvey

 

Dredging Status: End of September

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has spread out across the West Fork of the San Jacinto River for its Emergency Dredging Project. Here is a visual status report from a trip up the river on Friday. I went from West Lake Houston Parkway past the US59 bridge to chronicle what has become an amphibious construction project.

The first dredge belonging to Callan Marine, a subcontractor to Great Lakes Dredge and Dock, has taken up position near the high tension power lines that connect Kingwood and Kings Lake Estates.

This is what the entire dredging assembly looks like.

It has been idling in the same position more than a week while pipeline and booster pumps are connected to it upstream.

Here’s what it looks like from the stern where dredged materials will enter the pipeline that takes them back to placement area #1.

This booster pump is required because of the distance to placement area #1 behind the apartments on Townsend near North Houston Avenue just south of the river.

Pilot boat shuttles pontoon with heavy equipment into place.

Heading upriver, more pipeline waits to be connected near the dredging command site.

At the command site, staff scurries to get the second dredge ready to launch before mid-October.

Dredge #2 owned by Great Lakes Dredge and Dock. This electric dredge will pump sediment to placement area #2 and require more booster pumps than the first dredge because of the length of the pipeline, almost five miles. Placement area #2 is on Sorters Road just south of Kingwood College.

Close up of the business end of the second dredge still at the dock. The rotating assembly stirs up sediment which is then suctioned into the pipeline and pumped to a placement area.Workers loading water into pipeline to get it to submerge. 

Pontoon with crane and pipeline welding equipment.  Sections of pipe waiting to be connected provide a convenient resting place for egrets and other water fowl.

The debris barges will offload their cargo here, where it will be transferred into these trucks and hauled away for processing or landfill.

Meanwhile, another crew scouts a route to placement area #2. Up the West Fork near Kingwood College, the river is so shallow, it may not be deep enough to float pipeline. If dredging in this reach of the river becomes necessary, it could delay the job and increase costs.

From this brief visual trip up the river, you can see that much prep work remains before full dredging can start. The second dredge has not yet launched and no pipeline has reached placement area 2. City officials have stated that the Corps hoped to be in full operation by mid-October. The 270-day clock for this project began ticking on August 19. Two hundred and twenty-nine days remain to the expected completion. Before the project is done, the Corps expected to move 1.8 million cubic yards of sand and sediment out of the river. 

Posted by Bob Rehak on September 30, 2018

397 Days since Hurricane Harvey

 

Dredging Starts, But Not Where Planned

The Army Corps of Engineers Emergency West Fork Dredging Project started yesterday, but not where planned. The Corps originally said it would start slightly east of West Lake Houston Parkway bridge and work its way back west to River Grove Park. Contract documents indicated the eastward limit of dredging would include the area south of Kings Harbor. However, today dredging started west of the bridge, between the Kingwood Country Club Forest Course and Kings Lake Estates. That puts the start of dredging approximately in the middle of the contracted area.

From US Army Corps’ contract plans for West Fork Dredging project. Note arrow pointing to power lines in C-102.

Photo courtesy of Keith Jordan, a Kings Lake Estates resident, shows first dredge set up behind row of trees on West Fork. Note high tension power lines seen in the right of photo as a reference to the map above.

Jordan said, “Literally watching constant dredging occurring about 200 yards in front of my boat house in the river. Motors seem to be running 24/7 with lights on boats at night.”  He later sent me this image.

Photo Courtesy of Keith Jordan. 

Approximate starting point of dredging. Satellite image courtesy of Google Earth.

When asked about noise from the operation, Jordan replied, “Just hear a steady hum from inside the house. Nothing bad.”

I asked about the change in plans because Kings Harbor was one of the worst flooded areas in Kingwood. One hundred percent of the businesses were destroyed along with three apartment complexes. This is also the area were Ben’s Branch empties into the river.

The Corps has not yet explained the reason for the change in plans. They did, however, send these additional shots of the dredge in operation.

First dredge in operation on location in the middle of the contracted area.

First dredge at work near Kings Lake Estates. There appears to be a mechanical dredge working in front of the hydraulic dredge.

The dredge weighs approximately 27 tons and will be in the river 24 hours per day until early May of 2019 according to the Corps.

Over 4.5 miles of high density polyethylene pipeline measuring 24 inches in diameter is in position and will help move over 1.8 million cubic years of sediment and debris.

Corps officials are asking recreational boaters to stay clear of the dredge and be aware of debris removal pipelines and booster pumps within the river.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/20/18

388 Days since Hurricane Harvey

 

 

 

 

 

Report on September Meeting of Lake Houston Area Grassroots Flood Prevention Initiative

Matt Zeve, Bill Fowler and I each made presentations at the Lake Houston Area Grassroots Flood Prevention initiative this evening.

Zeve Addresses Flood Bond and Flood Map Updates

Zeve, Director of Operations for Harris County Flood Control District spoke about the recently approved $2.5 billion Harris County Flood Bond and updates to flood maps. He indicated that timetables for projects should be completed within the next several weeks. He also indicated that the county has already approved drainage work in Huffman and fielded numerous questions from the audience about Taylor Gully, Ben’s Branch, upstream detention and more. Zeve expects flood maps to be updated in 2021 and stated that mitigation efforts could affect those, but that homeowners will have a chance to appeal them.

Rehak Presents Updates on Dredging, The Mouth Bar and Sand Mining

Bob Rehak updated residents on .Dredging, The Mouth Bar and Sand Mining. Dredging, he says, officially started today though not in the way that some expected. The first of two dredges launched today, a 270-ton diesel powered dredge. The launch had been delayed by a key part that had to be remanufactured and reshipped, then inclement weather. The tall construction cranes had to shut down every time lightning was heard in the area because they act like lightning rods. When the dredge finally started making it’s way downriver today, a mechanical dredge had to clear the way. The river was 18 inches deep in places but the dredge draws 3.5 feet of water. That’s how bad the sedimentation was; we needed a dredge for the dredge.

Dredging will take place to the left of the white line, but not to the right. Chimichurri’s in Kings Harbor is the dividing line. Those thousands of numbers on the image represent survey points by the Army Corps Average depth around the mouth bar is 1-3 feet. Max depth is 5 feet in some cross sections. Water will actually have to flow uphill about 40 feet to get past the mouth bar.

Dredging will start near Chimichurri’s just east of West Lake Houston Parkway. The Corps and Great Lakes will then work their way back toward River Grove Park. They expect to finish dredging by April 1, next year. Demobilization could take until early May.

Rehak also addressed the issue of the mouth bar and updated residents on political efforts by City, County, State and Federal officials to jumpstart the next phase of dredging before this one ends so that $18 million in mobilization and demobilization fees do not have to be duplicated for a second job. No plans have gelled yet, but Houston City Council Member Dave Martin may have an announcement to make at his Town Hall Meeting on October 9.

The final part of Rehak’s presentation addressed efforts to reduce sedimentation at its source to reduce the cost of dredging over the long run. Potential solutions include upstream detention, sand traps, and legislation or regulation that changes the way sand mines operate. Rehak specifically mentioned that moving sand mines out of the floodway would solve a host of problems.

Grassroots Co-Chair Clarifies Lake-Lowering Policies, Floodgate Possibilities, and Need for Flood Insurance

Bill Fowler, co-chair of the Lake Houston Area Grassroots Flood Prevention Initiative, opened the meeting by updating the community on policies to coordinate the lowering of Lake Conroe and Lake Houston to provide residents with extra protection from flooding when severe weather is expected. Fowler also gave an update on additional flood gates for Lake Houston. Then he discussed flood insurance and the related issue of redrawing flood plain maps which Harvey made obsolete. Copies of Fowler’s presentations can be found here.

Zeve did not work from a presentation. His remarks were supported by material from the Harris County Flood Control District website. He did, however, specifically urge residents to review the ever expanding Kingwood section of the site.

Diverse Audience of Approximately 200

Approximately 200 residents attended the meeting. Surprisingly, about a third of those did not flood during Harvey. The large turnout by non-flooded residents may have had to do with the flood insurance theme. Fowler emphasized that everyone needs flood insurance;

45 percent of the people who flooded in Harvey were outside of the 500-year flood plain and 64% of those did not have flood insurance.

Thanks to Volunteers

Many thanks to Dianne Lansden, also a co-chair for the Lake Houston Area Grassroots Flood Prevention Initiative for coordinating the meeting; Fran Barrack for refreshments and Bill McCabe for sign ins.

Posted by Bob Rehak on September 18, 2018

385 Days since Hurricane Harvey

First Dredge Moving Into Starting Position Sunday

All of the equipment for dredging the West Fork is now reportedly in the river and the first dredge should move to it’s starting position on Sunday.

Keith Jordan, a Kingwood geologist, flood-mitigation activist, and avid boater, sent me pictures today taken from the West Fork. They show dredging prep work by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Great Lakes Dredge and Dock. It appears, according to Keith, that they have now loaded all of their dredging equipment into the San Jacinto River and are ready to start actual dredging Sunday or Monday.

I know this must be a sweet moment for Keith. He was one of the first in Kingwood to raise the alarm about sediment in the river. He authored one of the early Post-Harvey presentations on sedimentation issues called “Dig It.” And he testified before the Texas House of Representatives committee looking into the causes of flooding during Harvey.

Keith generously agreed to share his images with the Lake Houston community. I’m not sure what each of these shows, but together they show a lot of hustle and heavy equipment.

Tender boat pushing pontoon with mechanical debris removal equipment

One of two dredges being made ready.

One of two dredges making ready

Dredge pipe on West Fork, part of USACE Emergency Dredging Project. The Corps and its vendor, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock, have welded hundreds of 40-foot sections into 1000 foot strings that will convey dredged material back to the placement sites.

Stay tuned. More news to follow. The first dredge will be moved into position Sunday, weather permitting, with actual dredging operations beginning on Monday. The starting point: West Lake Houston Parkway, near Chimichurri’s,

They will then move west, upstream, to River Grove Park, which is the westerly limit of dredging.

The Corps’ objective is to restore the West Fork’s carrying capacity to pre-Harvey conditions by opening up the channel. The project should last through next April.

They intend to remove 1.8 million cubic yards of sand and sediment, more than enough to fill up the Astrodome.

Posted by Bob Rehak (and Keith Jordan) on September 15, 2018

282 Days Since Hurricane Harvey

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dredging Almost Ready to Begin

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers should begin dredging the West Fork of the San Jacinto River next week. The Corps expected to begin dredging this week, but a part failure for one of the dredges caused a slight delay. A replacement part is being remanufactured and shipped to the command site. The replacement part will help hold the dredge in place during operations and should arrive within days.

First dredge has been moved into river and is awaiting one final part.

With the exception of the replacement part, the first dredge is now virtually completed. It is 27 feet wide, 90 feet long and weighs 270 tons.

Second Dredge Also Now In the Water

A second dredge is also nearing completion. It is electrically powered and has also entered the river for final assembly. No pictures of it are available at this time. In the meantime, the rest of the operation is proceeding as scheduled.

4.5 Miles of Pipe

Workers have welded and weighted 4.5 miles – or almost 24,000 feet – of 24-inch dredge pipe made from 40-foot sections. The pipe will pump sand and sediment back to storage pits (placement sites) on both the north and south sides of the San Jacinto river. Each string of pipe is 1000 feet long. Booster pumps will connect the strings to keep sediment moving up-river and uphill.

Dredge pipe being moved into the West Fork of the San Jacinto in preparation for the start of dredging. Each of these strings is 1000 feet long. They weigh hundreds of thousands of pounds. These 24-inch-diameter pipes will eventually move more than 1.8 million cubic yards of sediment to two placement areas. 

A tender boat moves dredging pipeline into place along the banks of the San Jacinto river. Approximately 4.5 miles of 1,000 – foot  sections of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Pipe is being positioned for use next week when dredging should begin.

Even though the start date has been delayed, the date for completion has not.

Dredging Safety Warning

Jet skiers and recreational boaters have been sighted in the vicinity of the dredge command site. Dredging safety officers are asking West Fork San Jacinto recreational boaters to stay clear of submerged pipes and dredge platforms.

Stay away from this section of the river for your own safety. Even though you may be able to see operators, they may not be looking out for you as they struggle to move equipment weighing hundreds of tons. Operators are focused on their job, not you.

As the operational tempo of this project increases, so will the risk of accidents. So please keep your distance.

Posted September 8, 2018 by Bob Rehak

375 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Lake Conroe Seasonal Lowering Reaches Target Level at Peak of Hurricane Season

Earlier this year, the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) voted to lower the level of Lake Conroe during the peak of hurricane season. The purpose: to provide an additional buffer against flooding for downstream residents until the river could be dredged. The SJRA has now reached its target of 199 mean feet above seal level (MSL).

Temporary Lowering Accommodates Dredging

The SJRA stated, “This was the target elevation established by the San Jacinto River Authority and the City of Houston to create a temporary flood mitigation benefit while dredging activities take place in the lower part of the San Jacinto River.”

The lowering happened gradually during August. To avoid downstream flooding, the  SJRA released water at the rate of 200-300 cubic feet per second. That amounted to  about an inch per day. The exact amount varied due to occasional rain and evaporation.

Lake Conroe Will Return to Normal Level After September

“Now that the target elevation has been reached,” said the SJRA, “Reservoir operators have shut off the release of water from the dam and will operate with the goal of maintaining the current elevation through the end of September. After September, any rainfall flowing into the reservoir will be held, and the reservoir will be allowed to return to the normal elevation of 201 ft-msl.”

Update on Dredging Schedule

As tropical activity heats up, this is good news. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is nearing completion of the assembly of the first of two dredges and miles of dredge pipe. The contractor for the Corps’ Emergency West Fork Dredging Project, Great Lakes, is expected to begin dredging on September 6. Dredging will extend from River Grove Park on the west to Chimichurri’s on the east. It’s not clear yet, which end the contractor will begin on. Great Lakes expects to complete the project, weather permitting, by April of next year.

Posted September 1, 2018 by Bob Rehak

368 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Dredging Update: First Dredge Being Assembled, Miles of Pipe Being Welded

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Command Site for its San Jacinto West Fork Emergency Dredging Project is a beehive of construction activity. I spent two hours at the site this morning at the invitation of the Corps. Now I can see why the prep is taking as long as it is. I had no idea so much was involved. Last week, I posted pictures of dozens of trucks arriving with equipment and pipe. This week they are assembling the first dredge of two and welding miles of dredge pipe…even as more arrives every hour.

First of Two Dredges Nearing Completion

Because of their size, two dredges are being delivered to the site in pieces and assembled there. Great Lakes Dredge and Dock, the contractor, brought in a 300-ton crane last week to lift the biggest pieces to the water’s edge. At the moment, two smaller 70-ton cranes are completing the work – lifting pumps, motors, stabilizers and other equipment into place.

Two seventy-ton cranes lift the remaining pieces of the first dredge into place at the command post south of the river.

Worker installing safety rails.

Same dredge showing where the dredge pipe will hook in.

Massive fittings weigh thousands of pounds

More dredge pipe arrives as the first dredge nears completion.

One of the impellers that will force dredged material into the dredge pipe. These are bigger than the pallet they sit on and are made from solid steel. They are actually considered a disposable item in the dredging process because they wear out. They are  the rotor located inside the case of a pump. it increases or decreases the pressure and flow rate of a fluid. 

Miles of Dredge Pipe Being Welded and Weighted

As workers assemble the first dredge near the water’s edge, other workers weld miles of dredge pipe together from 40-foot sections in a separate staging area. Each section weighs about 4,000 pounds. And each string is 1,000 feet long – about a fifth of a mile. These longer sections will then be put together with booster pumps to pipe spoils directly from the river to placement areas.

Acres of 24-inch HDPE pipe have arrived at the job site and are being stored in a massive pipe farm. Walls of the pipe are one inch thick. Each 40-foot section weighs about 4000 pounds.

Already five larger 1000-foot sections have been assembled. That’s nearly a mile of dredge pipe.

Welding machine shaves off the end of each pipe so the joints will be clean and even.

Next the welding machine heats up the ends of each pipe to 450 degrees and fuses them into one continuous piece.

This is what a completed weld looks like. It’s as strong as the pipe itself.

Next the pipe will be weighted with these steel collars to make sure it remains submerged during dredging operations. This is important because one pump might stop temporarily during dredging while other pumps continue to pull water through. The now partially filled pipe could become buoyant and a hazard to navigation.

To attach the collars, first, two halves are chained together then sledge-hammered into place.

Then the halves are welded together to form a permanent bond. This process is repeated over and over hundreds of times until each 40-foot section has its own collar/weight. The black screen is a safety device to protect the eyes of people nearby who may not have welding goggles. The flame from welding can be as intense as looking directly into the sun. 

Safety Warning

Do not attempt to visit this site. Stay away for your own safety. Huge construction equipment is moving about the site. Operators have limited visibility and they’re focused on balancing their loads, not looking out for unauthorized visitors.

Actual dredging should start in about ten days. When it does, it won’t be safe to be in a boat between the US59 and the West Lake Houston Park Bridges.

The pipe you see above will be submerged and marked with these buoys.

Safety buoys mean submerged dredge pipe is in the area. Stay away for your own safety. Do not attempt to boat, water ski, fish, or swim in the vicinity of dredging operations. Pipe can move swiftly and without warning. 

Dredging operations will continue 24/7 until completion. There is no safe time of day or day of the week to be in this section of the river.

Pipe will extend from wherever the current dredging is to one of two placement areas. One is south of Kingwood College and the other is between the river and Townsend east of US59.

Posted on August 20, 2018 by Bob Rehak

356 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Harris County Flood Control Updates Project List for Flood Bond

The Harris County Flood Control District has updated the project list for the upcoming flood bond referendum. This will be the last update before early voting starts on August 8.

Location of proposed projects in San Jacinto Watershed

There are several earlier versions of this list that do not include all of the most recent projects that have been added for the Lake Houston area. Make sure you review the most current list before voting.

The Lake Houston Area Chamber and the Lake Houston Area Grassroots Flood Prevention Initiative lobbied long and hard to get items on this list including additional:

  • Upstream detention
  • Dredging of the East and West Forks
  • Floodgates for the Lake Houston Dam

These three items comprised the so-called Plea for DDG (detention, dredging and gates). They have been added to the project list and will be in the bond proposal that people vote on. To review all projects that could affect you, make sure you also look upstream in the Spring and Cypress Creek Watersheds.

Early voting starts August 8 and the Kingwood Community Center. Here is the complete list of early voting hours and dates.

Wednesday, August 8, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, August 9, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Friday, August 10, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Monday, August 13, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, August 14, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday, August 15, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 16, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Friday, August 17, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, August 18, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, August 19, 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Monday, August 20, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, August 21, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The final day for voting is August 25 at your normal polling place. To find your polling place, follow this link.

The August 1 list includes partnership projects that could bring in additional funds through matching grants. They could potentially total another $3.1 billion.

For complete details on the bond proposal, visit the Harris County Flood Control District website and click on Bond.

This list must be approved by Commissioner’s Court. Their next meeting is August 14.

Posted by Bob Rehak on August 4, 2018

340 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Mobilization in Full Swing For Army Corps Dredging Project

The countdown has begun to D-Day – Dredging Day. D-Day is still a month away, but things are changing on the ground. Finally. Mobilization has begun for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Emergency Dredging Project on the West Fork of the San Jacinto.

During the last week, the winning bidder has been out surveying the lake, planning the job, and ordering equipment and materials. Now the hard work has started.

Roads are being built to the staging area. Equipment is being installed. Pipeline is being laid. For all those who doubted this day would ever come, here are the pictures that prove it’s happening.

Building a road to the launch site. All photos courtesy of the US Army Corps of Engineers

Grading the road.

Dock area shaping up.

Containers and heavy equipment arriving.

Generators in tow.

Heavy equipment and dredge pipe.

What to Expect When

Right now, crews are setting up the staging area. This week, pipeline arrives and crews will begin installing it. By August 18, two dredges will arrive in pieces by truck. Crews will then begin assembling and launching them.

On August 20, general debris removal will begin. By September 1, the dredges should be sucking sand out of the river and pumping it into placement sites. That process will continue until next April.

Phase Two?

At that point, unless funding has been approved to extend the dredging to include the mouth bar, the contractor, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock will begin removing its equipment from the river and cleaning up after themselves.

The cost of mobilization and demobilization – $17,900,000 out of approximately $69,800,000 – represents almost exactly 25% of the contract. The time also represents about 25% of the total time allotted.

For Your Own Safety…

For safety reasons, the Army Corps respectfully requests the public to stay away from the staging area. The amount of heavy equipment in use and the fast pace of work make this important. The Corps is not publishing details of the staging area’s location, though that will soon become apparent due to the increase in traffic. Just remember, these people have a large job to do and little time to do it. Please respect the demands on their time and respect the perimeter of the job site for your own safety. In the next eight months, they will move enough sand to fill up the Astrodome and then some.

Posted by Bob Rehak on July 31, 2018

336 Days since Hurricane Harvey