Tag Archive for: Kingwood Diversion Ditch

HCFCD Confirms Kingwood Diversion Ditch Project Fully Funded Through Construction

3/28/26 – At the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) Board Meeting on 3/26/26, HCFCD Executive Director Tina Petersen updated the board on a number of Lake Houston Area projects including the Kingwood Diversion Ditch. She confirmed it is fully funded – through construction.

However, design of the Diversion Ditch Project has not yet started. It should begin in April and finish by the end of 2027.

A year ago, the preliminary engineering study estimated the cost of the project at $40.7 million. Current estimates put the cost at $43 million, according to Petersen.

Page 18 from Dr. Petersen’s Presentation

Features Included in PER Recommendation

The preliminary engineering report published last year recommended:

  • A diversion structure at the intersection of the Diversion Ditch and Bens Branch to reduce the volume flowing into Bens Branch
  • Channel conveyance improvements to the Diversion Ditch
  • A new outfall to the West Fork San Jacinto River, just west of Woodland Hills Drive/River Grove Park
  • A stormwater detention basin on the south side of the San Jacinto West Fork.
  • Bridge replacements at Kingwood Drive, Walnut Lane, Deer Ridge Estates Boulevard and the pedestrian bridge at Lake Village Drive

The bridges at Northpark Drive will also be rebuilt, but as part of the Northpark Expansion Project.

Kingwood Diversion Ditch
Looking N at the Kingwoodwood Diversion Ditch from over the Walnut Lane Bridge

Relationship to Bens Branch Flooding

The Diversion Ditch splits off of Bens Branch near St. Martha Catholic Church north of Northpark Drive.

Stormwater flow to Bens Branch will be restricted by pipes. That will force more stormwater into the expanded Diversion Ditch. In the process, that would take enough stormwater out of Bens Branch to improve it from a 2-year level of service to a 100-year level.

Bens Branch and Kingwood Diversion Ditch
Red Diagonal = Bens Branch. White = Kingwood Diversion Ditch. Green = new outfall to river.

Diverting water from Bens Branch is important because Bens Branch runs through Kingwood Town Center where 12 people died from Harvey flooding.

Crenshaw Connection

Ironically, funding obtained by US Congressman Dan Crenshaw back in 2024 to widen the bridge shown above at Walnut Lane saved this project from the chopping block – even though it was ranked the most important project in Kingwood by the Kingwood Area Drainage Analysis.

Crenshaw requested funding for the Walnut Lane Bridge in 2023. Congress awarded it in 2024. Then in 2025, the Democratic members of Harris County Commissioners Court passed a motion to reallocate all funding from projects that fell below the top quartile of their equity prioritization framework to projects in the top quartile. That was because inflation had eaten up 25-30% of the purchasing power in the 2018 Flood Bond.

Ramsey to the Rescue

At the time, Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey PE warned that killing projects in Quartiles 2, 3 and 4 could have dire unintended consequences. The Diversion Ditch project fell into Quartile 3.

After the Democrats saw how much partnership funding they would lose by killing projects in the lower quartiles, they relented. In their next meeting, they voted to exempt projects in the lower quartiles that already had partnership funds committed. 

That breathed new life into the Kingwood Diversion Ditch project because it included widening of the Walnut Lane Bridge which Crenshaw had already secured funding for.

HCFCD spokesperson Emily Woodell confirmed the Diversion Ditch funding today. “It was categorized as a partnership project during the bond update presented to commissioners court in August [2025] which means it is fully funded through construction.”

For Updates on Other San Jacinto Watershed Projects

See the video of the SJRA Meeting on 3/26/26 starting at about 1:05:18 into the meeting. Dr. Petersen’s presentation runs roughly 25 minutes to 1:30:00.

It covers a lot of territory including the history of HCFCD, status of the bond program, partnership funding, maintenance programs, gauges, the flood-warning system, and more.

Other capital improvement projects in the Lake Houston Area that she discusses include:

  • Woodridge Village/Taylor Gully – Construction starting in April.
  • Jackson Bayou Detention Basin – Construction starting Q3/2026.
  • Barrett Station Drainage Improvements – Currently in Design Stage.
  • Lake Houston/East Fork/West Fork Dredging – Completed.
  • Lake Houston Gates – Engineering should finish by end of this year.

See Dr. Petersen’s entire presentation for more details.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/28/26

3133 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Studied to Death

3/20/26 – This week, we had more two more examples of flood-mitigation projects that are being studied to death.

  • Spring Creek Watershed Flood Control Dams on Birch and Walnut Creeks
  • Kingwood Diversion Ditch

They might not be buried yet, but they might as well be.

Let’s look at each and the implications for flood control.

Birch and Walnut Creeks

The two flood-control projects in the Spring Creek watershed were first studied in 1976 (see page 24) when the land was predominantly forested and could have been purchased for a tiny fraction of what it costs today. No one took action then. The benefit/cost ratio came in close to zero; project costs far outweighed benefits by more than 10:1.

This week, 50 years later, SJRA published another study, suggested by a previous 2020 study. And the new study suggested yet another study. But the study just published took so long – 5 years – that land for the projects sold to developers before SJRA completed the study. Whew! Follow all that?

So, the current study’s authors actually suggested yet another study to see if an unidentified sponsor could buy the property (which isn’t for sale) – while engineers design the dams, which probably won’t qualify for funding.

Why? The current study took so long that the federal government excluded social benefits from Benefit/Cost Ratios (BCRs). But the reported BCRs included social benefits…because the study’s authors hoped the Federal Government might include them again at some point in the future. So much for making studies actionable!

It may be time to put this one out of its misery. SJRA can’t even seem to interest Waller County in helping, even though its own residents would benefit the most.

Site of Birch and Walnut Creek proposed dams
Sites of proposed flood-control dams in NE Waller County within the Spring Creek Watershed.

Kingwood Diversion Ditch

One third of all the people who died in Harris County during Harvey died along Bens Branch when the Kingwood Diversion Ditch couldn’t divert enough stormwater.

Ben’s Branch and the Kingwood Diversion Ditch operate as one system to drain the western half of Kingwood. Friendswood conceived the Diversion Ditch as a way to take pressure off Ben’s Branch. But over time, upstream development has overwhelmed both.

Back in 2020, HCFCD’s Kingwood Area Drainage Analysis named the Diversion Ditch the most important project in the area. Congressman Dan Crenshaw requested a $1.6 million grant for Diversion Ditch design in 2021 and obtained it.

Then a preliminary engineering review took three years longer than planned and was widely criticized for missing opportunities.

Next, HCFCD took two years to negotiate the price of the design phase which should have finished by now. But it hasn’t even started yet. So yesterday, HCFCD requested a 2-year extension on the grant.

If lucky, we may see the design by 2028 – 11 years after Harvey. Then come the long and arduous tasks of obtaining funding and completing construction. By then, new upstream development will likely have changed design assumptions. And another study may be necessary.

To widen a straight-line ditch, we’ve already spent twice as much time as it took the U.S. to win World War II.

Kingwood Diversion Ditch
Looking South along the Kingwood Diversion Ditch from Kings Mill

Political Fragmentation Favors Delay, Not Decisiveness

In my opinion, both of these flood-mitigation projects have stalled because the people in charge of them have lost all sense of urgency or can’t see a clear path to completion.

Action is difficult in the highly fragmented world of flood control because it requires coordination among multiple government agencies on the local, county, state and federal levels. It’s much easier to create the appearance of action – with studies.

But the studies by themselves do nothing to reduce flood risk. For those with long memories or PTSD, they at least hold out hope that someday, somehow, something may happen.

In reality, though, these projects have almost a zero chance of getting built.

The study findings are already obsolete – because of inflation, new development, policy changes, and new political leaders with different priorities. So, we just keep studying things to death.

Meanwhile, indecision is a decision with consequences measured downstream. I have four suggestions:

  • The state should set up river-basin wide flood control districts. We’re all in this together.
  • Collectively, we need to redesign flood mitigation business practices around prevention, not correction. It’s much easier and exponentially cheaper.
  • Hold managers to deadlines. Hire people with entrepreneurial experience and a sense of urgency.
  • Quit studying things to death. If a project won’t happen, admit it and focus on projects with a fighting chance.

I can already hear the critics now. “Let’s study those suggestions!”

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/20/2026

3125 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Kingwood Diversion Ditch Project Delayed Again

3/13/26 – Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) has asked for a 20-month extension on the Kingwood Diversion Ditch Project scheduled to take 24 months. The original period of performance for the contract was from 4/1/24 to 4/1/26. But backup provided to Commissioners Court shows HCFCD doesn’t even expect to give the vendor a notice to proceed until 4/27/26.

The announced reason for the extension request: “…an unforeseen delay in project cost negotiations to remain within budget…”

“Who negotiates with a vendor for two years on a job with a two year deadline?”

Bob Rehak

See Item #148 on the agenda for March 19, 2026 and the explanation sent to commissioners and the EPA (the grantor).

Top Priority or Lowest?

The Kingwood Area Drainage Analysis recommended expanding the Diversion Ditch as the top priority in Kingwood in 2020.

Preliminary engineering on the project began in 2021. But then the Democrats on Commissioner’s Court forced a management change at HCFCD.

The preliminary engineering was supposed to take 330 days, but it took four years instead. Worse, after all that time, it was criticized for not reflecting actual conditions and obvious recommendations. HCFCD blamed the problems on vendor “personnel issues.”

But it took HCFCD another seven months from publication of the preliminary engineering report to the time they officially delivered it to Commissioners Court for formal approval.

Congressman Dan Crenshaw first requested a $1.6 million grant for Diversion Ditch design in 2021. It was approved in the fiscal year 2022 budget by Congress. Now, HCFCD is requesting a two-year extension until December 31, 2027.

From the identification of the need in the Kingwood Area Drainage analysis on 10/20/20 to the projected end date of 12/31/27, 2628 days will elapse (assuming no more delays).

To put that in perspective, the U.S. won World War II in 1348 days.

So, it will take almost twice as long to redesign a channel as it did to win World War II! That takes some real talent! I’m not sure it’s possible to walk a project any slower and not have Commissioners Court notice. To be fair, the Diversion Ditch IS more than three miles long!

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/13/26

3118 Days since Hurricane Harvey

How Crenshaw Saved Kingwood Project from Chopping Block

1/30/26 – A four-million dollar earmark secured by U.S. Representative Dan Crenshaw for widening the Walnut Lane Bridge in Kingwood saved the entire $44 Million Kingwood Diversion Ditch Project from being killed by the Democratic members of Harris County Commissioners Court.

U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw gives the thumbs up to the Walnut Lane Bridge project. Widening the bridge is necessary to widen the Kingwood Diversion Ditch (background) which will also help reduce flood risk along Bens Branch.

Crenshaw requested the funding in 2023. Congress awarded it in 2024. Then in 2025, the Democratic members of Harris County Commissioners Court passed a motion to reallocate all funding from projects that fell below the top quartile of their equity prioritization framework to projects in the top quartile. That was because inflation had eaten up 25-30% of the purchasing power in the 2018 Flood Bond.

Ramsey to the Rescue

At the time, Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey PE warned that killing projects in Quartiles 2, 3 and 4 could have dire unintended consequences. The Diversion Ditch project fell into Quartile 3.

After the Democrats saw how much partnership funding they would lose by killing projects in the lower quartiles, they relented. In their next meeting, they voted to exempt projects in the lower quartiles that already had partnership funds committed.

That breathed new life into the Kingwood Diversion Ditch project because it included widening of the Walnut Lane Bridge which Crenshaw had already secured funding for.

Multiple Benefits: A Texas Twofer

But the project will benefit far more of Kingwood than just the people who live in Diversion Ditch floodplains. It will also benefit people who live near Bens Branch. That includes the Villages of Bear Branch, Kings Forest, Hunters Ridge, Town Center, Kings Harbor and Kingwood Greens.

That’s because widening the Diversion Ditch will take excess stormwater out of Bens Branch and allow water to move safely down the Diversion Ditch. The planned improvements will take Bens Branch from a 2-year level of service to a 100-year level.

Bens Branch and Kingwood Diversion Ditch
Kingwood Diversion Ditch in white, new outfall in green, and Bens Branch in red.

That means homes in the Bens Branch floodplains should be safe in anything up to a 100-year storm. Currently, the stream is at risk of flooding parts of its watershed every two years.

Twelve seniors died along Bens Branch in the Harvey flood who lived at Kingwood Village Estates. That’s a third of all the people in Harris County and a fifth of all the people in the state who died as a result of Harvey flooding.

When the Diversion Ditch project is completed, Crenshaw will have helped protect people and property values in approximately half of Kingwood.

Bob Rehak

Crenshaw Support Crucial on Other Projects, Too

The Kingwood Area Drainage analysis found that, based on the number of people who benefit, the Diversion Ditch project is one of the two most important in Kingwood. Another is the Taylor Gully/Woodridge Project which Crenshaw also secured funding for.

In fact, Crenshaw secured funding for 10 Lake Houston Area Projects in 2024 alone.

Editorial Comment: I interviewed Crenshaw in 2018 when he first ran for Congress and have followed his work in Washington ever since. The man is a warrior, scholar and leader. He fights tirelessly to improve the lives of his constituents. He studies issues. And thoughtfully and patiently explains them. There’s no way he could have known what Commissioners Court would do in 2025 when he proposed the Walnut Lane Bridge funding in 2023. Regardless, his proactive effort will improve the safety of tens of thousands of his constituents.

For more information including a timetable for the Kingwood Diversion Ditch Project, see this recent post.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/30/26

3076 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Update on Two Kingwood Flood-Mitigation Projects

1/28/26 – People living near the Kingwood Diversion Ditch and the Woodridge Village/Taylor Gully area have been asking what happened to their flood-mitigation projects. Good news: Both are moving forward. Here’s some historical context, where the projects currently stand, and what comes next.

Kingwood Diversion Ditch

The Kingwood Diversion Ditch splits off Bens Branch between Northpark Drive and the new St. Martha Catholic Church. It runs down the western side of North and South Woodland Hills past the fire station on Kingwood Drive. Then it continues south past Trailwood, Deer Ridge Park and finally joins the San Jacinto West Fork at River Grove Park. Along the way, it goes under four bridges.

Neel-Schaffer completed a preliminary engineering study in early 2025. The company recommended widening the Diversion Ditch and building a new outfall to West Fork west of River Grove Park. They projected the cost to be almost $41 million, but it would reduce the floodplain size by 177 acres and remove 34 structures from the floodplain.

Diversion Ditch shown in white, proposed new outfall in green, and Bens Branch in red.

The improvements would divert enough stormwater from Bens Branch to take it from a 2-year level of service to a 100-year level. That’s good news for the merchants in Kingwood Town Center. They all flooded during Harvey and 12 seniors died at Kingwood Village Estates.

The project almost died last year when Democratic County Commissioners voted to redeploy all remaining flood bond funds to the highest scoring projects on their equity prioritization framework. However, they later reconsidered that motion. The Diversion Ditch already had federal partnership funds allocated to it thanks to the work of Congressman Dan Crenshaw. His earmark for the Walnut Lane Bridge saved it from the chopping block.

Now the project is moving again. In late 2025, Harris County awarded a contract to Halff Associates, Inc. for the final engineering and design of the project.

In its January 22 board meeting, the Texas Water Development Board authorized an agreement with Harris County Flood Control District for a $5 million grant that State Representative Charles Cunningham obtained during the 89th Legislative Regular Session. (See item 12.)

HCFCD spokesperson Emily Woodell said the District expects the design work to start by March 1. She also says that additional funding will come from EPA grants to cover design and the 2018 bond to cover construction. Woodell expects construction to begin in late 2027.

Woodridge Village/Taylor Gully

The Kingwood Area Drainage Analysis ranked the Diversion Ditch and the Woodridge Village/Taylor Gully Project as the two most important projects in Kingwood because they help the largest numbers of people.

The 270-acre Woodridge Village Project is the aborted Perry Homes development purchased by Harris County and the City of Houston in 2020. It lies north of Sherwood Trails and Elm Grove in Montgomery County. Except for a few acres on the extreme western end, virtually all of it drains into Taylor Gully.

Perry’s contractors clearcut the Woodridge site starting in 2017 and sloped it toward Taylor Gully. Then before they installed detention ponds and drainage systems, runoff from the site flooded up to 600 homes twice in 2019. Residents had not even finished repairing their homes from the first flood in May, when they flooded again in September. A massive class action lawsuit resulted in a substantial settlement for the victims.

Taylor Gully Flooding May 7 2019
Taylor Gully flooding near Rustling Elms on May 7, 2019.

Before purchasing Woodridge Village from Perry, HCFCD stipulated that they had to finish building all of the stormwater detention basins planned as part of the buildout. However, those detention basins only brought the property up to pre-Atlas 14 standards. They fell 40% short of Atlas 14 requirements.

Shortly after the purchase, HCFCD started building an additional detention basin to bring the total detention capacity onsite up to and beyond Atlas-14 requirements. Sprint Sand and Clay began the work under an excavation and removal (E&R) contract. E&R contracts give HCFCD a head start on production. They let contractors begin removing dirt for a nominal fee and then sell it on the open market to make up their profit margin.

Woodridge
Woodridge Village on May 31 2025. The beginning of a new detention basin was never completed or connected.

However, when HCFCD applied for a HUD CDBG-MIT grant through the Texas General Land Office, HCFCD was forced to pause the project. That’s because projects cannot change while the GLO and HUD consider a grant request.

Scope of project outlined in preliminary engineering review. Compartment 1 is in current bid and will take project up to and slightly beyond Atlas 14 requirements. Compartment 2 will be treated as a separate project in the future if/when needed.

HCFCD applied for grants to:

  • Expand a portion of Taylor Gully and line it with concrete.
  • Build another stormwater detention basin on Woodridge Village holding 412 acre-feet.
  • Replace the culverts at Rustling Elms with a clear-span bridge.

Fast forward: GLO and HUD approved grants for $42 million in October, 2025. HCFCD put the project out for bids. And proposals are due by Feb. 16, 2026. See screen capture from County purchasing below.

Screen capture supplied by Precinct 3 Engineer Eric Heppen

Even though the bid above is listed as “channel conveyance improvements,” according to Woodell, it also includes the Woodridge Village Stormwater Detention Basin(s). “Since Woodridge mitigates Taylor Gully, those two projects have been combined forever after,” she said.

The HUD/GLO deadline for finishing the project is March 31, 2028. That’s do-able if everyone hustles.

Additional funding for this project came from U.S. Representative Dan Crenshaw. He secured federal funding for Taylor Gully improvements in March 2022. And Representative Charles Cunningham helped secure state funding through the TWDB.

Press conference on status of Lake Houston Area flood-mitigation projects.
At a September 2024 press conference where Woodridge meets Taylor Gully. Left to Right, Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey PE, US Rep. Dan Crenshaw, HCFCD Exec. Dir. Dr. Tina Petersen, Houston City Council Member Fred Flickinger and State Rep. Charles Cunningham.

More news to follow when we see the bids.

Posted by Bob Rehak on January 28, 2026

3074 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Final Kingwood Diversion Ditch Study Up for Approval Thursday

9/15/25 – Harris County Commissioners Court is being asked to approve a contract for final engineering of new Kingwood Diversion Ditch conveyance improvements this Thursday, 2/18/25. See Item 272 on the Agenda.

The Kingwood Area Drainage analysis ranked Diversion Ditch improvements as the most important project in Kingwood. That’s in large part because improving flow through the Diversion Ditch will take floodwater out of Bens Branch which runs through Kingwood Town Center. So, it’s like a Texas twofer.

Diversion Ditch shown in white, proposed new outfall in green, and Bens Branch in red.

County Purchasing Dept. Recommending Halff

The Harris County Purchasing Department recommends Halff Associates, Inc. based on “highest overall evaluation” for their proposal. The County reserves the right to negotiate with the next highest ranking proposal if it can’t reach a suitable agreement with Halff.

Halff did the engineering work for Taylor Gully and Woodridge Village. The company also recently updated Montgomery County’s Drainage Criteria Manual and Subdivision Rules and Regulations. So, it is familiar with drainage issues in the area.

Another company, Neel-Schaffer developed the preliminary Kingwood Diversion Ditch report. However, it took almost five times longer than expected and overlooked some obvious opportunities.

Since Neel-Schaffer released its preliminary report, the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority announced plans to build 100 acre-feet of detention in the area where the Diversion Ditch splits off from Bens Branch just north of Northpark. That’s a quarter of the needed 405 acre-feet of detention right there.

Included in the Project

This is a request to authorize negotiation for an agreement that will provide final design, bidding and construction phase services for Kingwood Diversion Ditch channel conveyance improvements.

The project begins upstream of the confluence of Bens Branch and the Kingwood Diversion Ditch and ends downstream at the West Fork San Jacinto River. The total project length is approximately 4.2 miles along the Kingwood Diversion Ditch. 

Looking upstream/north at the Diversion Ditch toward Kingwood Drive from over the Walnut Lane Bridge. The “Kingwood Rapids” are just out of frame at the bottom of the frame.

Conveyance improvements will include:

  • Construction of a diversion structure to divert flow off Bens Branch into the Kingwood Diversion Ditch
  • Erosion protection against a naturally steep portion of the existing channel near Walnut Lane
  • A new outfall at Woodland Hills into the West Fork San Jacinto River
  • 405 acre-feet of stormwater detention to mitigate for impacts from the channel improvements
  • Improvements to five existing bridges.

The project area along Kingwood Diversion Ditch consists of approximately 3.86 miles inside Harris County limits and an additional 0.32 miles extends into Montgomery County.  The project falls into the second quartile of the County’s Equity Prioritization Framework.

Kingwood Diversion Ditch
Looking S at Kingwood Diversion Ditch from near the Montgomery County Line and Kings Mill.

Earlier this year, Commissioners voted to redeploy all remaining funding in Quartiles 2, 3, and 4 to complete projects in Quartile 1. However, they later reconsidered that motion. The fact that the Diversion Ditch already has federal partnership funds allocated to it thanks to the work of Congressman Dan Crenshaw, whose earmark for the Walnut Lane Bridge saved it from the chopping block.

Separately, the County expects to hear a new proposal from HCFCD Executive Director Dr. Tina Petersen this Thursday. Petersen reportedly hopes to explain less Draconian ways to address a shortfall in bond funding that could affect the fate of a large number of other projects.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/15/25

2939 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Northpark Update: Lane Switch, Paving, Tunneling, Enclave

6/5/25 – The Northpark Drive Expansion Project has been a beehive of activity recently.

  • A major traffic switch will happen Friday.
  • Crews have paved several blocks of new westbound lanes and are working their way toward the railroad tracks.
  • They have finished the first pit for boring under the UnionPacific tracks and are getting ready to place the boring machine into it. They have also started excavating the receiving pit on the west side of the tracks.
  • Contractors at the Northpark Enclave continue to work even as Montgomery County Precinct 4 is trying to set up a meeting between Montgomery County Engineering, City of Houston, EHRA (the Enclave’s engineering company), and HNTB (the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority’s engineering company). The purpose: to discuss concerns about potential overflow from the development’s retention pond during extreme weather events into the evacuation route for 78,000 people.

Lane Switch

Westbound traffic between Loop 494 and US59 will be routed to recently paved lanes on the north side of Northpark starting Friday, June 6.

According to Ralph De Leon, Northpark Expansion project manager, “Beginning June 6th at 9pm, Harper Brothers Construction will shift westbound Northpark Drive traffic to the newly constructed westbound lanes.”

The contractor will then install new storm sewer pipes and construct new concrete roadway between the eastbound and westbound lanes. This shift should last approximately 6 months. And no additional lane changes will take place during that time in that area.

De Leon provided this map to help motorists understand Friday’s change.

Beginning 6.6.25 at 9 PM

That same area looks like this from a lower angle.

Crews will reroute traffic to the lanes on the right with the orange traffic cones.

Westbound traffic now in the middle will move to the right and crews will begin work in the middle.

Paving

During the last few months, work on the north side of Northpark east of the railroad tracks has focused mainly on utility relocations and drainage installation. Now, crews are starting to pave that area working from east to west – toward the tracks.

Note the fresh concrete on the left below.

Looking East along Northpark Drive
Reverse angle. Looking W from same location. Crews are working on pavement prep work, i.e., rebar placement.

Boring Under Union Pacific Tracks

Steel pipe previously stockpiled south (left) of Northpark has been moved to the north side in preparation for the bore.
Workers have completed the steel frame for the boring operation and poured a concrete floor for the bore pit.

They have also placed a section of railroad tracks into the pit. The boring machine will later be placed on the tracks.

On the far side of the tracks, you can see them starting to excavate the receiving pit.

Two steel pipes will run under the tracks side by side to convey storm water toward the Diversion Ditch from the area on the west side of Loop 494. As crews push each section in, they will weld a new section on.

Enclave Construction

Contrary to earlier reports, construction at the Enclave has not stopped during a peer review of the subdivision’s drainage.

Northpark Enclave
Photo taken 6/4/25 at approximately 2 PM showed activity throughout the site.

Victoria Bryant, Montgomery County Precinct 4 Project Coordinator says that she is trying to set up a meeting between the engineering companies, MoCo Engineering and the City of Houston.

Pictures below show activity on the site.

Northpark Enclave drainage and detention basin
Culvert installation almost reached the development’s detention basin at 2PM on 6/4/25.
Northpark Enclave drainage construction
More drainage being installed on 6/3/25
Northpark Enclave drainage construction
Pipes going in the ground. Also on 6/3/25.

Drainage Concerns

Meanwhile, construction plans show that the detention basin could overflow into the only evacuation route for 78,000 people during extreme rainfall events.

Northpark Enclave construction plan detail
Enlarged and cropped detail from construction plans.

But it doesn’t take a 100-year rainfall to create a 100-year flood in the Kingwood Diversion Ditch.

The photo below taken by Kingwood flood activist Chris Bloch during the May 2024 flood shows runoff in the Kingwood Diversion Ditch reaching above the bottom of the Northpark Drive Bridge, which was above the predicted 100-year flood level.

But the closest Harris County Flood Control rain gage showed that the May 2024 event that caused water to reach that high was approximately a 5-year rainfall by today’s Atlas-14 standard.

Northpark Bridge during High water event
Photo courtesy of Chris Bloch

But there’s more. Plans for the bridge show that the bottom is at 75.76 feet.

Northpark Bridge construction detail

About a half mile downstream, drainage from the Enclave and the rest of Kings Mill crosses under Russell Palmer Road and enters into the Diversion Ditch.

Water in the Diversion Ditch at the bridge was higher than the crown of Russell Palmer Road at the detention basin.

When water in a receiving ditch is higher than water in a connected detention basin, it creates back-pressure on the water in the basin. Water can actually flow into the basin from the ditch.

At a minimum, higher water in the Diversion Ditch would slow the water coming out of Kings Mill and the Enclave. That raises the height of stormwater in the detention basin(s) and keeps it there longer.

Also, note that the outfall pipe for the Kings Mills Detention Basins is at the BOTTOM of the Diversion Ditch. (See below.) That exacerbates the back-pressure issue.

Kings Mill outfall into Kingwood diversion ditch.
Route of stormwater from Kings Mill Detention Basin (right) to Kingwood Diversion Ditch (left)

Conclusion: Mismatch Between Regulations and Reality

The Diversion Ditch has become seriously overburdened with runoff from subdivisions that were developed when the rainfall probability estimates used by Montgomery County were 40% lower than they are for this area today.

That may or may not cause the Enclave detention basin to overflow into Northpark during a REAL 100-year event. It will be interesting to see what the engineers determine. Only they can tell how high, how far, and how long the water will back up.

Chances are small that the Enclave detention basin will overflow into Northpark during an evacuation. But the stakes are huge.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/4/25

2836 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.

HCFCD Calls Projects Complete that Have Not Even Started

3/10/25 – In the last week, Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) launched a new interactive map at the bottom of its homepage. In it, HCFCD calls many projects complete that have not even started.

The map supposedly contains the status of each project in the county along with links to more project details.

However, the information is riddled with errors. The map also contains several usability issues that place barriers between people and information.

Together, the issues show a disturbing lack of attention to detail and quality control that undermines the credibility of HCFCD.

Examples of Incorrectly Coded Projects

For instance, you may be pleased to know that the project to add more floodgates to the Lake Houston Dam is “complete.” It’s not. Ask Houston City Council Member Fred Flickinger who just provided an update on the ongoing engineering of the gates.

This and all other screen captures below taken on 3/10/25. Note project status in lower right corner.

Neither are the projects complete to add stormwater-detention capacity to Woodridge Village and to improve Taylor Gully. However, the map shows them completed also.

HCFCD also marked the Kingwood Diversion Ditch Project “in progress.” It’s not.

“None of this information is true!”

– Bob Rehak

With the exception of the Woodridge project, the District has not turned one shovel of dirt on any of the projects above.

The District tabled the Woodridge project in November 2023 when it decided to seek HUD funding to complete it. Here’s how HCFCD left the site.

“Completed” Woodridge Village Detention Basin. Photo taken today, 3/10/25.

HCFCD even marked the TC Jester Detention Basins on Cypress Creek complete.

However, that project won’t even go out for bid until the fourth quarter of this year.

From HCFCD’s 12-month Bid Calendar. Arrow added.

HCFCD did not respond to questions about the errors, nor did it take the error-ridden, interactive map down as of close of business today.

Usability Flaws, Too

In addition to the project-status errors, the map also contains some serious usability flaws.

For instance, clicking on the link for more information about a project sometimes takes one to a page that asks you to sign into “ArcGIS Online.”

But that requires HCFCD employee credentials.

However, take heart. If you wait several minutes, information may eventually load OFFSCREEN and ABOVE the sign-in prompt…where few would ever bother to look for it. Very clever!

A source familiar with Harris County Universal Services, the county’s IT department, attributed the bizarre performance of the map, in part, to incompetent coders and project managers with forged credentials working on H1-B visas.

That may be an even bigger problem! If you think Elon Musk rummaging through IRS data is an issue, imagine foreign nationals rummaging through your Harris County tax information. But I digress.

Why An Untested Map?

The sudden appearance of the map follows fast on the heels of the Harris County Commissioners Court meeting on February 27, 2025.

In the meeting, Commissioners adopted several measures to limit the financial impact to the county in case DOGE rescinds $1.1 billion of previously promised HUD disaster-relief and flood-mitigation funding.

In the same meeting, Commissioners also demanded an update from HCFCD Executive Director Tina Petersen about the status of every project. The reason: so they could make sure so-called “equity projects” were completed in low-to-moderate income areas before those in more affluent areas.

Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis said he didn’t want to wait “until all the money was gone.” He added, “I know there’s not enough money to do all the projects we talked about and everybody else knows it.”

I hope Ms. Petersen provides better information to her bosses than to the public. She just received a $90,000 raise. You could hire several proofreaders for that!

No telling how many errors are embedded in the interactive HCFCD map; I am not familiar with every project in the county. If you know of other errors in projects near you, please send me a note through the contact form on this website.

Posted Bob Rehak on 3/10/25

2750 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.

Preliminary Recommendations for Kingwood Diversion Ditch Announced

On 3/6/24, Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) revealed its preliminary recommendations for the Kingwood Diversion Ditch. The recommendations come out of a preliminary engineering report (PER) for the project. And HCFCD is still soliciting public comments.

Recommendations from Preliminary Engineering Report

HCFCD initially considered three alternative scenarios and dismissed one. It then spent most of last night’s meeting comparing the other two and discussing why it preferred one.

The proposed project alternative recommends:

  • Channel conveyance improvements to the Diversion Ditch
  • A diversion structure at the intersection of the Diversion Ditch and Bens Branch to take enough water out of Bens Branch to bring it up from a 2-year level of service to a 100-year level.
  • Bridge replacements at Kingwood Drive, Walnut Lane, Deer Ridge Estates Boulevard and the pedestrian bridge at Lake Village Drive
  • A new outfall to the West Fork San Jacinto River.

The bridges at Northpark Drive will also be rebuilt, but as part of the Northpark Expansion Project.

The ultimate goal of the Kingwood Diversion Ditch Project is to reduce the risk of structural flooding associated with the Bens Branch channel.

HCFCD

Improvements to One Channel Improve Another

The Kingwood Diversion Ditch is a man-made channel that was constructed prior to 1978. The channel diverted excess stormwater from Bens Branch and gave it an alternate route to the West Fork of the San Jacinto River.

The two channels largely operate as one unit. But HCFCD has room to expand the ditch and not Bens Branch. That’s because large portions of the Bens Branch Channel remain natural and are flanked by greenbelt trails, near and dear to the hearts of residents.

The Kingwood Diversion Ditch, however, has ample right of way and room for expansion. Even though, the Diversion Ditch operates at 100% of its design capacity, expansion of the Diversion Ditch can reduce the water surface elevation along Bens Branch without destroying the natural character of the stream.

The two alternatives that made the initial cut each recommended widening and deepening the Diversion Ditch channel. Exact dimensions/increases, however, will not become clear until final construction plans are developed.

Proposed widths for the bottom of the channel could vary from 10-80 feet. Top of channel widths could vary from 150-190 feet.

HCFCD said only that widths would vary along different portions of the channel and that, altogether both channels should be able to handle 100-year rains when the project is complete. The Kingwood Area Drainage Analysis revealed that portions of Ben’s Branch flooded in a 2-year rain.

The screen capture below shows benefits of the recommended alternative (#3).

HCFCD recommended Alternative #3 because of savings on maintenance.

Money Not Yet Identified to Fund Improvements

However, money does not currently exist to fund ANY of the three options. Almost seven years after Harvey, only $3.9 million has been committed. But costs are estimated at $54.5 million.

Screen capture from PER review meeting.

HCFCD emphasized that it always looks for funding. The District laid out a sequence of future events. Next steps:

  • Present the preliminary engineering report to commissioners court in two weeks.
  • Commission final design
  • Additional community engagement meeting
  • Secure funding
  • Begin construction

Need for Local Disaster-Mitigation Funding

The funding challenges, almost seven years after Harvey when the sense of urgency has dissipated, underscore the need for communities everywhere to plan for their own flood mitigation.

We can’t expect the federal government to ride to the rescue for every issue in every community. People in Kentucky don’t want to pay for our Diversion Ditch any more than people in Kingwood want to pay for a Diversion Ditch in Kentucky.

Still Time for Public Comment

You can see video of the meeting and the full presentation here. HCFCD will accept public comments through March 20:

  • At hcfcd.org/F-14, or
  • Via phone at 855-925-2801 with Meeting Code: 6701

Northpark Phase II Meeting Tonight

Switching gears, the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority will hold a separate meeting tonight at the Kingwood Community Center from 5-7PM to discuss plans for the second phase of Northpark Drive Expansion. Hope to see you there.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/7/2024

2382 Days since Hurricane Harvey

How Soon We Forget!

How soon we forget. Hurricane Harvey was just 4.5 years ago. Since then I have documented dozens, if not hundreds of questionable practices that erode margins of flood safety.

It Didn’t Have to Be That Bad

Harvey was the largest rainfall event in the history of North America. However, with better regulations and construction practices, it didn’t have to be as destructive as it was.

  • Lax regulations;
  • Willful blindness;
  • Development and construction practices that pushed the safety envelope;
  • Relentless destruction of forests and wetlands near rivers and streams;
  • And homebuyers who didn’t realize their true flood risk…

…made Harvey’s destruction worse than it otherwise would have been.

No one factor by itself would explain Harvey’s destruction. But put them all together, and it’s like “death of a thousand cuts.”

The sheer volume of material – more than 1,000,000 words on this site – makes it difficult for people to see the big picture sometimes. To put 1,000,000 words into perspective, the average novel contains only about 100,000. So I’m condensing the website into a book that includes the themes below.

No One Wins Arguments with Mother Nature

During an interview with Milan Saunders and his daughter Lori, Milan said, “No one wins arguments with Mother Nature.” How profound! It doesn’t matter how many surveys, studies and engineer stamps you have on your home’s title. If you don’t:

  • Respect the rivers.
  • Give them room to roam.
  • Protect wetlands.
  • Allow plenty of margin for safety…

…you will flood.

Thought courtesy of Milan Saunders, Chairman/CEO of Plains State Bank. That’s his daughter Lori’s house during Harvey.

Understanding the Causes of Flooding

Excess sedimentation is one of them. Sediment pollution is the single most common source of pollution in U.S. waters. Approximately 30% is caused by natural erosion, and the remaining 70% is caused by human activity.

Large islands built up during Harvey blocked both drainage ditches and rivers. Below, you can see a large sand island (top) built up at the confluence of the Kingwood Diversion Ditch where it reaches the San Jacinto West Fork at River Grove Park. This sand bar reached 10-12 feet in height above the waterline and helped back water up into Trailwood, the Barrington and Kingwood Lakes and Kings Forest. Before the Army Corps dredged this island, River Grove flooded five times in six months. It hasn’t flooded since.

The Kingwood Diversion Ditch and West Fork San Jacinto were almost totally blocked by sediment dams deposited during Harvey.

The second photo above was taken a few hundred yards downstream on the West Fork from the first. It shows “Sand Island” – so nicknamed by the Army Corps. It took the Corps months to dredge this island which they say had blocked the West Fork by 90%.

A certain amount of this sedimentation can be explained by natural erosion. But mankind also contributed to the sheer volume by other practices which I will discuss below.

Respect the Rivers

The red polygons in the satellite image below surround 20-square miles of sand mines on the West Fork of the San Jacinto in a 20 mile reach of river between I-45 and I-69. That exposes a mile-wide swath of sediment to erosion during floods and increases the potential for erosion by 33x compared the river’s normal width.

Even without floods, mines sometimes flush their waste into the rivers. The shot below on the top right shows the day the West Fork turned white. The TCEQ found the source of the pollution upstream: a sand mine that had flushed 56 million gallons of sludge into the West Fork (bottom right).

Influence of sand mines of West Fork San Jacinto water quality.

End the War on Wetlands

Wetlands are nature’s detention ponds. During storms, they hold water back so it won’t flood people downstream. But we seem to want to eradicate wetlands. The images below show the Colony Ridge development in Liberty County. Wetlands (right) are being cleared (left) to make way for the world’s largest trailer park. The acceleration of runoff wiped out FM1010 during Harvey. The road still has not been repaired.

Colony Ridge in Liberty County.

Conservation Costs Much Less than Mitigation

Halls Bayou at I-69 near Fiesta. Image on left shows whole subdivisions that that to be bought out before detention ponds on right could be built.

All across Harris County, especially in older areas inside Beltway 8, apartment complexes, homes and businesses are built right next to bayous and channels. This makes it difficult to enlarge streams or build detention ponds when necessary. One study showed that preservation of floodplains is 5X more cost effective than mitigation after homes flood. Yet private developers keep crowding bayous and residents keep demanding public solutions.

Respecting Individuals’ Property Rights While Protecting Others’

In Texas, it sometimes feels that an individual’s right to do what he/she wants with property trumps others’ rights NOT to flood. You may think you’re protected by all those public servants reviewing and approving plans. But what happens when developers and contractors decide to ignore the approved plans? Here’s a prime example: the Laurel Springs RV Resort near Lakewood Cove.

The approved plans said that “Stormwater runoff shall not cross property lines.” So what did the contractors do? They pumped their stormwater over the development’s detention pond wall. When that took too long, they dug a trench through the wall. Then they laid pipes through the wall to permanently empty the sludge into the wetlands of Harris County’s new Edgewater Park.

This apparently violated the developer’s City of Houston permit, the Texas Water Code, TCEQ’s construction permit and the developer’s stormwater pollution prevention plan. Four investigations are currently swirling around this development. The contractor also cut down approximately 50 feet of trees in Edgewater Park along the entire boundary line and received a cease-and-desist letter from the Harris County Attorney. But the damage is done.

Balance Upstream and Downstream Interests

About 10% of all the water coming down the West Fork at the peak of Harvey came from Crystal Creek in Montgomery County. But the wetlands near the headwaters of Crystal Creek are currently under development. And the developer is avoiding building detention ponds with a “beat-the-peak” survey. This loophole allowed by Montgomery County says that if you get your stormwater to the river faster than the peak of a flood arrives, then you’re not adding to the peak of a flood and you don’t have to build detention ponds. So developers conduct timing surveys to reduce costs and maximize salable land.

What happens when upstream areas develop without consideration for the impact on downstream property owners.

Of course, speeding up the flow of water in a flood is the opposite of what you want to do. To reduce flooding, you should hold back as much water as possible.

The slide above shows part of a new development called Mavera at SH242 and FM1314 being built on wetlands near Crystal Creek.

The graph on the right shows what happened on Brays Bayou without suitable detention upstream. Floodwaters peak higher, sooner. Harris County has spent more than $700 million in the last 20 years to remediate flooding problems along Brays.

How much will we need to spend when more areas like Mavera get built upstream on the West Fork?

How Quickly We Forget!

FEMA’s Base-Flood-Elevation Viewer shows that in that same area, developers have already built homes that could go under 1-5 feet of water in a 100-year flood. These homes are actually in a ten-year flood zone. And yet more homes are being built nearby. On even more marginal land!

In recent years, the price of land as a percent of a new home’s cost has risen from a historical average of 25% to approximately 40% today. This puts pressure on developers to seek out cheaper land in floodplains, reduce costs by avoiding detention pond requirements, pave over wetlands, and reduce lot sizes resulting in more impervious cover. All contribute to flooding.

Of course, smart homebuyers would not make such risky investments. But few lack the expertise to gauge flood risk. Educating such homebuyers will be one of the major objectives of the book I hope to write.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/23/2022

1639 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.