Tag Archive for: Lake Conroe Association

YouTube Video Shows Grand Harbor Boating Problems on Lake Conroe Predate SJRA Lowering Policy

At the 12/12/2019 San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) Board Meeting, several people talked about problems getting boats in and out of Grand Harbor, a waterfront development on Lake Conroe. They used this to argue against the lowering of the lake. No doubt, the temporary seasonal lowering policy of the SJRA Board makes recreation more difficult for these folks several months out of the year.

However, the seasonal lake lowering policy is just one of many Grand Harbor problems. And the navigation problems did not start with seasonal lake lowering.

Maintenance Issues Dating Back Years

Matt Newsom, a Grand Harbor resident, has produced several videos on waterfront issues associated with the development. In May of 2018, before the lake lowering policy ever started, he produced a video detailing maintenance problems in Grand Harbor. In it, Mr. Newsom describes the origins of Grand Harbor’s problems. They include:

  • Developer problems
  • Shallow excavation (6 feet)
  • Subsequent siltation
  • Unsold lots without bulkheading that let hillsides collapse into canals
  • Lack of maintenance
  • No planning for maintenance assessments
  • Broken spillway
  • Builders dumping debris into canals
  • POAs not accepting responsibility for maintenance
  • Homeowners unwilling to fund repairs
Screen Capture from Mr. Newsom’s May 2018 video detailing causes of Grand Harbor navigation problems.

Now Problem is Lake Lowering, Not Lack of Maintenance

Mr. Newsom also produced the YouTube video below in November of 2019. It discusses how seasonal lake lowering will affect lakefront property owners in Grand Harbor. It’s based on information provided to Mr. Newsom by the Lake Conroe Association. I reviewed this video last month. It makes no mention of the maintenance problems discussed in the May 2018 video, 18 months earlier, before lake lowering started.

Problems Go Far Deeper than Lake Lowering

I can’t fault Mr. Newsom for fighting for extra water. He appears to be a sincere community activist trying to rally support to tackle a tough problem. I admire him for that. If every community had leaders as committed and as articulate as Mr. Newsome, the world would be a much better place.

I just wish that in his second video he acknowledged that the problems go far deeper (no pun intended) than the lake lowering policy. Lake lowering worsens boating problems. But…

Had the problems outlined above been addressed in a timely way, lowering Lake Conroe would likely not have been the problem for Grand Harbor residents that it is today.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/13/2019

836 Days after Hurricane Harvey

Lake Conroe Association Fighting Seasonal Lowering in Advance of SJRA Vote to Reconsider Policy

Efforts have started already to lobby against the seasonal lowering of Lake Conroe again next year. They seem to be organized and inspired by the Lake Conroe Association again. I understand that the lowering inconveniences some Lake Conroe residents, especially boaters who live in areas like Grand Harbor where the water depth is shallow to start with. However, the inconvenience pales in comparison to the damages suffered in the Lake Houston Area. The lowering helps provide a buffer against downstream flooding during the wettest months of the year. The SJRA will vote on whether to extend the lowering policy at its February board meeting.

A Campaign of Misinformation

The Lake Conroe Association and its proxies are deliberately spreading falsehoods to rile up people against the lowering. The same misinformation contained in the Lake Conroe Association presentation on their news page, is repeated in the website Stop Draining Lake Conroe (https://www.stopdraininglakeconroe.com) and the Grand Harbor YouTube video below.

For the Record…

StopDrainingLakeConroe.com states that:

Lake Houston dredging is complete and completely out of funding. Four fifths of the mouth bar on the West Fork remains in place. Harris County Flood Control has allocated $10 million to help dredge it. See item CI-61. The State of Texas allocated $30 million in SB500. Plans for that project should be announced next week according to State Representative Dan Huberty. The City of Houston has also filed for another FEMA Grant for additional dredging.

Lake Conroe homes are being damaged by the lake lowering. Really? How does that work? Is it the same as 250,000 CFS coming through your living room? That’s what happened to 81 townhomes in Forest Cove. See below.

One of 81 empty townhomes on the West Fork in Forest Cove after the Lake Conroe release. Note the bulk-heading. Harris County Flood Control demolished this building earlier this month. Many others remain, affecting property values around them.

Lake lowering is damaging bulk-heading around Lake Conroe. How does that work? Does evaporation destroy the bulk-heading? See the bulk-heading along the West Fork above.

There is no science to support the original action by the board, or for continuing this action plan. See these engineering reports by Frees & Nichols.

Downstream residents are trying to turn this into a permanent plan. Please tell me who. I’m not aware of any organized effort. The plan has always been to reconsider the lowering every year until flood mitigation measures such as dredging were complete.

SJRA is throwing away $5.33 million of water revenue. It would only be throwing away the revenue if it could sell the water. But there’s no unfilled demand due to water shortages in the lake. And the water replenishes itself as rain falls from the sky.

Water level of Lake Conroe is at 198. That’s an exaggeration to rile up the people in Grand Harbor, who normally only have four feet of water. The lake level is normally at 201′ and currently at 198.82′. That’s 198 and ten inches. So those Grand Harbor people have half their normal water, not one quarter. Current release rate is 0.

Lake Conroe only provided 15% of the water that flooded Kingwood. Lake Conroe only affects the West Fork, but the statistic includes the East Fork. During Harvey, West Fork flooding caused the vast majority of the damage. The Lake Conroe release comprised ONE-THIRD of the water coming down the West Fork through the highly populated Humble/Kingwood corridor where virtually 100% of the businesses are located. Lake Conroe released 80,000 CFS of the 240,00 CFS coming down the West Fork. So the 15% statistic is extremely misleading.

Video Makes Many of Same False Claims And Some More

The video includes many of the same false claims and a few new ones. Let me focus on the new ones.

The video states or implies that:

Describing the lowering as Seasonal rather than Temporary implies we are trying to make it Permanent. I’m not sure how you get from either of those words to “permanent.” This is a logical fallacy. It’s a falsehood designed to inspire fear.

Recent events show that Lake Conroe is being unfairly blamed for downstream flooding. Kingwood still flooded during Imelda “even though we didn’t release anything” during Imelda. Please! The vast majority of all Kingwood flooding during Imelda was street flooding or related to Woodridge Village. Some homes did flood on the East Fork, but I can’t believe any of those residents would blame it on a fictional release from Lake Conroe that wasn’t coming down the West Fork.

There was an “organized effort” in Kingwood to send an unspecified number of “letters” to the SJRA board thanking them for not releasing during Imelda. So what is it? Are we allegedly blaming you for flooding us during Imelda or thanking you for not flooding us? Show me the letters. I’m not aware of any such organized effort. See the comment above.

Kingwood is trying to increase the lowering to 3 feet and Kingwood is winning that fight by a large margin. I’m aware of no effort to increase the lowering and no fight that we’re winning by a large margin.

Wading birds that require shallow areas are being destroyed. Duh! They’re saying birds need shallow water, but they want to make the lake deeper. So if water depth had something to do with destroying birds, who would be destroying them?

Boating Vs. Flooding

Let’s face it. The big reason Lake Conroe residents don’t want to see their lake lowered is that it makes boating more difficult. No argument there.

But the big reason Lake Houston area residents want more dredging is not boating. It’s to reduce flood risk. The mouth bar forms a sediment dam behind the dam that reduces the conveyance of the river through the heavily populated Humble/Kingwood corridor. And until it’s dredged, we need the help of Lake Conroe residents. The lake lowering strategy gives us the only effective way to mitigate flooding for now.

After the Army Corps removed 500,000 cubic yards of sediment from the West Fork mouth bar, Imelda promptly redeposited much of it. Here’s what it looked like after Imelda.

700 yards south of the mouth bar, RD Kissling, a kayaker, photographed himself in 1 foot of water AFTER the Corps finished dredging and after Imelda.

Compare These West Fork Damages

Tens of thousands living north of the West Fork who used I-69 for commuting experienced massive traffic jams every day for 11 months while TxDoT reconstructed the southbound lanes after Harvey. Photo taken 6/19/2018.

We are certainly sensitive to Lake Conroe lifestyle considerations. But during Harvey, Lake Houston Area damages on the West Fork alone included:

Gear Up for a Fight

More on this in future posts. Lake Houston Area residents need to gear up to fight the falsehoods and ensure that Lake Conroe seasonal lowering policy remains in place for another year.

Harvey knocked out the Union Pacific Railroad bridge over the San Jacinto River near I-69 and disrupted rail traffic for months. Photo taken 9/14/2017.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/22/2019

815 Days since Hurricane Harvey

SJRA Board Votes to Maintain Lake-Lowering Policy for Another Year

At its February 28th meeting, the San Jacinto River Authority voted to maintain its lake-lowering policy for another year. The policy calls for lowering Lake Conroe one foot below normal pool level (from 201 feet to 200) during the wettest months in Spring and two feet during the peak of hurricane season.

Extra Safety from Flooding

Until other mitigation measures can be put in place, the plan gives downstream residents an extra measure of safety from massive releases like those experienced during Hurricane Harvey. Those include dredging and additional flood gates for Lake Houston.

This is good news for the Lake Houston Area where Harvey made approximately 11,000 people homeless overnight.

Complaints from Lake Conroe Association in January Meeting

The Lake Conroe Association set the stage for conflict last month. The Association testified that last year’s lowering had a negative impact on business and home values in the area. They also maintained that the Board had acted unilaterally – without consultation – and that the project was only supposed to last through the end of dredging.

Having been at last year’s meeting where the proposal was discussed, I would disagree with these statements. The board considered dredging and gates for Lake Houston. The board also acted on the report of a consultant hired to review the proposal.

Mark Micheletti, a SJRA board member, said the board had received no complaints from businesses on the lake and that a check with realtors found no negative effect on home prices.

Reportedly, the Lake Conroe Association had also collected signatures on a petition asking for the policy to be reversed. At today’s meeting, the room was crowded with spectators, but I did not see the Association’s president, Mike Bleier. The association presented no petition.

The cataclysmic impacts on Lake Conroe’s economy did not materialize. Because of evaporation, the lowering really only amounted a little more than a foot in the fall.

Speaking for Kingwood

During the public comment section of the meeting, three Kingwood residents, Bill Fowler, Amy Slaughter and I, spoke FOR continuing to lower the lake. So did one Lake Conroe resident who flooded during Harvey.

I pointed out the fact that dredging was NOT yet complete and that the river still had an exaggerated flooding response to moderate rainfalls because of sediment dams. Fowler talked about normal evaporation levels in the lake and how the lowering was not as great as the targets would imply. Slaughter mentioned the impact of flooding on her family and recent Supreme Court rulings on inverse condemnation.

The Lake Conroe resident said he wished the Lake were lowered year round. He flooded during Harvey and thought that the lower levels would actually help Lake Conroe home values.

“But what if there’s a drought?”

When it came time to speak AGAINST the lowering, one man spoke up. He used water conservation as his main argument and posed the specter of drought.

When the board began debating the measure, Jace Houston, SJRA’s general manager, pointed out that many people misunderstood the measure. He said that the SJRA was not going to lower the lake beyond the 1- and 2-foot levels in the policy. If the lake was already down a foot due to evaporation, for instance, the SJRA would release no additional water.

Chuck Gilman, Director or Water Resources and Flood Management, thenshowed a series of slides that led to discussions about:

  • Lake-lowering strategy
  • Progress of the current West Fork dredging and Lake Houston Gates projects
  • Rainfall averages and historical lake levels by month
  • How the lowering and subsequent raising of the lake worked last fall
  • Staff recommendations
Graph presented by Chuck Gilman showed how gradual lowering and natural refilling of Lake Conroe worked last year.
Gilman also showed a slide discussing the status of additional gates for Lake Houston.

To see all the slides in the original high-resolution PDF format, click here.

Brenda Cooper, a new SJRA Board Member, then mentioned that some Lake Conroe residents had approached her to voice their disapproval of the project.

Motion Passes Unanimously

Board President Lloyd Tisdale finally called for a voice vote. “All members present voted FOR the lowering,” said Mark Micheletti, one of the Lake Houston Area’s two members on the SJRA board. “The vote could not have gone better from the Lake Houston area’s perspective.”

The SJRA will continue to lower Lake Conroe seasonally. The measure will come up for discussion again next February.

Community Reaction

Bill Fowler, Vice Chair of the Lake Houston Area Grass Roots Flood Prevention Initiation, said, “I was impressed by the Board’s firm grasp of the importance of lowering Lake Conroe on a seasonal basis for downstream residents. Their willingness to help until permanent solutions can be implemented impressed me.”

Kaaren Cambio, another SJRA board director from the Lake Houston area, said, “I’m happy that the board is balancing the needs of both upstream and downstream communities.

Amy Slaughter, the Kingwood lawyer whose home flooded badly, said, “They did the right thing.”

Posted by Bob Rehak on February 28, 2019

548 Days After Hurricane Harvey

Case for Lowering Lake Conroe up to Two Feet During Peak of Hurricane Season

Dockline Magazine just posted three articles in its Spotlight section about lowering the level of Lake Conroe up to 2-feet during the peak of Hurricane season in late August and September.

“The Case for Lowering Lake Conroe Two Feet During Hurricane Season” represents the Lake Houston point of view. I authored it and have reprinted it below.

“Editorial on Proposal to Lower Lake Conroe Levels” sounds as though it represents the magazine’s point of view. However, it the president of the Lake Conroe Association, a group of volunteers, wrote it.

The third article, “SJRA Proposes Temporary Seasonal Lake Lowering Strategy for Lake Conroe” contains the details of the plan to lower the lake. Jace Houston, general manager of the SJRA, authored it.

Currently, the SJRA and City of Houston back the plan to lower Lake Conroe. The TCEQ  is still evaluating the proposal and expected to rule on it later this month.

The Case for Lowering Lake Conroe by up to Two Feet
During the Peak of Hurricane Season

By Bob Rehak, Lake Houston Area Resident

On April 26, in response to pleas from Lake Houston residents and a directive from the governor (to protect downstream residents from flooding), the SJRA board voted to lower the level of Lake Conroe temporarily. The lowering would amount to one foot during the rainiest months in spring and up totwo feet during the peak of hurricane season in late August and September.

I say “up to” because Lake Conroe loses on average of more than a foot and a half due to evaporation by September. The most likely reduction would be only an additional 4.8 inches. In no case would the SJRA manually lower the level of the lake beyond 199 mean feet above sea level (msl).

Nevertheless, in an open letter posted on May 11, the president of the Lake Conroe Association says his group MUST FIGHT a 2-foot reduction. He makes three arguments. Two feet would: 1) make shallow docks unusable, 2) harm tourism, and 3) reduce values of Lake Conroe homes. He says, “Families expect to enjoy their investment...’”

In the letter, he does not address how long SJRA intended the two-foot reduction to last. Nor does he discuss whether it is necessary to protect downstream residents, so allow me.

These seasonal reductions would only last until the threat to downstream residents can be reduced through other measures. In practical terms, that likely means until: 1) the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers can dredge sand buildups that exacerbate West Fork flooding, and 2) the discharge rate of Lake Houston can be synchronized with Lake Conroe’s to eliminate a bottleneck in the river system. SJRA would re-evaluate the need for temporary, seasonal reductions each year and stop them when these other mitigation measures reduce flood risk.

Downstream residents understand that lowering the lake level will make it difficult for some Lake Conroe residents and businesses to use their docks. However, a temporary lowering should not result in any permanent losses. Lake Conroe goes down almost this much naturally every year. Yet still it bounces back. The area is still renowned for its beauty and recreation. And home values have climbed steadily.

Real, Not Potential Damages

Meanwhile, the damage from flooding downstream has devastated thousands of homeowners and businesses.

According to the SBA, more than 16,000 homes and 3,300 businesses in the Lake Houston area suffered damage during Harvey. A survey last month at a meeting of the Lake Houston Area Grass Roots Flood Prevention Initiative showed that half of the residents are stillnot back in their homes – eight months after Harvey! Likewise, many businesses still have not reopened and many never will.

If you think the flood affected only people who built “too near the river,” think again. I live 1.7 miles from the river in a subdivision where 40 percent of the homes flooded. Many of my neighbors still live in hotels, with friends, or in campers as they try to restore their homes. Home damage in our little 350-acre neighborhood totaled an estimated $40 million. Most residents didn’t have flood insurance because they were nowhere near theflood plain. To finance repairs, many have taken on long-term debt, burned through retirement savings, or cashed in their children’s college funds.

Also, because of West Fork flooding during Harvey:

  • Union Pacific had to replace its bridge, disrupting rail traffic for weeks.
  • TxDoT had to replace part of the I-69 bridge, creating massive traffic delays during rush hours for months.
  • 44 percent of all Lake Houston Area Chamber businesses were adversely affected.
  • 100 percent of Humble businesses between Deerbrook Mall and the West Fork flooded on both sides of I-69.
  • 100 percent of Kingwood’s Town Center businesses closed for months.
  • Memorial-Hermann’s new Town Center facility flooded just before it opened and is still under repair.
  • Kingwood and Deerwood country clubs flooded and still have not fully reopened.
  • Lone Star College/Kingwood lost 11 of its 13 buildings for most of the school year.
  • Kingwood High School closed for 7 months and underwent repairs costing $60 million
  • 4000 students had to be bused to another high school an hour away for all that time
  • Humble ISD closed its Instructional Support Center, Welcome Center and Agricultural Barns for repairs.
  • Tax revenues from the Lake Houston area were impacted by 20-30 percent according to City of Houston estimates.
  • Humble ISD had to give out tax rebates for the last third of 2017.
  • Kingwood’s library closed for more than eight months.
  • River Grove Park had to be excavated from sand up to five feet deep.
  • Kingwood’s only community boat launch became landlocked.

Harvey knocked out the Union Pacific Railroad Bridge over the San Jacinto, disrupting rail service for weeks. Picture taken Sept. 14, 2017.

TxDoT hopes to complete I-69 bridge repairs in September, more than a year after Harvey. Picture taken May 13, 2018.

Causes for Concern

So, what caused all this devastation? Was it purely the magnitude of Harvey? Or are other factors at work?

Release Contributes to Flooding Far Outside 500-Year Flood Plain

First, the release of 79,000 cubic feet of water per second from Lake Conroe at the peakof Harvey made the flood worse. That volume represented about ONE THIRD of all the water coming down the heavily populated West Fork between Humble and Kingwood where most of the damage took place.This extra water flooded people and businesses outside the 500-year flood plain.

New Sand Deposits Back Up River and Drainage Ditches

Second, Harvey swept sand downstream, in part, from approximately 20 square miles of sand mines between I-45 and I-69. This sand blocked and backed up the river at strategic choke points. It also blocked drainage ditches leading to the river.

This massive sand bar grew 1500 feet in length and 12 feet in height during Harvey. It now blocks a drainage ditch (left center) that empties the western third of Kingwood. More than 650 homes flooded in neighborhoods that connect to this ditch.

This sandbar deposited during Harvey is an estimated 8 feet in height and stretches nearly the entire width of the West Fork.

Until dredging removes such deposits, Kingwood and Humble residents live in fear of every approaching storm.

Greater than Expected Flooding on Minor Rains

Third, even minor storms are causing much greater-than-expected flooding because of such blockages.

For example, a late-March storm this year dumped an average of five inches of rain across the watershed. It brought floodwaters two to three feet higher than a similar 5-inch rain at the beginning of last August – just before Harvey. Worse, the March flood happened AFTER Lake Houston had been lowered by 2 feet in anticipation of the storm.

Clearly, something has changed on the river. Because of massive sand deposits, such as those shown below, it won’t take another Harvey to cause significant damage.

During Harvey, thousands of homes and businesses flooded behind blockages, such as this one, where the West Fork enters Lake Houston.

At West Lake Houston Parkway (left), Harvey deposited sand in the tree tops. Sand now blocks water from flowing under the bridge and through the trees during a storm as it did before, narrowing the effective width of the river considerably.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is organizing a dredging project to address such problems and expects to start in June. Until they finish and redraw the flood maps after dredging, no one really knows how many homes would flood due to Lake Conroe releases, such as those we have seen in the last three years.

Artificial Bottleneck

A fourth factor also worries Kingwood residents – the dam on Lake Houston has only two small floodgates. Combined, they have one-tenth the release rate of Lake Conroe’s. This creates a bottleneck. It greatly inhibits the ability of officials on both lakes to coordinate releases of water before storms as a flood mitigation strategy.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has committed to adding ten more gates to Lake Houston and Congressman Ted Poe has asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to fast-track the project.

But still, the gates must be built – just as the river must be dredged. Until we fix these problems, thousands of downstream residents will not be able to sleep soundly at night. For them, this is about survival, not recreation.

The Only Immediate Option to Reduce Flood Risk

Lowering the level of Lake Conroe is the only IMMEDIATE option that will provide a buffer against additional downstream flooding.

How much lowering is necessary? Is that extra foot really needed? If we got another storm as intense as Harvey, it would provide downstream residents only a two-hour buffer! That’s right. The storm would raise Lake Conroe that extra foot in just two-hours.

However, the two-foot reduction isn’t designed to protect against another Harvey. It’s designed to protect downstream residents against lesser floods that are abnormally high because of sand blockages like those shown above.

A two-foot reduction would let Lake Conroe absorb more water, decreasing the chances that SJRA would have to open flood gates. And if they had to open flood gates, it would delay the opening, giving downstream residents more time to evacuate.

The Lake Conroe Association will accept a one-foot reduction, but not two. That extra foot doesn’t seem like too much to ask, given all that’s riding on this decision for downstream residents as they still struggle to recover from billions of dollars in damages.

That buffer would also help protect the hundreds of Montgomery County homes that flooded around Lake Conroe and downstream from its dam.

Could another 500-year storm strike us this year? As unlikely as that seems, consider the fact that we’ve had three so-called “500-year storms” in the past three years. Something has changed out there affecting all of our assumptions. That’s why a little extra insurance would help.

Plea for Support

We ask our neighbors to the northwest for patience and support. Instead of lobbying against us, please join our fight. Help us expedite mitigation measures. With your support, our combined voices will bring change faster, so we can all return to normal life sooner.

Until then, we need to manage the river in a way that respects the lives and property of all residents on both sides of the dam, not just one.

Posted on 6/2/2018 by Bob Rehak

277 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Results of May SJRA Board Meeting and Decision to Temporarily Lower the Level of Lake Conroe

At its May Board meeting, the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) chose not to reconsider its April decision to lower the level of Lake Conroe temporarily at the peak of hurricane season. The board also chose not to put reconsideration of the resolution on its agenda for next month. This now puts the decision about whether to lower Lake Conroe temporarily into the hands of the City of Houston and the Texas Council on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).

Protest by Lake Conroe Association

The Lake Conroe Association protested last month’s board resolution to temporarily lower the level of Lake Conroe by up to two feet in September. The resolution was intended to help protect Lake Houston area residents from flooding until other mitigation measures, such as dredging, can be implemented. The Governor specifically directed the SJRA to make such protection part of its mission.

However, the president of the Lake Conroe Association (LCA), Mike Bleier, urged the board to reconsider its decision and was given unlimited time to present his case. Bleier spoke for more than half an hour. Bleier’s main concerns were the potential impacts on recreation, home values and businesses around Lake Conroe. Several other members of the association spoke in support of reconsideration.

Kingwood Residents Speak in Favor of Lowering

More than a dozen Kingwood residents also attended the meeting. Four spoke in favor of letting the motion stand.

Guy Sconzo, former superintendent of the Humble Independent School District, thanked the board for its decision to lower the lake. Then he talked about the impact of flooding on Lake Houston area infrastructure. His talk  addressed massive losses by the school district, Kingwood College, and more.

TxDoT hopes to repair damage to the I-69 bridge by September, more than a year after Harvey. In the meantime, residents endure massive traffic jams.

Robert Westover talked about a flooded retirement community where several elderly residents died due to injuries incurred during high-water rescues and related stress.

Amy Slaughter complemented the board for its decision to lower the lake and explained how it would help insure that people had time to rebuild while other flood mitigation measures were completed.

Dennis Albrecht, who owns homes on both Lake Houston and Lake Conroe also spoke. Albrecht compared the relative impacts of flooding and lower lake levels on home values. Albrecht pointed out that the value of his Lake Conroe home has increased steadily despite lower lake levels at times. He also pointed out the devastating impact of the flood on the value of his Lake Houston home. “There’s no comparison,” said Albrecht.

Many other Kingwood residents attended the meeting to support the SJRA Board’s decision.

When is a lowering not really a lowering?

Bleier said that his members would accept a one foot lowering, but not two. Several Kingwood residents pointed out that evaporation already typically reduces the level of the lake by more than a foot and a half during September. The LCA’s decision to accept a one-foot lowering was, therefore, actually no concession at all; they would likely give up nothing.

Assuming average loss due to evaporation, the actual lowering would amount to only 4.8 inches.

Dianne Lansden, co-chair of the Lake Houston Area Grass Roots flood prevention initiative, and I gave Bleier a tour of the devastation in Humble and Kingwood yesterday. After a two-hour tour, while professing to be sensitive to the needs of downstream residents, Bleier proceeded to tell us the concerns of upstream residents. Among them: his members might not be able to take their boats to lakefront restaurants. (Editorial comment: Spooky shades of Marie-Antoinette!)

Not All Lake Conroe Residents Support LCA

To be sure, not all Lake Conroe residents agree with Bleier. Hundreds of homes on Lake Conroe also flooded during Harvey and reportedly most of the owners also favor a temporary seasonal lowering of the lake level, according to SJRA Board Chairman Lloyd Tisdale.

Lake Lowering Could Still be Nixed

Despite the SJRA board’s decision this morning, Lake Conroe still may not be lowered. To take effect, both the City of Houston and the TCEQ must also agree to lower the lake. The City owns two thirds of the water in the lake. The TCEQ must decide whether any lowering will count as an emergency release or be deducted from the City’s draw rights. If not considered an emergency release, the City may not support the decision to lower the lake.

Uncertainty Surrounding Weather Outlook

Some forecasters are beginning to worry about a possible drought. As of May 22, Drought.gov pointed out that abnormal dryness is currently affecting approximately 13,612,000 people in Texas, which is about 54% of the state’s population.

However, NOAA issued an outlook saying that 2018 will be a slightly above average hurricane season.

And, Thursday night, the National Hurricane Center predicted a 90% chance of tropical development in the Gulf this weekend.  That system could dump up to ten inches of rain on neighboring Louisiana and other gulf states.

How a 10-Inch Rain Could Affect Kingwood

If we got ten inches of rain from a storm, such as the one entering the Gulf this weekend, that could constitute a 50-year rain at a time when the river is clogged with sand. That could produce a higher-than-normal flood for that amount of rainfall, and re-flood parts of Kingwood and Humble before dredging could even begin.

Personal Recommendation

Personally, I favor lowering the level of the lake. The actual amount of manual lowering, assuming this is an average year, would be only 4.8 inches. Even in the depths of the 2011 drought, the loss of 4.8 inches would have not have been disastrous.

There’s little chance, despite the hyperbolic rhetoric from LCA that 4.8 inches will destroy the Lake Conroe area. And it could help protect the Lake Houston area from another disaster.

In fact, in eight of the last 18 years, Lake Conroe has lost more than two feet of water due to evaporation and the lake is still one of the state’s most desirable destinations for tourists.

LCA Vows to Escalate the Fight

LCA has vowed to press its fight with the City and TCEQ and claims to have enough political support lined up to kill the proposal to lower Lake Conroe temporarily.

So get involved. Urge the TCEQ, Mayor and City Council to TEMPORARILY lower Lake Conroe  until other mitigation measures, such as dredging, take effect.

Posted on 5/25/18 by Bob Rehak

269 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Lake Conroe Association Announces It Will Fight Temporary 2-Foot Lowering of Lake During Hurricane Season

A political storm is brewing with the Lake Conroe Association.

On April 26, in response to pleas from Lake Houston residents and a directive from the governor (to protect downstream residents from flooding), the SJRA board voted to lower the level of Lake Conroe temporarily. The lowering would amount to one foot during the rainiest months in spring and up to two feet during the peak of hurricane season.

The lowering would help provide a buffer against future storms by creating extra capacity within the lake to absorb rainfall before the flood gates must be opened. Thus, it will help protect Lake Houston area residents from the potential for another massive release like we saw during Harvey. However…

In an open letter posted on May 11, the president of the Lake Conroe Association says his group will NOT FIGHT a 1-foot reduction; however, he claims it MUST FIGHT a 2-foot reduction. He makes three arguments; two feet would, he says: 1) make shallow docks unusable, 2) harm tourism, and 3) reduce values of Lake Conroe homes. He says, “Families expect to enjoy their investment without SJRA and The City of Houston … ‘changing the rules.’”

The Houston Chronicle summed it up this way.

The Lake Houston Area Grass Roots Flood Prevention initiative has contacted the LCA president. We have offered to give him a tour of the devastation in the Humble/Kingwood area first hand.

TxDoT hopes to repair damage to the I-69 bridge by September, more than a year after Harvey. In the meantime, residents endure massive traffic jams. Photo taken on May 13, 2018.

Our hope is that once he sees what residents here are still trying recover from, he will be less inclined to fight the lowering of Lake Conroe by that extra foot during hurricane season. Stay tuned for more developments.

Posted May 15, 2018

259 Days Since Hurricane Harvey