Tag Archive for: Lake Conroe

Lake Conroe Swamps Lake Houston Again

The SJRA held its second of three board meetings last night to consider public input on its temporary policy of lowering Lake Conroe seasonally. Once again, red-shirted protesters from Lake Conroe showed up in busloads. About 50 people from the Lake Houston Area made it to the meeting. Lake Conroe people outnumbered them by an estimated 25:1. See below.

Lake Conroe people in red shirts vastly outnumbered Lake Houston people in the white, clustered in a corner.

Lake Houston People Forced to Wait up to Four Hours to Speak

With the exception of several Lake Houston Area officials who spoke early, the vast majority of Lake Houston Area residents had to wait three to four hours for their 3 minutes at the microphone. Many had to leave before they got their chance to speak. Sadly, I knew what they planned to talk about. The SJRA needed to hear it; Lake Conroe residents needed to hear it, too. But neither group did.

Lake Conroe Residents Still Laboring Under Misinformation

During those three to four hours, scores of Lake Conroe residents took the mic to spout misinformation. The Lake Conroe Association fed them exaggerations, lies, and half-truths designed to whip them into a hysterical frenzy. To be fair, several told poignant personal stories about businesses that suffered at the shallow north end of the lake. A realtor mentioned that homes there were on the market longer and some were not getting their asking price.

But virtually all of the rest seemed unrestrained by facts or issues.

For instance, SJRA staff told the crowd upfront that one third of the water coming down the West Fork came from the Lake Conroe release. At least twenty Lake Conroe residents then got up and claimed that 14% of the water coming into Lake Houston was from the release. Statistical subterfuge!

While technically true, that distorts the picture. The SJRA has no control over East Fork water. The lake-lowering policy is designed to reduce West Fork damage.

Ripley’s Believe It or Not

Here are some more:

  • “Lake Conroe had nothing to do with flooding Kingwood.” (Why were most areas dry then until Lake Conroe water hit town?)
  • “If Kingwood people don’t want to flood, they shouldn’t buy homes in a flood plain.” (As if everyone who flooded was in a flood plain.)
  • “There’s no proof that lowering Lake Conroe will help prevent flooding in Kingwood.” (The SJRA’s flood mitigation manager had just given a presentation explaining when it did.)

Six Inches Killing A 79′ Deep Lake

And then there were outright exaggerations. Staff explained that evaporation normally lowered Lake Conroe to within six inches of target levels in spring and hurricane season. That means, they’re really only lowering the lake intentionally another six inches! That’s as deep as a glass of ice tea. But still, scores of Lake Conroe residents steadfastly claimed that intentionally lowering the lake another six inches was “destroying”:

  • The environment
  • Montgomery County’s tax base
  • Recreation
  • The lake
  • The county’s school system
  • Home values
  • Safety on the lake
  • Bass fishing

Lake Conroe is normally 79 feet deep at its deepest point.

Adding Insult to Injury

Lake Conroe residents repeatedly blamed Kingwood residents for not whipping the City of Houston into shape and getting it to act faster. They blamed Harris County Flood Control for dragging its feet and not spending its flood bond money fast enough. Incredibly, they denied that people died after the Lake Conroe release hit Kingwood. They even heckled State Rep. Dan Huberty and interrupted other Kingwood speakers.

All in all, it was more fun than a firing squad.

Sadly, I don’t think many, or even any, of those who talked had any idea of the real devastation that happened in Kingwood.

There has to be a better way to discuss these issues.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/22/2020

876 Days after Hurricane Harvey

Legal Aspect of Lake Lowering That Lake Conroe Association Won’t Tell Officials About

To avert another seasonal lowering of Lake Conroe, the Lake Conroe Association is appealing to State Representatives, State Senators, the Governor, the Conroe City Council, and Montgomery County Commissioners. They focus on the temporary loss of recreation in some parts of the lake. They also say that “damages” home values and businesses.

Finally, they’re telling officials there’s no proof that lowering the lake helps prevent downstream flooding and that it wastes $10 million of water.

They are NOT telling officials, however, that ending the program before other mitigation measures are in place could potentially open up the SJRA and State of Texas to billions of dollars in law suits.

Fifth Amendment “Takings Clause”

The issue has to do with the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. It says that private property shall not be taken for public use, without just compensation. This so-called takings clause forms the basis for many of the lawsuits against the SJRA stemming from Harvey flooding. Those have not yet gone to trial. But lawsuits in a parallel case have.

In December, a federal judge ruled in favor of plaintiffs flooded behind the Addicks and Barker reservoirs. He found the Army Corps liable for damages.

He said the flooding of homes was a foreseeable result of government actions.

Rulings in Addicks/Barker Cases

“U.S. Judge Charles F. Lettow detailed how government officials knowingly and intentionally used private property to store rising floodwaters,” said a Houston Chronicle article about the decision. The key point in the case, according to the judge: The government knew for decades that the reservoirs could NOT contain the floodwaters in a deluge and did NOTHING over decades to prevent it. “Plaintiffs have sufficiently demonstrated that the inundation of floodwaters onto their private property was the ‘direct, natural, or probable result’ of the government’s activity,” he wrote.

How Addicks Case Applies to SJRA Lake Lowering Policy

Hold that thought. Now apply those principles to the SJRA today. It faces a decision between the temporary seasonal lowering of Lake Conroe or NOT lowering the lake. Not lowering the lake would placate recreational boaters and lakefront property owners like LCA president Mike Bleier (who did not flood during Harvey).

The lowering provides a buffer against flooding for BOTH Lake Conroe and downstream communities on the West Fork of the San Jacinto. They include Woodloch, Porter, Humble, Atascocita and Kingwood. During Harvey, approximately 300 structures flooded on Lake Conroe, 1100 between Lake Conroe and US59, 3652 in Kingwood along the West Fork, 366 in Atascocita, and 466 in Humble.

That’s almost 6000 structures on the West Fork. One structure might include a whole apartment complex housing hundreds of families, a shopping center employing hundreds, a high school with 4000 students, a hotel providing housing to flood victims or a hospital treating them.

None of these numbers includes damages to East Fork property, which Lake Conroe releases do not affect

Now let’s assume that the SJRA eliminates the seasonal lowering policy which it has publicly stated prevented flooding twice so far.

Let’s also assume that a big storm comes along that dumps 10-12 inches of rain on Lake Conroe and that because that buffer no longer exists, people flood again.

Parallels

Lake Conroe and downstream residents now have a ready-made, almost watertight case against the SJRA and its financial backer, the State of Texas. All the essential elements from the Barker/Addicks decision are there.

  • Government knew that downstream flooding was likely.
  • SJRA had a proven strategy at its disposal to reduce flooding.
  • SJRA chose not to use the strategy, which the governor endorsed.
  • Governor had made flood mitigation a top priority for SJRA.
  • SJRA chose instead to increase recreational possibilities on public property (Lake Conroe).
  • Private property then flooded as a foreseeable result.

It seems like a pretty close parallel to me. Perhaps it’s even more of a textbook case. Especially considering recent directives by the governor for the SJRA to focus on flood mitigation and his public endorsement of the lake lowering strategy.

Mandates in SJRA Enabling Legislation

The state created the SJRA to “conserve, control, and utilize to beneficial service the storm and flood waters of the rivers and streams of the State.” Section 2 of the enabling legislation mentions floodwaters three times. It doesn’t mention recreational boating or lakefront home values once.

In addition, the enabling legislation also says that the purpose of the SJRA is to:

  • Prevent the devastation of land from recurrent overflows.
  • Protect life and property.
  • Regulate the waters of the San Jacinto River and its tributaries.
  • Conserve “soils against destructive erosion … thereby preventing the increased flood menace incident thereto.”

If the SJRA floods people again when it might have been avoided, this sounds more and more like a slam-dunk case for plaintiffs.

Officials Should Get the Facts

Before Montgomery County Commissioners, the Conroe City Council, Representative Will Metcalf and Senator Robert Nichols fire off more letters telling the SJRA what to do based on Mike Bleier’s misinformation, one hopes they would at least ask for a briefing from the SJRA to get the whole picture.

That includes understanding how the seasonal lowering strategy helps. It is designed more for “less than 100-year” rain events, than it is for another Harvey. Another Harvey would fill up that 1-2 foot buffer quickly and repeatedly. The value of the strategy lies in offsetting storms that we experience far more frequently, but which could still flood people, such as those last May.

For Those Who Have Never Personally Flooded

Before closing, I’d like to publish several images that West Fork residents Rhonda Haney and Alexis Faust sent me. The images show their Harvey experiences. Thank God, most Lake Conroe residents didn’t have to suffer through what Rhonda and Alexis did. Most Lake Conroe residents may not know the financial and emotional devastation of flooding. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.

Harvey Photo courtesy of Alexis Faust
Harvey Photo courtesy of Rhonda Haney
Harvey Photo courtesy of Rhonda Haney
Harvey Photo courtesy of Rhonda Haney
Harvey Photo courtesy of Alexis Faust
Harvey Photo courtesy of Alexis Faust
Harvey Photo courtesy of Alexis Faust

Posted By Bob Rehak on 1/13/2019 with thanks to Alexis Faust and Rhonda Haney for sharing their photos

867 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.

Lake Conroe Association Misleads Area’s Own State Representative and Senator

The problem with incendiary lies: once you start them, they’re hard to stop. In its initial meetings with area residents, the Lake Conroe Association (LCA) told people that West Fork dredging was done. Therefore, said the LCA, the SJRA should stop the temporary seasonal lowering of Lake Conroe.

Lie Takes on Life of Its Own

People believed the lie. They started putting up web sites and YouTube videos to spread the word. Soon, the lie took on a life of its own. And it became impossible for the LCA to stamp it out – even if they were so inclined, which they aren’t.

Residents started writing their state reps. And soon Will Metcalf who represents the Lake Conroe Area took up the cry. See the letter below dated Jan. 6.

A week before Representative Metcalf sent this letter to the SJRA Board, the City of Houston pulled the trigger on the next phase of West Fork dredging. It will start this week, says the City. Now, Metcalf doesn’t just have egg on his face; he has a whole omelette. Made from stale eggs and rancid ham.

State Senator Robert Nichols wound up with the same omelette on his face.

Whole Series of Lies, Half-Lies and Logical Fallacies Spread by LCA

The LCA fueled this whole sad, sorry food fight that embarrassed their own representatives with an entire a SERIES of lies, half-lies and logical fallacies that it fed to unknowing people.

For instance, in addition to “the dredging is done”, I see and hear these comments constantly:

  • Because the East Fork flooded during Imelda and Lake Conroe didn’t release water, that proves we don’t need to keep lowering Lake Conroe.
  • The Lake Conroe release during Harvey comprised only 5% of the water going through Lake Houston.
  • All of Kingwood was built in a flood plain. Kingwood people should just move to higher ground.
  • Kingwood’s flooding problems come from upstream developers.
  • No scientific study supports the lowering policy.
  • Lake Houston wants to make the lowering of Lake Conroe permanent.
  • They should lower Lake Houston.

For the Record…

To set the record straight:

  • West Fork dredging is NOT done. Just the portion FEMA paid for.
  • The East Fork and West Fork are in different watersheds. Imelda affected the East Fork, but not the West. Plum Grove got 33 inches of rain while Lake Conroe got two.
  • The Lake Conroe release during Harvey comprised ONE THIRD of the water coming down the West Fork where approximately 80-90% of all the damage occurred in the Humble/Kingwood area.
  • All of Kingwood was not built in a flood plain. For instance, 110 out of 250 of my neighbors in Kings Forest were not in a flood plain yet still flooded. We live more than TWO MILES from the river.
  • Some of Kingwood’s flooding problems come from upstream developers. But that’s a separate issue; they have nothing to do with West Fork flooding due to Lake Conroe releases.
  • The SJRA did commission an engineering study that supported lowering Lake Conroe.
  • Lake Houston IS and HAS BEEN lowered…longer than Lake Conroe.
  • No responsible/knowledgeable person that I know in the Lake Houston area is talking about making the lowering of Lake Conroe permanent.

To correct some of these misperceptions, I met the president of the LCA last year for a whole day. More recently, I spent an hour on the phone with him. I thought I had corrected these misperceptions. But they keep recurring. This is NO accident; this is intentional.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/8/2020

862 Days after Hurricane Harvey and 111 since Imelda

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.

Billboard on FM105 Implies Lake Conroe Is Threatened and Near Death

Lake Conroe is being drained, says the billboard. The lake is threatened. It MUST be saved. Homes are being destroyed. Armageddon is at hand.

Lake Down About a Foot, No Releases in 3 Months

Well, the Lake IS down a foot compared to its average January level thanks to evaporation and a dry Fall.

But the SJRA stopped releasing water more than 3 months ago.

So what’s all this “Stop Draining the Lake” stuff about?

When You Don’t Have Facts on Your Side, Rile Their Bile

The Lake Conroe Association is trying to rile people up to protest the seasonal lowering of Lake Conroe. That seasonal-lowering strategy, developed at Governor Abbott’s request, helped provide an extra measure of protection against downstream flooding by lowering the lake one foot in the Spring and two during the peak of hurricane season. It helped prevent West Fork flooding last May.

But it evidently has also triggered the demise of Western Civilization and recreational boating on Lake Conroe. People can no longer boat to their favorite float-in restaurants to clog their arteries with fried shrimp and shatter their neighbor’s eardrums with the shrill screams of outboard engines.

According to the Lake Conroe Association, the economy of the county and lake are collapsing – except for the second fastest growth rate in the region, which they fail to mention.

World Leaders Rally to Boaters’ Side

In New York, the United Nations called a special session to raise awareness of the threat to Lake Conroe. In Rome, the Pope considered gathering Cardinals from around the world to debate the threat to bass fishing. In Hollywood, the Screen Actors Guild summoned Bruce Willis to star in a thriller about the next “Threat to Life on Earth as We Now Know It.”

“If they can drain Lake Conroe,” said Willis, “What’s next? Fort Knox? Your IRA? Your crankcase?”

In Washington DC, the EPA declared the seasonal lowering of Lake Conroe a larger threat than climate change, deforestation and baby wipes flushed down your toilet … put together.

“This is an existential threat to Budweiser and the American way of life,” intoned Larry the Cable Guy from a stand-up gig at Hooters on 105. “Why can’t we all live in peace? Two feet of water out of a 75-foot-deep lake is outrageous. Those Kingwood people whose homes and businesses were flooded just don’t recognize the sacrifice Lake Conroe bass fishermen are making.”

Showdown in Conroe on the 21st

Lake Conroe lakefront homeowners are reportedly renting a flotilla of tour buses to ferry them to the Montgomery County Convention Center at 6PM on January 21. There, insiders say, the Lake Conroe Association plans to pack the room and shout Kingwood people down, as they did at the last SJRA board meeting, to deny Kingwood residents a chance to tell their side of this story.

At press time, it is unclear what the Lake Houston response will be, if any.

Some community organizers were considering a rally of flooded cars around a “Days of Thunder and Lightning” theme. For a spokesperson, they were reportedly negotiating with Tom Cruise to play the role of Hurricane Harvey.

Personally, I would like to see the five to six thousand West Fork home and business owners who flooded submit pictures of their damage. Then maybe policy makers can consider real vs. imagined threats as they debate whether to extend the seasonal lake lowering policy another year.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/4/2020

858 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.

SJRA Board Will Hold Two Special Meetings to Discuss Seasonal Lowering of Lake Conroe

So many people wanted to discuss the temporary lowering of Lake Conroe at the SJRA’s December board meeting last week that the Fire Marshall had to turn busloads of people away.

Two and a half busloads of additional “Stop the Drop” protesters from Lake Conroe had to be turned away from the SJRA’s December Board Meeting because of capacity issues related to fire safety. Photo courtesy of David Feille.

Special Meetings Called to Handle High Volume of Public Input

Due to the overwhelming response, the San Jacinto River Authority’s (SJRA) Board of Directors will hold TWO SPECIAL meetings.

  • January 21, 2020, at 6:00 P.M.
  • February 20, 2020, at 6:00 P.M.

Both will be held at the Lone Star Convention and Expo Center. It has the capacity to accommodate everyone who wants to speak. The center is located at 9055 Airport Road, Conroe, Texas 77303.

The purpose: to hear public comment on the temporary flood mitigation strategy of lowering Lake Conroe on a seasonal basis.

The lowering of Lake Conroe one foot in the spring and two feet in the fall is intended to provide flood mitigation benefits for downstream residents by increasing capacity to catch rainfall and runoff in the lake. The SJRA Board reviews the strategy annually. Both the SJRA and the City of Houston own water rights in Lake Conroe. For full details of the strategy, including timing, click here.

The SJRA Board of Directors will receive a presentation from staff at the January 21st special meeting and listen to public comment.

The board will conduct no other business at these meeting and will not consider the lake lowering strategy at either of its regular board meetings in January or February. Any vote on the strategy will take place at the February 20th special meeting.

Special Meeting Dates, Time, Location

  • Tuesday January 21, 2020
  • 6 P.M.
  • Lone Star Convention and Expo Center
  • 9055 Airport Road, Conroe, Texas 77303
  • Thursday, February 20, 2020
  • 6 P.M.
  • Lone Star Convention and Expo Center
  • 9055 Airport Road, Conroe, Texas 77303

The SJRA Board of Directors says it welcomes all input regarding its seasonal lake lowering strategy.  

To contact the Board:

Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/18/2019 with a photo courtesy of David Feille

841 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 90 since Imelda

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

SJRA Board Meeting Packed by “Stop the Drop” Protesters

More than 150 red-shirted “Stop the Drop” protesters packed the SJRA board meeting at the Lake Conroe Dam this morning. Lake Conroe lakefront homeowners came to protest the seasonal lowering of Lake Conroe. According to SJRA Board Member Mark Micheletti, two and a half busloads of additional angry protesters had to be turned away because they exceeded the building’s capacity.

Five Lake Houston area residents came to speak. However, they were outnumbered by more than 30 to 1. The Lake Houston Area residents made good presentations, but on the basis of numbers alone, the well organized sea of protesters overwhelmed them. The disparity in numbers between the two sides sent a not-so-subtle message to SJRA board members.

People protesting the Lake Conroe seasonal lowering policy packed the SJRA board meeting on 12/12/2019. Photo taken before meeting shows only half the room.

Goal of Policy

The SJRA designed the temporary lowering program to provide downstream residents with an extra cushion against flooding until flood mitigation measures in the Lake Houston Area are completed. The measures include dredging and the installation of additional gates on the Lake Houston Dam. This year, the SJRA lowered the Lake Conroe one foot during the rainiest part of Spring and two feet during the peak of Hurricane Season.

Since the policy started in the second half of 2018, no downstream or Lake Conroe residents have flooded because of releases from Lake Conroe.

Misperceptions Abound

Organizers had fed protesters false information. For instance, many protesters claimed:

  • Dredging in the West Fork is done. It isn’t. State Representative Dan Huberty is organizing a follow-on program to supplement the Army Corps program which finished around Labor Day.
  • Because some Kingwood East Fork residents flooded during Imelda, it proves that Lake Conroe has nothing to do with Kingwood flooding. The East and West Forks (which includes Lake Conroe) are in different watersheds. During Imelda, the East Fork received 20 inches of rain while Lake Conroe received only 2.
  • Lake Conroe releases during Harvey comprised just 15% of the water flowing into Lake Houston and that was not a large enough percentage to affect flooding. The statistic may be literally true. But it’s misleading. It has nothing to do with the flooding on the West Fork. And that’s where the vast majority of all damage occurred. Lake Conroe releases comprised ONE THIRD of the water coming down the West Fork. Furthermore, they came at the peak of the flood.

Two More Board Meetings Before Vote

The SJRA board meets again in January and February before voting on whether to extend the seasonal lowering of Lake Conroe another year. The next meeting will be at the The Lonestar Convention & Expo Center so more people can attend.

The board was afraid that if it chose a Lake Houston venue for the meeting, it would look as if they were trying to stifle dissent.

Watch for more details in January about the next board meeting.

Another meeting like this could mean the end of Lake Houston’s only flood protection measure at the moment.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/12/2019

835 Days after Hurricane Harvey and 82 since Imelda

Lake Conroe Lowering Benefits MoCo Residents, Too; More Than 1100 Flooded on West Fork During Harvey

Lake Conroe residents organizing opposition to the SJRA’s lake lowering policy have found it easy to “blame” Kingwood for their inconvenience. Kingwood is an affluent community in another county. But the Lake Conroe people ignore more than 1100 homes between Kingwood and Lake Conroe in Montgomery County (MoCo) that also flooded.

The lake lowering reduces downstream flood risk by creating extra capacity within the lake during months with the heaviest rainfall. It is a temporary measure until flood mitigation measures can be completed that help protect the Lake Houston Area.

ESRI GIS Database Shows Counts of Damaged MoCo Homes

ESRI operates a Montgomery County GIS (geographic information system) database called the Harvey Story Map. (Unfortunately, this may not work with all versions of Safari. Try Chrome if you have trouble.) Clicking on Section 12 shows the location of homes that flooded during Harvey in MoCo.

As you to zoom, you can see counts of flooded structures within the visible area. For instance, around Lake Conroe, 292 homes flooded during Harvey. The map below shows the location of those homes.

292 homes flooded on Lake Conroe during Harvey. Lake lowering gives them an extra buffer against flooding.

If you continue to zoom in, you can even see how individual houses fared in other floods as well.

Below are six screen captures that give you a sampling of what you will find. This first area is just below the Lake Conroe dam where 30 homes flooded during Harvey.

Below is River Plantation, just downstream from I-45. Put your water wings on, Bucko! The count here: 527.

Here are four more subdivisions farther downstream.

The West Fork subdivisions shown above had 1159 flooded structures during Harvey. But more homes flooded than in these six images. For starters, there were the 298 homes around Lake Conroe itself.

So, to the 4,484 homes that flooded in Kingwood, Humble and Atascocita on the West Fork, add these and more.

I’m not sure how many people have waterfront lots on Lake Conroe, but is their boating convenience really worth risking the possibility of flooding even a subset of these homes again?

Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/24/2019

817 Days after Hurricane Harvey

FAQs About Lowering Lake Conroe to Reduce Downstream Flood Risk

At its February 2020 board meeting, the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) Board of Directors will consider NOT lowering Lake Conroe during the spring and fall rainy seasons. Lake Conroe residents have mobilized to protest the lowering which they see as a costly inconvenience. They have started spreading disinformation about the policy. The SJRA Board has reportedly already received more than a hundred letters protesting the policy.

Reason for Lowering and Current Status

The strategy of lowering Lake Conroe on a seasonal basis reduces the risk of flooding downstream residents by increasing the capacity of Lake Conroe to store water. The SJRA Board of Directors and City of Houston review the strategy annually. Both entities own water rights in Lake Conroe.

The gates at Lake Conroe can release water at up too 150,000 CFS but are currently releasing 0 CFS. Lake lowering ended October 1st.

This year’s seasonal lowering of Lake Conroe ended October 1st. However, as of this morning, the lake level is down to 198.77′ MSL (mean feet above sea level). That’s 2-3 inches below the target level for the fall lowering. The lower level is due to evaporation and low rainfall; the SJRA stopped releasing water on October 1.

After Hurricane Harvey, the State of Texas called on the SJRA Board of Directors and the City of Houston to participate in regional strategies to reduce flooding. The temporary lowering of Lake Conroe has reduced  releases from Lake Conroe during storms. SJRA and downstream communities realize and understand the inconvenience that the strategy can create around Lake Conroe. We ask for understanding for the duration of this temporary mitigation strategy.

Seasonal Lake-Lowering FAQs

Who Decides?

The City of Houston and the SJRA collaborate on the decision to temporarily lower Lake Conroe for flood mitigation because it effects the water supply of both entities.

How Long Will It Continue?

Seasonal lake lowering is a temporary flood mitigation initiative to increase the capacity of Lake Conroe to catch rainfall and runoff while long-term and short-term flood mitigation strategies are implemented downstream.

The motion made by the SJRA Board states that the intent of the proposal is to provide “a near-term, temporary flood mitigation benefit while more permanent mitigation strategies, such as dredging of the lower West Fork, are completed.” 

When Does It Happen?

Seasonal lake lowering occurs twice annually – first in April/May and second in August/September.

How Much is It Lowered and for How Long?

In the spring, releases begin on April 1st. SJRA gradually reduces the level of Lake Conroe to 200’ mean feet above sea level (msl)—one foot below the normal Lake Conroe pool level of 201’ msl. Starting on June 1st, SJRA recaptures flows to restore normal lake elevation to 201’ msl. 

In the fall, releases begin on August 1st. SJRA gradually reduces the level of Lake Conroe with a goal of reaching 200’ msl by August 15th. After August 15th, gradual lowering continues with a goal of reaching (and maintaining) 199’ msl—two feet below normal pool—by August 31st. Starting October 1st, SJRA begins to capture flows to restore normal lake elevation to 201’ msl.

What If The Lake Is Already Down?

If the lake level has already dropped to the target elevation due to evaporation, no releases are made.

What if It Rains While the Lake is Already Lowered?

If a storm enters the forecast while seasonal releases are being made to lower the lake level, releases are stopped and the river is allowed to drain out until rainfall is out of the forecast.

Is There Science Behind This Policy?

Two engineering reports by Frees & Nichols from early 2018 show the benefits in terms of flood mitigation and the potential negative impacts to water supply. These reports as well as additional information about seasonal lowering can be found at: https://www.sjra.net/floodmanagement/.

Has it worked? Is there real value in terms of flood mitigation?

Yes. Looking at recent rainfall events, seasonal lowering resulted in both lower peak lake levels during storms and lower release rates from the dam.

For example, the spring 2019 seasonal lowering created an additional one foot of storage space to capture rainfall in early May 2019 when storms hit the Conroe and Lake Houston areas. Lake Conroe caught significant rainfall and runoff during the storms causing the lake to rise more than a foot. If Lake Conroe had entered this event at or near full, the peak release rate would have been higher thereby increasing the peak flow in the West Fork of the San Jacinto River. 

Is There a Benefit to Lake Conroe?

Seasonal lowering also reduces the peak Lake Conroe level during storms, which reduces negative impacts around the lake such as damage to docks and other personal property. During Harvey, several hundred homes around Lake Conroe flooded.

Data for the May event, and for all releases from the dam, including those during seasonal lowering periods, can be monitored by visiting SJRA’s home page at www.sjra.net. Click on the “Lake Operations and Rainfall Dashboard.”

What is the cost of the release?

Lake Conroe was built as a water supply reservoir in the 1970s through a partnership between SJRA and the City of Houston. Two thirds of the water in Lake Conroe belongs to the City of Houston and one third to SJRA. The City of Houston can call for the release of its water at any time, and water supply reservoirs are built to fluctuate as demands or operational needs dictate. 

Releases such as those made for dam repairs and seasonal lowering are not charged to any particular customer, therefore it is not possible to assign a value to the water released. In addition, temporary, non-customer releases do not reduce long-term water supplies, therefore they are not considered lost revenue. 

To be considered as lost revenue, releases would have to happen at a time when the SJRA could not meet demand with water from Lake Conroe. But that has not happened.

And most important, if the water supply in Lake Conroe were ever threatened, say from drought, the SJRA would not be releasing water anyway. The lake level would already be far below the target level, making a release unnecessary.

Is This a Permanent Program?

No. Seasonal lowering is a temporary flood mitigation strategy that must be reconsidered each year by the City of Houston and the SJRA Board of Directors while more permanent mitigation strategies, such as dredging of the lower West Fork, are completed. 

How Do I Make my Opinion Known to the Board?

The SJRA Board of Directors welcomes input regarding the seasonal lake lowering strategy. If you would like to contact the Board please visit: https://www.sjra.net/about/board/ or email floodmanagementdivision@sjra.net. 

Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/23/2019

816 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Aerial Photos of Lake Houston Dam Dramatize Need for More Gates

Before Harvey hit, we knew tremendous rains were coming. But we could do little to prepare Lake Houston for the onslaught. The small gates you see in the photo below release a combined 10,000 cubic feet per second (CFS). That’s nothing compared to the 150,000 from the gates at the Lake Conroe Dam.

Lake Houston’s gates release a maximum of 10,000 CFS.
The gates at Lake Conroe can release water at up too 150,000 CFS...15X faster.

We Were Sunk

When Lake Conroe had to open its gates during Harvey, we were sunk. Literally. Had we had bigger, more modern gates on Lake Houston, we might have been able to lower the lake fast enough to avoid flooding thousands of homes.

11-Foot High Wall of Water Cascaded Over Spillway

Of course, Lake Houston also has a spillway. In fact, the spillway represents the primary way to shed water from the lake. The top of that spillway is at 42.38 feet.

The primary overflow mechanism on the Lake Houston Dam: a 3,160-foot long spillway.

But Harris County Flood Control District’s (HCFCD) final report on Hurricane Harvey stated that a record pool elevation of 53.1 ft was recorded at the Lake Houston Spillway.

Thus, at the peak of Harvey, a wall of water 11 feet high was flowing over that spillway.

HCFCD estimated that’s 5 times the average flow of Niagara Falls and that the flow rate would fill NRG Stadium in 3.5 minutes.

Ten More Gates Could Have Lowered Harvey Flood by 1.9 Feet

HCFCD commissioned a study by Frees & Nichols about what effect additional gates would have in the event of another Harvey. The study found that ten more gates could have lowered the level of the flood by up to 1.9 feet (about 23 inches). That would have saved thousands of homes from flooding in the Lake Houston Area.

Interestingly, the WAY more gates would prevent flooding was not through pre-release; Harvey would have refilled the lake in a matter of hours and the storm lasted days. Rather, additional gates would have widened the spillway area so more water could move over the dam every second. Think of it in these terms: twice the width, half the height. (That’s an over-simplified example of how the principle works; ten more gates would not actually double the width.)

Is Pre-Release Practical?

The Frees & Nichols study only considered one case – Harvey. For lesser floods, the gates could help make pre-release a viable strategy for the Lake Houston Area. At least in my opinion.

Here’s how.

  • More gate capacity could help offset the volume of water released from Lake Conroe, to reduce the risk of Conroe flooding Houston again.
  • More gate capacity could release more water in less time, thus reducing uncertainty when pre-releasing before a storm. That would allow officials to delay releasing water until they were sure they needed to. And that could save precious water in the event that a storm veers off in another direction at the last minute. We may know that a storm will cross the area. But it’s much harder to tell where the heaviest rainfall will occur. For instance, during Imelda, parts of the East Fork received more than 20 inches of rain while Lake Conroe received only two.

In the last year, the City prevented homes from flooding several times by pre-lowering the lake. But the small gate capacity meant that we had to start releasing water DAYS beforehand to make an appreciable difference in the lake level. That has to be nerve wracking for Public Works.

Where the Gate Project Stands

Earlier this year, the City of Houston secured a FEMA grant to design and construct more gates for the Lake Houston Dam. The two-phase grant covers design and construction. Each phase must be completed within 18 months, though extensions are possible. Currently, we are four months into the 18-month design phase. That means we should see more gates by mid-2022.

In the meantime, the photos below give you a feeling for the immensity of the project.

The height of the trees on the San Jacinto River below the dam gives you a feeling for the height of the dam.
Looking SE. Repairs are underway to the structures below the Lake Houston dam. Note the trees caught on top of it.
Looking west over the Lake Houston Dam which dates back to 1953.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/14/2019

807 Days since Hurricane Harvey