Tag Archive for: Lake Houston Dam

Reminder: SJRA Joint-Reservoir-Operations Meeting in Humble

3/4/26 – The San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) will hold a meeting at the Humble Civic Center to solicit public input on its Joint-Reservoir-Operations Study. Please come:

  • March 5 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
  • 8233 Will Clayton Pkwy, Humble, TX 77338

Representatives from the SJRA, Coastal Water Authority, City of Houston, Humble, and the study consultant, Black & Veatch Engineering, will explain the study and field your questions. The meeting will feature informational tables where residents can talk with engineers one on one, plus a presentation.

According to Matt Barrett, PE, SJRA’s Water Resources and Flood Management Division Manager, “one of the main objectives of the study is to determine if there are any benefits to pre-releases from Lake Conroe and Lake Houston.”

Not an Easy Question

While that may seem obvious to flood victims, the question can get complicated. In involves an almost infinite number of weather scenarios, engineering variables and water-supply considerations. For instance:

  • How much rain will fall and how fast? Which direction will the storm come from? Where will the most rain fall in the river basin?
  • How many gates can the budget support? Will they be able to keep up with Lake Conroe’s discharges?
  • What happens if a storm veers away at the last minute? How can we make sure pre-releases don’t waste water or flood downstream neighbors?

In my mind, the question is not “if” pre-releases have a benefit, but “when.”

And that relates to a second objective of the study: to develop a flow forecasting tool for the entire river basin.

Accordingly, said Barrett, “The study will also consider the travel time of water between Lake Conroe and Lake Houston, a factor that’s crucial in evaluation of pre-releases.”

Experience of Other River Basins

Coordinating pre-releases from multiple dams is not an unusual problem. Most rivers have more than one. For instance, multiple dams on the lower Colorado River help keep Austin from flooding.

There’s a well-established body of work showing that coordinating operations across multiple reservoirs can produce measurable flood-mitigation benefits. However, hydrology, travel times, and downstream constraints must align. 

The big win is usually shaving peak flows. Engineers in other watersheds have seen flood-mitigation benefits when their studies identified operating rules that:

  • Prevented “release stacking” – We must avoid upstream releases arriving at the same time as peak local inflows from other uncontrolled tributaries, such as the East Fork or Spring and Cypress Creeks
  • Used forecasts intelligently – Pre-release only works when forecast confidence and downstream capacity justify it
  • Respected downstream constraints – Don’t exceed channel limits. 

Make-or-break technical questions for the San Jacinto Watershed will likely include:

  • Travel time for water between Lake Conroe and Lake Houston and how that changes with different base flows.
  • Downstream constraints such as local rainfall in the Lake Houston watershed
  • Forecast confidence and decision triggers – When will forecasts be reliable enough to justify pre-release without wasting water supply or making flooding worse.
  • What will the study optimize for? Peak flood stage at specific gages? Total damages? Avoiding emergency spillway use? Protecting evacuation routes? Something else?

Bring your questions to the Civic Center.

Why is This Study Taking So Long?

The project was delayed by a change in plans in adding gates to the Lake Houston Dam. SJRA first applied for a grant to study synchronizing releases from the two dams back in 2020. However, after crest gates to the spillway portion of the dam proved infeasible, the City of Houston decided to study adding tainter gates to the earthen eastern portion of the dam.

site of proposed gates for Lake Houston on east side of dam
Tainter gates like Lake Conroe’s will now go in the earthen portion of the dam above, not the concrete spillway in distance.

That new study is now 30% complete. That’s far enough along to start making engineering decisions. But to complicate things even further, costs have escalated because of inflation. That raises some additional questions…and scenarios. How many gates can the City afford? Will they be able to keep up with releases from Lake Conroe? And will Black & Veatch even examine scenarios involving additional gates?

If history is any indication, you can bet that members from the Lake Conroe Association will be there to talk against pre-release. If you want your interests represented in this study, make sure you come tomorrow night. And make sure they include the scenarios in their study that represent your biggest concerns.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/4/26

3109 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Flickinger Issues Updates on Multiple Lake Houston Dam Issues

3/8/25 – Houston District E City Council Member Fred Flickinger’s March newsletter contained updates on several Lake Houston Dam projects.

Floodgate Update

Adding more and bigger floodgates to the Lake Houston Dam will let the City lower lake levels faster in advance of major storms to reduce flood risk.

According to Flickinger, Phase II of the Lake Houston Dam Spillway Improvement Project is well underway. This phase focuses adding eleven new tainter gates. Together, they will increase discharge capacity by 79,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). And that matches the peak release rate of Lake Conroe during Harvey.

Looking west across Lake Houston Dam. The current plan to add more floodgates focuses on the earthen embankment in the foreground.

Engineering firm Black & Veatch has completed the 30% design plans. Also field activities, such as ground surveys, bathymetric surveys and geotechnical soil borings are underway. Environmental investigations including wetlands assessments, endangered species studies, and archaeological site evaluations begin next week.

In parallel, engineers are working with regulatory agencies. They include the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), United States Army Corps of Engineers, and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). Together, they hope to streamline permitting.

The Coastal Water Authority (CWA) also met with TCEQ in December. CWA continues to work closely with the Corps and TPWD to speed approvals.

Future Lake Houston Dam Replacement Study

Recognizing the long-term needs of the region, planning is also underway for a larger project to replace the existing 75-year-old Lake Houston Dam. CWA has engaged Black & Veatch to initiate a high-level Lake Houston Dam Replacement Study in 2025.

Lake Houston Dam Repair Project – Immediate

In addition to expansion and long-term replacement planning, immediate repairs are being implemented through the $10 million Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Project, made possible with the support of Congressman Dan Crenshaw. This project includes:

  • Grouting voids below and around the dam structure
  • Repairing spalled concrete on spillway buttress walls

“Spalled concrete” refers to a condition where concrete begins to crack, chip, or flake away from its surface. This can expose the aggregate or reinforcing steel underneath.

Essentially, it’s a form of concrete deterioration where pieces of the surface break off, leaving pitted areas. Spalling can weaken the structural integrity of concrete and lead to further damage if left unaddressed. 

CWA is finalizing the scope and fee for additional field investigations and engineering design work. These efforts will define the exact repair locations and methodologies for construction. The engineering should take six to eight months. And construction should last another six to nine months after that.

Lake Levels Lowered for Fieldwork

Houston Public Works has lowered Lake Houston to approximately 41.0 feet. Lake Houston has a normal pool elevation of 42.4 feet.

The lower level will keep water from going over the spillway, so that another CWA engineering firm, Freese & Nichols, can perform surveys of the concrete hearth structure on the downstream side of the spillway.

Lake Level has been lowered so engineers can survey the concrete on the downstream side of the 3,100 foot spillway in the foreground.

After completion of the surveys during the week of March 14th, the levels in Lake Houston will naturally return to 42.4 feet, through rain events.

Flickinger says the District E office remains actively involved in this project. His team participates in bi-weekly coordination meetings to ensure progress continues efficiently and transparently.

Property owners along the lake should secure all belongings located at the shoreline, boat docks, and piers. Be prepared for changing lake levels, as advance notice may not be possible.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/8/25

2748 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Last-Minute Funding Breathes New Life into Lake Houston Gates Project

The project to install more flood gates on the Lake Houston Dam has resulted in more nail-biting than a Steven Spielberg movie. Perhaps no project inspired more hope among flood-weary home- and business owners in the San Jacinto watershed. Importance is high, but the costs turned out far higher than expected and dollars proved hard to come by.

This morning, however, Dr. Greg Bonnen, chair of the House Appropriations Committee filed a rider to this year’s appropriations bill that will likely get the job done. The rider contains two provisions that affect funding for the gates.

  • Sec. 17.38 (a)(1) on page IX-22 contains $50 million for improvements to the Lake Houston Dam.
  • Sec. 17.38 (b)(1)(2)(3) on page IX-23 contains a provision that lets unexpended balances from previous grants be redeployed, so they can be spent on EITHER gates, a sediment capture pilot project, or sediment removal.
Lake Houston has four small floodgates only capable of releasing 1/15 the rate of Lake Conroe’s gates. New gates would go in the earthen embankment to the right of the old gates and spillway.

Funding Now Close to Expected Costs

According to Houston Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin, Black & Veatch Engineering estimates the cost of an 11-gate structure to be between $125 and $225 million.

Balancing that on the income side of the ledger are:

  • The remaining Federal funds of the $50 million provided by FEMA early on for engineering, environmental surveys, permits and construction. So far the City has reportedly spent about $5 million on upfront work.
  • An $8 million earmark by US Congressman Dan Crenshaw.
  • $20 million in County funds allocated in the 2018 Flood Bond (Project CI-61).
  • $11 million from the City of Houston in capital-improvement-project (CIP) funds.
  • The possibility of additional CIP funds from this year’s budget.
  • $50 million from 17.38 (a)(1) above
  • Up to another $50 million in State funds left over from a TWDB 2021 allocation in 17.38 (b)(1)(2)(3)
  • Redeployment of some FEMA dredging funds left over from the Mouth Bar Project.

That puts available funding somewhere north of $170 million. Martin says that should be enough to lock in the original FEMA funding and get the project started.

Redeployment of Funds Important

Congressman Crenshaw’s office emphasized that even though some FEMA money will be redeployed from dredging the mouth bar, additional FEMA funds from another FEMA grant will let dredging around the lake continue.

Re: 17.38 (b) above (that second bucket of $50 million in funding from the state) Martin points out that it includes two other important projects: dredging and the sediment trap pilot study. However:

  • The pilot study should not be very expensive and has no firm deadline.
  • Congressman Dan Crenshaw has helped secure additional funding for dredging from a second FEMA grant.

Finally, Martin points out that Black & Veatch is examining options to scale back the number of gates in case construction costs exceed funding if something falls through.

Enough Funding Committed to Move Forward with Confidence

While some uncertainty remains, Martin says the key point is that enough money has now been committed to move forward with confidence. This is a huge improvement over where the project stood just 8 days ago when concerned residents launched a call-in campaign to influential senators and representatives.

Lake Houston Area residents placed thousands of calls to save the project. Two days later, funding was placed in Bonnen’s rider. Martin thanks “ALL who placed phone calls, sent text messages and emailed state officials in support of our gates project.”

Thank you’s also go to all those who played key roles in this up-against-the-center-field wall catch:

  • State Senator Brandon Creighton
  • State Representative Charles Cunningham
  • Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick
  • State Representative Armando Walle
  • State Senator Joan Huffman
  • House Speaker Dade Phelan
  • House Appropriations Chairman Greg Bonnen
  • Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner
  • US Representative Dan Crenshaw and Kaaren Cambio, his District Director

Several others deserve special thanks:

  • Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin worked the phones relentlessly and made countless trips to Austin to raise awareness of the project and coordinate the area’s efforts.
  • City of Houston Chief Recovery Officer Stephen Costello convinced FEMA to include social benefits in the cost/benefit ratio (CBR). That raised the CBR to 3.5, making it the highest-rated project in the State of Texas.
  • City of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, who called in some favors among Austin influentials to make the project happen.
  • Former State Representative Dan Huberty and Ben Melson, a CoH lobbyist, lobbied extensively over the last few months, working with Martin, Costello and Bill Kelly, the City’s Director of Government Affairs.

Reason More Gates Needed

Additional gates will let the City lower lake water faster as large storms approach, thus reducing flood peaks both upstream and down. That will, in turn, reduce flood risk for thousands of homeowners and businesses, not to mention all the schools that flooded.

But lowering the lake level carries some risk. If it takes too long to lower the lake, storms can veer away before they arrive, wasting water. Narrowing the window between release and the storm’s arrival, raises certainty that the storm will refill the lake.

More gates will also help balance releases from Lake Conroe with those from Lake Houston.

Next Steps

It ain’t over till it’s over. But even though only days are left in this session, Chairman Bonnen’s office said, “The legislature has never failed to pass an appropriations bill.”

More news as the project evolves.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/25/2023

2095 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Lack of Support in Legislature Putting Lake Houston Gates Project in Danger

Lack of support by the Texas State legislature is putting the project to add more floodgates to the Lake Houston dam in danger. Right now, money is not in the appropriations bill for the next two years. And if we have to wait for another two years, the initial $50 million committed by FEMA to the project will expire.

Call to Action

Please CALL the following elected representatives to voice your support for including $150 million for Lake Houston Floodgates in next year’s state budget. Also, get everyone you know to call.

At a minimum, call:

  • Governor Greg Abbott: (512) 463-2000
  • Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick: (512) 463-0001
  • Sen. Brandon Creighton: (512) 463-0104
  • Rep. Greg Bonnen: (512) 463-0729, Chair of House Appropriations
  • Sen. Joan Huffman: 512-463-0117, Chair of Senate Finance Committee
  • Sen. Robert Nichols: 512-463-0103

Other key decision makers:

  • Rep. Mary González – (512) 463-0613
  • Rep. Jacey Jetton – (512) 463-0710
  • Rep. Gary VanDeaver – (512) 463-0692
  • Rep. Armando Walle – (512) 463-0924
  • Sen. Lois Kolkhorst – (512) 463-0118
  • Sen. Charles Schwertner – (512) 463-0105

Remind Governor Abbott that when he toured Lake Houston after Harvey, he directed area leaders to develop long-range solutions that fixed the flooding problem. So…

Ask everyone to ensure funding for the Lake Houston Dam Improvement Project.

Here’s why.

Why We Need More Gates

After Hurricane Harvey, Lake Houston Area leaders identified adding more release capacity to the dam as one of the area’s top flood mitigation priorities. The inability to release water fast enough in advance of Harvey contributed to flooding 16,000 homes and 3,300 businesses.

If Lake Houston could release more water faster, authorities could wait until they were certain a storm would hit our area before releasing water. Releasing water would create more room for floodwater. But if the storm veers away and we release the water unnecessarily, it could cause a water shortage for 2 million people.

More gates would eliminate that risk/uncertainty.

Progress But Still No Permanent Solution

Rainfall this past week has demonstrated the problem once again. There was no tropical storm. No hurricane. No stalled front. Just widespread, sporadic downpours. Even with Lake Houston’s gates wide open and two feet of water cascading over the spillway, areas around the lake are still flooding.

River Grove Soccer Fields
River Grove Park on 5/16/23

It happens repeatedly.

January Flooding along west fork of San Jacinto
The first flood this year occurred in January.

And bigger storms can cause horrific damage.

Hurricane Harvey destroyed Union Pacific Railroad Bridge that parallels US59 in the headwaters of Lake Houston. The damage disrupted rail traffic in an out of Houston for almost three years.
San Jacinto West Fork at US59 during Harvey
US59 Bridge and Humble business district underwater during Harvey

Preliminary engineering studies showed that more gates could reduce flood levels significantly. FEMA appropriated $50 million to build them. But additional studies showed we need more gates that will quadruple the cost. We need $150 million more.

Support of Area Representatives and Organizations Not Enough

The state legislature is the only place to get that money before the FEMA grant expires. More than a dozen area organizations and elected representatives have already written letters to legislators in support of the project – to no avail.

Significantly, support comes from both upstream and downstream.

Montgomery County people want this project as much as Harris County people, because it would enable Lake Conroe to avoid seasonal lowering.

See letters from:

Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey, PE, to Governor Greg Abbott

Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey, PE, to Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick

Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey, PE, House Speaker Dade Phelan

North Houston Association to Governor Greg Abbott

North Houston Association to Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick

North Houston Association to House Speaker Dade Phelan

Partnership Lake Houston to Governor Greg Abbott

SJRA to State Senator Brandon Creighton

SJRA to Senator Joan Huffman

SJRA to Senator Charles Perry

Lake Conroe Association to Senator Brandon Creighton

Lake Conroe Association to Senator Robert Nichols

Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority to Governor Greg Abbott

City of Houston Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin to Governor Greg Abbott

City of Houston Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin to Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick

City of Houston Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin to House Speaker Dade Phelan

Harris County Flood Control District to Governor Greg Abbott

Harris County Flood Control District to Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick

Harris County Flood Control District to House Speaker Dade Phelan

City of Humble Mayor Norman Funderburk to Governor Greg Abbott

Kingwood Service Association to Governor Greg Abbott

Kingwood Service Association to Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick

Kingwood Service Association to House Speaker Dade Phelan

Greater Houston Partnership to the entire Houston Delegation

Kingwood Area Superneighborhood Council to Governor Greg Abbott

Kingwood Area Superneighborhood Council to Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick

Kingwood Area Superneighborhood Council to Houston Speaker Dade Phelan

Humble ISD to Governor Greg Abbott

Humble ISD to Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick

Humble ISD to Dade Phelan

Montgomery County Judge to Governor Greg Abbott

Montgomery County Judge to House Speaker Dade Phelan

Montgomery County Judge to Senator Brandon Creighton

Montgomery County Judge to Senator Lois Kolkhorst

Montgomery County Judge to Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick

Montgomery County Precinct 4 to Governor Greg Abbott

Montgomery County Precinct 4 to Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick

Montgomery County Precinct 4 to House Speaker Dade Phelan

Greater East Montgomery County Chamber to Governor Greg Abbott

Greater East Montgomery County Chamber to Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick

Greater East Montgomery County Chamber to House Speaker Dade Phelan

Time for Residents to Add Their Voices

At this time, we need to start a telephone campaign by residents. NOW! This session ends in days.

Please voice your support for the project by calling the offices of Governor Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Patrick, Senator Creighton, and Rep. Greg Bonnen, chair of the House Appropriations Committee. Ask them to add $150 million for more Lake Houston floodgates in next year’s state budget.

You could make the difference.

Posted By Bob Rehak on 5/17/2023

2087 Days since Hurricane Harvey

City Gets Favorable Ruling on BCR for Lake Houston Gates Project

During Harvey, 16,000 homes and 3,300 businesses in the Lake Houston Area flooded. Local leaders identified the disparity in release capacities between the Lake Conroe and Lake Houston Dams as one of the contributing factors to the severity of flooding. The floodgates on Lake Conroe can release water 15 times faster than the gates on Lake Houston. So, adding more floodgates to Lake Houston became one of the area’s primary mitigation goals.

New gates would let the City rapidly lower the water level of Lake Houston in advance of a storm to prevent or reduce upstream flooding.

gates for Lake Houston and Conroe
Lake Houston (l) and Lake Conroe gates (r). Conroe release capacity is 15X greater.

While the City of Houston initially obtained a $50 million grant from FEMA to add gates, two problems became apparent. The project cost more than anticipated and the benefits delivered did not justify the cost – at least the way FEMA was initially calculating them. However, a huge hurdle has been cleared.

The City of Houston has finally secured a favorable ruling from FEMA on a benefit-to-cost ratio, according to a press release from Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin’s office on 12/7/2022. The key was the FEMA administrator’s decision to allow the inclusion of social benefits, for instance, avoidance of disruptions to business, commerce, schools and the area’s tax base. Those brought the BCR up to 2.88, according to Martin.

Hurdle Removed: Project Now Federally Compliant

Earlier this summer, Martin announced challenges related to the Lake Houston Spillway Dam Improvement Project. The City needed to secure a benefit to cost ratio (BCR) between .75 and 1 and had examined multiple alternatives to find a favorable balance between costs and benefits.

Martin, Mayor Sylvester Turner and Chief Recovery Officer Stephen Costello met with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator to discuss the inequities of the Federal BCR formula associated with incorporation of social benefits.

As a result, Martin and Turner have announced that a large hurdle has been removed. The revised draft BCR for the Lake Houston Spillway Dam Improvement Project has been determined to be “federally compliant and is very favorable.”

The change affected the Lake Houston Gates and several other Houston stormwater projects including the massive, new Inwood Forest detention basin.

New BCR Based on Eleven Gates

Atkins, a City of Houston consultant, revised the BCR for an eleven-gate structure. The eleven gates will be built into the existing embankment on the east side of the Lake Houston Spillway Dam.

New gates would be added to the earthen portion of dam in foreground, not spillway at far end as originally planned.

Building the new gate structure in the east embankment removes the high construction risk of modifying the existing gate structure. It also allows continued use of the existing gate structure during construction, and eliminates the need for a coffer dam in the lake, according to Martin.

The new gates would likely align with the original course of the San Jacinto River, the channel on the left.

Cost Quadruples: Additional Funding Sources Now Necessary

The new preliminary cost estimate of $200 million exceeds the City’s original FEMA grant of $48 million.

Martin, Costello, and State Representative Dan Huberty have already met with the Texas House of Representatives Speaker Dade Phelan’s Director of Finance regarding additional funding. They have positioned the project as a “life and safety initiative” that affects the survival of the community and economy of the Lake Houston Area.

Martin has bi-partisan support already lined up for financing. Key partners this legislative session include:

  • Congressman Dan Crenshaw
  • State Senator Brandon Creighton
  • State Senator John Whitmire (who has already announced his intention to run for Houston mayor after Turner retires)
  • Speaker of the Texas House Dade Phelan
  • State Representative & Chair of Appropriations Dr. Greg Bonnen
  • State Representatives Charles Cunningham and Armando Walle.

Martin plans to work with Federal and State partners to ensure the cost of the Lake Houston Spillway Dam Project is fully funded before he leaves office in December 2023.

Said Martin, “Today a significant obstacle has been surpassed as this project moves forward through the financial process.” The new BCR should let federal, state, and local partners work toward fortifying the Lake Houston Area against future storms.

It would be unfair to call this a “start over.” A huge amount of engineering and analysis has gone into the project. However, challenges turned out to be greater than anyone anticipated after Harvey.

The original timetable from 12/16/19 showed the project completed by now. The fact that it is still alive is a tribute to the persistence of Martin, Turner, Costello and others.

Let’s look forward to the benefits, not backwards to the problems. People are working in the right direction. A huge obstacle has been eliminated. We just need to keep tackling new obstacles as they occur. Next step: the House and Senate.

I will post construction plans for the 11 gates and the Atkins’ BCR analysis as soon as the City supplies them; they promised they would.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/7/22

1926 Days since Hurricane Harvey

All Parties Still Focused on Finding Solution for Adding Flood Gates to Lake Houston Dam

Initial options that the City of Houston explored for adding more flood gates to the Lake Houston Dam struggled to achieve a high enough Benefit/Cost Ratio. However, all parties involved are still hopeful that a solution can be found. They are now evaluating yet another option. It would add gates in the earthen (eastern) portion of the dam.

Looking south over eastern portion of Lake Houston Dam at area under consideration for five new tainter gates. The spillway is out of frame to the right. Picture taken on 7/22/22.

More Gates Would Create More Room For Floodwaters

Flooding devasted the entire Lake Houston Area during Harvey. Since then, Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin has led an effort to find a way to lower the lake faster in advance of a storm. This would create extra room in the lake for floodwaters. And that would reduce the risk of flooding homes and businesses around it.

Currently, the dam has a fixed height spillway. That makes releasing water in advance of a storm difficult. The dam does have several small gates, but they have only 1/15th the release capacity of the gates on Lake Conroe. Adding more gates would help release water faster…to keep up with water coming downstream.

It would also let managers wait to start a release until they were certain a storm would not veer away. That would help avoid wasting water if forecasts are not accurate.

The Dual-Role Dilemma

The City built Lake Houston in 1953 to supply water. Making the dam play two roles – water supply and flood mitigation – poses a challenge.

In 2017, immediately after Hurricane Harvey, Martin began leading the effort to transform the dam to play a dual role. This would let Lake Houston provide our region with needed drinking water and reduce flood risk. 

New Timeline Longer Than Hoped, But Still Shorter Than Usual

A project of this magnitude normally takes up to twelve years. However, Martin worked with federal, state, and local officials to shorten the timeline. Martin now hopes the project will take no longer than seven years. While acknowledging that he hoped completion would happen in as little as five years, Martin also cites unexpected technical and cost challenges related to the aging dam.

Difficulty of Finding Best Alternative

The age of the Lake Houston Spillway, built in 1953, has proven to be a bigger obstacle than expected. Engineers initially proposed six different alternatives for adding different types of gates in different locations, with variations on several.

As engineers started precisely calculating costs and benefits of preferred approaches, they weighed those against environmental impacts, construction challenges, safety risks, and available budget.

During that process, engineers discovered hidden challenges with some options that initially looked promising. At this point, they have determined that all six initial options cost more than the federally funded amount of $48 million. 

A Complicated Path Forward

So now engineers are focusing on finding the optimal solution while Martin and others explore options to pay for it.

Martin says the City of Houston, Texas Division of Emergency Management and Federal Emergency Management Agency are working together to find the option with the highest Benefit to Cost Ratio (BCR). 

Acceptable BCRs for projects like this range from .75 to 1, according to Martin. Preliminary engineering studies found that two crest-gate alternatives (already evaluated) yielded only .48 – largely due to the aging structure of the existing spillway, which drove up costs. 

City Expects Answer on Latest Option Before October

Currently, the City has paused the final-design phase of the project while engineers evaluate Alternative 1A. That now consists of five new tainter-gates (not six or twelve as previously reported) on the earthen embankment east of the spillway. 

The comprehensive, final BCR analysis for the embankment alternative should be completed by the end of September 2022. The preliminary engineering report suggested the 1A alternative could reduce flood heights by half a foot for a cost of $47.3 million with a BCR of .89. So initially, on the surface, this appears feasible.

Martin Widens Search for Funding

While engineers work to find the best BCR, Martin is leading an effort with BOTH state and federal partners to find additional funding for the project. 

For instance, Martin is working with outgoing State Representative Dan Huberty and incoming State Representative Charles Cunningham to seek funds in the upcoming Texas Legislative Session. Martin says that state dollars do not require BCRs like federal dollars do.

While all the challenges would have discouraged many, Martin says they have fortified his resolve. He vows to find a path forward. Martin promises an update in his regular fall public meeting in October and hopes to have an attractive BCR for alternative 1A.

Interim Flood-Mitigation Measures Still In Place

In the meantime, the City of Houston will continue its existing Lake Houston pre-release strategy. It calls for lowering the lake when forecasters predict three or more inches of rain in the San Jacinto Watershed. Since Hurricane Harvey, the City has lowered the lake more than twenty times and successfully avoided flooding.

Thanks to Key Contributors 

Martin acknowledges the continuing contributions of Congressman Dan Crenshaw, Governor Greg Abbott, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, Commissioner Tom Ramsey, State Representative Dan Huberty, State Representative-Elect Charles Cunningham, TDEM-Chief Nim Kidd, Mayor Sylvester Turner, Chief Recovery Officer Stephen Costello, and Harris County Flood Control District. 

Martin says, “All parties are committed to constructing these additional gates to help ensure protection against future flood events.”

Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/4/2022

1801 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Will Redistricting Affect Flood-Mitigation Priorities?

The recent redistricting of Harris County precincts could not have been more disruptive. More than half the county’s residents changed both precincts and commissioners. Can you say, “Tossed Salad”? It will take some time to work this out. In the meantime, “Many are asking how will new precinct boundaries affect flood-mitigation priorities?”

We’ve already seen how Commissioner Adrian Garcia tried to divert flood bond money from an area he was giving up in the redistricting process to one he was inheriting. That got voted down, but…

Priorities Already Altered Multiple Times in Past

We’ve also seen how Democrats re-ordered flood-bond priorities in 2019, shifted money from other budgets to accelerate projects in poor watersheds, and are suggesting another flood bond with new priorities based on so-called racial equity.

Officially, Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) does not allocate flood-bond mitigation money by precinct. They allocate it by watershed and project – with the most money going to the most heavily flood-damaged areas.

But those who watch Commissioners Court regularly know that Commissioners control HCFCD priorities, and no project moves forward without their approval.

Lake Houston Dam Example

All this raises the question, “How will the re-alignment of Commissioner’s precincts re-align flood-mitigation priorities?”

For instance, the Lake Houston Dam was half in Precinct 1 and half in Precinct 2 both controlled by Democrats. But P2 Commissioner Garcia has given that area up. The east side of the dam will now be in Precinct 3 now controlled by Republican Tom Ramsey. Ramsey will now also control virtually all the homes around the lake with the exception of a small area in Summerwood. The flood bond allocated $20 million to help support expansion of the flood gates on Lake Houston (Project CI-028). How solid is that commitment now that Democrats have given up most of the area?

Across the county, from Cypress Creek to Armand Bayou, people have dozens of questions like that about projects affecting them. The answers will take time to sort out.

New High-Resolution Precinct Maps Finally Available

Until a few days ago, the lack of resolution and streets in redistricting maps made it difficult to tell exactly where the new precinct boundaries were.

But just last week, the Harris County Attorney posted a new high-resolution map showing new boundaries. The map also shows major streets and voting precincts (in addition to the county precincts).

The biggest changes happened on the north side of the County where Commissioner Adrian Garcia staged a strategic retreat from Republican voters to bolster his re-election chances. Also, Precincts 3 and 4 switched positions. P3 formerly on the west side of the county is now on the north and east sides. And Precinct 4, formerly on the north and east sides is now mostly on the west and north sides.

The plan, designed and approved by Democrats, will force Commissioners Cagle and Ramsey to run for re-election in areas where they are relatively little known – unless they want to move their residences. Commissioner Rodney Ellis carefully drew district boundaries so that Cagle and Ramsey would no longer live in precincts they once represented. And by law, Commissioners must live in the precinct they represent.

Ramsey and Cagle will now have whole new watersheds to learn.

Watershed Boundaries Not Yet Shown on New Precinct Map

Unfortunately, the new high-res precinct map does not show watershed boundaries, although it shouldn’t be hard to create one – for someone with better Photoshop skills than mine!

At the moment, to see how your watershed could be affected, compare two maps side by side.

The latter shows watershed boundaries if you click on the Watershed button in the left-hand column.

Most of the Lake Houston Area including Huffman, Kingwood, Humble (east of Bush Intercontinental Airport), Atascocita, Crosby and Spring will now be in Precinct 3 with Commissioner Tom Ramsey.

New Precincts adopted by Harris County Commissioners Court in 2021. Click link for high res map.

To learn more about redistricting and your new commissioner, visit the landing pages for Harris County Precinct 3 or Harris County Precinct 4.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/15/2021

1539 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.

Reminder: Floodgate Meeting at Kingwood Community Center on Thursday, July 8

On Thursday, July 8, Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin will host a pubic meeting to discuss the status of adding more floodgates to the Lake Houston Dam. Preliminary engineering finished earlier this year. In March, the Coastal Water Authority board approved Black & Veatch to begin final engineering.

Need for More Gates

The Lake Houston Area Task Force identified more and higher capacity floodgates as a key element in the area’s flood-mitigation strategy. The current gates have one-fifteenth the capacity of those at the Lake Conroe Dam. That makes it difficult to shed water from Lake Houston before people flood if Lake Conroe opens its gates as it did during Harvey.

During Harvey, Conroe released 79,000 cubic feet per second. That was one third of all the water coming down the West Fork between Humble and Kingwood. All by itself, that 79,000 CFS would have been the ninth largest flood in West Fork history. And that made the difference between flooding and not flooding for thousands of homes and businesses near the lake.

During Harvey, the peak flow over the spillway was five times the average flow over Niagra Falls. A wall of water 11 feet tall cascaded over the spillway above. Enough to fill NRG stadium in 3.5 minutes.

Lake Houston Dam During Harvey. The proposed crest gates would go in the far upper left of the spillway.

Floodgate Meeting Details

See the meeting details below.

Thursday, July 8, 2021
At the Kingwood Community Center (4102 Rustic Woods)
Doors Open 5:30 PM
Dredging Update Starts 5:45 PM
Gate Update Starts at 6 PM

Chief Recovery Officer, Stephen Costello, will provide a very brief update on Lake Houston Dredging operations at 5:45 p.m. before the Spillway Improvement Project program begins.

The program to discuss the Lake Houston Dam Spillway Improvement Project will start at 6:00 p.m. and conclude at 7:45 p.m. But don’t worry about sitting through a 2 hour meeting.

The main presentation by Black & Veatch, the project engineers, will be followed by a short Q&A session. The meeting will then transition into breakout sessions. Breakout tables will let residents engage with project management staff and engineers in small groups to ask more detailed questions.

Project Benefits

The Lake Houston Dam Spillway project will increase the outflow capacity of the Lake Houston Dam. The project proposes installing new crest gates in the existing uncontrolled spillway. This will allow for a rapid decrease of water levels in Lake Houston in advance of storm events to prevent or reduce upstream flooding. Engineers estimate the recommended alternative could help about 35,000 residents and 5,000 structures. It’s important for people to understand that if they flooded from streams or channels far from the lake during Harvey, this may not help them.

Funding

A Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program provides $4.3 million for engineering and positions the city to receive another $42.7 million for construction.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/6/2021 based on info provided by Dave Martin’s Office

1407 Days since Hurricane Harvey

May 2021 Gate Project Update for Lake Houston Dam

In its March 10th board meeting, the Coastal Water Authority (CWA) accepted the recommendation of a preliminary engineering report to add one thousand feet of crest gates to the uncontrolled spillway portion the Lake Houston Dam. The additional release capacity would let operators shed water faster before, during or after major storms to reduce the risk of flooding.

At the March meeting, directors also approved $4.4 million to begin Phase II of the project. Phase II calls for Black & Veatch to proceed to final engineering of the gates and a coffer dam to protect the work area during construction.

Read the minutes of the March board meeting here. The discussion of the gates starts on page 4 under Item B.

This morning, at its May board meeting, directors received an update on the progress of Phase II work to date and plans for the remainder of the project.

Start of Phase II Engineering Approved in March

In the March meeting, CWA approved funds to begin Phase 2 of the engineering which includes the final design of the selected alternative by Black & Veatch. The selected alternative was “crest gates” constructed on the uncontrolled spillway portion of the dam on its west side. (See below.)

Looking NE at the Spillway of the Lake Houston Dam is in foreground. One thousand feet (about a third) of this spillway will be replaced with crest gates. Gates will be placed at the end closest to the camera position in the image above.

Dam operators can raise or lower crest gates from a bottom hinge, much like the lid on a piano. When in the up position, gates hold water back. When lowered, they release water.

During Harvey, the peak flow over the spillway was five times the average flow over Niagra Falls. A wall of water 11 feet tall cascaded over the spillway above. Enough to fill NRG stadium in 3.5 minutes.

Scope of Phase II Design Work

Also in March, CWA and Black & Veatch completed negotiation of the scope and fee for the final design. The key deliverables during Phase II will include:

  • Plans to modify the spillway to support the 1,000 linear feet of crest gates (in five 200-foot long sections)
  • Design of the cofferdam system to protect the work areas during construction
  • Preparation of a new gate operations plan for CWA Lake Houston Dam operators.

Director Douglas Walker moved to authorize the Executive Director to issue a contract amendment with Black & Veatch Inc. in the amount of $4,465,727.00 for “Phase 2 – Final Design of the Lake Houston Dam Spillway Improvement Project.” Director Giti Zarinkelk seconded the motion. The Motion carried unanimously.

May Update

In the May board meeting this morning, directors received an update on Phase II work to date and plans.

In April, the design team held a number of workshops and coordination meetings.

Black & Veatch also completed three weeks of field surveying of the existing spillway; that’s why CWA temporarily lowered Lake Houston during that period.

In other news, for next steps CWA will:

  • Submit the permit application to the US Army Corps of Engineers by the end of May.
  • Support City of Houston in a public outreach meeting scheduled for June 17. The public outreach meeting will coincide with the public comment period for the permit application. CWA expects permitting to take nine months, i.e., through March of 2022.
  • Complete final design by the end of September 2022.
Screen capture from portion of CWA Board meeting today shows status of Phase II Design work on the dam.

Next Steps

Does all this mean construction is assured? No. The Army Corps could reject the permit or FEMA could find some fault with the plans. But at least it shows progress. If all plans and permits are approved, construction dollars have already been committed by FEMA. Originally, construction was supposed to have been completed within three years from April 8, 2020. That now looks unlikely unless the City can obtain a deadline extension from FEMA..

Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/12/2021

1352 Days after Hurricane Harvey

January Digest of Flood-Related News in Lake Houston Area

From construction developments to political developments, here’s your January digest of ten stories that could affect flooding or flood mitigation in the Lake Houston Area.

1. New Caney ISD High School #3

This site is located between Sorters-McClellan Road and US59 south of the HCA Kingwood Medical Center. New Caney ISD is building a new high school on the site of the old par 3 golf course behind the car dealerships that front US59. Construction crews are still pouring concrete for foundations and parking lots. Not much happened between flyovers on December 7 and January 1. But then, not much happens anywhere during the holidays. The two photos below show the progress. Construction of the detention pond is nearing completion. However, contractors still need to plant grass to reduce erosion before spring rains arrive.

New Caney ISD High School #3 site as of December 7, 2020
As of January 1, 2021.

New Caney ISD has not posted a project update since last September. Projected occupancy for the building is still Fall 2022.

2. Kingwood Cove Golf Course Redevelopment

I first talked about Ron Holley’s redevelopment of the Kingwood Cove (formerly Forest Cove) Golf Course in April last year. Since then Holley says he has been working with engineers, community groups and regulators to accommodate different interests.

Now, the development is back on the planning commission agenda for this Thursday. Holley is seeking approval of his latest General Plan and Plat. Neither show any detention ponds. The only place they could go would be in “Reserve C.” The General Plan shows that to be in the floodway and 100-year floodplain. Both could soon expand.

The West Fork floodway cuts through the southern part of Holley’s property.

The City raised an issue regarding compliance with regulations governing the re-plat of golf courses at the 12/17/2020 Planning Commission meeting. The City requested information relating to Local Government Code 212.0155.

That regulation requires, among other things, that:

  • Public notice of the re-plat be printed in newspapers
  • The Forest Cove Property Owners Association is notified
  • Residents have an opportunity to voice their opinions at public hearings
  • Owners of all properties within 200 feet of the new plat be notified in writing via US Mail.
  • If 20% of the owners object, the re-plat must win the approval of 3/5ths of the planning commission.
  • The developer proves there is adequate existing or planned infrastructure to support the new development.
  • The new subdivision will not adversely affect health, safety traffic, parking, drainage, water, sewer, or other utilities
  • The development will not have a materially adverse effect on existing single-family property values.
  • The new plat complies with all applicable land-use regulations and restrictive covenants and the City’s land-use policies.

That’s a lot to do over the holidays. So the general plan may need to be withdrawn and resubmitted after all the information has been produced. We should know more by Wednesday afternoon.

3. Dredging

Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin’s January newsletter stated that Disaster Recover Corporation has removed 385,000 cubic yards from the West Fork Mouth Bar out of an estimated total of 400,000 cubic yards.

Then he alluded to dredging another 260,000 cubic yards from the area north of the mouth bar.

He also alluded to a Second Phase: dredging the San Jacinto East Fork and other locations in Lake Houston.

Finally, Martin discussed maintenance dredging. “Additionally,” he says, “during Phase Two of the project, City of Houston, Harris County, HCFCD, SJRA, and Coastal Water Authority (CWA) will develop and execute a plan for the City of Houston or CWA to assume long-term dredging operations on Lake Houston. This effort will include determining funding for dredging operations in perpetuity.”

4. Appointments to SJRA Board

Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Wil Faubel and Rick Mora, M.D. and reappointed Kaaren Cambio to the San Jacinto River Authority Board of Directors. Their terms will expire on October 16, 2025. 

Kaaren Cambio of Kingwood is a field representative for United States Congressman Dan Crenshaw. She is a former member of Women’s Business Enterprise National Investment Recovery Association, Pipeline Contractors Association, and the Houston Pipeliners Association. Cambio received a Bachelor of Business Administration from San Diego State University.

Wil Faubel of Montgomery is President of Borets US Inc. He is a veteran and senior executive in the Oilfield Services industry with more than forty years of service. He has both domestic and international experience and is a lifelong member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and a former board member of the Petroleum Equipment Suppliers Association. Faubel received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Southern Methodist University.

Rick Mora, M.D. of The Woodlands is a partner at US Anesthesia Partners and Chief of Anesthesiology for Memorial Hermann Pinecoft Surgery Center. He has served as chair of the Montgomery County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and is a founding Board member of the non-profit, Los Doctores de The Woodlands. Mora received his MD from the University Of Illinois College Of Medicine.

5. Forest Cove Townhome Buyouts

Harris County Commissioner’s Court will vote today on an item to exercise eminent domain on seven townhomes in the Forest Cove complex. The entire complex was destroyed after Harvey and many owners simply walked away from their properties without leaving forwarding addresses. Flood Control has been unable to find the owners after years of trying. Several may have moved out of the country. Eminent domain on these last few properties will clear the way for demolition of the entire complex and restoration of the area to nature or park land.

The once proud and idyllic townhomes in Forest Cove next to West Fork.

6. Woodridge Village

The purchase of Woodridge Village from Perry Homes is not on today’s Commissioner’s Court Agenda. However, all energies are reportedly still positive. It’s just taking time to work out the complex three-way purchase arrangements.

7. Romerica

Houston PlatTracker shows that the Romerica people may have acquired more land. But so far, they have not returned to the planning commission for approval on the latest iteration of the developer’s plans. No news is good news in this case.

8. Lake Houston Spillway Improvement Project

The City is close to finalizing the Preliminary Engineering Plan. Sources say the benefit/cost ratio looks very positive. We may see the final recommendations this month.

Engineers have examined several alternatives to add more gates to the Lake Houston dam or to increase its spillway capacity.

9. Noxxe Cleanup

The Railroad Commission could start plugging wells, removing storage tanks, and cleaning up the abandoned Noxxe lease in Forest Cove soon. The project manager has submitted work orders for final approval.

Small part of Noxxe lease next to Forest Cove baseball fields.

10. Kings Harbor New Construction

New condos are going up in Kings Harbor faster than Flood Control can tear down the ones in Forest Cove down. And they’re even closer to the river!

See new concrete pads (left center) and new construction (right foreground).

Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/5/2020

1125 Days after 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.