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.