San Jacinto River Authority Archives

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Reservoir Coordination Still Elusive After 53 Years

4/6/26 – One of the biggest “lessons learned” from Harvey is that coordinated Joint Reservoir Operations are crucial. The San Jacinto River Basin has two reservoirs controlled by dams. But coordinating their operation to reduce flooding remains elusive after 53 years.

The San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) finished the Lake Conroe dam in 1973, but is still seeking public input on its Joint Reservoir Operations Study. They hope to have a first draft of the study by the end of 2026.

Benefits of Reservoir Coordination

Other authorities around the world have long recognized the benefits of coordinating the operations of multiple dams on their rivers. Benefits include:

Enhanced flood control and mitigation – By acting in tandem, dams can reduce flood peaks more efficiently than isolated dams.
Improved water security and drought resilience – Coordinated dam systems can manage water storage across a basin to alleviate water stress during dry seasons.
Reduced sediment transport – Tandem operation can reduce peak flows that cause heavy erosion, clogging rivers and downstream lakes.
Increased hydropower generation – Although not a factor in the San Jacinto Basin, coordinated operations allow water to be used multiple times as it passes through a series of dams, exponentially increasing total energy output from the same water resource.
Environmental sustainability – Strategic releases of water can sustain downstream ecosystems, habitats, and species, as seen in the U.S. Sustainable Rivers Program.
Improved navigation and trade – A system of coordinated locks and dams can regulate river flow consistently, facilitating the transport of goods via barges and promoting regional economic development.
Water security – Upstream dams can supplement the water supply in downstream dams that may support major metropolitan areas. Lake Conroe, for instance, provides backup to the smaller Lake Houston, which is the primary water supply for more than 2 million people.

River Authorities that Manage Multiple Dams for Flood Control

Examples of coordinated management abound. Take for instance:

In Texas, the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) provides a textbook example of coordinated dam management for flood control through the Highland Lakes system. The LCRA manages a “staircase” of six dams northwest of Austin. All six assist with flood mitigation. They operate as an integrated unit to protect downstream communities.
Tennessee Valley Authority manages a network of 9 main-river dams and 22 tributary dams. The system is designed to catch heavy runoff in tributary reservoirs before it reaches the main river, significantly reducing flood risks for downstream cities like Chattanooga. The TVA operates these dams as a single unit. That way, they also ensure a consistent water depth of at least 11 feet along the entire 652-mile main channel. That lets 28,000 barges transport goods annually.
The Columbia River System (CRS) consists of 14 federal dam projects managed as a coordinated system for power, flood control, and fish protection.
California Department of Water Resources found that “weather-informed reservoir operations” at Lake Oroville and New Bullards Bar Reservoir can further reduce flood risk for communities along the Yuba and Feather rivers during extreme atmospheric river storm events and potentially benefit water supply during drier periods.
In the Delaware River Basin, a “flexible flow management program” mitigates flooding impacts immediately downstream of reservoirs.

Two Key Houston-Area Reservoirs Have Different Missions, Management

So, why can’t the SJRA manage two dams?

For one thing, SJRA only controls Lake Conroe. The Coastal Water Authority controls Lake Houston.

For another, the two dams have slightly different goals and radically different construction.

Lake Conroe was conceived as a water supply and flood control reservoir (even though SJRA now claims Lake Conroe is strictly for water supply). Lake Conroe’s tainter gates can release 150,000 CFS.
Lake Houston, on the other hand, is primarily for water supply. It has limited flood control capability because of its fixed height spillway. Lake Houston has only four small gates with a combined release capacity of 10,000 cubic feet per second (CFS).

Engineers are currently studying ways to add more and bigger tainter gates to Lake Houston. The current plan under study would boost the release rate to 78,000 CFS, thus matching the highest release rate ever from Lake Conroe (during Harvey). That would enable better coordination between the dams.

Why It Matters

Timing of releases can materially affect downstream flooding in a densely developed floodplain. During Harvey, a wall of water 11 feet high was going over the Lake Houston spillway. 16,000 homes and 3300 businesses behind the dam flooded. It backed water up for miles. Lake Houston’s Dam had 5X more water going over it than Niagra Falls usually does – enough to fill NRG Stadium in 3.5 minutes – 425,000 CFS.

*Lake Houston Dam During Harvey*. *Can you even see the gates at the right end of the spillway?*

Twenty percent of all homes and forty percent of all businesses in the area were affected.
Lake Houston Area Flood Task Force

Getting the water out faster is crucial. But it must be done safely. In a way that doesn’t hurt downstream interests.

While Coastal Water Authority figures out how to add more gates, SJRA is building a forecasting tool for the entire watershed that has the potential to:

Improve coordination between the dams
Inform decisions about pre-releases and gate operations
Enhance emergency management

For More Information

See SJRA’s presentation at the Humble Civic Center on 3/5/26 for more on Joint Reservoir Operations.

See ReduceFlooding’s new Lessons page for more “lessons learned” about flooding. It’s my attempt to distill my most important findings from more than 3000 posts since Harvey.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/6/26

3142 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 Joint-Reservoir Operations Study Meeting: A Wake-up Call

3/7/26 – On 3/5/26 at the Humble Civic Center, the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) held the first of three meetings to discuss its Joint Reservoir Operations Study. In several respects, the meeting was a wake-up call:

During Q&A, SJRA learned how impatient the downstream public is for flood-mitigation solutions – 8.5 years after Hurricane Harvey.
Public comments showed that PTSD from flooding still lingers.
The average age of attendees appeared to be in their sixties. Younger homeowners and newcomers to the region who have no memory of flooding were largely absent.
Several comments by speakers suggested upstream residents around Lake Conroe are still resistant to the idea of any “pre-release.”
SJRA has no formal pre-release program anymore. As one speaker said, “There are no designated dates or amounts or anything like that. But we work very closely with City of Houston. They make decisions on what we’d like to do.”

Theory of Pre-Release

The idea behind “pre-release” is to release water ahead of a storm, so a reservoir, such as Lake Conroe or Lake Houston, has additional capacity to absorb incoming floodwater. That can shave flood peaks by spreading out releases over longer periods.

SJRA’s Water Resources and Flood Management Division Manager Matt Barrett, PE, said…

“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.”
Matt Barrett

Findings in Other River Basins

Studies around the world have proven that pre-releases do have benefits … in certain conditions.

California Department of Water Resources found that “weather-informed reservoir operations” at Lake Oroville and New Bullards Bar Reservoir can further reduce flood risk for communities along the Yuba and Feather rivers during extreme atmospheric river storm events and potentially benefit water supply during drier periods.

Also in California, the Army Corps of Engineers found that “forecast-informed reservoir operations” could increase water supply without increasing flood risk.

In the Delaware River Basin, a “flexible flow management program” mitigates flooding impacts immediately downstream of reservoirs.

A peer-reviewed Journal of Hydrology case study on the Bavarian Danube concluded that coordinated operation of reservoirs in river basins has great potential to improve flood mitigation.

City of Houston Experience

And experience in the San Jacinto River Basin since Harvey has also proven pre-releases have benefits. The City of Houston Public Works Department has documented numerous instances when pre-releases helped prevent downstream flooding, according to Dave Martin, former Houston Mayor Pro Tem.

Pushback from Lake Conroe Association

But pre-release is politically unpopular with Lake Conroe residents. The Lake Conroe Association (LCA) constantly speaks out against it in SJRA board meetings, lawsuits, community meetings, and complaints to the TCEQ. While LCA articulates its concerns as a loss of valuable water, the concerns stem from perceived impacts on recreation and property values.

Iterations of Lake Conroe Pre-Release Strategies

As a result, SJRA has modified its pre-release protocol several times since Harvey.

At first, SJRA lowered Lake Conroe during the two wettest seasons of the year: Spring and Hurricane Season.
SJRA then restricted the amounts and durations of the lowering.
Currently, SJRA lowers Lake Conroe on an as-needed basis – days or hours before major storms. They call the strategy “Active Storm Management.”

The City of Houston owns two-thirds of the water in Lake Conroe and can call for as much as it wants, any time it wants. SJRA reportedly would prefer the City continues calling for the water, so that it doesn’t have to take the heat from the Lake Conroe Association.

Clearly, Active Storm Management is a compromise between upstream and downstream interests. But how does SJRA know when and how much to release before a storm. That depends on weather and the certainty of forecasts. How much rain will fall where? How fast? And how much will run off?

Another Study Objective: Forecasting Tool

That’s where another objective of the Joint Reservoir Operations Study comes in: development of a forecasting tool.

See more details about the forecasting tool below.

The question in my mind is not IF pre-lease is feasible, but WHEN. Clearly, there are some cases where pre-release from Lake Conroe alone does not make sense, i.e., when a storm approaches from the south, as Harvey did and Lake Houston (without its new flood gates) could not release water fast enough to keep up with any release from Conroe. That would just make flooding worse.

But in other situations, i.e., when a storm approaches from the north or northwest, it might make sense – especially after Lake Houston receives its new floodgates. Then you would not be stacking floodwaters from different directions on top of each other.

Scope of Work Associated with Study

The Joint Reservoir Operations Study will also look at past releases from both Lake Houston and Lake Conroe, and use lessons learned to help inform the Lake Houston Gate Operations Policy.

With the data collected, SJRA will develop models that reflect the addition of new gates for the Lake Houston Dam. Then they will evaluate 20 different pre-release scenarios, such as the possibilities mentioned above.

As of this meeting, SJRA had not yet determined which scenarios they would evaluate. However, they will evaluate the consequences on water supply in both lakes.

The worry: if the forecast is wrong and a storm veers away, pre-releases could negatively impact water supply.

Finally, the study will determine the best ways to communicate pre-releases to stakeholders.

The Flow-Forecasting Tool mentioned above will incorporate data from multiple sources, including rainfall, a network of more than 70 stream gages, outflow from Lake Conroe and a model of the watershed. It will inform both gate operations and local officials.

To see the entire presentation, click here. It will help you understand some of the constraints on dam operations including:

Governance of the reservoirs.
Components of Lake Houston Water Supply Operations
Historical floods
Proposed improvements to the Lake Houston Dam
Runoff from sub-watersheds
Differences between water-supply and flood-control reservoirs; Lakes Conroe and Houston are both water-supply reservoirs
Construction differences between the two dams

Next Meetings and More Information

As the study progresses throughout the year, SJRA will hold two more public meetings. A mid-year meeting will be held at Lake Conroe to review progress. And SJRA hopes to reveal the results of the study in The Woodlands before the end of the year.

For more information, see LCLHJointOps.com.

Even if you can’t make the meetings, SJRA welcomes public comments on the study, flood-risk locations and flood impacts.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/7/26

3112 Days since Harvey

Save the Date: SJRA Joint Reservoir Operations Meeting March 5

2/20/2026 – The San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) will hold a public input meeting at the Humble Civic Center on March 5 from 6-8 PM to discuss its Joint Reservoir Operations Study. 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.”

Timing Affected by Lake Houston Gates Engineering

SJRA first applied for a grant to study synchronizing releases from the two dams back in 2020. However, the project to add crest gates to the Lake Houston Dam hit a setback when the City could not find any contractors willing to bid on the project. The issue had to do with the potential liability associated with working on a 70-year-old concrete structure already badly in need of repair.

gates for Lake Houston and Conroe — Old Lake Houston gates (l) are being replaced by new gates in the earthen eastern portion of the dam (not shown here), so that Lake Houston releases can keep up with what Lake Conroe Gates (r) released during Harvey – 79,000 CFS.

With the crest-gate proposal dead, the City went to Plan B. They are now studying tainter gates for the earthen eastern portion of the dam.

Lake Houston Dam — *Gates like Conroe’s will now go in the bottom portion of the image above.*

The second study recently reached a milestone. Engineering is now 30% complete. That’s widely regarded as the point where a project becomes real enough to make valid estimates about feasibility, costs, timelines and more.

Said Barrett, “We wanted to make sure we understood the future condition at Lake Houston before we pulled the trigger on our analysis.”

Main Objective of Joint Operations Study

Now that engineers have a better idea of what the new gates on Lake Houston’s Dam can do, it’s possible to see whether any benefits accrue from trying to synchronize pre-releases with Lake Conroe. A pre-release from Lake Conroe only makes sense when storms reach there first, i.e., from the north. A pre-release from Conroe when a storm approaches from the south could doubly flood the Lake Houston Area.

The major goal of this study is to determine how effective pre-releases really are. Barrett must also ensure pre-releases don’t negatively impact water supply.

Second Objective: Flow-Forecasting Tool

The study will also develop a flow-forecasting tool for Lake Houston. Barrett says it will help provide more information on anticipated volumes of stormwater coming into Lake Houston during storm events. “We will look at the entire basin,” he said, “to predict flows. So, that could be a very helpful tool.”

Results Will Inform Lake Houston Gate-Operations Policy

Barrett added, “Our intention was originally to develop the gate operations policy for Lake Houston – for the new gates that they’re looking to install. But that’s now being done as part of their gates project. So, in this study, we’re just supporting them with relevant data that comes out of our study. We’ll support development of their gate policy. But it will not be dictated by this project.”

“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,” said Barrett. That’s crucial to understand if coordination of pre-releases is necessary.

Benefit Area

The study will potentially benefit the area between Lake Conroe and Lake Houston as well as the people around each lake.

Will pre-releases lower flood risk? “That’s what we want to find out,” said Barrett.

“I hope whatever the results are that they’ll be trusted. And that people will accept what the engineering says, whichever direction it happens to go,” said Barrett.

Meet the Experts

On March 5, Lake Houston Area Residents will have an opportunity to meet representatives from the SJRA, Coastal Water Authority, City of Houston, Humble, and the consultant, Black & Veatch Engineering.

“Pre-release has had a lot of interest over the years,” said Barrett. “So, I think it’s good for us to answer the question once and for all. Is it effective and is it something that provides benefits?”

Mark Your Calendar

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

Experience of Other River Basins

This is not an unusual problem. Most rivers have multiple dams. 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 flow by avoiding “release stacking” (upstream releases arriving downstream at the same time as local inflows, i.e., from the East Fork or Spring and Cypress Creeks).

Other engineers in other watersheds have seen flood-mitigation benefits when their studies identified operating rules that:

Prevented release “coincidence” – We must avoid upstream releases arriving at the same time as peak local inflows from other uncontrolled tributaries
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. The engineers will have a presentation at 6:30 but be available to talk before and after that.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/20/26

3097 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Sunset Commission Recommends SJRA Improvements, But Tiptoes Around Key Issues

On January 21, 2021, the Texas Sunset Commission released its “Staff Report with Commission Decisions” on the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA). The 53-page report generally gave the SJRA a good review, but recommended that it:

Improve trust through better communications, public outreach, openness and transparency
Receive better value by improving contracting processes

The Commission also recommends that the Texas Legislative Council update and consolidate the SJRA’s governing law and processes.

The Sunset Act never subjected the SJRA to abolishment. However, it put its governance, management, operating structure, and compliance with legislative requirements under a microscope.

*This post was based on public information taken from the Sunset Commission website.*

Litigation Issues Deliberately Not Addressed

The report alluded to issues surrounding flooding and groundwater. However, Sunset Commission does not comment on issues in litigation as a matter of policy, so as not to influence the outcome. And although the Commission received extensive public input, it did not address comments directly for the same reason.

Those who take the time to read the entire report will be rewarded with a thorough, yet concise and illuminating summary of the SJRA’s business and the challenges it faces. The SJRA has adopted most, if not all, of the recommendations made by the Commission to some degree. Adopting the recommendations should not have any adverse fiscal impact on the SJRA or cause it financial strain.

Need for Better Communication and Engagement to Improve Trust

The Commission found that SJRA needs an effective communications strategy to advance projects. Especially if the projects could result in increased costs to the general public years before the public sees benefits.

Criticism: SJRA has not developed a formal strategy for engaging the general public in its activities, struggles to provide clear explanations of its wholesale water rates, and does not maintain important information on its website.

The Commission recommended a more proactive and strategic approach to communicating with and engaging the public. That, it felt, would help SJRA earn the trust of and get buy-in from the communities it ultimately serves.

Key recommendations included:

Require SJRA to adopt a public engagement policy that guides and encourages public involvement on key decisions.
Direct SJRA to develop a strategic communications plan.
Direct SJRA to provide clear, understandable information on its rates and fees prominently on its website.

Improve Contracting Function to Receive Best Value

The Commission also found that the SJRA guidance to staff fell short in important areas. Those areas included justifying the need to outsource services and maximizing open competition for contracts. In addition, the commission also felt SJRA lacks consistent documentation for monitoring the performance of its vendors.

Key recommendations included directing the SJRA to:

Establish additional guidance for contracting needs and procurement methods, and use open solicitations except in documented exceptions.
Consistently monitor, document, and evaluate vendor performance.
Improve the transparency, fairness, and effectiveness of its contracting process.

Update Governing Law and Processes

Over the years, Sunset reviews have included a number of standard elements designed to ensure open, responsive, and effective government. SJRA’s governing law does not contain several standard provisions, including those related to the governor’s appointment of the board president, grounds for removal of a board member, board member training, separation of duties of board members from those of staff, public testimony at board meetings, and maintaining a system for receiving and acting on complaints.

SJRA’s governing law is also uncodified and difficult for the public to find and understand. Finally, SJRA lacks goals and a plan to increase its workforce diversity.

Key recommendations:

Apply the standard across-the-board requirements regarding governor appointment of the board’s presiding officer, grounds for removal of a board member, board member training, separation of duties of board members from those of staff, public testimony at board meetings, and maintaining a system for receiving and acting on complaints.
Direct the Texas Legislative Council to update SJRA’s governing law.
Direct SJRA to plan and monitor its efforts to increase workforce diversity.

Other Findings

Strained Relationships with Stakeholders

Sunset Commission staff observed how protracted legal disputes and other controversies have strained SJRA’s relationship with some stakeholders and communities. That eroded trust in its decision making and jeopardized its ability to conduct the long-term planning and construction for which the Legislature created it.

The general public was highly critical of SJRA’s efforts, in contrast to SJRA’s direct customers who were generally satisfied with the authority’s performance.

No Formal Strategy for Public Engagement

SJRA’s own recent public opinion poll revealed most respondents had a negative opinion of the authority, no opinion of it, or had not heard of it, highlighting the need for direct outreach to the public rather than relying on others to speak on its behalf.

Lack of Clear Communication about Rates and Fees

A frequent complaint during the Sunset review was that consumers often see an “SJRA fee” or “surface water conversion fee” listed on their monthly bill with little to no explanation. SJRA’s public opinion poll confirms many consumers do not know what the fee is for. Only about half of respondents correctly identified the fee is used for maintaining a water treatment plant and pipeline.

Several other wholesale water providers in the region explain their rates and fees, which are higher than SJRA’s, on the front page of their website and clearly describe how some retail utility providers modify the fees when passing them on to consumers to cover other costs.

Governing Law Outdated, Difficult for Public to Find and Understand

While some water districts and river authorities are governed by laws that are fully compiled in a specific Texas code or statute, SJRA’s governing law exists solely in “session law.” That means changes are scattered in various statutes and amendments dating back to 1937. In the absence of ONE codified statute, members of the public and even the river authority itself struggle to correctly compile all of the changes to its laws and understand their cumulative impact.

For example, SJRA’s governing law stipulates the board has six members, even though the Texas Constitution now requires all boards and commissions to have an odd number of members. Even Rep. Will Metcalf’s recently introduced bill, HB3116 – recommending changes in how the governor makes SJRA board appointments – still refers to six positions.

Although general law adds a seventh member to preserve the board’s constitutionality, this outdated provision in SJRA’s governing law misrepresents the board’s actual makeup.

SJRA’s governing law contains many more out-of-date references to defunct state agencies and code sections that have been amended, renamed, or no longer exist, further complicating full understanding of the authority’s powers and duties.

Revenues and Expenses

The SJRA had approximately $112 million in revenues in Fiscal Year 2019 with $115 in expenses. The difference had to do with some reserve-fund expenditures for specific projects.

Litigation Summary

For an excellent summary of SJRA litigation over groundwater issues and Harvey flooding, see Appendix B on Page 37. Even as someone who follows these cases closely, there were several aspects that I simply did not know about.

For More Information

Read the entire Sunset Commission report and visit their website. One thing I discovered: the SJRA was apparently the only agency/authority reviewed last year for which the Sunset Commission did not request legislative changes.

For the Sunset Commission Report to the Legislature on all agencies, click here.

For the State Auditors Report on recommendations that were self-implemented, click here.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/21/2021

1300 Days since Hurricane Harvey

SJRA Considering Input on Lake Conroe Reservoir Forecasting Tool Thursday, 6PM

San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) will hold public meeting on Thursday, September 10, 2020, at 6:00 p.m., via webinar and telephone conference, to discuss its ongoing Lake Conroe Reservoir Forecasting Tool Project.

Accurately determining inflow during a flood theoretically lets dam operators determine how much water to release and when. That, in turn, helps protect properties both upstream and downstream to the extent possible.

During Harvey, many felt that the SJRA released too much water too quickly – 79,000 cubic feet per second at one point. That, they say, flooded homes downstream unnecessarily when capacity still existed in the reservoir. Lawsuits are still working their way through the courts.

Many also complained about the lack of warning for the massive release which inundated homes as people slept.

Residents trying to escape as Harvey's floodwaters rose — *Senior residents of Kingwood Village Estates trying to escape as Harvey’s floodwaters rose.*

Additional Information

The Lake Conroe Reservoir Forecasting Tool Project addresses flood protection in the San Jacinto River Watershed.

One goal: to anticipate peak water level in Lake Conroe during rainfall events based on:

Weather forecasts
Observed rainfall
Lake levels
Other data.

A second goal: to predict peak release rates of stormwater from Lake Conroe.

The SJRA says this will help improve communication with Offices of Emergency Management and the general public during rainfall events.

SJRA expects completion of the project by early spring 2021. The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) and SJRA have funded the project.

Ask Questions, Express Views

You can view and participate in the meeting remotely via the webinar link below to express your views of the Project.

Questions or requests for additional information about the SJRA Reservoir Forecasting Tool may be directed to Mr. Matt Barrett, P.E., Division Engineer, SJRA, 1577 Dam Site Road, Conroe, Montgomery County, Texas 77304, Tel. (936) 588-3111.

SJRA requests those who intend to express their views to contact Mr. Barrett either in writing or by telephone in advance of the meeting.

To Participate Via Webinar and/or Comment

Only those participating via Webinar using the GoToWebinar App will be able to provide comments during the meeting.

Webinar Link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5029250157384078351
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Please use Webinar ID: 372-655-099

To Participate Via Phone and Listen

If you choose to participate via conference call using the number below, you will NOT have the opportunity to provide comments during the designated portion of the meeting. The conference call phone number is provided for LISTENING PURPOSES ONLY.

Telephone conference call phone number: (562) 247-8321 and the audio access code is 150-445-802

Editorial Comment

I, for one, hope they use their new Reservoir Forecasting Tool to release floodwater at safe rates, although that was not explicitly stated in the SJRA press release on the meeting. Releasing at safer rates may mean releasing water earlier or holding it longer to flatten peaks. In my opinion, SJRA should hold floodwater as high as they safely can…as long as they safely can. I hope this new tool helps SJRA do that.

I’d rather see floodwater in Lake Conroe than in Kingwood’s Town Center.

*Kingwood Town Center Apartments after Lake Conroe Release*. *Yes, that’s the top of an SUV that failed to evacuate in time.*

Posted by Bob Rehak on September 9th, 2020

1107 Days since Hurricane Harvey

SJRA to Offer First Peak at Master Drainage Study Results Thursday Morning

Due to Covid, the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) Board of Directors will hold its regular board meeting via webinar Thursday morning. Start time is 8 a.m. One of the more interesting things on the agenda is a first peak at the San Jacinto River Basin Master Drainage Plan. Chuck Gilman, SJRA Director of Water Resources and Flood Management, says that Halff & Associates will provide a high level summary of the results and recommendations.

Master Drainage Plan Goals

The San Jacinto Regional Watershed Master Drainage Plan goals include:

Identifying the region’s vulnerabilities to ﬂood hazards using Atlas 14 rainfall totals
Developing approaches to enhance public information and ﬂood-level assessment capabilities during a ﬂood
Evaluating ﬂood mitigation strategies to improve community resilience
Providing a comprehensive Flood Mitigation Plan that supports the needs and objectives of each regional partner.

The study covers more than 3000 square miles!

The four partners in the project include Harris County Flood Control, SJRA, Montgomery County and City of Houston.

This web site explains the study in more detail, but not the results. At least not yet. The final report should be published in a month or two.

How to Attend the Virtual Meeting

You have to options to “attend” the meeting: webinar or telephone conference call.

For the webinar option, register to participate via this link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/487269876799947791. Please use Webinar ID: 375-802-867.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

If you choose to participate via the GoToWebinar App, you WILL have the opportunity to provide comments during the designated portion of the meeting.

You can also LISTEN to the meeting via a telephone conference call, but you will NOT have the opportunity to provide comments if you choose this option. Only webinar participants may comment.

Telephone conference call phone number: 415-655-0052 and the audio access code is 882-885-021.

AGENDA

These meetings can run several hours. For folks who may not be able to see the whole meeting, but want to see the drainage plan presentation, here’s the full agenda. SJRA can not predict when the master drainage plan presentation will start.

1. CALL TO ORDER

2. PUBLIC COMMENTS (3 minutes per speaker)

3. DIVISION UPDATES – Receive updates from Operational Divisions and General & Administration Division related to ongoing projects, staff reports, or items on the consent agenda.

G & A: Jace Houston, General Manager
G & A: Heather Ramsey Cook, Director of Communications and Public Affairs
G & A: Tom Michel, Director of Finance and Administration
Woodlands: Chris Meeks, Utility Enterprise O&M Manager
GRP: Chris Meeks, Utility Enterprise O&M Manager
Lake Conroe: Bret Raley, Lake Conroe Division Manager
Highlands: Jay Smith, Highlands Division Manager
Flood Management: Chuck Gilman, Director of Water Resources and Flood Management

4. CONSENT AGENDA – This agenda consists of ministerial or “housekeeping” items required by law, such as routine bids, contracts, purchases, resolutions, and orders; items previously approved by Board action, such as adoption of items that are part of an approved budget or capital improvement projects, interlocal agreements, or action which is required by law or delegated to the General Manager; and items of a non-controversial nature. These items will be considered by a single motion unless removed and placed on the Regular Agenda for individual consideration at the request of any Director.

G&A
RAW WATER ENTERPRISE

5. REGULAR AGENDA

Items requiring individual consideration by the Board of Directors.

G&A

Resolution Adopting Policies and Procedures Related to Contracting with Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs)

RAW WATER ENTERPRISE

Amended and Restated Water Conveyance Contract with Coastal Water Authority
Ratify Contract for Time and Materials Services with Masters Advanced Remediation Service, Inc.

6. BRIEFINGS AND PRESENTATIONS

Presentation regarding the San Jacinto Regional Watershed Master Drainage Plan Project.
Presentation regarding the Fiscal Year 2021 Operating Budgets.
Presentation regarding the proposed Rate Order for Raw Water Customers.
Presentation regarding the proposed Rate Order for Woodlands Division Customers.

7. EXECUTIVE SESSION (Not open to public)

Consultations with attorney regarding:

Litigation related to Hurricane Harvey, including additional legal services to be provided by Hunton Andrews Kurth, LLP;
Litigation related to GRP water line breaks (Line Segments W2A and W2B); and
Expedited Declaratory Judgement Act litigation and other litigation related to GRP.

8. RECONVENE in Open Session

9. SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT for Lawsuit with Various Parties Associated with GRP Transmission Line Segments W2A and W2B

10. ANNOUNCEMENTS / FUTURE AGENDA

11. ADJOURN

Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/22/2020

1058 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Details of SJRA Grant Application for Flood Early Warning System in San Jacinto county

The San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) has applied for a Flood Infrastructure Fund Grant from the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) to extend its Flood Early Warning System in San Jacinto county. The abridged grant application covers the cost of three new gages that would measure rainfall and flood height (but not flow rates). SJRA would install the gages on:

Winters Bayou at SH150
San Jacinto East Fork at FM945
Peach Creek at FM3081

Complement to Potential HCFCD

These gages would complement four others that Harris County Flood Control District is considering for San Jacinto county.

Winters Bayou at FM2693
East Fork at SH150
Winters Bayou at Tony Tap Road
East Fork at SH105

*Locations of potential SJRA and HCFCD gages in San Jacinto county*

HCFCD could display the information from both its own gages and SJRA gages on its Flood Warning System (FWS) website. The FWS site lets residents view data from all gages throughout the region in one location.

Gage Components and Communications Infrastructure

Equipment installed at each location would include break-away mounting pole, box enclosure with antenna mast, rain gage, river/stream stage sensor, and alert transmitter/sensors.

Components of the system susceptible to water damage would be installed above at least the 0.2% annual chance inundation level, based on Atlas 14 data.

SJRA would transmit data obtained from the gages to its ALERT2 network and display it on its Contrail system. This would let San Jacinto County staff and residents easily access and view the data at any time. These gages would become part of a growing regional network of gages.

Extent of Application

The grant application includes:

Verifying that signals can reach SJRA’s repeater tower in Montgomery County.
Site survey work at the proposed gage locations
Installation of the gages

San Jacinto county would provide ongoing maintenance after training by SJRA staff. That would include including twice-per-year inspection, periodic cleaning, and any required repairs or corrective maintenance.

Project Benefits

The intent of the Flood Early Warning System: to provide early warning to downstream residents, businesses, and property owners. The gages will also help county emergency personnel and responders protect life and personal property which can be moved to a safe location with adequate warning (vehicles, valuables, etc.).

The grant, says the SJRA, would benefit the entire population of San Jacinto County (27,819 in 2018). San Jacinto county lies between Cleveland and Lake Livingston.

Properties downstream of the gages would directly benefit by the proposed flood early warning system (FEWS). But other benefits would extend to the rest of the county. For example:

More time to evacuate in advance of a storm could reduce the burden on county-wide emergency services.
It could also give the county more time to close roads and tend to other needs during the event.

The gages could also benefit areas downstream of San Jacinto County. For instance, they could provide advance streamflow data to HCFCD.

Gages Located Near Habitual Road Closures

San Jacinto County says multiple major storms have impacted the areas downstream of the proposed gages, including Hurricanes Harvey, Rita, and Ike, as well as storms in 1994, 1998, 2015, and 2016. All caused road closures, high water rescues, etc. These have historically been low population areas, but are growing rapidly.

Additionally, the proposed gage at Peach Creek and FM 3081 could provide some benefits to a small area of Montgomery County, as Peach Creek runs along the county line between San Jacinto and Montgomery Counties. It is possible that some or all of the gaging equipment may be installed on the Montgomery County side of the county line, depending on site conditions.

Cost and Timing

SJRA anticipates the extension of its Flood Early Warning System can be completed in 18 months.

San Jacinto County participated in the process of developing this project. SJRA anticipates the total project will cost $65,000.

All applications for the TWDB Flood Infrastructure Fund Grants go through a two stage process. This abridged application is step one. If TDWB deems the project valuable enough, and if it has enough money, TDWB would invite SJRA to submit a more detailed application for step two.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/8/2020

1044 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Kingwood Residents Go One on One with Flood Experts; Huffman Up Next

Yesterday’s open house at the Kingwood Community Center seemed to be a hit. The SJRA, City of Houston, Harris County Flood Control and Montgomery County – all partners conducting the San Jacinto watershed study – had the subject-matter experts actually conducting the study there. The open house format gave residents a chance to interact with them one on one, tell their flood stories, and discuss possible mitigation scenarios.

Difference Between Listening and Learning

As one resident said, “I got more from 45 minutes here than a dozen town hall meetings.” I appreciate the town hall meetings, but he was right.

Quality one-on-one interaction made the difference between listening and learning.

I suspect the professionals there felt the same way. They came seeking input and they got it.

It felt like a collaboration, not a presentation.

For example, I got to quiz Adam Eaton, one of the engineers working to add more gates to the Lake Houston Dam. Finding hard information about this project has been difficult. But Mr. Eaton provided it. See budget, timeline and project milestones below.

*Budget, timeline and project milestones for Lake Houston Dam Spillway Improvement Project.*

Engineers hope to finish design and receive environmental approval by mid-2020. From there, TDEM and FEMA will review the plans and then hopefully release funds for construction. I asked Mr. Eaton whether there was a chance construction could NOT be approved. Answer: It’s possible, but very unlikely.

Details in Big Picture Context

I also talked at length with Matt Zeve, deputy executive director of Harris County Flood Control. Zeve, who has studied channel hydrology all his life, helped me understand why upstream communities don’t automatically benefit from projects that decrease downstream flood levels. He also helped me understand big picture issues, some of which weren’t even on my radar yet. For instance, how the extension of Highway 99 could affect flooding in Liberty County and on the East Fork twenty years from now.

David Parkhill, an author of the Brown & Root report published in 2000 was there, too. They called it a Regional Flood Protection Study back then. But it had the same objectives as the SJR Master Drainage Plan: to identify flood mitigation projects that will make a difference. Mr. Parkhill helped put the current effort in historical context. He was both fascinating and helpful!

Huffman Meeting on Thursday, 3-7:30 at May Community Center

If you missed the Kingwood meeting on Tuesday, I urge you to attend the Huffman meeting tomorrow. It will have all the same information and experts that the Kingwood meeting had. And it will be your last chance to visit an open house in this area until the next round of public comments next Spring.

The quality of input you give in this process will determine the quality of output you get.

Thursday, December 19, 2019
3:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
May Community Center
2100 Wolf Road
Huffman, Texas 77336

The open house will include information about the following projects, studies, and efforts:

San Jacinto Regional Watershed Master Drainage Plan
Kingwood Area Drainage Analysis
Huffman Area Drainage Analysis
Spring Creek Watershed Planning Study
Luce Bayou Watershed Planning Study
Willow Creek Watershed Planning Study
Jackson Bayou Watershed Planning Study
Cedar Bayou Tributary Analysis
SJRA-led Projects
City of Houston-led Projects
Harris County Permit Office
Harris County Engineering Department – Recovery and Resiliency Division
Hurricane Harvey Repair Efforts
Information about services provided by Harris County Flood Control District, Harris County and Montgomery County

The open house will last from 3:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The format lets attendees arrive and participate at their convenience. No formal presentation will be made.

Provide Input on Master Drainage Plan

You can comment on the plans at the meeting in Huffman and throughout the duration of the study.

If you can’t attend in person, mail comments to:

Harris County Flood Control District
9900 Northwest Freeway
Houston, Texas 77092
Attn: San Jacinto Regional Watershed Master Drainage Plan

Alternatively, you may submit comments online.

For more information about the San Jacinto Regional Watershed Master Drainage Plan, visit www.sanjacstudy.org.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/18/2019

841 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 90 since Imelda

SJRA Update, Upcoming Sunset Review and Enabling Legislation

Since Harvey, the Lake Houston Area has seen some huge changes for the better in the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA). When the Governor visited Kingwood and took a helicopter tour of the San Jacinto River basin after Harvey, he directed the SJRA to establish a flood mitigation division. He also appointed two directors from the Lake Houston area to ensure downstream representation on the SJRA board.

Many Improvements Since March 2018

Since then, Kaaren Cambio and Mark Micheletti, the two new directors from the Lake Houston area, have led the charge to lower Lake Conroe seasonally. This ensures a greater buffer against floods.

The effort paid off this year when heavy back-to-back-to-back rains in early May would have forced a large release from Lake Conroe had it not already been lowered. That release, added to already swollen tributaries, would almost certainly have threatened low lying homes and businesses.

The SJRA will again lower Lake Conroe during the peak of Hurricane season. Starting August 1, it will take Lake Conroe down one foot. Beginning August 15, they will take it down another foot until October 1.

The SJRA is also working with Harris County Flood Control to install more upstream gages and turn the Harris County Flood Warning System into a Regional Flood Warning System with customizable alerts. The goals: create more awareness of upstream dangers to give people more time to evacuate and save valuables in the event of a flood. Said another way, avoid middle-of-the-night surprises like we had during Harvey.

Finally, the SJRA is leading a joint river basin study that hopefully will lay the groundwork for additional upstream detention, more flood gates for Lake Houston, and an ongoing maintenance dredging program. So, many good things are happening.

Cambio’s Term Expiring

However, Cambio’s term on the board expires this year. She wants to stay in the position and I hope she does. Cambio has worked tirelessly to mitigate flooding on so many levels. Her position as a key staffer for Congressman Dan Crenshaw also makes her uniquely qualified to help coordinate efforts from Federal, State and local agencies. She deserves reappointment.

A reader asked whether there’s an opportunity to increase downstream representation on the SJRA board with more representatives like Cambio and Micheletti.

The answer is, “In the short term, no.” Cambio’s seat on the board is the only one up for renewal this year.

SJRA Sunset Review Coming Up

However, in two years, the entire SJRA will come under close scrutiny as part of a sunset review. A sunset review is an evaluation of the need for the continued existence of a program or an agency. It assesses their effectiveness and performance, and recommends either retaining, modifying, or terminating them.

The SJRA comes up for sunset review in the 2020-2021 cycle. Section 325.025 of the Texas Sunset Act mandates a review by September 1, 2021, and every twelfth year thereafter. See page 34 of the this PDF.

No one expects the SJRA to be terminated. But many other river authorities that have gone through the sunset review process, have had a complete overhaul, said one source who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The Sunset Commission has been brutal at times. For instance, between 2016 and 2017, the Commission reviewed four river authorities and noted:

“Sulpher River Basin Authority Board has not built the trust needed to effectively carry out its mission.”
“Central Colorado River Authority no longer serves a necessary public purpose.”
“Upper Colorado River Authority has not set priorities to ensure its operations meet changing local watershed needs.”
“Palo Duro River Authority of Texas lacks flexibility to adapt to changed local circumstances.”

Their report makes fascinating reading. One thing that became clear in scanning it is that, like most good performance reviews, the Commission judges performance against objectives. In the case of these Authorities, enabling legislation spells out the objectives.

Enabling Legislation Established SJRA Goals

That prompted me to review the enabling legislation for the SJRA. The sections discussing goals begin on page 2 of this PDF. I have summarized them below.

The state created the SJRA (originally called the San Jacinto River Conservation and Reclamation District) 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.

Section 3 starting on page 3 of the same PDF lays out additional goals. For instance, to:

Prevent the devastation of land from recurrent overflows.
Protect life and property.
Regulate the waters of the San Jacinto River and its tributaries.
Build dams and distribution networks that provide waters for cities, towns, irrigation, agriculture, commercial, industrial, mining and other beneficial uses.
Develop drainage systems that enable profitable agricultural production.
Conserve “soils against destructive erosion and thereby preventing the increased flood menace incident thereto.”
Forest and reforest the watershed to aid in the prevention of soil erosion and floods.
Encourage, aid, and protect navigation and harbor improvements.
Acquire land for parks and recreation, and to build park and recreational facilities thereon.
Dispose of sewage and industrial waste.
Construct, improve, maintain, operate and repair water and sewage plants and distribution networks.

How Would You Rate Performance against These Goals?

It seems to me that the SJRA does a great job at its basic mission. And they’re improving at flood mitigation. However, for decades, the SJRA ignored other crucial parts of its job description, including flood and erosion prevention; reforestation; parks and recreation; and navigation protection. In fairness, the Legislature never funded those mandates. The SJRA’s only income comes from the sale of water which it impounds.

Still, you would think somebody could pick up a phone and call the TCEQ for help with some of these things. For instance, sand mines along the banks of the river dump effluent and sediment directly into the drinking water supply for millions of people. It will be interesting to see what kind of changes the Texas Sunset Commission recommends when the SJRA comes up for review.

For an interesting history of the SJRA, see Chapter 4 of this doctoral dissertation by Andrew C. Baker at Rice University. It paints a fascinating picture of the problems the SJRA had in originally fulfilling its basic mission and how the SJRA overcame them with help from the City of Houston.

Note: For future reference, the SJRA enabling legislation has been added to the Reports page under the SJRA tab.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/23/2019

663 Days after Hurricane Harvey

SJRA Responds to Post about SB 2126 Opening Door to River Mining

Letter to the Editor

RE: “Caution: SB 2126 Opens Door to Sand Mining in Rivers”

Bob,

Thank you for your work with Reduce Flooding to raise awareness about flooding and flood-related issues since Hurricane Harvey. You have done a tremendous job of helping to educate the public on the causes of flooding and providing status updates on current and future flood-related projects and initiatives. Regarding your April 25 post titled ““Caution: SB 2126 Opens Door to Sand Mining in Rivers,” I want to clarify what SB 2126 is and what it is not.

Chuck Gilman, the author of this post, is
Director of Water Resources and Flood Management for the
San Jacinto River Authority

The concept behind SB 2126 is to create a proactive approach toward removing sediment from the river before it is deposited in Lake Houston. If you’ll recall the KBR report from 2000 noted “For long-term sediment management consideration, sedimentation basins, either on-channel or off-channel, are the most effective approach to minimizing sediment buildups and maintain the life of the channel conveyance.” That is what we are attempting to accomplish with this program.

The strategies and programs that could be implemented if SB 2126 is approved would not be river mining or dredging. Any kind of dredging (either hydraulic or mechanic) would be very limited in scope, allowing conservation and reclamation districts to restore conveyance in the rivers in a strategic location through small-scale, periodic, targeted removal of sediment in the river. This could be as large-scale as the current dredging project currently in progress, or as simple as the construction of sand traps that are dredged annually. Regardless, your point about oversight and management is well noted, and is a requirement for this program to be a success.

The San Jacinto River Authority has secured the support from the sand mining industry through the Texas Aggregates and Concrete Association to explore options to remove sand, gravel, shell, and other aggregates from the river—all without a cost to taxpayers. Ideally, the SJRA would be the public agency overseeing and managing the program, conducting the necessary studies, and coordinating with the appropriate state and federal agencies to determine where and how much material should be removed. Partners from the private sector could then remove the material as directed by SJRA.

After Hurricane Harvey, Governor Abbott tasked all of us with flood control and flood management. SB 2126 creates opportunities for public-private partnerships to help preserve the channel conveyance capacity of the San Jacinto River. As we know in the Lake Houston area, this sediment impedes the flow of storm water where the West Fork converges with Lake Houston.

Senator Creighton has led the effort to develop a flood resiliency funding bill in the Senate this legislative session (SB 7), and continues to seek other options to help create a regional flood management effort in the San Jacinto Basin. This bill would simply create another tool in our toolbox to help reduce potential flooding in the future.

As stewards of the San Jacinto River and its water supply, the SJRA supports Senator Creighton’s proactive approach to managing sediment in the river. We are trusted partners with the State of Texas, Harris County Flood Control District, and FEMA to execute $2.5B in flood control bond projects like the comprehensive San Jacinto Watershed Master Drainage Plan. We value our role as a community partner and appreciate the opportunity to further reduce the risk of flooding by providing oversight and management of this plan.

Chuck Gilman
Director of Water Resources and Flood Management
San Jacinto River Authority

For additional information on SJRA visit our website at www.sjra.netor like SJRA on Facebook
@SanJacintoRiverAuthority

Posted verbatim from SJRA letter by Chuck Gilman on 4/23/2019

602 Days since Hurricane Harvey