Tag Archive for: Zeve

Cambio, Zeve and Gilman Update Pachyderm Club on Lake Houston Area Flood Mitigation Efforts

Three local luminaries updated residents on the status of various flood mitigation issues and projects Monday night at the March meeting of the Lake Houston Pachyderm Club.

  • Kaaren Cambio, is the field representative for Congressman Dan Crenshaw and a board director for the SJRA.
  • Matt Zeve is the Deputy Executive Director for the Harris County Flood Control District. His team is responsible for managing $2.5 billion dollars worth of projects approved last year as part of the Harris County Flood Bond.
  • Chuck Gilman is the Director of Flood Management with the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA).

Each talked for about 20 minutes.

HUD Homeowner-Grant Update

Cambio explained the holdup for homeowners who may have recently applied for HUD grants from funds that became available in January. Grant restrictions require that at least 70 percent of the money goes to people with low to moderate incomes (LMI). But not enough LMI households have applied yet to reach the 70% goal. As a consequence, applications for the other 30% are being held up.” If you think you may be eligible for assistance, but have not yet applied, check out the State of Texas General Land Office’s Recover Texas website. This will help point you in the right direction no matter where you live.

Mouth Bar Dredging

Cambio also addressed the FEMA/Army Corps Dredging Project on the West Fork and the possibility of extending it to the mouth bar. Cambio said the City has not yet refiled a permit request for long-term storage of the spoils. The original permit request last April was reportedly kicked back. The Corps required more information about the volume of sand to be removed from the mouth bar and the method of storage. The landowner was invited to refile when the information about the volume of sand due to Harvey was determined. However, Tetra Tech has not yet supplied the City with the results of its core sampling study. So the permit request has not yet been refiled and the entire project is at a standstill. “The Corps is still waiting on the permit application,” said Cambio.

Stephen Costello, the mayor’s flood czar did not return inquiries about the delays. In mid-January, he said that he expected results by the end of that month. In the meantime, two local geologists developed a reliable way to estimate the volume without core sampling.

The giant sand bar at the mouth of the West Fork that is backing water up throughout the Humble/Kingwood area during floods.

Dam Gates and Upstream Detention

Cambio also briefly addressed upstream detention and additional gates for the Lake Houston Dam. “Future projects are determined by the watershed studies that are underway,” she said. “Those projects need to be based on knowledge. Potential upstream detention is something we are hopeful for. But we need the San Jacinto River Basin STUDY currently underway to make sure we do the right projects in the right places. We need to base the study on projected development for the next 50 years.”

“Dam gates could be done with HUD CDBG-DR money if the rules allow. But we don’t have HUD requirements yet for how the money can be spent. We also don’t have the permits required.”

Flood Bond Project Prioritization

Matt Zeve addressed several misperceptions regarding project prioritization for flood bond projects. He emphasized that:

  • No projects are being eliminated, and in fact, some may be added.
  • The county is not shifting money from rich areas to poor.
  • LMI data is no longer part of the formula being used to determine which projects kick off first.

“The worst projects will be handled first.” Zeve then went on to define how he defined worst. He used the example of homes that experienced a 100-year level of flooding on a two -year rain. Compared to a neighborhood that experienced a 100-year level of flooding on a 50-year rain, the area that flooded on the smaller rain would be handled first.

To see the current formula for prioritizing projects, see the HCFCD website.

More Than Half of Flood Bond Projects Already Started

Zeve also emphasized that 134 out of the 237 projects in the flood bond have already started and that they are broadly distributed throughout the county. He said the county is “looking far beyond Harvey” with the flood bond money. He’s addressing projects that were needed before Harvey as well as projects that will help with future floods still decades away.

Zeve stated that the bond fund contains money set aside to help fund gates once they are designed. (Editorial comment: …assuming that the San Jacinto River Basin study determines they are needed.)

Huffman-Area Drainage Survey Kicking Off

Finally, Zeve addressed a study being kicked off in the Huffman area.  It was approved in November 2018, The project will include an engineering investigation into the sources of flooding and offer options for reducing flood damages. Here is a link to the scope of work document. To view the entire scope, click here.

Seasonal Lowering of Lake Conroe

Gilman said that the SJRA board voted for the seasonal lowering of Lake Conroe again this year. He explained how that should help mitigate flooding somewhat until other mitigation measures can be put in place. For details of how the plan works, click here.

He also discussed four key pieces of legislation. SB7 and HB13 which would establish resiliency funds to help jumpstart mitigation projects in the future. Case in point: it took FEMA almost a year to approve a $2 million watershed study that could affect additional dredging, detention and gates. The project is just now kicking off and will take another year to 18 months to complete.

I previously reported on SB7 when it was called SB695. The bill was renumbered when it became one of the Lieutenant Governor’s Top Twenty picks for this legislative session, according to Cambio. That greatly enhances its chances of success. HB13 is a comparable house bill, currently in the Natural Resources committee. If both pass, they would go to a conference committee to iron out differences.

Here is the current text of SB7 and a legislative summary of the bill. The Water and Rural Affairs committee heard testimony on it yesterday.

Gilman also urged the public to support SB6. It relates to emergency and disaster management, response, and recovery. SB8 relates to state and regional flood planning.

The Pachyderm Club plans to have another flood-related meeting in May. It will feature Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle addressing readiness for hurricane season which starts on June 1. Most hurricanes that make landfall in Texas occur in August and September with the statistical peak occurring on September 11. But it’s never too early to get those hurricane kits ready.

Major Unanswered Questions Remain

All in all, there was a lot of encouraging news last night. But…

Like a lot of things related to flood mitigation, the more you know, the more questions you have. For instance, why hasn’t Tetra Tech collected the mouth bar core samples that Costello says are so crucial? How will that affect $18 million in remobilization fees if the Corps leaves the river before the mouth bar project is approved? $18 million could go a long way toward dredging the mouth bar. This is far from pocket change. It’s major bank. Taxpayers deserve to know.

To See Video of Meeting

The Pachyderm Club streamed the video of their meeting. To view it, click here. The HCFCD portion begins at the 30:20 mark on the video. SJRA begins at 42:00.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/12/2019

560 Days after Hurricane Harvey

New Edgewater Park: First Good Thing to Come Out of Harvey

Until now, any good news coming out of Harvey has had to do with mitigation or restoration – preventing future flooding or getting things back to the way they were. Here’s the first story about creating something new out of Harvey’s wreckage that will go far beyond what we had, improve the entire Lake Houston area, and benefit the entire county.

Harris County has bought four parcels of land for a 90-acre park at Hamblen Road and Loop 494. The new Edgewater Park will be built around an old, defunct private park on the San Jacinto River near U.S. 59 that went by the same name. However, the new Edgewater Park will cover much more area, include many new amenities, and be a gateway to new recreational opportunities.

Tentative plans for a new Edgewater Park at Hamblen Road and Loop 494

Features of the new Edgewater Park

According to Dennis Johnston, County Precinct 4 Parks Director, the park will contain nature trails, picnic areas, a playground, rest rooms, an office and a boat ramp among many other features. From the park near U.S. 59, boaters will be able to put their boats, kayaks and canoes into the West Fork.

“There are currently no public boat ramps in that area along the San Jacinto River,” says Johnston. “Edgewater Park will provide residents access to a brand new, doublewide concrete boat launch.”

Hopefully, by the time the park opens, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will have completed dredging that reach of the San Jacinto River. From Edgewater Park, boaters will be able to explore Spring Creek, Lake Houston, and the East Fork as well as connecting creeks and bayous.

City of Houston Chief Resiliency Officer Stephen Costello announced at the Kingwood Town Hall meeting on October 9, 2018, that the City hopes to eventually dredge the entire West Fork between 59 and Lake Houston.

New Trailhead for Spring Creek Greenway

The park will also form the new trailhead for the Spring Creek Greenway, a network of hike and bike trails that will eventually connect the Woodlands and Kingwood. Just last week, Harris County Precinct 4 finished the last connection between U.S. 59 and I-45.

The most recent iteration of the Edgewater Park plans shows a re-routing of Hamblen Road, but that is far from certain at this point. Feasibility depends on approval of a grant request by the county’s Transportation Enhancement Program.

Johnston also said that he hopes to establish a bike rental program at the Townsend Park ‘n Ride and a connector trail between the Park ‘n Ride and the Greenway. “That would enable people from the City to take buses or cars out to Humble on weekends when the Park ‘n Ride isn’t being used and make use of the Spring Creek Greenway,” said Johnston.

Connection to Kingwood Trail Network

Plans also indicate a possible connection to Kingwood’s trail network. However, the Houston Parks Board, not the County, is working on that portion of the project as part of their Bayou Greenways 2020 program.

Harris County is currently buying out properties that have repeatedly flooded between Hamblen Road and the river. For instance, the County has already initiated a five-phase buyout program for the townhome/apartments along Marina Drive in Forest Cove that were destroyed in Harvey. The county expects to close on many of those properties soon.

Matt Zeve, Deputy Executive Director of the Harris County Flood Control District, said, “The apartments will either become parkland or be planted with native vegetation and allowed to go back to nature and function as a floodplain.”

Forest Cove Townhome destroyed by Harvey.

Timetable for Edgewater Park Development

Harris County’s web site says that Phase I of the Edgewater project (south of Hamblen) will begin in mid-2019. It will include the boat launch, parking lots, entry roads, rest rooms, a concession stand, park lighting, a fish-cleaning station, concrete picnic tables and trail access to the Spring Creek Greenway.

Phase II of the project (north of Hamblen), including the possible re-routing of Hamblen itself), will begin later. Phase II includes development of a trail system that will highlight interesting natural features of the ecosystem, including cypress ponds, with interpretative stops and signage along the trail.

“The park will be fully staffed and maintained by Precinct 4 and patrolled by constable park deputies. Edgewater Park will be an important anchor park for the Spring Creek Greenway and a day-use park that residents of all ages can enjoy,” Johnston says.

“If Hamblen is re-routed, it will NOT affect the cypress ponds.” The ponds are one of the signature features of the area and a natural treasure that the county is preserving. “The floodplain forest of Edgewater Park is a varied habitat with beautiful Texas red yucca shrubs, bluejack oaks, and old cypress trees,” says Johnston.

When asked when construction could begin, Johnston replied, “It depends on when our grant application to Texas Parks and Wildlife is processed. We should hear by February of 2019, but Parks and Wildlife sometimes approves grants and releases money months later. As a result, our construction could begin as early as May of 2019 or as late as January of 2020.

Harris County Precinct 4 is already fencing off Edgewater Park in preparation for construction.

“In the meantime, we are fencing off the area.  Architects have already been hired. Design work is in progress. We have wetlands and archeology studies to perform. We’re not wasting time,” says Johnston.

Parks Role in Reducing Flooding

By preserving this area as green space, the county will reduce the risk of flooding. Green spaces absorb more water than developed areas during rainfalls. They also slow the rate of runoff. “The ground acts as a sponge,” Johnston says.

Posted on October 18, 2018 by Bob Rehak

415 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Report on September Meeting of Lake Houston Area Grassroots Flood Prevention Initiative

Matt Zeve, Bill Fowler and I each made presentations at the Lake Houston Area Grassroots Flood Prevention initiative this evening.

Zeve Addresses Flood Bond and Flood Map Updates

Zeve, Director of Operations for Harris County Flood Control District spoke about the recently approved $2.5 billion Harris County Flood Bond and updates to flood maps. He indicated that timetables for projects should be completed within the next several weeks. He also indicated that the county has already approved drainage work in Huffman and fielded numerous questions from the audience about Taylor Gully, Ben’s Branch, upstream detention and more. Zeve expects flood maps to be updated in 2021 and stated that mitigation efforts could affect those, but that homeowners will have a chance to appeal them.

Rehak Presents Updates on Dredging, The Mouth Bar and Sand Mining

Bob Rehak updated residents on .Dredging, The Mouth Bar and Sand Mining. Dredging, he says, officially started today though not in the way that some expected. The first of two dredges launched today, a 270-ton diesel powered dredge. The launch had been delayed by a key part that had to be remanufactured and reshipped, then inclement weather. The tall construction cranes had to shut down every time lightning was heard in the area because they act like lightning rods. When the dredge finally started making it’s way downriver today, a mechanical dredge had to clear the way. The river was 18 inches deep in places but the dredge draws 3.5 feet of water. That’s how bad the sedimentation was; we needed a dredge for the dredge.

Dredging will take place to the left of the white line, but not to the right. Chimichurri’s in Kings Harbor is the dividing line. Those thousands of numbers on the image represent survey points by the Army Corps Average depth around the mouth bar is 1-3 feet. Max depth is 5 feet in some cross sections. Water will actually have to flow uphill about 40 feet to get past the mouth bar.

Dredging will start near Chimichurri’s just east of West Lake Houston Parkway. The Corps and Great Lakes will then work their way back toward River Grove Park. They expect to finish dredging by April 1, next year. Demobilization could take until early May.

Rehak also addressed the issue of the mouth bar and updated residents on political efforts by City, County, State and Federal officials to jumpstart the next phase of dredging before this one ends so that $18 million in mobilization and demobilization fees do not have to be duplicated for a second job. No plans have gelled yet, but Houston City Council Member Dave Martin may have an announcement to make at his Town Hall Meeting on October 9.

The final part of Rehak’s presentation addressed efforts to reduce sedimentation at its source to reduce the cost of dredging over the long run. Potential solutions include upstream detention, sand traps, and legislation or regulation that changes the way sand mines operate. Rehak specifically mentioned that moving sand mines out of the floodway would solve a host of problems.

Grassroots Co-Chair Clarifies Lake-Lowering Policies, Floodgate Possibilities, and Need for Flood Insurance

Bill Fowler, co-chair of the Lake Houston Area Grassroots Flood Prevention Initiative, opened the meeting by updating the community on policies to coordinate the lowering of Lake Conroe and Lake Houston to provide residents with extra protection from flooding when severe weather is expected. Fowler also gave an update on additional flood gates for Lake Houston. Then he discussed flood insurance and the related issue of redrawing flood plain maps which Harvey made obsolete. Copies of Fowler’s presentations can be found here.

Zeve did not work from a presentation. His remarks were supported by material from the Harris County Flood Control District website. He did, however, specifically urge residents to review the ever expanding Kingwood section of the site.

Diverse Audience of Approximately 200

Approximately 200 residents attended the meeting. Surprisingly, about a third of those did not flood during Harvey. The large turnout by non-flooded residents may have had to do with the flood insurance theme. Fowler emphasized that everyone needs flood insurance;

45 percent of the people who flooded in Harvey were outside of the 500-year flood plain and 64% of those did not have flood insurance.

Thanks to Volunteers

Many thanks to Dianne Lansden, also a co-chair for the Lake Houston Area Grassroots Flood Prevention Initiative for coordinating the meeting; Fran Barrack for refreshments and Bill McCabe for sign ins.

Posted by Bob Rehak on September 18, 2018

385 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Reminder: Monday Night Meeting of Grassroots Flood Prevention Initiative

The next meeting of the Lake Houston Area Grassroots Flood Prevention initiative will be Monday night, 6:30pm, at the Kingwood Community Center.

Matt Zeve, Deputy Executive Director for the Harris County Flood Control District, will discuss Lake Houston area projects approved in the recent County Flood Bond. Zeve will also address planned updates to Flood Plain Maps. The new maps could lead to increases in flood insurance rates and affect your home’s market value.

Meeting Specifics

  • Date: September 17, 2018
  • Time: 6:30 – 8:30
  • Place: Kingwood Community Center
  • Address: 4102 Rustic Woods, Kingwood

Matt Zeve. Director of Operations for Harris County Flood Control District

About Matt Zeve

Zeve is the Deputy Executive Director for the Harris County Flood Control District. He will be one of the people primarily responsible for planning and implementing the projects covered by the recently approved $2.5 billion Flood Bond program..

His work will affect 4.5 million people in Harris County, including the City of Houston.  The District has jurisdiction over the primary stormwater facilities in the county, which consist of about 1,500 channels, totaling 2,500 miles in length, as well as more than 60 regional stormwater detention basins and a 2.5-square mile wetlands mitigation bank.

After graduating from Texas A&M University with Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering, Zeve successfully practiced engineering as a consultant in the private sector before joining the Harris County Flood Control District in November, 2015. He has spent his entire professional career working on drainage projects primarily in the Houston Metropolitan area.

Updates on Other Flood Issues

Additionally, Grass Roots leaders will update the community on other issues affecting the potential for flooding in the Lake Houston Area, such as additional flood gates for Lake Houston, dredging, sand mines, lowering of Lakes Conroe and Houston, and more.

If you have specific questions or concerns, please email them ahead of time so the group can prepare to address them. Send suggestions to: Bill Fowler, co-chair of the Grass Roots Initiative at txwil43@yahoo.com.

Spread the Word

Please forward this page t0 everyone you know in our area.  Flood prevention impacts the peace of mind and economic well-being of everyone.

 

Posted September 16, 2018 by Bob Rehak

383 Days since Hurricane Harvey

 

 

Mark Your Calendar: Flood Control Director to Address Kingwood Issues on September 17

Matt Zeve, Deputy Executive Director for the Harris County Flood Control District, will discuss Lake Houston area projects approved in the recent County Flood Bond at a meeting of the Lake Houston Area Grassroots Flood Prevention Initiative on September 17. Zeve will also address updates to Flood Plain Maps. The new maps could lead to increases in flood insurance rates and affect your home’s market value.

Meeting Specifics

  • Date: September 17, 2018
  • Time: 6:30 – 8:30
  • Place: Kingwood Community Center
  • Address: 4102 Rustic Woods, Kingwood

Matt Zeve. Director of Operations for Harris County Flood Control District

About Matt Zeve

Zeve is the Deputy Executive Director for the Harris County Flood Control District. Under his direction, the District carries out its mission to devise countywide flood damage reduction plans, implement those plans, and maintain the infrastructure.

That mission is executed in the third most populated county in the United States, with a population in excess of 4.5 million, which includes the City of Houston, the nation’s fourth largest city.  The District has jurisdiction over the primary stormwater facilities in the county, which consist of about 1,500 channels, totaling 2,500 miles in length, as well as more than 60 regional stormwater detention basins and a 2.5-square mile wetlands mitigation bank.

After graduating from Texas A&M University with Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering, Zeve successfully practiced engineering as a consultant in the private sector before joining the Harris County Flood Control District in November, 2015. He has spent his entire professional career working on drainage projects primarily in the Houston Metropolitan area.

Updates on Other Flood Issues

Additionally, Grass Roots leaders will update the community on other issues affecting the potential for flooding in the Lake Houston Area.

Help Shape Agenda

If you have specific questions or concerns, please email them ahead of time so the group can prepare to address them. Send suggestions to: Bill Fowler, co-chair of the Grass Roots Initiative at txwil43@yahoo.com.

Spread the Word

Please forward this page t0 everyone you know in our area.  Flood prevention impacts the peace of mind and economic well-being of everyone.

 

Posted September 7, 2018 by Bob Rehak

374 Days since Hurricane Harvey