Posted on November 12, 2024
A 900,000 cubic yard, $34 million Lake Houston dredging program announced in late 2023 may still launch this year, according to District E Houston City Council Member Fred Flickinger. Reportedly contributing to delays according to sundry sources at different times and places:
- Floods in January and May that deposited additional sediment
- Hurricane Beryl cleanup
- The search for an optimal location to place the spoils
- Personnel and leadership turnover in Houston Public Works
- Possible changes in scope
Callan Marine has had their dredge, The General Pershing, docked on the San Jacinto West Fork south of the Forest Cove Pool since at least April 1 this year. Despite several delays, District E officials say the program should start in December.
Dredge pipe assembled and stockpiled opposite dredge on north side of river.
Program Announced in October 2023
At former Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martins October 2023 Town Hall Meeting, Steven Costello announced the objectives and scope of the dredging program.
The primary objective: to maximize storage recovery within Lake Houston’s conservation pool.
Area between FM1960 and Kings Point currently has one of the largest sediment build-ups.
Costello showed slides that projected the loss of 360-460 acre feet per year in the Lake. He also showed maps that showed where accumulated silt and sand intruded the most into the lake’s conservation pool. One of the worst areas was between FM1960 and the confluence of the East and West Forks south of Kings Point.
In the October 2023 town hall meeting, Costello also talked about beneficial secondary uses for the spoils. For instance:
Replenishing eroded farmland
Building the Ike Dike
Re-nourishing eroded beaches
Manufacturing concrete.
Mobilization and Delays
Costello, who was Mayor Sylvester Turner’s flood czar, left City employment after the change in administrations earlier this year.
Callan has also reportedly spent several months trying to identify the best location for disposal of the dredging spoils. Last week, they evidently reported to the City that they had purchased a site in Huffman.
Disposal of spoils is complex. It involves economic, environmental, floodplain, and operational issues. The closer to the operation, the better. That minimizes pumping costs.
But in licensing such sites, the Army Corps historically has expressed concern about sediment stored in a floodplain. They don’t want it to wash back into the lake. That could affect water quality and negate any benefit from dredging in terms of the lake’s storage volume.
Other possible delays included potential change in the scope of the project. Floods in January and May deposited additional sediment in Lake Houston and clogged the entries to stream/ditches that outfall into Lake Houston. For instance, the outfall of the Kingwood Diversion Ditch became almost totally blocked.
Because the cost of mobilizing a dredging program is large, it makes sense to do as much as possible while the dredge is here. The City applied for additional aid from FEMA but has not yet heard back yet.
Meanwhile, Callan’s dredge has remained idle for more than seven months. But City officials hope December could be the month when all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place.
Originally, Costello scheduled the project to last through November 2025.
