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August 3, 2018

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The San Jacinto River Authority and the City of Houston have teamed up to implement flood mitigation strategies that will help prevent future flooding in HD 127. You can read the information below from both organizations to learn more specifics about the efforts in the area, including the lowering of Lake Conroe and a pre-release strategy for Lake Houston.

Please remember that the Harris County Flood Control District bond election is coming up. On August 25, one year from the landfall of Hurricane Harvey, we will head to the polls to vote on the bond. Below, you will find information about the upcoming election and proposed projects. Early voting begins next Wednesday, August 8, so be sure to get out there and vote early!

Additionally, I am pleased the the Texas Education Agency has provided accountability waivers to over 100 school districts that were affected by Hurricane Harvey. During this historic event, our school districts provided shelter, transportation, and resources to those who needed it. I am grateful that these efforts are being reflected in the accountability system for this past year.

As summer winds down, I hope that you and your family are staying cool and enjoying some time together. As always, if you need anything, please free free to reach out to my Capitol or District offices. Someone will always be there and will be happy to assist you.

Have a great weekend!

Sincerely, 
August 2018 Calendar


Download my August 2018 calendar by clicking the link below. This month is full of events in and around Texas that could fun or useful to you and your family! This new format allows you to save the document for printing or sending to your family members.
Hurricane Harvey Updates
Lake Conroe and Lake Houston Temporary Flood Mitigation
Lake Houston and Lake Conroe were built as and remain important parts of the City's drinking water system. Over 4 million Houstonians and residents in the greater Houston region rely on water provided by the City of Houston.

Hurricane Harvey deposited tremendous amounts of silt in the West Fork of the San Jacinto River. The silt physically changed the river’s ability to safely pass water flows during storms and created need for a significant dredging project to restore the river’s capacity.

The City of Houston, in partnership with the Coastal Water Authority, operates Lake Houston. The San Jacinto River Authority operates Lake Conroe. Together we have developed a temporary Joint Reservoir Operations Plan which will be in place until the US Army Corp of Engineers dredging project on the lower West Fork of the San Jacinto River is complete. The project is scheduled to begin this month and may take up to three years to complete.

The lakes will be operated with two different strategies.
 
LAKE CONROE
Lake Conroe is located upstream from Lake Houston and pre-releases before a storm run the risk of pushing water into Lake Houston, which is not desirable. Therefore, the San Jacinto River Authority will conduct temporary seasonal lowering of Lake Conroe. Lake Conroe has a normal water level of 201 feet. 

Apr 1 – May 31 Lake Conroe will be reduced and maintained at 200 feet.

Aug 1 – Sep 30 Lake Conroe will be reduced and maintained at 199 feet.

After each temporary seasonal lowering, Lake Conroe will be restored to normal water level.

LAKE HOUSTON
Lake Houston, as the lowest lake on the river system, will be operated using a pre-release approach. Coastal Water Authority will conduct pre-storm releases from Lake Houston. Lake Houston has a normal pool elevation of 42.5 feet.

If the National Weather Service predicts greater than 3 inches of rain within the San Jacinto River basin in a 48-hour period, Coastal Water Authority will lower Lake Houston to 41.5 feet.

To track lake levels visit:

Lake Conroe - www.sjra.net

FAQ From SJRA Regarding the Above Flood Mitigation Strategy
This is a TEMPORARY strategy and is intended to provide flood mitigation while the US Army Corp of Engineers’ emergency dredging project is completed. The USACE’s dredging contractor began mobilizing this month (July 2018), and the current ESTIMATE is that the dredging project will be completed in nine months.

The mitigation benefit during a major flood event is somewhat limited (due to (i) Lake Conroe’s small contribution to the overall watershed, and (ii) the small impact on our overall releases); but SJRA and the City of Houston were asked by numerous community leaders to come up with a way to mitigate smaller storms while dredging is completed.

SJRA and downstream communities realize and appreciate the negative impact that this creates around Lake Conroe, but they are asking for patience for a short period of time while the emergency condition in the West Fork is remedied.

1. Has the temporary strategy for Lake Conroe and Lake Houston been finally approved by all the necessary parties?

  • Yes. Both the SJRA and the City of Houston have considered and approved the proposed strategy.
  • SJRA and the COH requested an opinion from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to determine how releases would be treated for purposes of water rights accounting. On Friday, June 15, TCEQ answered that the state would use “enforcement discretion” if releases caused SJRA or the COH to exceed their annual permits.
  • The final terms were agreed to on July 26, 2018.

2. What exactly is the temporary proposal for Lake Conroe?

  • a. As a point of reference, the normal pool level of Lake Conroe is 201’ msl.
  • b. Spring season – April 1 through May 31.
  • Starting on April 1, SJRA will gradually reduce to and maintain the level of Lake Conroe at 200’ msl (one foot below normal pool).
  • iStarting on June 1, SJRA will begin to capture flows to restore normal lake elevation.
  • c. Fall season – August 1 through September 30.
  • Starting on August 1, SJRA will gradually reduce the level of Lake Conroe with a goal of reaching 200’ msl (one foot below normal pool) by August 15.
  • After August 15, SJRA will continue gradually lowering the level of Lake Conroe with a goal of reaching (and maintaining) 199’ msl (two feet below normal pool) by August 31. 
  • Starting October 1, SJRA will begin to capture flows to restore normal lake elevation. d. If the lake level has already dropped to the target elevation just due to evaporation, no releases would be made. e. If a storm enters the forecast while seasonal releases are being made to lower the lake level, such releases would be stopped and the river allowed to drain out until rainfall is out of the forecast.

3. When would the lake lowering strategy end?

  • The intent of the proposal is to provide a near-term, flood mitigation benefit while the USACE dredging project on the lower West Fork is completed.
  • The USACE dredging project is currently scheduled to be completed in the Spring of 2019.
  • The SJRA board’s proposal stated that the lake lowering strategy would be reviewed annually at the February board meeting and must be renewed by a vote of the Board in order to extend it for another year. 

4. Why does the proposed strategy for Lake Conroe not involve the pre-release of water before a storm event?

  • Release of water from Lake Conroe prior to a storm would put flows into the San Jacinto River and Lake Houston potentially exacerbating downstream flooding. Weather forecasts are simply not accurate enough to risk pre-releasing water, which presaturates and pre-fills downstream basins.
  • Staff from the City of Houston, the Coastal Water Authority, and the Harris County Flood Control District have expressed their desire to not pre-fill the river and Lake Houston prior to a storm with water released from Lake Conroe.
  • Lake Conroe is located in the upper basin where it makes sense to retain flood waters to the extent possible.

5. What exactly is the temporary proposal for Lake Houston?

  • If the forecast calls for greater than three inches of rainfall in the Lake Houston basin within 48 hours, the COH will lower the Lake Houston water level by one foot prior to the storm.
  • This pre-release strategy is considered appropriate for Lake Houston because of its close proximity to Galveston Bay and the absence of populated areas in the areas downstream of the dam
Stormy Weather Can Develop Rapidly During the Summer 
Harris County Offers Safety Tips
High humidity and warm temperatures in our region are key ingredients for severe weather during the summer months. According to the National Weather Service, the biggest threats associated with most thunderstorms are lighting and flash floods. The Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management (HCOHSEM) offers the following safety tips to stay safe this summer.
 
During thunder and lightning
  • When thunder roars, go indoors. Find a safe, enclosed shelter.
  • The main lightning safety guide is the 30-30 rule. After you see lightning, start counting to 30. If you hear thunder before you reach 30, go indoors. Suspend activities for at least 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder.
  • If no shelter is available, crouch low, with as little of your body touching the ground as possible. Lightning causes electric currents along the top of the ground that can be deadly from over 100 feet away.
  • Stay away from concrete floors or walls. Lightning can travel through any metal wires or bars in concrete walls or flooring.
  • Do not seek shelter under a tree or near tall objects. Lightning will search for the tallest point in an area to strike.
  • Finally, do not go near any bodies of water, such as a pond, lake, swimming pool or the beach.
 
During a flash flood
  • Monitor weather conditions.
  • If flooding begins in your area, go to higher ground immediately.
  • When driving, always be aware that the road bed under flood waters may be severely damaged. NEVER drive through flooded roadways. Remember that it takes only two feet of water to carry away a vehicle, including pickups and SUVs.
  • When walking, do not attempt to cross flowing streams. Remember that it takes only six inches of rushing water to knock an adult off his feet.
  • If your vehicle stalls, get out immediately and go to higher ground.
  • Be extra cautious at night, when it is harder to see possible flood dangers.
  • These four words could save your life: TURN AROUND, DON’T DROWN.
 
Prepare in advance of a storm. Download the Ready Harris App or go to www.readyharris.org to sign up to receive updates on local weather conditions and to get help creating an emergency plan. You can also follow HCOHSEM on Twitter and Facebook.
Harris County Flood Control District Bond Election
Early Voting Begins Aug. 8 - Election Day Aug. 25
The Harris County Flood Control District (HCFD) Bond election is taking place on August 25, 2018. The County has identified more than 150 potential projects as candidates for bond funding, organized by watershed. Per the Harris County Flood Control website "if voters approve the bonds, the bonds would be sold in increments over at least 10-15 years, as needed for the multiple phases of each project. The actual timing of individual projects will depend on a variety of factors including environmental permitting and right-of-way acquisition. Projects will be authorized individually for funding by Commissioners Court, based on recommendations by the Flood Control District."

Early voting begins next Wednesday, August 8, 2018.

You can find more information about the projects, as well as an interactive map of the area here. On the map, you will see purple asterisks. These symbols indicate projects that were the direct result of the community input that was offered during the community meetings with HCFD.

In order to familiarize yourself with the bond language, I would encourage you to look at the specific language here.


Hurricane Harvey Recovery - By the Numbers
Updates from HD 127
Harris County Fire Marshal NFPA3000
Updates from Austin
Texas Education Agency
100+ districts eligible for Harvey Accountability Waiver

Based on data reported to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) during the past school year, 109 independent school districts and charter districts directly affected by Hurricane Harvey are eligible for special evaluation...

Read more
tea.texas.gov
Texas Comptroller
State Sales Tax Revenue Totaled $2.74 Billion in July

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar today said state sales tax revenue totaled $2.74 billion in July, 6.9 percent more than in July 2017. "Sales tax receipts from almost all major economic sectors were up compared with last year,” Hegar said.

Read more
comptroller.texas.gov
Constituent Resources
Need Assistance?
Our office is always ready to assist you. Call or email us and we will do our best to help. Many State Agencies also have hotlines or citizen assistance offices to assist you. That contact information is available at this link, in alphabetical order: 

Live Updates
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Contact Information
State Representative
Dan Huberty

Casey Christman
Chief of Staff

Molly Spratt
Legislative Director

Abby Caldwell
District Intern

Jillian Swets
Capitol Intern

Capitol Physical Address:
1100 Congress Avenue E2.408 Austin, TX 78701

Capitol Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 2910 
Austin, TX 78768 

Capitol Phone:
(512) 463-0520

Capitol Fax:
(512) 463-1606
District Address: 
4501 Magnolia Cove
 Suite 201
Kingwood, TX 77345

District Phone:
(281) 360-9410
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