The flooding issues, especially those in 1500-1900 blocks of Chisholm Trail, Stage Coach, and Old Mill Creek Drive are not taken lightly. The pictures below will show you four causes, the potential solutions and the unintended consequences of the solutions.
The four causes are in no particular order. They are each a major cause.
Cause #1
Taken with telephoto lens. There are large field on the west and east side of high school which slope toward Salado. Large amounts of rain run from these fields.
The water off these fields run to this short road that connects 2484 with the frontage road. It is runs behind Kindell's Vet business. There are ditches on either side that carries water. The one on the left where the marker is placed is a culvert that carries the water under the road. The ditch on the right also carries water and joins the water coming under the road.
This is the east side of the culvert that carries the water from the west side. The road is the same road as the above picture.
This culvert receives the water and channels it under the frontage road.
Water from under the frontage road is channeled to this culvert under I-35.
Coming out of the culvert underneath the I-35, the water enters this creek. There is a blue building business to the right and a large lot and a white house to the left. This creek empties into Stagecoach circle. Notice the color of the water. Also, the brush is terrible but without it, flooding would be worst down stream. This creek is not in the Village city limits. As you will see, to fix one cause of flooding will cause more problems for residents down stream. And much of the development that receives the water was built in the hundred year flood plain.
The same creek on its way to Stagecoach circle. See the color of the water.
This water is next to the house on the right. Notice the color of the water. Same color as the above pictures. To clean the creek which flows through county land, will cause a greater problem as more water reaches this point.
Same creek in the pictures above joining the large ditch filling. The larger ditch carries access water from the detention pond on Hidden Glenn property. Together, they flow into the one outlet of water. See the picture below.
The culvert at the top of the picture carries the water under the road side of Stage coach road. When the culvert cannot carry the water it overflows across the road.
The water travels through channels and culverts. When the ditches are cleaned, the water travels at a faster rate down stream cause flooding in those areas. To fix one problem creates another problem.
Soccer Field behind Chisholm residents. There is a small channel that fills with water. It is also partially filled with dirt. Water, taking the path of least resistance, will run out the channel and through the back and front yards of residents. There are two problems (1) the people who own the land will not allow the channel to be cleaned which requires the removal of about 4 inches of dirt in the channel. This removal of dirt will be required at least once a year. (2) When the dirt is removed, the flooding will shift to another area down stream causing problems.
Cause Two
The detention pond on Hidden Glenn property. When the rain filled the pond it raised the black pipes or culverts to the point that it broke the connecting joint at the far end of the black pipes. That is why the water is still running out of the pipes when the pipes are way above the water level. Hidden Glenn is aware of this problem and has agreed to fix it. They are also working on land escaping required to control the run-off into the detention/retention pond.
Cause three
A drive way to one of the houses on Mill Creek Drive along with a resident. There is no culvert or ditch to carry the carry water. See the picture below.
The developer did not put culverts on the east end of Mill Creek Drive.
No culvert to the east (right) of the driveway, ditches with filled with dirt, and culverts not kept clean.
One other problem -- different sizes of culverts. The smaller the culvert, the easier it is to become blocked stopping the flow of water.
Cause Four
Water comes from other I-35 near the library and enters into the channel below.
The row of rocks is a silt catcher which is too small to catch much silt in a large rain.
The channel in the above pictures flows under Mill Creek Drive and and Salado Creek Drive and joins a creek that runs through the Van Bibber neighborhood. It crosses over the new development and continues across to a Mill Creek that runs through Mill Creek.
Possible Solutions
Without making excuses, the solutions are difficult because (1) much of this area is in a flood plain. (2) cleaning ditches requires special equipment which the Village does not own nor have the personnel and expertise to use the equipment. (3) Right aways and permission from home owners must be acquired. A few have already said, "No." (4) Helping eliminate one problem creates more problems down stream. (5) Any solution will require constant maintenance, more people, and money.
1. Our Village Maintenance Person (the only one we have) and Shane, our Fire Chief have examined the ditches can clean some with the tractor the Village owns. They are working out a schedule.
New News: Shane and Dwain will begin cleaning ditches soon.
2. We will ask the county for assistance with cleaning and equipment.
3. The Village Street Committee under Alderman Mike McDougal has started working on solutions. There has been a sub committee formed by Paul McWilliams and street residents that will work with the Village Street Committee in solving their problems.
4. Hidden Glenn is working to solve their detention/retention pond and landscape problems. The Village Administrator and the Street Committee will be working with their engineers.
5. These problems did not just happen this year. They have been here for years and ignored. They cannot be ignored any longer. It is going to take time and money. It will require patience, help from those living in the areas, and help from the county. We are committed to trying to find a solution to the problems. As we do this, the City Administrator is being asked to research grants -- free money to be used in this area.
VR/Skip
Read: Re-electskip.blogspot.com
Look at Cause Four. That system if you get with TxDOT we understood had a discharge where the roadway washed out and had to fill with cemented treated base. Additionally the other areas where mud was pumped into watershed when TxDOT caught them. Alone the mud on the streets from their drilling subcontractor created a huge mess when that work was performed. That doesn't include all the silt and mud from unprotected soils and top soil left without seeding or protective covering. Drive into Belton under the underpass and medians, look at the exposed rock and how that materials been washed away. Where is that draining and does that impact our watershed. Even the exposed soils throughout that aren't protected or graded to drain. Their tractors are covered in mud where does that mud flow when rains exists or when tracked offsite into our roadways.
ReplyDeleteThough we have drainage issues of our own, we should be asking TxDOT how much mud and silt washed away from the project and contributed to our drainage problems. We're all for fixing our issues but we aren't willing to pay for something that the project creates. We want TxDOT to pay their fair share. I'm sure the TxDOT records and their daily / weekly SWP3 logs and reports can be read and let those determine how much should be contributed to help clean the mud and silt washed away from the project. A good indicator is SPW3 issues is if the list is pages verses a couple of items. Another indicator is their housekeeping and we know that is awful. Combine what we’ve witnessed and the horrid conditions they leave their work areas, it’s doubtful TxDOT or their consultants will throw up much of an argument since they’ve been babysitting them.
Look into the box culvert that dirt didn’t magically appear since they were purchased new. The discharges from their project has to flow somewhere. The picture shows me that it flows downstream. It doesn't make sense that we as taxpayers are being held accountable for something we have no control over. We aren’t the ones that executed the contract or agreed to the terms set forth by TxDOT and FHWA. If my memory serves me correctly the Clean Water Act and TECQ mandates everyone follow their laws and regulations. I don’t believe James Construction Group is excluded from the rules everyone else is to follow. We should be asking TxDOT for some relief or pay their fair share. Or better yet, since James Construction has their own trucks and equipment, ask them to clean our watershed and we'll pay only our fair share.
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