At the June 25 regular board meeting, the San Jacinto River Authority reviewed 10-year plans for its Highlands and Lake Conroe divisions, as well as its water supply planning. The 10-year plans detail various projects' purposes and costs that the SJRA would consider approving over the next 10 years.
The breakdown
SJRA Graduate Engineer Jared Marek presented a 10-year project plan for the Highlands Division to the SJRA board. The plan includes updates to the water pump station facilities, addressing aging canal structures and levee rehabilitation, and the expansion of current operations and maintenance.
Marek said that projects in the 10-year plan are chosen using a scoring system based on the likelihood and chance of failure, as well as repair history. Some projects and their total budgets include:
- $2.03 million for South Canal Levee improvements near Siphon 37
- $486,743 for Siphon 22 culvert improvements
- $1.06 million for Structure 2 improvements
- $1 million for South Canal transfer pump station generator replacement
- $3.4 million for South Canal levee improvements
- $16.02 million for Lake Houston pump station pump and motor replacement
- $4.4 million for Siphon 21 improvements
- $4.6 million for the annual canal slit removal program
- $4.7 million for Siphon 33 improvements
- $4.8 million for Garth Road Siphon improvements
- $5.1 million for Siphon 32 improvements
- $5.1 million for Siphon 34 improvements
- $8.4 million for Siphon 39 improvements
Marek said the various siphon improvement projects focus on maintenance and upgrading the various pipes that are responsible for the drainage of water in the various counties that SJRA covers. The Lake Houston pump station project is also a “significant” project for the Highlands Division, Marek said. The pump station is currently in need of new electrical equipment to help support voltage reduction on-site for the generators. A significant portion of the project will begin in fiscal year 2026-27 once a contractor is hired, and is expected to be completed by FY 2027-28.
The 10-year plan cost breakdown is:
- Expenditures through FY 2026-27: $16.34 million
- FY 2027-28: $15.8 million
- FY 2028-29: $14.04 million
- FY 2029-30: $15.8 million
- FYs 2030-36: $66.14 million
- Total 10-year cost: $128.25 million
What else?SJRA Project Manager Greg Lushbaugh also presented the Lake Conroe Division’s 10-year plan to the SJRA board. Lake Conroe’s 10-year plan consists of different projects with an emphasis on repairs and maintenance to Lake Conroe facilities and roads.
The projects and their total budgets include:
- $70,000 for a new Lake Conroe boat dock
- $70,000 for service outlet north gate rehabilitation
- $98,000 for service outlet crane hoist rehabilitation
- $320,000 for updates to the Lake Conroe forecast tool
- $653,000 for West Dam crest road repairs
- $1.4 million for 20 new artesian dam relief wells
- $1.5 million for road maintenance and a new gate for the Lake Conroe facility
Lushbaugh said that the service outlet crane was one of the original tools used by the dam's maintenance team when it was first installed in 1973. It has faced wear and tear due to constant daily use and the weather. Meanwhile, the road repairs to the Lake Conroe facilities are needed in order for vehicles to properly access maintenance roads and other facilities.
The Lake Conroe forecast tool is what SJRA uses to estimate lake levels during floods. Lushbaugh said that the SJRA wants to add multiple enhancements to the tool, including implementing National Weather Service data, a new custom dashboard, the automation of certain parameters and more.
The breakdown for the 10-year plan is:
- Expenditures through FY 2026-27: $214,305
- FY 2027-28: $2.1 million
- FY 2028-29: $1.8 million
- FY 2029-30: $358,000
- FYs 2030-35: $14.5 million
- Total 10-year cost: $19.1 million
One more thingAlso during the board meeting, Matt Barrett, an SJRA Division 1 engineer, presented the breakdown of the 10-year water supply plan.
Barrett said that, unlike the SJRA Lake Conroe and Highlands divisions, the water supply plans do not focus on project maintenance and infrastructure. Instead, it relies on long-term strategic planning and contract work to secure water rights and regulatory requirements for its customers. The main focus is on the Montgomery County and Highland areas.
“Every five years, we do a 50-year projection of water supply needs and compare that to our existing water supply and determine what's the gap between supply and demand, and that helps us determine what projects are needed to fill that gap,” Barrett said.
The 10-year water supply plan includes several projects and outlines their total projected budget:
- $100,000 for surface water supplies analysis
- $238,000 for MUD No. 8 & 9 and Huntsville water return permit
- $268,000 for surface water planning evaluation
- $335,000 for Trinity water rights transportation analysis
- $338,000 for aquifer storage and recovery feasibility study
- $2.9 million for Catahoula aquifer water supply development
- $3.2 million for a regional returns and flows study and permitting
Barrett said that $1.5 million of the 10-year plan's cost will be managed through potential grant and loan funds. The total cost breakdown of the plan is:
- Previous expenditures: $1.2 million
- FY 2027-28: $1.7 million
- FY 2028-29: $2.09 million
- FY 2029-30: $3.9 million
- FYs 2030-36: 3.08 million
- Total project costs: $12.1 million
