Between September 2018 and September 2019, about $87 million was spent to remove more than 2 million cubic yards of sediment from the West Fork of the San Jacinto River. So far, the area that has been dredged includes from River Grove Park and around the mouth-bar, or the confluence of West Fork of the San Jacinto River and Lake Houston.
While contractors left the site shortly after finishing the project Sept. 3, Houston officials continue to ask the Federal Emergency Management Agency for permission to dredge the mouth-bar. State and federal lawmakers even sent a letter to FEMA on Oct. 24 in support of additional dredging.Although it is unclear whether the city will get permission from FEMA to dredge the mouth-bar, city officials have said they are considering other long-term dredging projects for the region.
At an Oct. 17 Kingwood town hall, Houston’s Chief Recovery Officer Steve Costello said potential projects include ongoing dredging and sediment traps.
For more information on the dredging, click here.