Lake Houston dredging begins at West Fork-Mouth Bar

Dredging began in the Lake Houston area south of the West Fork-Mouth Bar in February, Houston City Council member Fred Flickinger announced in a February newsletter.

What's happening

Dredging is the removal of sediments and debris from the bottom of lakes, rivers, harbors and other bodies of water. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, periodic dredging is important to allow the passage of ships, to reduce the exposure of contaminants to wildlife and to increase water flow to move potential floodwater past essential areas.

DRC, the city’s contractor for dredging, is estimated to remove approximately 800,000 cubic yards of silt and sediment from the area between the south of Scenic Shore Drive in Kings Point and the FM 1960 bridge over a two-year time frame.

The west fork project is being funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and is estimated to cost roughly $40 million.

Some context

More than 4 million cubic yards of silt and sediment has already been dredged from Lake Houston since 2018.

The entire $22 million project includes dredging both the west and east forks of the San Jacinto River. The east fork was completed in 2021, and the west fork is anticipated to be the final piece of the project with estimated completion in 2026, former Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin said during his farewell town hall series in October.