Michael D. Talbott, P.E., Executive Director

Harris County Flood Control District

Bayou Preservation Association Symposium October 9, 2015

• District Overview

• MS4 Permit and

Categorization

• Current BMPs

• Fighting Floatables

• Maintenance Projects

• Hidden Floatables

• Public Education/ Source

Control

Harris County’s Watersheds

Natural Channels

AREA = 1756 SQUARE MILES

1500 ± CHANNELS

2500 ± MILES OF CHANNELS

POPULATION = 4.2 MILLION (COUNTY)

2.0 MILLION (HOUSTON)

All Channels

Total Drainage Network

• Flood Damage Reduction – Devise the Plans

– Implement the Plans

• Maintain the Infrastructure – Sustainable Operations & Maintenance

Practices

• Permit Compliance – TPDES Permits (MS4, Construction, Pesticide)

• Stormwater Management Program (SWMP)

• Best Management Practices (BMPs)

– Local Stormwater Quality Permit(s)

Flood Control District’s Priorities

• Plastic

• Foamed Plastic

• Glass

• Rubber/ Latex

• Metal

• Paper

• Cloth

• Processed Wood

• Unprocessed Wood

• Organic Debris

• Unusual Miscellaneous Items

Floatables Categorization

Vast majority of floatables fall into this category.

• Detention Basins – Natural collection area for debris during

flood events

– Vegetation, floatables collection screens, netting systems, and booms, for more frequent flows

• Channels – Bankfull bench

– Booms, collection devices

BMPs for Floatables

From: Design Guidelines for HCFCD Wet Bottom Detention Basins with Water Quality Features

Wetland for Floatables Collection

PHOTO of T101-01-00 near Katy Park??

Wetland for Floatables Collection

Katy Park: T101-01-00

Arthur Storey Park: D500-06-00

Floatables 101

• List of nasties

• Why we are concerned

Arthur Storey Park: D500-06-00

Arthur Storey Park: D500-06-00

Fallbrook Detention Basin; White Oak Bayou @ Fallbrook & Jones

Detention Basin Collection Device

Fresh Creek Technologies, Inc. ®

How it Works

Ranchstone Detention Basin @ Ranchstone & Jones

Detention Basin Collection Device

Net Change Summary, April 2015

Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD)

Floatable Collection Summary (April 2015)1

HCFCD Basins E500-12-00 and E500-11-00

Location and System Information

HCFCD Basin ID: E500-12-00 E500-11-00

Floatable Collection Date: 4/2/2015 4/2/2015

Captured Floatable Categorization (Visual Count and Characterization)³

HCFCD Basin ID: E500-12-00 E500-11-00

Item Number of Observed Items

Plastic at least 96 items at least 83 items

Foamed Plastic at least 10 items at least 6 items

Glass none none

Rubber/Latex at least 1 item at least 1 item

Metal/Aluminum at least 10 items at least 7 items

Paper at least 3 items at least 4 items

Cloth none at least 3 item

Processed Wood none none

Unprocessed Wood at least 24 items at least 8 items

Organic Debris Remainder of entire volume Remainder of entire volume

Unusual Miscellaneous Items

1 hub cap, 1 license plate, 1 tire

tread 1 rubber mat

Estimated Volume of Floatables

HCFCD Basin ID: E500-12-00 E500-11-00

Disposable Mesh Bag ID Disposable

Mesh Bag 1

Disposable Mesh

Bag 2

Disposable Mesh

Bag

@ Steeple Way

Disposable

Mesh Bag 1

@

Ranchstone

Disposable Mesh

Bag 2

@ Ranchstone

Field Measured Dimensions (bxdxh)

0.8' x 1.0' x

2.9' 2' x 2.5' x 1.3' 0.8' x 1.1' x 2.8' 0.7' x 1.3' x 4' 0.8' x 0.6' x 0.7'

Estimated Volume (ft3) 2.32 6.50 2.46 3.64 0.34

Estimated Volume (yd3) 0.09 0.24 0.09 0.13 0.01

Total Volume (ft3) 8.82 6.44

Total Volume (yd3) 0.33 0.24

Net Content Summary

Total Volume Removed

(Including Organic Debris)

866 cubic ft

910 lbs

4 lbs/acre/year

Net Contents

White Oak Bayou Floatable Nets Items

(% of Total Count) – Excluding Organic Debris

Plastic, 48%

Metal, 13%

Foamed Plastic, 13%

Unprocessed Wood, 11%

Paper, 3%

Rubber/Latex, 9%

Processed Wood, 1%

Unusual Miscellaneous

Items, 1%

Cloth, 1% Glass, 0%

Floatable Collection Screens

K500-13-00

• Permanent, Post- Construction BMP

• Integrated into basin outfall structure(s)

• Accepted for maintenance by HCFCD Criteria

• Prevents floatables from escaping downstream

• Requires hand work to clean

• Design of screen being revised to facilitate maintenance

M508-01-00

Floatable Collection Screen – the story

• Permanent floatable controls –

continually updating techniques

• Updating HCFCD facilities

maintenance contracts to include

debris removal

• Houston Parks Board

• Trash Bash Partner

Fighting Floatables

Field Surprises: Hidden Floatables

Problem Solving

Field Surprises: Hidden Floatables

Problem Solving

Other Gross Stuff Balancing Pollutant Concerns with Function

Large debris such as woody materials, shopping carts, tires, etc. provide: • Habitat • Bedform • Grade Control • Carbon source – woody debris • Possible source of pollutants (hydrocarbons,

metals) • Impediment to flood water conveyance • Limitation of easy recreation

Large Debris Tire Riffle

Riffle

Riffle

Pool

Large Debris

Maintenance

Task Unit of

Measure

Service Centers/

Staff

Contract Services

Totals Costs

Litter/Floatables Removal

Cu. Yd. 2785 2202 4,987 $328,610

Tires Each 214 4829 5,043 $92,105

Miscellaneous Debris

Cu. Yd. 163 163 $9,169

Organic Wood Cu. Yd. 4,307.76 27,664 31,972 $1,186,959

Summary table for 2014-15 MS4 permit year.

Maintenance

Between August 2014- July 2015

HCFCD removed and disposed of

over 5000 tires.

HCFCD.org