News Articles
Is it safe to come out yet?
Posted on Mar 3rd, 2021 Comments (0)
The Guv says “no masks!”
Come on out…you’ll have a shell of a time!!!
Hint for when applying for freeze damage insurance claim or FEMA:
Do not use the word "flood" under any circumstance because there is a specific definition for the word flood and floods are covered differently. Refer to your claim as a "Snow & Ice Event" or “Water Damage.”
March Meeting Report
Posted on Mar 3rd, 2021 Comments (0)
March Meeting Report
These reports are a way to let the public know what FOR’s been up to. It’s also a way that someone can determine if there is any way they’d like to get involved in things. Please contact FOR if you are interested. (Select WEBMASTER on the CONTACT US drop down list.)
-
Mar 2, Phillips 66 Citizen Advisory Panel (CAP) Meeting, Old OceanFOR Vice President MIke Goodson and Environmental Committe Member Tom Ronayne attended the Old Ocean CAP meeting yesterday. The refinery was able to run through the freeze a couple of weeks ago and their Cogen Unit ramped up electricity exports to the grid from a normal 150MW (enough power for 123,000 average houses) to 350MW. CPChem was not able to stay up and they are still in the process of getting back to 100% operation. Goodson gave an update on the mouth dredging timeline and Ronayne reported on the FOR WISE award recognition.
February Water Quality Test on San Bernard
Posted on Feb 21st, 2021 Comments (0)
H-GAC Texas Stream Team volunteers, Valroy Maudlin and Denise Wolever, use a test kit to measure the physical and chemical parameters of San Bernard River at two locations. Valroy tests off his pier at CR 496, 1.6 miles upstream from the Churchill Bridge. Denise tests off her pier six miles downstream from Churchill Bridge at CR 469. The test reports the pH level, salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen and turbidity of the water. Two forms are usually shown for comparison as the data collected from two different locations can vary.
February Field Observations:
Highway 35 flood gage height 0.65 ft.
River level below bulkhead 36 in.
FOR Receives H-GAC Recognition
Posted on Feb 10th, 2021 Comments (0)
The project was initiated in response to recommendations in the San Bernard River Watershed Protection Plan, a collaborative effort between H-GAC and river stakeholders to protect the San Bernard River. The WISE application also described ongoing efforts by Friends of the River San Bernard to reduce contaminants in the watershed that can be flushed into the river during heavy rains. Those efforts include hosting annual septic system education programs presented by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. The Extension Service often has funding for septic system inspections, repairs and replacements. FOR also conducts annual river clean ups, participates in TxDOT’s Adopt-a-Highway program for a two mile stretch of FM 2611 where it crosses the river, and provides “River Ranger” education programs to fifth graders at elementary schools throughout the watershed.
"Congratulations!!! This is a great honor. You should all pat yourselves on the back for this amazing effort and hard work. The River is a better place because of the efforts of FOR." --Susie Alford, President, CEO Berg Oliver
Friends of the River San Bernard (FOR) received “Special Recognition for Exemplary Environmental Advocacy by a Citizen’s Group” as part of Houston-Galveston Area Council's 2020 “Water Innovation Strategies of Excellence (WISE) Awards”. Justin Hillis, FOR’s Environmental Committee Chairman, accepted the award on behalf of FOR during a “virtual presentation” ceremony on February 5th.
WISE Awards recognize innovative strategies and projects in the Houston-Galveston region that serve as models for improving water quality. This program is overseen by the Natural Resource Advisory Committee, an advisory panel of expert judges and industry professionals to the Houston-Galveston Area Council Board of Directors. There is no entry fee for the WISE Awards.
The application submitted by the FOR Environmental Committee described a project whose central piece was specialized training for two FOR volunteers, Tim Logan and Valroy Maudlin, to collect water samples for bacteria testing. Galveston Bay Foundation provided the training and also tested the samples which were collected monthly at two locations on the river from April 2017 through March 2019.
The FOR Environmental Committee then analyzed the test results to better understand the timing and magnitude of occasional bacteria spikes in the river. That analysis showed that bacteria spikes in the San Bernard appear to be associated most often with rainfall runoff events and are relatively short lived.
River’s End FM 2918 Boat Ramp Renovation
Posted on Jan 16th, 2021 Comments (0)
Red circle shows 2918 boat ramp and area to be renovated.
Brazoria County Parks Department has submitted an application for a Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) Boating Access Program grant to repair and restore the boat ramp and parking lot at FM 2918 and ICW located at River’s End. The work will include shoreline bulkheading to prevent further damage, a new fishing dock, restoration and repairs to the ramp facility and surrounding parking lot and boat slip, concrete caps and an acknowledgement sign. Labor for the parking lot and fishing dock will be provided by Brazoria County to help meet match requirements. Total budget amount $648,000. Scheduling to be announced.
Latest date for opening bids to dredge mouth
Posted on Jan 11th, 2021 Comments (0)
Photo A.G. “Bert” Smith, 6-20-20
On Tuesday, Jan 12, 2021, the regular meeting of Brazoria County Commissioners will consider awarding a contract to Dannenbaum Engineering for professional design services for dredging the opening of the San Bernard River "...includes developing plans, specifications and estimates and related services to develop a comprehensive bid package for the County. We understand that the County plans to bid this project in May 2021 and that the design schedule will be compressed in order to meet this requirement. Additionally, the County through a separate solicitation will hire another consultant to provide CEI and environmental monitoring to oversee the construction and the environmental conditions outlined in the County’s USACE permit..." – Dannenbaum Engineering Proposal
Note: In June of 2013, representatives of Friends of the River (FOR) San Bernard attended the first meeting of the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council in Galveston. In 2014, the County started the process to apply for a RESTORE Act grant from the U.S. Treasury. The $10,766,000 grant was awarded in August of 2019 and the County delayed design and construction of the project until the required federal permits were received by TCEQ.
Building a jetty is not planned rather Port Freeport and Brazoria County have a 25-year interlocal agreement to split the cost of future periodic maintenance dredging of the mouth to keep it open and flowing to the Gulf. There was not a plan in place to keep the river open after being dredged in 2009, consequently, three years later it silted shut.
Mouth Photo December 22, 2020
Posted on Dec 23rd, 2020 Comments (0)
Aerial Photos A.G. "Bert" Smith
Dec 22, 2020. A riverbed of sand blocks the mouth of the San Bernard. A shallow weak current flows to the Gulf on the right side of the photo. Read the Nov 21, 2020 update of opening the mouth.
Dec 20, 2017. Compare above photo to this photo taken three years ago
Past Web Articles