Gulf Coast Barrier (Ike Dike)

[TheNiche]

Harris County will wait at least a month before committing to joining five neighboring counties in studying a multibillion-dollar "Ike dike" and other storm protection measures.

The Commissioner's Court was scheduled today to adopt articles of incorporation and bylaws forming the Gulf Coast Community and Recovery District. The organization would research ways to protect the Houston Ship Channel and upper Texas coast against hurricanes and other storms.

...

Among the projects the district intends to study is a Texas A&M University oceanographer's idea to extend Galveston's seawall 15 miles to the island's West End, build a similar structure along the Bolivar Peninsula and construct massive floodgates at the entrance to Galveston Bay.

Ike Dike Temporarily Spiked, Chron Blogs

Sadly but not unexpectedly, most of the comments are uninteresting, unimaginative, or uninformed.

It strikes me that the Global Warming fatalist might've been able to figure out that the floodgate at Bolivar Roads could actually be reconstructed as a lock at some point in the future, if rising sea levels actually do start threatening to displace people and destroy marshes.

Edited December 23, 2009 by TheNiche

[TheNiche]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/news/specials/hurricane/7030757.html

The article headline reads, "Houston region closer to large storm surge project". (And I just noticed something, that the Chronicle doesn't properly capitalize its articles.) I'd certainly like to hear from anybody that goes to today's meeting. Even still, it seems like the real controversy and decision-making won't happen for another couple of years.

My own preference is that the eastern segment of the Ike Dike be extended underneath State Highway 87 between Port Bolivar and High Island (incorporating the salt dome at High Island into the project as a pivot point), and then along the Chambers/Jefferson County Line to State Highway 73. Any underpasses along SH 73 or I-10 would be converted to overpasses, and the raised berm on which they sit would otherwise remain intact. This opens up the whole of Chambers County to responsible and safe development; land prices could be expected to rise significantly, which would potentially aid in the financing of the project. I would advocate protecting the Beaumont region, but that's going to require the cooperation of Louisiana; I'm not holding out for that. Also, Beaumont's economy is smaller and stagnant. It may be easier to harden refineries and other sensitive properties on a one-off basis than to try to anticipate growth as should be a concern in the Houston area.

Of course, the eastern segment is the easy part. The hard part is that for the Ike Dike to really be effective in a worst-case scenario, it'd require that Galveston's seawall be raised. Otherwise, Galveston is a chink in the armor. You can imagine the political backlash to the idea. Not good. Even raising the roadbed by a few feet would require the re-thinking of the whole seawall aesthetic.

On the west end of Galveston Island, the answer is an easy one. Build it under FM 3005. How far out? I don't know. To what extent does Brazoria County want in on this? I'm thinking that Freeport should fend for itself, like Beaumont. The problem is...there are only so many viable crossings of West Galveston Bay. We could reconstruct the railroad bridge as part of the Ike Dike (and it needs reconstructing to support a Pelican Island container terminal), but that abandons the West End. We could implement Netherlands-style infrastructure across West Galveston Bay at a mid-point, and if we're going to do that, then we may as well build a second causeway. But that's going to create other political and environmental snags. And frankly, if we're taking it to San Luis Pass, then we may as well take it to Freeport, because the environmental issues are otherwise going to stall out the whole project. I don't have a solid preference on this; each of the viable proposals have their merits.

I will say this: I'm not usually an environmentalist or aestheticist, but I do think that there need to be hard limits on development (of infrastructure or residences) along Texas beaches. What's already been built up between Quintana Island and High Island, I'm happy allowing to develop further. Beyond that, in either direction, I have serious misgivings about creating any kinds of new infrastructure...and I wouldn't even be against a (state) constitutional ban on development along Gulf waters between High Island and Sabine Pass or between the Brazos River and Port Aransas. In fact, National Seashore protections really ought to be extended. ...of course, I also think that Matagorda Island should be the world's largest official nude beach, so obviously all of my opinions are rendered worthless.

[plumber2]

I still think Galveston should implement it's own smaller version of the Ike Dike. It would be in addition to the regional plan as a back up. Galveston could run a levee from the end of the East End Flats along the harbor and then across Teichman Point and connect to the west end of the present seawall. The Coast Guard Station and the waterfront homes on Harbor View Dr., and Channel View Dr. would be sacrificed. A gate could be installed at the yacht club and across Offatts Bayou. The levee along the waterfront near downtown could be a decorative wall, north of Water Street, with gates at each intersection leading to the warf.(The warfs and Pelican Island would be outside of the protection). Pumping stations at strategic points, similar to the Texas City system, could pump rain and other waters back into the bay.

This could be accomplished by a bond election and federal funds. I agree that the 17-20 ft. elevation of the present seawall is way below major flood stage, but it would have stopped the Hurricane Ike storm surge.

[ricco67]

Well, I think development along the beaches overall should be limited until a proper way to protect the land from erosion can be built.

One of the biggest things that irritates me is how people whine and moan about flooding or hurricane damage when their land/home is on the river beachfront.

But that would be just me.

Build the damned Ike-Dike already.

[hindesky]

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/defense-bill-passed-by-house-includes-34-billion-to-protect-texas-coast-from-storms

"Specifically, the vote advances the Water Resources Development Act of 2022. That lays out a sprawling set of policies for the Army Corps and authorizes projects that touch on navigation, improving the environment and protecting against storms. It typically passes every two years. It received strong, bipartisan support and now advances to the Senate."

[editor]

I didn't see a dedicated thread for the Ike Dike, so I guess this can be it.

Unless there is already one and I couldn't find it.  In which case, mods please merge.

Updating title, and moving to Galveston, since that's where the majority of the work will be.

[Triton]

Quote

President Joe Biden signed the Water Resources Development Act of 2022 into law Dec. 23, authorizing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to begin construction for the Coastal Texas Program, pending the appropriation of funds.

The total authorized funds for the program is estimated to be about $34 billion, and 65% of these funds were requested from the federal government while the remaining 35% will be funded locally by the five-county Gulf Coast Protection District.

https://communityimpact.com/houston/bay-area/development/2022/12/27/us-government-authorizes-construction-for-coastal-barrier-project/

[Triton]