Dredging of Lake Houston at West Fork-Mouth Bar begins

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 is happening

Dredging involves removing sediment 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 vessel passage, reduce exposure of contaminants to wildlife, and increase water flow to move potential floodwaters past essential areas.

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

The West Fork project is funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and is estimated to cost approximately $40 million.

A little context

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

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