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Lapsed/non-members = $35.00

WEBINAR SUMMARY:
Lake Houston (the Lake) was formed in 1951 to impound the San Jacinto River north-east of downtown Houston, Texas to provide drinking water and recreational benefits. During the following decades, the areas around the Lake were heavily developed and the Lake’s capacity was reduced due to sedimentation. After repeated flood events, including Hurricane Harvey, there was widespread blame for sedimentation and flooding placed on sand mining operations. Local residents sued the sand mining operators and claimed they were the source of sedimentation and the cause of flooding. WEST Consultants (WEST) was hired as an expert witness in support of the sand mining operators. WEST conducted extensive literature reviews and hydraulic modeling to confirm whether sediment played a factor in property flooding during Hurricane Harvey and whether sand mining operations contributed significantly to lake sedimentation. This presentation will provide the audience an overview of these findings and an understanding of the role of sedimentation in the Lake.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

1. Learn about the history of flooding on the San Jacinto River and Lake Houston dating back to the early 1800’s and how flood risk evolved in an urban area floodplain management was limited during periods of early development.
2. Understand the basic hydrodynamic and geomorphological relationships between the San Jacinto River and Lake Houston, including the role, if any, of sand mining operations.
3. Gain perspective on how WEST applied scientific and engineering principals to assess and ultimately refute plaintiff claims in a clear, factual, and unbiased manner.

SPEAKERS:

Lee von Gynz-Guethle
Sr. Project Manager
WEST Consultants

Mr. Lee von Gynz-Guethle, PE, BC.WRE, CFM is a Sr. Project Manager with WEST Consultants. He has 18 years of experience as a technical lead and project manager applying advanced hydrologic and hydraulic modeling to understand and mitigate flood risk. He has worked throughout the US and internationally and is currently based in Houston.

Jerry Webb
Sr. Technical Advisor
WEST Consultants

Mr. Jerry W. Webb, PE, BC.WRE is a senior technical advisor with over 50 years experience in water resources engineering. His areas of expertise include hydrologic and hydraulic engineering, river engineering, coastal engineering, water resources management, floodplain management, planning, and policy development. He worked for USACE in various capacities for over 44 years.

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