It is sad when your elected officials disappoint you.  Sometimes you must call them to account for their actions.  In response to Hurricane Harvey, Mayor Sylvester Turner and Land Commissioner George P. Bush have come out in favor of the Ike Dike (coastal barrier).  Mayor Turner and Land Commissioner Bush have been sold a bill of goods that will not work as advertised.  They have been “buffaloed”.  Here is why.

First, Houston flooded due to rain and not storm surge.  The Ike Dike cannot prevent rainstorm floods.  We must address rainstorm floods via extensive buy-outs in the 100 and 500-year floodplains, require that houses be significantly elevated, restore floodplain and prairie ecosystems, protect natural landscapes, reduce paved surfaces, reduce watershed development, protect and restore wetlands and streams, and implement other positive ideas. 

Second, the Ike Dike reduces (not eliminates) storm surge by 50%.  If we get a worst-case storm surge of 34 feet, we still have 17 feet of storm surge in Galveston Bay.

Third, social, economic, and environmental impacts of Ike Dike are unknown.  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is preparing a storm surge feasibility study and environmental impact statement that will be released next year.  If this process is short-circuited by Ike Dike proponents, citizens will not learn about the possible loss of natural beaches and dunes, disruption of shrimp and fish migration, loss of endangered sea turtle and shorebird habitat, perpetual and massive beach nourishment costs, loss of Gulf and beach views, accelerated development behind the Ike Dike that will put more people in “harm’s way”, degradation of Galveston Bay, diminished quality of life, and other environmental consequences.

Fourth, supporters of Ike Dike want money right now.  The public doesn’t get to have a real say in the political process.  The public will have to accept any problems that show-up later when politicians are gone and the public is left holding an empty money bag.

Fifth, the Ike Dike does not stop climate change impacts like sea level rise, more intense rain storms, and more intense hurricanes.  As climate change worsens, any protection Ike Dike provides will degrade and taxpayer costs will soar in attempts to hold back the water.

Sixth, other storm surge protection alternatives that provide for buy-outs, ship channel protection, stronger building codes, restoration of habitats, acquisition of buffer zones, and other benefits are being drowned out by the chorus for Ike Dike.  The public should have the opportunity for a measured dialogue, especially since more than $15 billion of hard-earned tax-payer dollars may be spent on Ike Dike.

Houston must address storm surge floods.  But ignoring public education, review, comment, and discussion in a panicked rush for a “silver bullet” will only get us into “higher and deeper water”.  Let’s drain the hype and begin the reasoned discussion now.

Brandt Mannchen

This essay is an opinion piece which does not necessarily represent the Houston Sierra Club.