Wisner Road update- The Dead Zone - 8-17-2010

Wismer Drive Eyesore resolved!

From Mike Lester via Garry Brumback:
I conducted an “on-site” inspection this morning with Gerardo Ruiz, Storm Water Phase II Coordinator and Manuel Razo, Street Maintenance Supervisor, the following is what was determined during the inspection.

Location: Wismer Road from Old Alexander to HWY 146:

 -  Approximately half way down on the ‘west’ side of Wismer the retaining wall for the Retention Pond (on private property) has failed and the pond has drained into the road side drainage (water is about 3-5 feet deep)

- Approximately 2/3 of the way down on the ‘east’ side of Wismer is the “Dead Zone” area reported by Mr. Marshall, this area routinely holds water and periodically receives complaints concerning standing water, pollution and poor drainage

- At the intersection of Wismer / Hwy 146 on the ‘west’ side the road side drainage ditch has been “dammed” by beavers, this has caused the water in the road side ditch to hold the 3-5 feet of water depth and subsequently causing the water to ‘backflow’ through the underground drainage pipe to the ‘east’ side “Dead Zone” elevating the water depth to about 6 to 18 inches, this pond area is supporting minnows, frogs, at least one 5 foot snake and a couple of turtles, this aquatic life would be considered natural mosquito control and was confirmed by no indication of mosquito larvae or pupae alone the side of the pond area

- there are at least two beavers involved and they are probably residing in both the ‘retention pond’ area and the “Dead Zone” area based on food sources

- Please note that the beavers would not dam the area if the water or the area was ‘polluted’ the animals are very particular with their environment

-Planned action to resolve the immediate standing water issue and provide a long term solution to the drainage in the area:

- the beaver dam will be removed today (Friday, 08/06/10) by Public Works crews with a backhoe, this will allow the area to drain

- the retaining wall on the road side ditch will be repaired with reserve riprap by PW crews next week to insure the integrity of the road side drainage ditch

- the ‘west side’ road side drainage will be reviewed and maintained (cleaned up) as necessary next week by PW

- the ‘east side’ drainage will be improved in the area of the ”Dead Zone” to insure the area will properly drain to the drainage inlets in the future.

Again the area is a natural water holding area and the dead trees are indicative of both long term standing water and salt water poisoning from years past.  The Health Dept. has had a number of complaints over the last 10 years related to the Oil Company located near Old Alexander and Wismer but to date has never been able to confirm any releases that would have impacted the above area.

 Please advise if additional information is needed or if additional action should be taken.

 Also note that the quick actions to resolve this issue is being done by the Public Works Dept. thanks to Daryl’s “Get it done” philosophy.

 -  Thank you city of Baytown!

Wismer Drive Eyesore and Health Hazard Site

There is a piece of property on Wismer Drive between Business SH-146 and Alexander Drive that looks like a cross between a swamp and a hazardous waste site.  Standing water, animal bones, dead trees and millions of mosquitoes inhabit this dead zone, as a friend has labeled it.  It stinks also.  It seriously stinks and since the area has no reason to stop and look, no one stops for a look.

The area has become a topic of discussion on local crime-fighting web forum http://www.hotpursuit.cc, of which I am a long time member.  I’ve taken the liberty to write the city government, especially district 6 Councilman, David McCartney and the mayor to find out what can be done to remediate this area.

In a letter in response to a complaint about this property, Storm Water Coordinator for the city of Baytown, Gerardo V. Ruiz, along with Mr. Carroll Mayfield, from the Railroad Commission of Texas (oil field regulators) and Mr. Tom Fereday, representative for Otex Resources, the oil field property owner wrote this about the area:

“I inspected the oil wells and storage tanks for signs of a recent oil spill or leak but found no evidence of such. Otex Resources does not own the land at the intersection of Wismer and South Highway 146, but it too had no evidence of a recent oil spill. The conditions that are found at that property appear to be a result of the topography of the land and not a result of a recent incident. According to Mr. Carroll, the loss of vegetation on the site appears to be from an influx of salt water many years ago.

However, Mr. Fereday expressed the desire to find the lot owner and work with him or her to clean up the area and achieve a permanent fix that will allow the property to drain properly and not hold water.

The property is not ascetically pleasing but no major environmental health violations exist at this time. The standing water does not appear to contain any crude oil and it is not breeding mosquitoes. I will have our public works department drainage division inspect the storm drains in the immediate area to ensure that they are not obstructed and functioning correctly. Clear storm drains may help reduce the quantity of standing water in the area. I will follow up with Otex Resources about the cleanup efforts and will provide updates as they become available.”

I was deep into this area this past May, looking for a geocache of all things and it is the nastiest place in Baytown.  I came home and washed my clothes and tennis shoes afterward and I made a video tape of the heavy mosquito activity.  The area is indeed a breeding ground for mosquitoes and thus a significant health hazard.

Mr. Ruiz’s statement “but no major environmental health violations exist at this time. The standing water does not appear to contain any crude oil and it is not breeding mosquitoes.” Although accurate at their visit is inaccurate as I have video proof and photos.

I am appealing to our city government and District 6 councilman Mr. McCartney in particular, to rectify this situation.  Because of the stagnant surface water, mosquito breeding site, and rotting debris, it poses a serious health and safety issue and needs clear and up to date responses to the public in general.