The SJRA Highlands Division article was written by Mr. Reed Eichelberger and published in Dock Line Magazine in December, 2011.

1. By: Reed Eichelberger, General Manager
Large siphons with pipes ranging from
48 to 60 inches in diameter deliver water
under roads, railroad tracks, and other
surface features throughout the 25-mile
stretch of the canal.
Most readers of the Dock Line have a pretty
good understanding of “who” and “what” the San
Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) is. Many have
worked with our Lake Conroe Division on dock
construction or lake irrigation permits. Blake
Kellum, our Lake Conroe Division Manager, is a
regular contributor to the Dock Line and a friend
to many around the lake. With the many articles
written in the Dock Line and newspapers over
the last several years about Montgomery County’s
groundwater shortage issue, readers are also prob-
ably familiar with our Groundwater Reduction
Plan (GRP) Division, which is currently in the This photo was taken during a recent rehabilitation project. The 60-plus year old siphon was
middle of a $500 million dollar program to build bypassed during the construction project so it could be repaired.
a surface water treatment facility and distribute
treated surface water to the main population cen-
ters of the county. Mark Smith, our GRP Divi- vides wholesale water and wastewater services to proximately 45 employees operate and maintain
sion Manager, is also a regular contributor to this the 100,000 people who reside in The Woodlands three wastewater treatment facilities, numerous
publication. A smaller percentage of the reading Township. Under the direction of Tojuana Coo- wastewater pump stations, 40 water wells, and
audience may be aware that the SJRA also pro- per, the SJRA’s Woodlands Division Manager, ap- miles of associated piping to collect and distribute
30 Dock Line Magazine, Inc. - Lake Conroe Edition December 2011

2. the water and wastewater. Few readers, however,
are probably aware of our fourth division, the
Highlands Division, managed by Larry Gregory,
Acting Division Manager.
A short history lesson is in order. The SJRA
was originally created by an act of the 1937 Texas
Legislature as the San Jacinto River Conserva-
tion and Reclamation District, with the broad
responsibility to improve and protect the soil
and water resources in the San Jacinto River wa-
tershed (the legislature changed the name to San
Jacinto River Authority in 1951). Created as an
agency of the state, the SJRA had a mission and
purpose, but no funding in the early years. Be-
cause the SJRA was unable to levy taxes and had
no other funding source, the 1939 Legislature
passed the Tax Remission Bill, granting to the
SJRA a 50% remission of the ad valorem taxes on
all counties within the Authority’s service area.
Continued on page 32 1
Dock Line Magazine, Inc. - Lake Conroe Edition December 2011 31

3. This photo shows a typical section of canal
in the Highlands system.
The bill was effective for 10 years and gave the Au-
thority the funding it needed to start engineering
studies on the watershed, and to begin providing
soil and water conservation services to the lo-
cal property owners. With over 5,000 farms and
ranches in the watershed that were in need of help
with soil erosion control and rebuilding depleted
soils, the task ahead was daunting. However, with
the purchase of approximately $50,000 worth of
equipment, the effort began. Mowing and maintaining the 25-plus miles of canals in the Highlands Division is an integral
During the early 1940’s, the Federal Works part of ensuring a consistent, reliable flow of raw water for industrial and municipal customers.
Agency built an extensive supply system to supply
water to the war industry in the Ship Channel area. thereafter. In return, the Authority received $1.00 funds mentioned above.
Consisting of a pumping station on the lower reach per year, and all water rights were to be returned The SJRA was finally in the water business,
of the river and canals on both sides of the river, at the end of the designated period. After the war, with a canal system and reservoir in Highlands,
water was delivered to Humble Oil and Refining’s the City of Houston, the Federal Works Agency, Texas. Shortly after acquiring the canal system,
Baytown refinery, as well as to other important in- and the SJRA reached an agreement, and on April contracts were signed with Humble Oil (Exxon
dustries to support the efforts of World War II. To 25, 1945, the Authority purchased the portion of today) to provide 20 million gallons of water per
assist in this effort, the board of the SJRA passed a the canal on the east side of the San Jacinto River, day to their Baytown refinery, and over the years
resolution on June 4, 1943, assigning to the Federal and the City of Houston purchased the canal on we have provided irrigation water for up to 5,000
Works Agency all of the Authorities water rights the west side. The purchase price of $862,572.78 acres of rice, soybeans, and grass farms.
for the duration of the war and twelve months was paid from bond sales and the tax remission Today, the Highlands Division maintains and
32 Dock Line Magazine, Inc. - Lake Conroe Edition December 2011

4. operates a pump station on Lake Houston, a canal
system running from Lake Houston to a 500-acre
reservoir in the Highlands, and additional ca-
nals running from the reservoir east to Chevron
Chemical and south to Exxon’s Baytown refinery.
A number of municipal customers purchase raw
water from the canal, including Crosby, Newport,
and Barrett Station. Rice farming has all but dis-
appeared in the area, but several large grass farms
rely on the SJRA for raw water, and industrial
users purchase over 70 million gallons of water
per day from our canal system – that’s almost
as much water as we use in all of Montgomery
County. With over 25 miles of canal to maintain,
40-plus road crossings, a large pump station, and
industrial customers that require uninterrupted
water supply, our Highlands operations run 24/7,
365 days a year. We are currently about a year
into a $25 million dollar capital improvement
program, which includes rehabilitation of several
siphons (underground structures used to cross
Continued on page 34 1
Dock Line Magazine, Inc. - Lake Conroe Edition December 2011 33

5. These photos show the SJRA’s Lake
Houston Pump Station constructed during
the completion of Lake Houston. Four large
pumps ensure the continuous flow of up to
70 million gallons per day of raw water.
roadways, railroads, and drainage ditches), a new
operations center, and much-needed repairs to
the reservoir levee. These are all normal repairs
considering that most of these facilities were con-
structed during World War II.
An interesting fact that many Lake Conroe
area residents don’t realize is that Lake Conroe
was built with bond funds that were guaranteed by
revenue from our contract with Humble Oil and
Refining, and our current contracts with Exxon,
Chevron, and other industrial customers provide
most of the operating revenues the SJRA uses to sible for the revenues that supported the growth ning and building of the necessary water treatment
maintain its operations, including maintaining that began in the late 1960’s with the planning and and transmission facilities to solve Montgomery
and operating Lake Conroe. building of Lake Conroe, continued in the 1970’s County’s water needs 50 years into the future.
So, in reality, our fourth division was actu- with the water and wastewater facilities to service For more information, visit our website at
ally our first division, and was primarily respon- The Woodlands, and now, in the 2000’s the plan- www.sjra.net, and “friend” us on Facebook. u
34 Dock Line Magazine, Inc. - Lake Conroe Edition December 2011