The Quarter Test,,,,, Screw the big fat nickel

[Leon]

We all make mistakes. It is all in how well you disguise them. ;~)

[nailshooter41]

+2

You know, I put a whole dollar on edge once on one of my saws and no one seemed a bit impressed. A buck! Think how much thinner tat is than a quarter...

Oh well...

Nice stuff, Leon. Can't wait to get back the reports after the first priject is underway.

Robert

[WW]

Looks like Houston got hit pretty good.

How did you folks fare?

Lew Rain??? what is that? South central Colorado. Canon city. WW

[Leon]

Rain is what is at the bottom of your deep trench. :~)

[John Grossbohlin]

I know it rained there July 11, 2011... got wet while riding my bicycle through there with my son on our trip from La Junta, CO to Pasco, WA.... Judging by what I saw of that area I'd think days like that would be memorable.... it was clearly VERY dry there normally!

John

[none]

On Mon, 29 Apr 2013 08:56:44 -0500, Leon

Agreed! The first order of business when making a mistake is if you can't fix it without scrapping the whole project, find way to make the mistake into a design element.

[Lew Hodgett]

-------------------------------------------------------------- No harm, no foul.

Glad to see damage was limited.

To bad, but it appears about the only good thing that happens in urban areas is that heavy rainfall clears the streets before finding the drains.

If some type system existed to capture heavy rains and send them back to the aquifer, it would eliminate a lot of water rights fights.

Lew

[Leon]

We do have have a system for capturing rain for future use, we call it Lake Houston. That lake probably handles half of the Houston Metro area. That said, our bayous direct the water to the bay and gulf within a few hours after the rain stops.

[Bill]

In newer development (at least some of the time), those "run-off ponds" are required. I don't know the details. But cities Have Learned from experience.

In the words of a civil engineer (not me), if you strip the land and remove the natural flow of the water, you have to create somewhere for the water to go (now).

Bill

>

[Leon]

Actually since the great flood in Houston 12 years ago developers have been putting in retention ponds for the sewer water to collect before eventually ending up in of of the many bayous. Many retention ponds don't retain water for the purpose of conservation but mainly for added value for a lot that is adjacent to one.

The biggest reason for these ponds is not so much because of the disruption of the natural water flow so to speak, concrete simply does not let water reach the ground. The ground would soak up the water if it could.

[Bill]

Yes, that's what I was saying. You end up with a whole lot of water somewhere where you don't want it. I think you should be corrected for correcting me on this point ("simply does not let the water reach the ground" --sheesh!). : )

Bill

[Lew Hodgett]

-------------------------------------------------------------- That helps to solve the short term flooding problem but unfortunately is doesn't address the longer term issue of rebuilding the aquifers which have taken a beating in the SouthWest the last few years.

Lew

[Leon]

Sorry Bill, I read you comment as indicating that the water could not flow toward a river and or bayou because of development.

[krw]

What does Houston have to do with the South West?

[Leon]

I was kinda wondering that myself. If the SW simply had the rain fall each year that we do they would be looking for ways to get rid of the water.

I think they problem in the SW is that you build large communities in the arid desert and expect the water supply to hold up.

[krw]

,plant the same plants (grass) you had back in New York,

Not to mention the absurdities of the federal government's water subsidies.