Editing Conroe, Texas (section)

==Geography==
The [[Office of Management and Budget]] classifies Conroe as a [[principal city]] within the {{nowrap|[[Greater Houston|Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land]]}} metropolitan area.<ref>[https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/omb/bulletins/2015/15-01.pdf OMB Bulletin 15-01, Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas.] Office of Management and Budget: July 15, 2015. Page 35. Retrieved March 11, 2018.</ref> The city is about {{convert|40|mi|km}} north of [[Houston]].<ref>"[http://www.kbtx.com/home/headlines/Pilot_Lands_Small_Plane_On_Conroe_Street_136662523.html Pilot Lands Small Plane On Conroe Street]". [[KBTX]]. [[Associated Press]]. January 4, 2012. Retrieved on January 5, 2012.</ref>

===Annexation===
When Conroe incorporated in 1904, the city limits encompassed a 5.44 square mile area. From 1970 to 2000, the city limits expanded from 7.15 square miles to 42.35 square miles.<ref name=annexmap>[http://www.cityofconroe.org/home/showdocument?id=4488 100 Plus Years of Growth: Conroe's City Limit Expansion 1904 to December 2013.] City of Conroe, Texas. Retrieved March 12, 2018.</ref> Beginning in 2007, the city outlined a plan to continue expanding its city limits through [[municipal annexation in the United States|annexation]].<ref name=annex2007>Kuhles, Beth. [https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/woodlands-news/article/Conroe-studies-future-annexation-options-1546053.php Conroe studies future annexation options.] Houston Chronicle: February 22, 2007. Retrieved March 12, 2018.</ref> According to Chapter 43 of the Texas Local Government Code, [[Home rule in the United States|home rule]] municipalities like Conroe may annex territory that is adjacent to the city's current boundaries, with certain restrictions.<ref>[http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/LG/htm/LG.43.htm Local Government Code Sec. 43.003: Authority of Home-Rule Municipality to Annex Area and Take Other Actions Regarding Boundaries.] Texas State Legislature: Acts 1987, amended Acts 2017. Retrieved March 12. 2018.</ref> The city's 2007 plan projected doubling its size through a combination of voluntary and involuntary annexations.<ref name=annex2007/> As of 2022, the city has annexed territory every year since 2007, increasing the city limits from 52.8 to 77.5 square miles.<ref name=annexhis>Mendoza, Jesse. [https://communityimpact.com/houston/city-county/2016/05/25/conroe-expands-city-limits-tax-base-annual-annexation-program/ Conroe expands city limits, tax base through annual annexation program.] ''Community Impact Newspaper'': June 8, 2016. Retrieved March 12, 2018.</ref><ref name=limits>[http://www.cityofconroe.org/home/showdocument?id=4521 City Limits through April 2022.] City of Conroe, Texas. Retrieved December 29, 2022.</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Annexation Program |url=https://www.cityofconroe.org/departments/community-development/planning-annexation/annexation-program |publisher=City of Conroe |access-date=December 29, 2022}}</ref>

In April 2015, residents of the gated community of April Sound filed a lawsuit against Conroe after their community was annexed on January 1, 2015. The lawsuit was dismissed in March 2017.<ref name=annexhis/><ref>{{Cite news |last=Dominguez |first=Catherine |date=March 10, 2017 |title=Judge dismisses annexation suit against Conroe |url=https://www.yourconroenews.com/neighborhood/moco/news/article/Judge-dismisses-annexation-suit-against-Conroe-10991000.php |work=[[The Courier (Conroe newspaper)|The Courier]] |location=Conroe, Texas |access-date=March 13, 2018}}</ref> Involuntary annexations were a major issue in the 2016 mayoral election, the first after April Sound residents were incorporated into the city. Proponents of annexation contended that it was a useful tool to "promote and facilitate growth and progress," while those in opposition were concerned about whether annexed territories receive a "fair shake" in the negotiations.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Green |first=Stephen |date=June 18, 2016 |title=Annexation remains hot topic in mayoral race |url=https://www.yourconroenews.com/neighborhood/moco/news/article/Annexation-remains-hot-topic-in-mayoral-race-9492428.php |work=[[The Courier (Conroe newspaper)|The Courier]] |location=Conroe, Texas |access-date=March 13, 2018}}</ref> In 2017, the city council voted in favor of additional involuntary annexations.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Snyder |first=Mike |date=December 15, 2017 |title=Conroe council OKs controversial annexations |url=https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/conroe/news/article/Conroe-council-OKs-controversial-annexations-12433492.php |work=[[Houston Chronicle]] |access-date=March 13, 2018}}</ref>

===Ecosystem===
[[File:Jones State Forest.jpg|thumb|Middle Lake on the southern side of Jones State Forest.]]

Conroe is in the southwest corner of the East Texas [[Piney Woods]].<ref>[https://tpwd.texas.gov/landwater/land/habitats/pineywood/regulatory/ Pineywoods Wildlife District.] Texas Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved March 10, 2018.</ref> The Piney Woods consist of pine trees and hardwood forests. The most common type of tree in the southwest Piney Woods is the [[Pinus taeda|loblolly pine]]. [[Pinus echinata|Shortleaf pine]] are also abundant.<ref>[https://tpwd.texas.gov/landwater/land/habitats/pineywood/ Pineywoods Wildlife Management.] Texas Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved March 10, 2018.</ref> Pockets of [[Texas blackland prairies|blackland prairie]] vegetation are also present, but are disappearing due to [[urbanization]].<ref name=FEMA>[http://www.cityofconroe.org/home/showdocument?id=2686 "Flood Insurance Study: Montgomery County, Texas and incorporated areas volume 1 of 6"]. Federal Emergency Management Agency: September 23, 2008. Pages 6-8, 13. Retrieved March 11, 2018.</ref>

In 1926, the [[Texas A&M Forest Service]] purchased 1700 acres of Piney Woods to establish W. Goodrich Jones State Forest. The forest serves as a research and demonstration area for sustainable forestry techniques. The forest also preserves the habitat of the [[red-cockaded woodpecker]], a species classified in the early 21st century as [[Near-threatened species|Near Threatened]] by the [[International Union for Conservation of Nature|IUCN]].<ref>[https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/jones-state-forest/ W. Goodrich Jones State Forest.] Texas A&M Forest Service. Retrieved March 11, 2018.</ref><ref>{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International. |year=2020 |title=''Leuconotopicus borealis'' |volume=2020 |page=e.T22681158A179376787 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22681158A179376787.en |access-date=10 July 2024}}</ref>

In 2017, Texas A&M asked Conroe state senator [[Brandon Creighton]] to author a bill setting aside 10 percent of the forest for educational and research-related development. The bill also opened the possibility of commercial development on the land.<ref>Fletcher, Abner. [https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/education/2017/04/11/219001/the-present-and-future-of-the-w-g-jones-state-forest/ The Present and Future of the W.G. Jones State Forest.] Houston Public Media: April 11, 2017. Retrieved March 11, 2018.</ref> Public concern over the bill persuaded Creighton to revise it. The final version, which passed the Senate unanimously, protected the entire forest from development.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Marshall |first=John S. |date=May 31, 2017 |title=Jones State Forest offering a sanctuary from the city for nearly 100 years |url=https://www.yourconroenews.com/125years/article/Jones-State-Forest-offering-a-sanctuary-from-the-11184922.php |work=[[The Courier (Conroe newspaper)|The Courier]] |location=Conroe, Texas |access-date=March 11, 2018}}</ref>

===Water resources===
[[File:West Fork San Jacinto River.jpg|thumb|The West Fork of the San Jacinto River as seen from McDade Park on the western edge of Conroe.]]

The West Fork of the [[San Jacinto River (Texas)|San Jacinto River]] flows through the western edge of Conroe. The entire city is within the river's watershed.<ref>[https://www.tpl.org/sites/default/files/West%20Fork%20Greenprint.pdf West Fork San Jacinto Watershed Greenprint.] The Trust for Public Land: July 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2018.</ref> The river flows southeast from [[Lake Conroe]], a 19,640 surface acre lake created by a dam in 1973 to establish an alternative source of drinking water for [[Houston]].<ref name=SJRA>[http://www.sjra.net/lakeconroe/history/ History of Lake Conroe.] San Jacinto River Authority. Retrieved March 10, 2018.</ref>

Conroe developed over several geologic layers of underground [[aquifer]]s, which supply the city with fresh drinking water.<ref>[https://www.twdb.texas.gov/publications/reports/numbered_reports/doc/R136/R136.pdf Ground-Water resources of Montgomery County, Texas.] Texas Water Development Board: November 1971. Pages 9-15. Retrieved March 11, 2018.</ref> Due to rapid development in this area, and the increased population of Conroe and the surrounding area, the groundwater supply is being withdrawn faster than it can be replenished.<ref>Oden, Timothy D. [https://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/580/pdf/ds580.pdf Groundwater Environmental Tracer Data Collected from the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper Aquifers in Montgomery County and Adjacent Counties, Texas, 2008.] United States Geological Survey: 2011. Pages 1-7. Retrieved March 11, 2018.</ref> As a result, the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District, which oversees groundwater usage in Montgomery County, mandated that Conroe reduce its groundwater usage by 30 percent of 2009 amounts by January 1, 2016.<ref name=chronground>Jordan, Jay R. [https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/news/article/Conroe-loses-rehearing-motion-on-water-lawsuit-10984870.php Conroe loses rehearing motion on water lawsuit, could appeal to Texas Supreme Court.] ''Houston Chronicle'': March 7, 2017. Retrieved March 11, 2018.</ref> As part of the groundwater usage reduction plan, the [[San Jacinto River Authority]] began in September 2015 to supplement Conroe's groundwater supply with surface water pumped from Lake Conroe.<ref name=SJRA/> The SJRA charges the city usage fees to cover the cost of pumping and treating the water.<ref name=impactground>Mendoza, Jesse. [https://communityimpact.com/houston/conroe-montgomery/city-county/2017/07/22/water-dispute-costs-county-residents-millions-dollars/ Water dispute costs county residents millions of dollars.] ''Community Impact Newspaper'': July 25, 2017. Retrieved March 11, 2018.</ref>

On August 27, 2015, the City of Conroe filed a lawsuit against the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District, claiming that the LSGCD did not have the authority to limit the city's groundwater usage.<ref name=chronground/> The city also refused to pay SJRA water usage fee increases in 2016, resulting in a separate lawsuit filed by the SJRA against the city.<ref name=impactground/> The LSGCD and Conroe reached a settlement agreement in January 2019.<!-- What are the elements of the agreement? --><ref>{{cite web |last1=Schafler |first1=Kelly |title=UPDATED: Conroe City Council approves settlement agreement in lawsuit against Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District |url=https://communityimpact.com/houston/conroe-montgomery/environment/2019/01/24/breaking-conroe-city-council-approves-settlement-agreement-in-lawsuit-against-lone-star-groundwater-conservation-district/ |website=Community Impact Newspaper |access-date=17 October 2020 |date=25 January 2019}}</ref> The SJRA case was dismissed in June 2020.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dominguez |first1=Catherine |title=Judge dismisses San Jacinto River Authority suit against Conroe and Magnolia |url=https://www.yourconroenews.com/neighborhood/moco/news/article/Judge-dismisses-San-Jacinto-River-Authority-suit-15374511.php |website=The Courier of Montgomery County |access-date=17 October 2020 |date=30 June 2020}}</ref>

Parts of Conroe surrounding the West Fork of the San Jacinto River are in a floodplain.<ref>[http://gis.mctx.org/apps/floodplains/ Montgomery County Floodplain Viewer.] Montgomery County, Texas, Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Retrieved March 11, 2018.</ref> Significant flooding occurs along the floodplain when rainfall exceeds nine inches in a 48-hour period. The Conroe area has approximately a 10 percent chance of receiving this much rainfall in any given year.<ref name=FEMA/> Urban development in Conroe and the surrounding area has also exacerbated the risk of flooding.<ref name=flood1>Zedaker, Hannah. [https://communityimpact.com/houston/the-woodlands/environment/2016/06/08/montgomery-county-recovers-historic-flood-conditions/ Montgomery County recovers from historic flood conditions.] Community Impact Newspaper: June 13, 2016. Retrieved March 11, 2018.</ref> Montgomery County had [[100-year flood|500-year floods]] in three successive years, in May 2015, April 2016, and August 2017.<ref name=flood2>Schlafer, Kelly. [https://communityimpact.com/houston/conroe-montgomery/editors-pick/2018/01/24/local-officials-study-flood-mitigation-montgomery-county/ Local officials to study flood mitigation in Montgomery County.] ''Community Impact Newspaper'': January 24, 2018. Retrieved March 11, 2018.</ref> A 500-year flood has a 0.2 percent chance of occurring in a year.<ref name=FEMA/> In addition, a fourth major flood occurred in May 2016, resulting in two major floods in two months.<ref name=flood1/>

The flooding in August 2017 took place during [[Hurricane Harvey]], when nearly 32 inches of rain fell on the city.<ref name=flood3>{{Cite news |last=Marshall |first=John S. |date=August 31, 2017 |title=Flooded-out Conroe-area residents returning to damaged homes |url=https://www.yourconroenews.com/news/article/Flooded-out-Conroe-area-residents-returning-to-12162882.php |work=[[The Courier (Conroe newspaper)|The Courier]] |location=Conroe, Texas |access-date=March 11, 2018}}</ref> To protect the integrity of the dam, San Jacinto River Authority officials released 79,100 cubic feet per second of water from Lake Conroe downstream into the West Fork of the San Jacinto River, exacerbating flooding already taking place in the floodplain.<ref name=flood2/> Conroe city officials ordered a mandatory evacuation of McDade Estates, a neighborhood on the banks of the river.<ref name=flood3/><ref>Osborne, Ryan. [http://www.star-telegram.com/news/state/texas/article170132167.html "40 miles from downtown Houston, 'We thought the rain was going to come but not flood{{'"}}] ''Star-Telegram'': August 30, 2017. Retrieved March 11, 2018.</ref> As a response to the flooding, Montgomery County commissioners in October 2017 requested $1.25 million from the federal government for a flood mitigation study, along with an additional $95.5 million to implement various flood mitigation projects.<ref name=flood2/>