Editing Conroe, Texas (section)

===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in this area, and the increased population of Conroe and the surrounding area, the groundwater supply is being withdrawn faster than it can be replenished.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/>