SJRA’s Oldest Division - Highlands

In the early 1940’s, the Federal Works Agency (FWA) built an extensive canal system and pumping station in east Harris County. Water was delivered to Humble Oil and Refining’s Baytown refinery, as well as to other important industries to support the efforts of World War II. 

On June 4, 1943, to assist in this effort, the SJRA board of directors passed a resolution assigning to the FWA all of the SJRA’s water rights for the duration of the war and 12 months thereafter. In return, the SJRA received $1.00 per year, and all water rights were to be returned at the end of the designated period. After the war, the City of Houston, the FWA, and SJRA reached an agreement, and on April 25, 1945, the SJRA purchased the canal on the east side of the San Jacinto River, and the City of Houston purchased the canal on the west side. 

SJRA was finally in the water business, with a canal system and reservoir in Highlands, Texas. Shortly after acquiring the canal system, contracts were signed with Humble Oil (ExxonMobil today) to provide 20 million gallons of water per day to their Baytown refinery, and over the years SJRA has provided irrigation water for up to 5,000 acres of rice, soybeans, and grass farms. 

Today, SJRA’s Highlands Division maintains and operates a pump station on Lake Houston, a canal system running from Lake Houston to a reservoir in the Highlands, and additional canals running from the reservoir east and south to supply water to several refineries and the petrochemical industry. In addition to the large industrial customers, a number of municipal customers purchase raw water from the canal. 

Before we head downtown, we have to say Y’at, Cher! to my old friend SJ Watershed.

She came from uptown, up there in Conroe. She floated down da San Jacinto River with all of her friends from da other watersheds.

If you have da time, head over to her  StoryMap  - Driftin’ on Watershed time and take da trip down da San Jacinto River later on. For now, “Allons!” Dat means "Let’s Go!"

Now dat you know da history, let’s get to da good stuff.

The best way to understand SJRA’s Highlands Division and system is to start at the top, where it all begins, the Lake Houston Pump Station.  

Here at the Lake Houston Pump Station, Step A, water is pulled from Lake Houston utilizing up to four pumps at a rate of 34 to 80 million gallons per day (MGD). 

Now dats a lot of water.

Water is then pushed through a series of pipes ranging from 30 to 60 inches in diameter. Pumps one, two, and three push water through large pipes, through a meter house and into a junction box, where they combine into one pipe that is dumped into the Main Canal. Pump four pushes water through its own meter house and directly to the “Gooseneck” (seen in the photo below) and into the Main Canal.

Step B, the Main Canal, is an open, gravity flow system that serves as the lifeline for SJRA’s Highlands Division customers.

While this system looks much different from the SJRA  GRP Division  or  Woodlands Division , it requires constant upkeep and maintenance nonetheless. SJRA Highlands operations run 24/7, 365 days a year in order to provide uninterrupted water supply. The entire canal system must be mowed and maintained regularly to provide continuous service.  

The Highlands Division system has a number of different types of structures designed to pass water through or under road crossings, ditches, bridges, railroad tracks, and other obstacles. The first type of structure we are going to take a more in depth look at is Siphon 6 at Gum Gully, Step C within the infographic. 

Have to make sure da water never stops flowing.

A siphon utilizes a tube, or tubes, to move water from one point to another to avoid some sort of obstacle (ditch, roadway) that would prevent the water from continuing downstream. Siphon 6 is the longest structure in the system at 1,300 feet. It contains two 72” pipes to move water under the  Harris County Flood Control  ditch.

At Culvert 1 at Canal Divide we are introduced to another type of structure found in the Highlands system… a culvert. Culverts function very similar to a siphon, in that they pass water under a roadway, ditch, or structure in order to continue on its path downstream. In this case, water simply travels straight through an open pipe with no type of gate structure to control water flow. 

Culvert 1 at Canal Divide, located at Step D, is one 48” pipe that serves as the “official” start to the Middle Canal that eventually transitions into the East Canal.

Before we head down the East or South Canals to provide water to the large industrial customers, let’s take a quick look at the Highlands Reservoir.

The Highlands Reservoir, Step E, serves as additional water storage, or supply, for downstream raw water customers. This body of water feeds additional capacity to the East and South Canals through several control structures. While the Highlands Reservoir takes up 1,400 acres of land, only about 500 acres are inundated with water.

Now lets head over to another control structure on our journey East.

Right here is where Landos and I part ways. Landos is gonna head East and I’m gonna head South.

Alright, join me down da East Canal.

At Step F, East Canal-Structure 5, we find yet another type of structure located through the Highlands system… a Control Structure. Here at East Canal-Structure 5, water travels through a straight pipe as well, but flow can be controlled by three gates.  

At this location, water flows through up to three 36” pipes at a maximum rate of 11 to 12 MGD.

In order to make sure SJRA’s customers have enough water, additional water rights were secured in the Trinity River. As the name implies Transfer Pump Stations are built to “transfer” water from one place to another. The East Canal Pump Station, at Step G, moves approximately five to 15 MGD of water from the Trinity River, through the  Coastal Water Authority (CWA)  Canal, into the East Canal to ensure that customers have enough flow.

The final structure prior to entering a large industrial customer is Step H, East Canal-Sjolander Road Siphon.

Now lets head back to da Highlands Reservoir to travel down da South Canal with Hyde.

Now dat you have seen da East Canal with Landos, it's time to come see da South Canal.

South Canal-Structure 24, at Step I, serves a very similar purpose for the South Canal as East Canal-Structure 5 does for the East Canal. This Control Structure allows water to flow at a rate that can be controlled by any one of three gates.

At this location, water flows through three 36” pipes at a rate high enough to keep up with customer demands. 

Again, just like on the East Canal, the South Canal also has a pump station. Step J is the South Canal Transfer Pump Station that moves water from the Trinity River, via the CWA Canal, into the South Canal to make sure customers have adequate water for operations. The South Canal Transfer Pump Station moves approximately eight to 22 MGD of water.

Step K, South Canal-Siphon 37, is the final control structure prior to delivering water to a large industrial customer.

Dats da end of dis canal. Let’s head back and meet up with Landos.