Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeLocal / Area NewsNEW MACHINE MOVES TO LAKE CONROE

NEW MACHINE MOVES TO LAKE CONROE

Over the past few years, Lake Conroe has continued to drop. Last weekend’s rains had very little effect as it remains at least three feet below normal. In addition, the construction of the freshwater pipeline from Lake Conroe to The Woodlands continues to move forward.

Many residents who have boats have had to relocate them due to no water or shallow water at their docks.

One neighborhood decided o act on it and do something about it. Residents of the  Palm Beach subdivision off Walden got together and hired long time lake contractor Vernon Miller, President of Shoreline Companies.

In 1984 Vernon quit the dwindling oilfields and started the company. His first projects were mostly building bulkheads along Lake Conroe. Customers soon had him building docks and piers. Then n 1990 he began to build marinas on Lake Conroe. This including diving as part of the construction process.

In 1993 Montgomery County Precinct 1 Constable Don Chumley asked Miller to start a dive team for rescues and searching for drowning victims, After training with the Houston Police Department the team was formed.

In July 2006 a store was opened along with Millers niece Cristin Cash. This part of the business supplied marine hardware to lake residents and safety equipment to first responders.

In 2010 the lake began to drop as the area went into a drought. Miller who had several barges started doing some dredging work around the lake.

The Palm Beach residents contracted Miller to remove 10,000 yards of soil from under the lake surface in order to give them access to their docks. The project could have taken 3 to 6 months having to rent equipment and move it in.

It was then that Miller’s niece Cristin was on Craigslist and found a Marsh Dredger for sale in East Texas.

After talking with the owner who had the unit in Cuero, Texas on a job it was agreed that as soon as the job was completed it would be transported to Lake Conroe. Half of Tuesday morning was tied up with TXDOT in getting permits and routing for the 70,000-pound dredge that is 17 feet wide.

Another issue was where the dredge which also floats and can maneuver in the water could be launched. The owners of La Torretta had an undeveloped area behind the complex which could be used.

Arriving a 4 pm on the flatbed truck the operator was able to unload it and drive it to the water’s edge. After a few seconds, he drove off into Lake Conroe. Gary with Tow Boats who normally tows smaller vessels on Lake Conroe was then tasked with assisting the dredge on its 30-minute journey to Palm Beach.

Wednesday the dredging will stare and is expected to take 45 to 60 days. The dirt must first be loaded onto the barges, then moved to shore and unloaded. There it will remain for several days as the water flows off of it. After that, it will be transported to several locations using dump trucks. In all almost 1000 truckloads will be moved.

Not only does this project help the local residents but it increases the Lake Conroe capacity.

Cristin has additional plans on sprucing the dredge up a bit with a paint job. Not an ordinary paint job but one that will make it look like a Sea Serpent.

 

 

 

DSC07072DSC07066DSC07067DSC07065DSC07068DSC07069DSC07070DSC07071DSC07073DSC07074DSC07075DSC07076DSC07077DSC07078DSC07079DSC07080DSC07081DSC07082DSC07083DSC07084DSC07085DSC07086

- Advertisment -
Previous article
Next article
RELATED ARTICLES

10 COMMENTS

Comments are closed.

- Advertisment -
- Advertisment -

Most Popular

- Advertisment -

Recent Comments

- Advertisment -