Japhet Creek

Oct. 23rd Restoration Day

2005-10-24T08:39:00.000-07:00

We had another fabulous day of weather for the last restoration day at Japhet Creek. Nine volunteers pulled out 17 bags of trash and unearthed 16 tires. We also planted a chile pequin plant next to the bald cypresses from last week. Both will provide habitat and food for the wild life in the area. As we were working last week, I thought about legacy. The work that we're all engaged in with the creek will not only help the habitat of local animals, but will create a legacy that young people now can enjoy in the future. A time will come when people stopping by the creek will never know that had been a dumping ground for decades.

Joe Icet from the Last Organic Outpost and I had spoken about the relationship between the creek and the gardens. He referred to a web site Wild Farm Alliance which examines the positive impact on commercial farming from wild areas. The creek and garden may be experiencing some of that effect. As late as September, people along the creek reported seeing fire flies. This activity is somewhat rare so late in the year. As I speculated on it with a friend, it may be that creek provides some of the moist and cool habitat for the larva and the garden attracts a greater variety of insects which the firefly larva feed upon. This last September was one of the hottest in recorded history for Texas which might also have to do with the lengthened season for fireflies.

Sept. 17th restoration day

2005-09-19T13:25:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at the Sept. 17th restoration day. The crews hauled up over 55 bags of trash and several large tires that had been haunting the creek bed for years. Thanks to the following organizations for participating in this restoration day: Scot Barnes with the Buffalo Bayou Partnership, Jada England from Green Mountain Energy, students from University of St. Thomas,
and students from the Seaborne ChalleNGe Corps. These groups along with many individuals helped to make this day a success.

REI presentations

2005-07-26T21:19:00.000-07:00

Tonight, I finished the second of my presentations at REI. Their outreach coordinator, Christian McNeil, had asked me to tell their members and visitors about the restoration. A handful of folks showed up to the presentation and asked mostly about the historical features of the creek and surrounding neighborhood. Christian said that they'd publicize our workdays and possibly formally sponsor it as a REI workday.

We're planning on scheduling two workdays per month in Sept., Oct. and Nov. With that amount of time, we should make some good headway on cleaning out much of the light trash in the area. We're also working with the owner of the rice mill across the street from Japhet to use his facilities for a fundraising event and volunteer appreciation event. More details as they arise.

revegetation of washout area

2005-07-11T10:39:00.000-07:00

The washout area has been slowly becoming revegetated. In the winter and early fall, we planted seeds and a few plants in hoping to control some of the erosion. Now, the area is becoming revegetated. Wildflowers such as Clasping Coneflower, Goldenwave , Scarlet Sage, and a handful of sunflowers. The short grasses that spread in the fall have begun to die back and the tall grasses are beginning to sprout and seed. Unfortunately, I don't know the names of grasses as well as wildflowers. The virginia sweetspire died probably due to the dry June that we had, but the False Indigo is thriving, probably because its native riparian background. Even one of the inland seaoats has survived long enough to send out seeds.

Great News!

2005-04-29T06:19:00.000-07:00

Scott called from Buffalo Bayou Partnership www.buffalobayou.org/ and left a message yesterday. Ann had received a letter from Mayor White telling her that the plan to box culvert and cover Japhet Creek has been permanently removed from the budget. No word on whether any of the $1.2 million would be redirected for the clean up. We would appreciate e-mail suggesting this being sent to the mayor or city council members www.cityofhouston.gov/ . Don't forget to thank them for saving the creek.

April 9th Workday

2005-04-26T07:07:00.000-07:00

We had another successful workday on April 9th. The fifteen volunteers cleared out over 35 bags of trash and about 500 pounds of scrap metal. Alan Atkinson from Bayou Vistas donated his backhoe and operators and pulled out about 50 tires from the banks of the creek near the bridge. Thanks to all for your help in making this project happen.

Our next work day is Sat. May 7th from 8 am to 1 pm. Bring rubber boots or old shoes, a long sleeve shirt and gloves. We'll have some gloves, goggles and some mosquito spray. Enjoy a day of community and meet some new friends while we help to clean one of the only natural tributaries north of Buffalo Bayou. If you can't help down in the creek, we're always in need of people to help with registration or cook hotdogs at the end of the day.

Work Day Success!

2005-03-22T11:38:00.000-08:00

The first workday completed successfully. We had over 15 volunteers who gave their Saturday mornings to help clean up Japhet. Together we hauled out approximately 80 bags of trash and over 1000 pounds of scrap iron. We cleaned around the Emile Stree bridge and about a hundred feet from the Clinton box culvert. Volunteers had fun while talking with interesting folks and munching on hotdogs and chips at day's end. Although much of the heavy items remain such as large slabs of concrete, tires and scrap metal, the cleanup efforts have had a visible effect. On Monday, Alan Atkinson donated the use of his backhoe and two workers to haul away the many tires near the Emile St. Bridge. Through their work, over 250 tires will make their way to a recycling plant and out of the habitat of birds, turtle, frogs, and rabbits.

Special thanks to Jimmy Pryor and Sunbody Hats for donating large nylon bags for hauling massive amounts of chip bags, plastic bottles, and scrap clothing. A huge thanks to Alan Atkinson of Bayou Vista, Ltd for the donation of his backhoe and the labor of his workers for two days. Over the course of three days, they pulled over 250 tires from the banks of Japhet Creek near the Emile Street bridge.

Mar. 19th Workday

2005-03-07T14:29:00.000-08:00

When: Saturday Mar. 19th, 8 am registration begins 9am cleanup begins

Where: Japhet Creek on the corner of Emile and Clinton Drive

What to expect: Join with others who care about restoring Japhet Creek to it's natural state. Volunteers will pick up light trash with a garbage bag and carry it to a dumpster. The creek has about a 15 foot steep slope on the banks without pathways. Pathways are planned at a later date.

What to bring: Old clothes that you don't mind getting muddy. Old shoes or preferably rubber boots. Plastic gloves that are water resistant. Some cloth gloves will be availble. Garbage bags will be available. Mosquito repellent. Anything else that will help you to make this a comfortable and productive day.

Work Days

2005-03-03T22:22:00.000-08:00

We've scheduled the first workdays for the project on Mar. 19th and April 9th. We'll begin at 8 and work until about 1 pm. Jim is working with the 5th Ward Super Neighborhood Council on getting a dumpster delivered to the site. I've applied for trashbags, gloves and goggles for the workday with Sonia at Keep Houston Beautiful. We would need to pick them up on the friday before and return them on Monday. We also need to fill out a score card for the cleanup day to give to KHB.

Jim and I need to iron out the plans on the bathrooms as well as drinks and possibly food afterwards. We'll probably need a registration table with a big sign as well. People will need to fill out the waivers, which Jim is working on. We'll probably base them on the KHB ones.

On Friday Mar. 4th, Jim and I are meeting with Eric Ruckstuhl from the Bayou Preservation Association for him to train us on removing non-native invasive from the creek. We'll work on that at the same time as the cleanup in order to remove some of the understory which might get in the way of volunteers cleaning up. It will also set the stage for the reintroduction of native species.

politics and grass

2005-03-03T22:13:00.000-08:00

Tonight, I attended Houston City Councilman Adrian Garcia's Capital Improvement Plan townmeeting. Citizens had an opportunity to comment on the CIP for the next 5 years. Members of many of the city's departments attended: public works, fire, police, planning. I talked to someone in Public Works about who we needed to carbon copy when we sent the petition to the mayor. He indicated that we needed to send it to the director of Public Works, Michael S. Marcotte, and the deputy directorDaniel Krueger, P.E.who is responsible for the implementation of the CIP.

Jim is working on the letter to the Mayor to stop the CIP project and is gathering the signatures on the petitions. We'll send them to the mayor, Public Works, and to the councilmembers associated with the project.

At the creek, some of the grass seeds I planted a few weeks ago are taking root. The Virginia sweetspire and the false indigo are also doing well and waiting for summer to begin growing above the ground. The grass has grown to about 4-5 inches in length at about a foot's distance from each other. It's probably switch grass which grows tall and forms a dense set of roots which will help to stabilize the banks.

2005-02-13T18:02:00.000-08:00

The erosion from the bottom of the washout area.

erosion

2005-02-13T17:44:00.000-08:00

For the last few weeks, I've been checking on the wax myrtles and yaupon hollies that Jim, Eileen, Michele and I had planted at the washout area. Until yesterday, about 6 of them had survived and though not grown much above the ground had remained green. When Michele and I went yesterday to plant some wildflower seeds, we found that the soft ground above had given way and the plants were now covered by about a foot of soft clay. We went ahead and sowed the wildflower seeds in hopes that it would provide some erosion control. The seeds were a mix from Native American Seeds , the drainfield mix which is suitable for wet environments such as this one. It contains the following wildflowers:
Clasping Coneflower
Cutleaf Daisy
Scarlet Sage
Plains Coreopsis
Illinois Bundleflower
Black-eyed Susan
Pink Evening Primrose
Maximilian Sunflower
Obedient Plant
Pitcher Sage

meeting with 5th Ward Super Neighborhood leader

2005-02-08T20:54:00.000-08:00

Jim and I met today with Alvin Byrd of the 5th ward super neighborhood. He gave us advice on what to do next in stopping the creation of the box culvert along Japhet Creek. He suggested that we talk with councilman at large Gordon Quan because he had supported a lot of work in bayou restoration. Alvin also suggested that we contact Robin Blue of Keep Houston Beautiful for resources during the cleanup. He also suggested that we tap into some of the companies surrounding Japhet Neighborhood saying that they might supply cranes and heavy equipment for getting some of the larger pieces of trash out of the creek.

WARNING!!!

2005-02-08T10:59:00.000-08:00

A warning to the turtles and fish living in Japhet Creek, to the birds and squirrels living in the trees along Japhet Creek and especially to the families living in the homes in the Japhet neighborhood...... the City of Houston wants to bulldoze the trees and shrubs, cover the creek with a concrete box culvert and fill it in with dirt. Are we going to let that happen to the last natural tributary to Buffalo Bayou? Not just "NO!!" but "HELL NO!!". Brian discovered that the Capital Improvement Budget for 2007 lists "covering with concrete culvert and filling in Japhet Creek from Clinton Drive to Buffalo Bayou" for $ 1,200,000, not including the cost of acquiring the land. It would cost so much less than that to clean it up and preserve this flowing creek for green space, recreation and habitat for wildlife. If you have any suggestions on how to stop the City and redirect a small portion of the funds, please let Brian or I know.

Neighborhood meeting and Volunteer Tour

2005-02-07T21:19:00.000-08:00

This weekend marked several milestones in the Japhet Creek restoration. First we met with the neighbors to inform them about what had been done with the project so far. We also wanted to get their input into the project. About 8 people attended. They watched a power point presentation on Jim's computer which included pictures of Watonga Creek in northwest Houston which might serve as a model for Japhet Creek. Those in attendance had a mostly positive response to the presentation and the way that we were approaching the cleanup. Few answered the question about what they saw were sacred vs. public parts of the creek, but they left excited.

Saturday, we took a tour of the creek with people interested in getting involved with the cleanup. Eric from Bayou Preservation Association attended as well. We started at the Clinton Culvert then crossed Clinton to travel down the train tracks to the source of much of the pollution. The tour continued to the Emile St. bridge, the dead end of Ursa and finally through the Last Organic Outpost to the railroad tressl. Rebecca Reyna from councilman Adrian Garcia's office attended as well. I gave her the short tour because she didn't have the shoes or the time to make the rest of the tour. She said that she thought that the neighborhood was outside her district, but that she could lend what help that they could. She suggested investigating whether the neighborhood could be included as a historic neighborhood with the city's historic district committee. She also said that some legal means were available to control the taxes for the neighborhood as developers built around it. Her office has worked extensively with issues of gentrification.

She also talked with Joe Nelson of the Last Organic Outpost. She was interested in the potential economic impact of gardening and inquired about classes in her district. She said that she'd refer Joe to their office's economic redevelopment director.

Eric gave Jim an official letter of support from BPA. It indicated that because of the lack of public land, it would be difficult to use inmates on the project. He said that he and Scott Barnes from Buffalo Bayou Partnership would investigate using clients of Cenikor and how they might fund it. He also mentioned fund-raising efforts to raise money for supplies and plants for the effort. Because of the upcoming spring and the return of the undergrowth to the creek, he volunteered to tag with spray paint non-native invasive plants and teach us how to eradicate them. Some of the funding would be used for native species that would thrive in that environment. After the tour, he said that he would also talk with Scott about the potential four public entry points for the inmates. One strategy he suggested was to have volunteers drag some of the heavier pieces to the public entry points so that the inmates could take them from those points.

Some next steps:

creating legal waiver forms

scheduling work dates in spring
possible fundraising efforts
gathering supplies for the work days
encouraging and coordinating volunteers for work days

Potential supplies needed:

rubber gloves (to protect against potential bacteria in water)
buckets and/or trash bags for hauling away trash
dumpster for hauling away work day trash
water & food for volunteers

Volunteers need to bring:

long sleeve shirt

old shoes or rubber boots

eye protection as necessary

Potential sponsors for:

dumpster

trash bags

food & water for volunteers

Steve Hupp from Harris Co. Pollution Control's efforts

2005-02-03T08:12:00.000-08:00

The following is a section from an email from Steve Hupp at Harris County Flood Control:

One is to determine what part of the
waterway is public and thus can be accessed by the inmates and neighborhood
volunteers. I am seeking guidance on this from Harris County Flood Control
and the County Attorney's Office. The other is continued support through
the County for periodic waterway cleanups. I am seeking this through Flood
Control and then Harris County Precinct 1. Precinct 3 (west Harris County)
has a pilot program called Adopt a County Waterway. I am trying to see if
Precinct 1 will provided the same type of support. Has your group sought
support of your effort from the City of Houston?

experts meeting, neighborhood meeting and urban forester

2005-01-23T08:37:00.000-08:00

We had the meeting of the experts on creek restoration on Friday Jan. 22nd. In attendance were Scott Barnes (dir. of conservation) and Anne Olson (president) (Buffalo Bayou Partnership), Eric Ruckstuhl (Bayou Preservation Association), Steve Hupp (Harris County Pollution Control), Bobby K Wilson (civil engineer), Karen Dorris ( nursery owner),
Thomas McWharter (Greater Houston Preservation Alliance), Eileen Hatcher (co-founder Japhet Civic Association), Nancy Sorenson (Last Organic Outpost). We spoke about the general goals of the project and surveyed some of the critical parts of the creek: the headwaters on Clinton, the Emile bridge and the section that runs under the train tressel. We also hiked along the train tracks north of Clinton and saw another section of the creek that contains a foot and a half wide pipe which presumably ends in the box culvert on Clinton. The pipe was surrounded with years of styrofoam, plastic bottles and other trash. Eric indicated that cleaning up that area should be a top priority because it all flows into the creek from there. This portion of the creek was within sight distance of a 5th Ward Redevelopment housing site and we talked some about getting them involved in this aspect of the cleanup and maintenance.

At the end of the meeting, we spoke informally about what some of the next steps might be. Scott recommended a Habitat Analysis and water testing. Jim mentioned talking with the Proler company about donating some heavy equipment and storage for the trash pulled out of the creek. Anne spoke about contacting the 5th Ward Redevelopment Co and the Public Land Trust for potential partnerships and the creation of green space or parks. Eric and Steve taked about getting together to talk about the scope and time table for the cleanup phase.

On other fronts:

Jim is planning a neighborhood meeting on Feb. 4th in the evening. We'll talk about the project to neighbors and other interested parties and encourage volunteering for the project.

Jim has also spoken with TJ Marks who is an urban forester about walking through the creek and making recommendations for tree planting sites and species at the appropriate juncture in the project.

Jim and I are also investigating whether some of our contact on various board with the last name Japhet are related to the Japhets that the creek is named after.

Contact Info

2005-01-20T08:03:00.000-08:00

I wanted to get these online as more people become involved in the project.

Jim Ohmart
Japhet Civic Association President
JMOhmart@aol.com (713) 674-2528

Brian Herod
JCA project coordinator
myth@thegloaming.net
713-480-6303 m

Scott Barnes
Buffalo Bayou Partnership
sbarnes@buffalobayou.org
832-687-5848 M 713-752-0314 O

Erik Ruckstuhl
Bayou Preservation Association
eruckstuhl@aol.com
713-298-3021 m

Steve Hupp
Harris County Pollution Control
steve_hupp@co.harris.tx.us
713) 920-2831

Anne Olson
president, Buffalo Bayou Preservation Association
aolson@buffalobayou.org
713-752-0314

Buffalo Bayou Partnership and Bayou Preservation Society

2005-01-14T20:05:00.000-08:00

I talked with Scott Barnes from the Bayou Preservation Society about the creek. He said that they could conduct an inventory of the organisms currently in the creek. He suggested it because they've seen sightings of beavers from the mouth of the creek. The beavers had young and he wanted to make sure that we were aware of any dams so that the workers hauling away the trash wouldn't disturb them. He said that the exec director of BBP, Anne Olsen, had talked to him this same day about exploring making that section of the creek one of their next projects. He also said that after the trash was hauled out that the next phase of the project could be an inventory of the canopy and making recommendations to increase the diversity of the flora and fauna. He said that he'd attend the meeting on Jan. 21st.

I also spoke with Eric Ruckstuhl from the Bayou Preservation Association. He said that this project would be a good candidate for forming a second team for the Harris county Pollution Control. He said that he'd attend the meeting on Jan. 21st as well.

Overall, it's looking like the first phase will involve cleaning the creek of trash. The next step will involve creating paths along a section of the creek with a way of getting across the creek. Afterwards, the next step is working to restore the stream current through earth moving, daylighting, and plantings along the banks. These steps will help to attract the wildlife to the area.

Harris County Pollution Control

2005-01-05T14:10:00.000-08:00

I spoke with Steve Hupp 713) 920-2831 at the Harris County Pollution Control. He said that his group is working on White Oak Bayou as well as Buffalo Bayou west of the loop. They go in and remove and recycle the large trash within these regions and will even remove exotic species of plants. He said one of the keys to success was maintenance efforts on the part of the neighborhoods where they do the cleanups otherwise, the watersheds revert back to their original state. The inmates they work with are ones that are about to be released for minor drug and alcohol offenses. Unarmed guard accompany the inmates at all times. He said that he could meet at the creek the week of Jan. 17th. I have Thursday morning and most of Friday clear that week.

Next steps:

send out survey to community
plan for workdays
coordinate with Harris County Pollution Control if we decide to go that way.

Community Assets Survey

2004-12-29T11:55:00.000-08:00

Japhet Creek Restoration Project Skills Survey

The Japhet Creek Restoration coordinating team is group that's working to restore and preserve the stretch of Japhet Creek that passes through the Emile bridge and the railroad tressil. We're accomplishing these goals by creating paths to the creek, clearing out the trash, creating a structure to bridge the communities on both banks of the creek, increasing the diversity of the plant life and controlling erosion.

Part I -- Skills Information

We are interested in all your skills and abilities. They may have been learned through experience in the home or with your family. They may be skills you've learned at church or in the community. They may also be skills you have learned on the job.

Health

Caring for the Elderly ________

Caring for the Mentally Ill ________

Caring for the Sick ________

Caring for the Physically Disabled or Developmentally Disabled ________

What kind of care did you provide?

Bathing ________

Feeding ________

Preparing Special Diets ________

Exercising and Escorting ________

Grooming ________

Dressing ________

Making the Person Feel at Ease ________

Office

Typing (words per minute) ________

Operating Adding Machine/Calculator ________

Filing Alphabetically/Numerically ________

Taking Phone Messages ________

Writing Business Letters (not typing) ________

Receiving Phone Orders ________

Operating Switchboard ________

Keeping Track of Supplies ________

Shorthand or Speedwriting ________

Bookkeeping ________

Entering Information into Computer ________

Word Processing ________

Construction and Repair

Painting ________

Porch Construction or Repair ________

Tearing Down Buildings ________

Knocking Out Walls ________

Wall Papering ________

Furniture Repairs ________

Repairing Locks ________

Building Garages ________

Bathroom Modernization ________

Building Room Additions ________

Tile Work ________

Installing Drywall & Taping ________

Plumbing Repairs ________

Electrical Repairs ________

Bricklaying & Masonry ________

Cabinetmaking ________

Kitchen Modernization ________

Furniture Making ________

Installing Insulation ________

Plastering ________

Soldering & Welding ________

Concrete Work (sidewalks) ________

Installing Floor Coverings ________

Repairing Chimneys ________

Heating/Cooling System Installation ________

Putting on Siding ________

Tuckpointing ________

Cleaning Chimneys (chimney sweep) ________

Installing Windows ________

Building Swimming Pools ________

Carpentry Skills ________

Roofing Repair or Installation ________

Maintenance

Window Washing ________

Floor Waxing or Mopping ________

Washing and Cleaning Carpets/Rugs ________

Routing Clogged Drains ________

Using a Handtruck in a Business ________

Caulking ________

General Household Cleaning ________

Fixing Leaky Faucets ________

Mowing Lawns ________

Planting & Caring for Gardens ________

Pruning Trees & Shrubbery ________

Cleaning/Maintaining Swimming Pools ________

Floor Sanding or Stripping ________

Wood Stripping/Refinishing ________

Food

Catering ________

Serving Food to Large Numbers of People (over 10) ________

Preparing Meals for Large Numbers of People (over 10) ________

Clearing/Setting Tables for Large Numbers of People (over 10) ________

Washing Dishes for Large Numbers of People (over 10) ________

Operating Commercial Food Preparation Equipment ________

Bartending ________

Meatcutting ________

Baking ________

Child Care

Caring for Babies (under 1 year) ________

Caring for Children (1 to 6) ________

Caring for Children (7 to 13) ________

Taking Children on Field Trips ________

Transportation

Driving a Car ________

Driving a Van ________

Driving a Bus ________

Driving a Taxi ________

Driving a Tractor Trailer ________

Driving a Commercial Truck ________

Driving a Vehicle/Delivering Goods ________

Hauling ________

Operating Farm Equipment ________

Driving an Ambulance ________

Operating Equipment & Repairing Machinery

Repairing Radios, TVs, VCRs, Tape Recorders ________

Repairing Other Small Appliances ________

Repairing Automobiles ________

Repairing Trucks/Buses ________

Repairing Auto/Truck/Bus Bodies ________

Using a Forklift ________

Repairing Large Household Equipment (e.g., refrigerator) ________

Repairing Heating & Air Conditioning System ________

Operating a Dump Truck ________

Fixing Washers/Dryers ________

Repairing Elevators ________

Operating a Crane ________

Assembling Items ________

Supervision

Writing Reports ________

Filling out Forms ________

Planning Work for Other People ________

Directing the Work of Other People ________

Making a Budget ________

Keeping Records of All Your Activities ________

Interviewing People ________

Sales

Operating a Cash Register ________

Selling Products Wholesale or for Manufacturer (If yes, which products?) ________

Selling Products Retail (If yes, which products?) ________

Selling Services (If yes, which services?) ________

How have you sold these products or services? ________

Door to Door ________

Phone ________

Mail ________

Store ________

Home

Music

Singing ________

Play an Instrument (Which one?) ________

Security

Guarding Residential Property ________

Guarding Commercial Property ________

Guarding Industrial Property ________

Armed Guard ________

Crowd Control ________

Ushering at Major Events ________

Installing Alarms or Security Systems ________

Repairing Alarms or Security Systems ________

Firefighting

Other

Upholstering ________

Sewing ________

Dressmaking ________

Crocheting ________

Knitting ________

Tailoring ________

Moving Furniture or Equipment to Different Locations ________

Managing Property ________

Assisting in the Classroom ________

Hair Dressing ________

Hair Cutting ________

Phone Surveys ________

Jewelry or Watch Repair ________

Are there any other skills that you have which we haven't mentioned?

Priority Skills

When you think about your skills, what three things do you think you do best?

Which of all your skills are good enough that other people would hire you to do them?

Are there any skills you would like to teach?

What skills would you most like to learn?

Part II -- Community Skills

Have you ever organized or participated in any of the following community activities?

Boy Scouts/Girl Scouts ________

Church Fundraisers ________

Bingo ________

School-Parent Associations ________

Sports Teams ________

Camp Trips for Kids ________

Field Trips ________

Political Campaigns ________

Block Clubs ________

Community Groups ________

Rummage Sales ________

Yard Sales ________

Church Suppers ________

Community Gardens ________

Neighborhood Organization ________

Other Groups or Community Work? ________

Which of these you would be willing to participate in the future.

Part III -- Enterprising Interests and Experience

Business Interest

Have you ever considered starting a business? Yes _____No _____

If yes, what kind of business did you have in mind?

Did you plan to start it alone or with other people? Alone _____Others _____

Did you plan to operate it out of your home? Yes _____No _____

What obstacle kept you from starting the business?

Business Activity

Are you currently earning money on your own through the sale of services or products?Yes _____No _____

If yes, what are the services or products you sell?

Whom do you sell to?

How do you get customers?

What would help you improve your business?

Part IV -- Personal Information

Name_____________________________

Address_____________________________

Phone_____________________________

Age_____________________________

Sex: F_____ M_______

"Reprinted with permission of John P. Kretzmann and John L. McKnight, pp. 19-25, from Building Communities from the Inside Out: A Path Toward Finding and Mobilizing a Community's Assets, Evanston, IL: Institute for Policy Research (1993)."

Goals and Harris County Flood Control

2004-12-21T16:24:00.000-08:00

Some initial goals for the project:

erosion control (perhaps through native grasses and trees) especially on the north side near the sewage line that's lost a lot from the fallen tree

creating paths to the creek
clearing out trash
creating bridge
increasing the diversity of the plant life

I spoke with Ralph Taylor from Harris County Flood Control. He had trouble finding it on his maps initially and wasn't originally sure that it was under their jurisdiction. He said rather than serving as a ditch that the county had created, it was probably a natural stream. When I told him a little of the history of the the creek, he sounded excited and said that preserving some of the history of the place might make use eligible for TX Parks and Wildlife Grants. He also said that Harris County Pollution Control could send out County inmates to clear out the larger pieces of metal, tires and concrete. We'd have to get into the queue, but he said it's a resource for the project. I wasn't sure how much we wanted the creek restoration project to get out and how comfortable you'd feel having inmates work on the property. The other problem would be access to the large materials. Ralph overall sounded excited about the project and it seemed that he wanted to help out more than getting the whole department involved. He is going to send a package to me with information about erosion control plants as well as contacts for Buffalo Bayou Preservation Society.

I believe one of the next steps is to get the survey out to people within the neighborhood and other interested parties so that we can start to see how people want to help out with the project. I'll work on it and post it here or send it to you email address.

Japhet Creek intro

2004-12-12T14:54:00.000-08:00

Japhet creek winds its way from Clinton Drive to Buffalo Bayou. Along its way, it passes through an industrial complex, a neighborhood, around a scrap metal yard and finally passes underneath a sewage line and train trellis to finally integrate with Buffalo Bayou. The high banks are scattered with woodferns, greenbriar, yaupon trees, tangling vines, and Georgia cane grows along the tops of the banks. Small clumps of garlic chives grow within the grey clay soils. Ruella and papyrus also contribute to anchor the banks of the stream in place. Among the plants, discarded concrete, tires, and heavy scrap metal lay discarded. Small rivulets of stream water bubble up from a source underneath the Emile St. bridge. The bottom of the stream is mostly sandy with pebbles of gravel helping to stream the clearish brown water. The southeast bank near the scrap metal plant has a fallen tree and large amounts of erosion which have created a steep cliff of bare soil.