Los Fresnos sets limits on watering lawns, irrigation

Effective immediately, Los Fresnos is limiting when residents may water their lawns due to drought conditions.

Mayor Alejandro Flores said in a media release that when the level of U.S. water stored in Amistad and Falcon Reservoirs reaches 35%, this triggers the town’s Stage 2 Drought Contingency Plan.

The Stage 2 Drought Contingency Plan began Wednesday.

Under the new restrictions, irrigation of landscaped areas with hose-end sprinklers or automated irrigation systems shall be limited between the hours of 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m.

Residents on the southside of Ocean Boulevard or Highway 100 may water Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Residents on the northside of Ocean Boulevard may water Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

No landscape irrigation will be allowed on Sundays.

City Manager Mark Milum said it was necessary to implement the contingency plan to make sure water remains available to the city.

With the water levels in the reservoirs at about 31% and no heavy rain or storms in the forecast anytime soon to increase the water levels, the municipality is doing its part to conserve water, Milum said.

“That sets a trigger to start conservation because if we run out of water behind the dams and there is no water in the Rio Grande river there’s no water for the cities in the Valley…we shouldn’t be the only ones to do this but maybe we are,” Milum said. “There’s just different things you can start to do to conserve water and hopefully maximize the amount of water we have to still give people the ability to do what they need to do.”

As of Wednesday, it appeared Brownsville PUB had not issued any drought contingency plans.

Meanwhile in Los Fresnos, use of water to wash cars, trucks, motorcycles, trailers, boats, and airplanes is prohibited except on landscaping water days and designated times. Residents must use handheld buckets and handheld water hoses with a shutoff nozzle.

Vehicle washing will be allowed at commercial businesses, the release states.

Water usage to fill up pools, wading pools, or Jacuzzis can only be done on designated days at between the hours of midnight to 10 a.m. and between 8 p.m. and midnight.

The washing down of sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, buildings or other hard surfaces is prohibited. Flushing of gutters or permitting water to accumulate in the streets is also not allowed.

Milum said the city will have officials driving around the city streets to make sure residents are abiding by the rules. It will be more of educating them then issuing a citation unless someone completely refuses to follow the guidelines.

According to Water Data for Texas, as of Wednesday Brownsville area reservoirs are at 30.3% full.

The U.S. Drought Monitor as of May 12 has Cameron County as abnormally dry, Hidalgo County has normally dry and Starr County as normally and moderately dry.

The National Weather Service in Brownsville predicts May will be a very dry month for the entire Valley. June is expected to be a dry month.