HARLINGEN — Area leaders are launching the first part of a $13 million project aimed at draining floodwaters across much of western Cameron County.
To fund much of the project, Cameron County Drainage District 6 is applying to the Texas Water Development Board for an $8 million zero-interest loan, Gilbert Galvan, who sits on the new drainage district’s board of directors, said last week.
Officials are planning to sell bonds to fund the project’s balance, he said, adding the district won’t raise its property tax rate of 16 cents per $100 valuation.
“We’re going to be draining water north and south,” Galvan, a broker, said. “All this is going to give us some relief.”
The project aims at draining floodwaters from an area stretching from the Hidalgo County line to Tamm Lane, Dustin Moore, an engineer, said.
“It greatly increases the capacity to drain the area,” he said. “It’s basically where all of the water from western Cameron County goes. It’s all headed to that point, trying to get to the (International Boundary and Water Commission) floodway.”
First project under design
As they design the project, officials are planning to widen culverts while installing high-capacity pumps at five points across the area, Galvan said.
“We are working on putting in pumps and bigger culverts at five sites,” he said.
Now, the district is working with Harlingen officials and Cameron County Drainage District 5 on the first part of the overall project, planning to widen culverts while installing pumps aimed at draining floodwaters across an area stretching from Bass Boulevard to Tamm Lane, Moore said.
The area includes about 300 homes located in subdivisions such as Hickory Hills and the Heights, Galvan said.
“The more the area grows, the worst it gets,” he said, referring to increasing runoff.
During a June 2019 storm, as much as 15 inches of rain rushed floodwaters into some area homes, Galvan said.
“A lot of homes got flooded or near flooded,” he said.
‘Great partnership’
As part of the first project totalling about $3 million, officials are planning to install a 12-foot by 10-foot culvert at a site where two 60-inch culverts stand at the southern end of the IBWC’s levee located between Combes and Sebastian, Moore said.
Meanwhile, they’re also planning to install two pumps, one with a capacity of 75 cubic feet per second and a second with a capacity of 100 cubic feet per second, he said, putting the pumps’ total costs at about $350,000.
To buy the pumps, District 6 is putting up about 50 percent of the total cost while the city of Harlingen and District 5 are each pitching in about 25 percent, he said.
Last week, Harlingen city commissioners agreed to pull $75,000 from the city’s $21 million share of the American Rescue Plan Act to fund the city’s share of the pumps’ cost.
“The city of Harlingen remains committed to improving drainage infrastructure,” Cristina Garcia, the city’s spokeswoman, stated Monday.
It’s part of the city’s campaign to upgrade drainage, Commissioner Rene Perez, who oversees the city’s District 5, stated.
“It’s an important project that will help alleviate some of the flooding in the westward areas of Harlingen along Bass Boulevard and Hickory Hills,” he stated, describing the city’s work with Drainage Districts 5 and 6 as a “great partnership.”
“It coincides with the city’s mission to become proactive with drainage,” Perez stated.
By mid 2023, officials plan to start construction on the first part of the overall project, Moore said.
Meanwhile, they’re planning to launch other parts of the big project within three to five years, he said.
