Reprint from the Progress Times - February 9, 2007
©Progress Times 2007 - All Rights Reserved

County Will Get Grant For Anzalduas Park Boat Ramp

By Blake Hall

Edinburg - A consultant to Hidalgo County announced Tuesday a new Anzalduas Park boat ramp construction project will get a grant for roughly $281,250 from the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife.

Paul Vazaldua, the county's consultant, said the grant covers 75 percent of the cost of the boat ramp. The full cost of the ramp is estimated to be $375,000, but the precinct will not know the cost for certain for about 60 days, he said. Precinct 3 will cover the remaining cost estimated at $93,750.

Vazaldua said he has been waiting since late 2005 for the Army Corps of Engineers to provide the permit needed for the grant's approval. The permit was required since the ramp will be built over international waters.

He added 18 months is not an unusual turn-around time for the corps in issuing a permit. "That's pretty standard for that agency," he said.

In other business, Godfrey Garza, head of the county’s drainage district, was rehired as a consultant to the county. He will be overseeing engineers who are working on a $100 million drainage project and also overseeing issuance of bonds to cover the project’s costs.

Garza suggested the possibility of hiring an independent auditor to gauge effectiveness of spending on the project, but no action was taken during commissioners’ court.

Precinct 4 Commissioner Oscar Garza said he did not know of anyone who was more qualified to perform the job. "It’s a good move," he added.

In other county news, Tony Pena, the county's emergency manager, told commissioners that more than 1,000 dead fish in a canal between Donna and Weslaco had to be cleaned up Sunday. The smelly fish proved too strong for residents of nearby Val Verde RV Park, who reported the situation late Saturday.

George Garrett, a Donna official, said the "fish kill" happens when Donna Irrigation officials reverse the flow of water pumps on the Rio Grande to get water into the irrigation canal system from the river.

Within 24 hours after the pumps are reversed, Pena said, countless talapia fish are pushed through the pumps. On the other side, they meet a sudden, harsh change in water temperature and oxygen levels. Garrett explained the fish go into shock and later die.

"It can create a smelly problem," Pena said.

The dead fish are collected and dumped in a landfill, Pena said. Though the event is routine, Garrett said, the volume of fish was unusually high this time and prompted action from city and state officials. The city’s irrigation department will cover costs of the clean up, he added.

Pena added Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife officials were also at the site Sunday morning. The Donna fire chief and officials from the Texas Environmental Quality Commission were there as well.

Four members of the Objective Watchers of the Legal System (OWLS) were asked to take part in a hiring committee. OWLS members Virginia Townsend, Fern McClaugherty, Maria Leech and Bea Whitlock will work with other county officials to hire an architect for engineering work.

The architect hired will help design sheriff's substations scheduled to be built in Weslaco and Mission. The hiring committee includes members of the county's purchasing department and Charles Contreras from the Precinct 2 office.