Reprint from the Progress Times - July 20, 2007
©Progress Times 2007 - All Rights Reserved

Levee work ready to begin

On a Monday morning dripping with irony, Hidalgo County Judge J.D. Salinas III and U.S. International Boundary and Water Commissioner Carlos Marin dried off and met at Mission City Hall to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) allowing work on the federally-owned river levee.

The signing, which was originally scheduled to be held at Anzalduas County Park and was moved to Mission because of severe weather and flooding, was the first step in allowing a non-fed-eral source to use its funds to begin fix-ing the levees which, according to the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC), are too weak to prevent the Rio Grande from flooding the area in the event of sustained heavy rains. A provision was also inserted in the MOU that will allow the county to recapture federal funds when they become available.

Salinas and Marin were joined by U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar and State Representative Kino Flores as well as Hidalgo County Commissioner Hector "Tito" Palacios, Mission Mayor Beto Salinas and Hidalgo County Drainage District No. 1 director Godfrey Garza.

"This is the biggest ting to happen to the levee system in 40 years," said Judge Salinas. "Fixing the levees is so important because it’s not if another hurricane happens, it’s when."

USIBWC studies have identified various reaches of Rio Grande levees in Hidalgo County that do not meet Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requirements for protection from the "100-year flood", which is a rain event that has a one percent chance of occurring every year. In some areas, in such a rain event levees would be overtopped and, according to the USIBWC, in other reaches, levees lack sufficient freeboard, which is the distance between the water level and the top of the levee.

The levees have not undergone any upgrades since the 1967 flooding in the aftermath of Hurricane Beulah. Now, estimates show it could cost up to $80 million to fix Hidalgo County’s river levees, and up to $28 million for the 12 miles of work that needs to be done from Penitas to the Anzalduas Dam. Funding for the work is primarily coming from the $100 million bond election passed by voters last November as well as the potential for $15.5 million in federal funding.

Congressman Cuellar said the signing showed what could be done when people cooperate.

"This agreement demonstrated how the federal level and local level of governments can work in partnership to ensure the safety of the community," said Cuellar. "This has been a historic occasion for Hidalgo County and the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. You have just witnessed the great working relationship that exists between Hidalgo County and the federal government. I am extremely proud of the priority that all levels of government have given this project."

Representative Flores echoed Cuellar’s recognition of the cooperation of the event.

"It’s about finding a problem and building a partnership. Everybody has to help and everybody has to have that courage," said Flores. "If this levee were to go, the whole Rio Grande Valley would go. I’m glad to find a willing county judge and commissioners’ court."

Now that the MOU has been signed, work is ready to begin. According to drainage district director Godfrey Garza, the levees should be under construction within three to four months.