County Improving Drainage In Flood-Weary Towns 

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County Improving Drainage In Flood-Weary Towns 

Maps show a network of canals and laterals that store and move water from Mercedes.
Maps show a network of canals and laterals that store and move water from Mercedes.

Hidalgo County Commissioner David Fuentes pointed to red and blue lines and arrows running through his precinct.

Fuentes explained where $80 million of drainage improvements are occurring or are in plans in his Precinct 1. The crisscrossing of drains, laterals, canals and ditches form a patchwork of connected corridors to store and move water. It’s a network that isn’t always streamlined, but it’s vital in getting floodwaters out of towns and neighborhoods and streaming toward the Arroyo Colorado and the main Rio Grande Valley spillway going through Mercedes and under Expressway 83.

Another hurricane season is here. Memories of category one Hurricane Hanna of 2020 are still fresh with the knowledge of what a stronger storm could do to the Valley. The same goes for the 15-inch-plus rains of June 2018 and the same month of the following year that left Mercedes and Weslaco sloshing with devastating flooding.

“The need is obviously there,” said Fuentes, whose precinct is Mid-Valley based and runs north to the Delta Area of Edcouch-Elsa. “What areas flood the worst and what are we doing to fix it?”

County Commissioner David Fuentes highlights drainage improvements being made in the Mid-Valley and Mercedes area.
County Commissioner David Fuentes highlights drainage improvements being made in the Mid-Valley and Mercedes area.

Addressing A Growing Pain

Mercedes is a city that is beginning to see its first wave of growth. The McAllen/Pharr areas along the expressway become saturated and developers look eastward for new opportunities.

A 12,000-square-foot travel center that will be reminiscent of a Buc-ee’s is under construction about half-a-mile east of the Rio Grande Valley Premium Outlets. Starbucks plans to open a new Mercedes location adjacent to the outlet mall. Chick-fil-A will do the same with a new restaurant next to the travel center on the intersection of Mile 2 Road East and the expressway.

It’s all good news for Mercedes Mayor Oscar Montoya. His city has seen next door Weslaco flourish with growth along its expressway corridor. Now Mercedes seems poised to do the same. The mayor conceded, however, that “one of the biggest issues we have is that Mercedes floods.”

Knowing that, the city’s county commissioner, Fuentes of Precinct 1, is dedicating $20 million of a $190-million bond to Mercedes. Precinct 1 received $80 million of that bond, which was passed by county voters in 2018 and is dedicated to addressing drainage issues.

Work has begun on drainage improvements southeast of Mercedes at the Anaquitas Drainage Structure. (Courtesy)
Work has begun on drainage improvements southeast of Mercedes at the Anaquitas Drainage Structure. (Courtesy)

The Future Flow

On his maps, Fuentes highlighted four Mercedes-centric projects that he predicted will greatly alleviate the city’s perennial flooding problems. 

They will result in more flood detention ponds, wider canal channels and culvert improvements, all of which by design will efficiently gather and move excess water out of cities and to the main floodway and the arroyo. It’s the kind of drainage work going on throughout the Valley. In the region, which in its natural state is a river delta, flooding has always been quick to form. The Valley needs about $4 billion in drainage improvements, Fuentes said, citing a state study of previous years. Counties and cities don’t have those kinds of resources, so projects must focus on areas of most urgent need.

“The emphasis is on avoiding the displacement of families from their homes and to minimize damage to businesses,” Fuentes said of Mercedes. “We look at the modeling and it shows we’ll be able to handle large amounts of water. All of these improvements are going to make a huge difference in the city.”

Everything Is Interconnected

For mayors like Montoya, improving infrastructure is essential to attracting new business, with better drainage near or at the top of most city lists in the Valley. Montoya said the region is still playing catch up in aligning drainage capacity with population growth.

“We have systems that were built when there was 100,000 people living in our area,” the mayor said. “These systems are now trying to handle the needs of a million people.”

Pepe Cabeza de Vaca knows well the challenges of drainage as a McAllen city commissioner while working on the staff of county commissioner Fuentes. McAllen has long prided itself for having efficient and fast drainage systems and the role it plays in attracting business. Cabeza de Vaca said as much as McAllen excels in those endeavors, it still connects to a countywide and regional drainage systems.

“We can take water out efficiently, but we need to put it somewhere,” Cabeza de Vaca said from his perspective as a city commissioner. “All parts of the system need to be improved so the water can flow.”

Mercedes Mayor Oscar Montoya lauds drainage improvements being made in his city such as a recent groundbreaking for improvements to the Anaquitas Drainage Structure. (Courtesy)
Mercedes Mayor Oscar Montoya lauds drainage improvements being made in his city such as a recent groundbreaking for improvements to the Anaquitas Drainage Structure. (Courtesy)

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