Cameron County Commissioners on Tuesday said 10 flood-mitigation projects submitted by the newly formed Cameron County Drainage District No. 6 were placed on the Texas Water Development Board(TWDB) state fiscal year 202425 Flood Infrastructure Fund program project priority list, together worth more than $42 million, and the court appointed a director to the district.

County Judge and several commissioners told the court the projects — which the clerk said are 10 of 10 projects submitted by the district — will be considered at the TWDB meeting scheduled Thursday, April 10. “If all goes well,” a commissioner said, the projects will move forward to procurement and construction phases overseen by the district and the TWDB.

Why it matters: Court members said the projects respond to recent storms that inundated communities across the Rio Grande Valley and left residents wading through water in some colonias days after the rain. Getting projects on TWDBpriority lists makes them eligible for state flood infrastructure funding and positions the district to begin procurement and construction once federal and state approvals and local matching commitments are finalized.

Commissioner Josh Rees (title used in the meeting) and others described continuing county emergency operations: pumps remain deployed across precincts to dewater low-lying areas, and county public-works and emergency-management staff have been coordinating relief with volunteer groups, the Salvation Army and the Red Cross. The court said some colonias still require portable sanitation and that more than 20,000 meals had been served countywide by relief groups through the prior Saturday.

Josh Reesen, president of Drainage District No. 6, told the court the district has been operating pumps funded in part by ARPA dollars and other local resources and described the districtboard and management team as active in immediate storm response and short-term repairs. "We couldn't do it without y'all support," Reesen said, thanking county leaders for assistance and noting the district still had pumps running in the western side of the county.

The court also filled a board vacancy at Drainage District No. 6. The commissioners nominated and appointed Oscar Thamez; Thamez took the statutory oath of office at the meeting. "I am humbled and extremely honored for the opportunity to serve on this board," Thamez said, adding he had been personally affected by recent floods and wants to help the community mitigate future damage.

Court members urged residents to participate in regional water- and flood-planning meetings, noting that projects not on updated regional plans may not be eligible for future funding cycles. One commissioner reminded listeners that regional plans are updated on five-year cycles and cautioned that public input is necessary to have projects considered for state funding.

What comes next: If TWDB approves the priority list at its April 10 meeting, the district will move to procure consultants and contractors with oversight from TWDB and local officials. Commissioners said the district and county will continue coordinating dewatering operations and community assistance while longer-term projects progress through design and procurement.

Ending: Court members praised volunteers and intergovernmental partners for storm response and said they will continue to brief the public and seek state and federal partners to accelerate drainage projects in affected communities.