Texas Water Development Board approves a $5,599,008 grant to Hidalgo County Drainage District No. 1 (Hidalgo and Willacy Counties) for a multi-phase drainage project

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AUSTIN – (August 22, 2014) – The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) approved by resolution financial assistance in the form of a $5,599,008 grant from the Water Loan Assistance Fund to the Hidalgo County Drainage District No. 1 (Hidalgo and Willacy Counties). The grant will be used for planning costs of a multi-phase drainage project for Hidalgo and Willacy Counties.

Due to extraordinary urban growth in Hidalgo County, the existing drainage system must be expanded to address the potential of flooding. The assistance approved today will cover costs incurred in the planning stages of the project. The District estimates that when the project is complete, they will have added over 14 miles of new drainage channels and made improvements to approximately 40 miles of existing channels. In addition, the District intends to add a major detention lake and upgrade numerous flood control structures.-

The TWDB is the state agency charged with collecting and disseminating water-related data, assisting with regional planning, and preparing the state water plan for the development of the state's water resources. The TWDB administers cost-effective financial assistance programs for the construction of water supply, wastewater treatment, flood control, and agricultural water conservation projects.