For Immediate Release
February 11, 2025
Contact: Eddie Treviño, Jr.
Texas Water Development Board Eyes $42.6 Million In Funding For Cameron County Drainage District No. 6 Infrastructure Projects
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) has listed ten Cameron County Drainage District No.6 (CCDD6) project applications on the 2024-2025 Flood Infrastructure Fund Flood Mitigation Project Prioritization List. The ten project applications represent a total of $42.6 million in funding, $20 million in non-matching grant funds and $22.6 million in zero percent interest TWDB loans.
In March 2021, the Cameron County Commissioners’ Court received a petition from the residents of Western Cameron County for a new drainage district in the region to address catastrophic flooding and major drainage issues. As a result of the petition, the Cameron County Commissioners Court approved approximately $400,000 to fund a Preliminary Engineering Report to support the creation of Cameron County Drainage District No. 6. In November 2021, a special election was held, and the voters of Cameron County Precinct 4 approved the creation of Drainage District No. 6, the first drainage district approved and created in Cameron County since 1993.
In addition to the $400,000 in seed money for the Preliminary Engineering Report, in April 2022, the Cameron County Commissioners’ Court awarded Drainage District No. 6 with $1,400,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for the construction of a pump station at Tio Cano Lake, an area in western Cameron County that endured three consecutive years of historic “500- year” floods that caused widespread damage throughout the region.
Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño, Jr., stated “We are very excited to see that the initial $400,000 investment the Commissioners’ Court made in 2021 to support drainage infrastructure has had such a positive impact. The return on investment for Cameron County and its residents stands to be over 100-fold from the original investment. Congratulations to the CCDD6 Board of Directors and staff for their hard work!”
“We want to thank the Texas Water Development Board for this opportunity, and we look forward to the construction of these projects which will bring much needed flood relief to the people in our precinct,” stated Precinct 4 Commissioner Guz Ruiz.
CCDD6 Board President Josh Ruiz said, “This historic accomplishment is truly a team effort. I want to thank my fellow CCDD6 Board members and staff, as well as county leadership—Judge Eddie Treviño, Jr., Commissioner Gus Ruiz, Pete Sepulveda, and the rest of the Cameron County Commissioners’ Court—along with our state leadership—State Senator Adam Hinojosa, State Representative Janie Lopez, and State Representative Oscar Longoria—and the Texas Water Development Board. Together, we are delivering on our promise to our community of a future without flooding.”
Cameron County urges residents to support the Drainage District No. 6 funding applications through positive public comments by emailing the Texas Water Development Board at FIF@twdb.texas.gov. The public comment period is now open and closes on March 10, 2025.
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