Hidalgo County expands main floodwater channel

EDCOUCH, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Hidalgo County held a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday for the beginning of a new extension for its main floodwater channel.

Residents look forward to the project as it promises to draw water away from their homes and businesses.

"Our area has been prone to flooding for many years, as long as I can remember," said Edcouch resident, Rolando Lozano. "I think this is huge for our area as far as the expansion of water that's able to get through our drainage system."

Precinct One county commissioner David Fuentes says the plan calls for the main channel to collect more water.

“All of these communities eventually now fall into the drainage so by making 7 miles worth of improvements where we widen the ditch," said Fuentes. "It allows us to create a lot of local capacity within our system, so it gets water out of people’s yards. It gets it out of streets.”

The greater amount of water collected also helps with the ongoing drought.

Congressman Vincente Gonzalez spoke on the area's need for further government funding.

"For many years we've been left behind on some of the funding that happened across the country and across the state and I think we finally got people's attention," said Gonzalez. "The valley is growing, I think we’re much more vocal than we used to be and we’re talking to people who are writing the checks in Washington and assuring that these funds continue to come to our region."

The project has received almost $20 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

"We're applying for more money as we speak and we're looking to expand and have a better drainage system and water conservation."

Officials have been working in phases for many years to expand the main channel that makes its way across Hidalgo County.