IBWC: We have an important levee rehabilitation project to complete in Brownsville

MERCEDES, Texas – The U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission has an important levee rehabilitation project on its hands in Brownsville.

Without the levee being fixed, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) cannot certify it. Without FEMA certification, businesses and residents cannot get flood insurance.

At a recent citizens forum in Mercedes, the commissioner for the U.S. section of IBWC, Maria-Elena Giner, acknowledged how urgent the project is.

"Definitely Brownsville is a real priority right now because it's right by downtown. It's right by the port (of entry). We've got to get that gap closed," Giner said.

At the Mercedes event, Ramon Macias, principal engineer for IBWC, gave a detailed report on all the levee rehabilitation projects currently underway in the Rio Grande Valley.

Macias pointed to a slide in a power point presentation which showed that the levee consisted of a sharp curve.

"Another really important project that we have and are looking at is the Upper Brownsville Levee Rehabilitation located in Brownsville and it's to stabilize the levee slope and floodplain there," Macias said.

"We have had the design (completed) but it's an expensive construction project because it's a really detailed and difficult design and construction that's inherent to protect that slope."

Macias explained what happened.

"So, what happened is, there was a flood and the levee slumped. Right now, it's stable, but we want to go back in there and make sure that we rehabilitate that section to protect it and keep it protected so that it continues to work as it's doing so far, at this point."

Macias said IBWC engineers are continuing to monitor the levee.

"We had a monitor program in place and we're doing the monitoring now. And it's stable. But the intent is to go in there and install soil mix columns and stone columns to stabilize that slope and that structure around that curve."

In her remarks, Commissioner Giner said IBWC is trying to identify $170 million in funding for those levees in urgent need of repair.

"We have $136 million for construction. A portion of that is going to go to the San Diego (water treatment) plant but that will still leave us a nice sum to see what additional gaps we can close," Giner said.

But definitely Brownsville is a real priority right now because it's right by downtown. It's right by the port (of entry). We've got to get that gap closed," Giner said. "That is like the number one priority I can share with you right now."

Giner said of the Brownsville project: "It is very small but definitely there's going to be a lot of associated construction costs because of the complexity of the project for sure."

Giner said IBWC has a good relationship with FEMA.

"Communities will not get their flood insurance until we get that FEMA certification," Giner said.

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