RGRWA News Archive
PAST NEWS FROM RGRWA
Rio Grande Regional Water Authority (RGRWA) SOQ
The Rio Grande Regional Water Authority (RGRWA) invites all qualified parties to submit a statement of qualifications for preparing a LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY BASIN AND REGIONALWATER SUPPLY FEASIBILITY STUDY, as defined by 31 TAC Chapters 355, 357& 358. Click here to view the SOQ.
Hurricane Alex Flooding Photos Now Online
The photo page has now been updated with photos from the 2010 flooding produced by Hurricane Alex. The new photos are courtesy of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
RGRWA Directors Sworn In
Five gubenatorial reappointments to the RGRWA Board of Directors were sworn in for another term at the Authority's meeting on August 3, 2011. The five are: Roel Rodriguez of City of McAllen, Brian Macmanus of East Rio Hondo WSC, Bobby Sparks of Valley Acres, Wayne Halbert of Harlingen Irrigation District, and Paul Heller of Rio Queen Citrus. All five are continuing members, having already served on the RGRWA Board for varying lengths of time.
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Next Meeting April 2011
The RGRWA will not meet in March 2011. For more information on the upcoming April meeting, visit the Meetings page.
RGRWA Sponsors 2010 Texas Irrigation Expo
The Rio Grande Regional Water Authority was a Platinum Sponsor of the 2010 Texas Irrigation Expo, which took place Oct. 21-22 in Mercedes, Texas. The Expo featured an informative program that included presentations by expert speakers, tours of demonstration sites currently using on-farm water conservation tools and techniques, a scholarship contest for high school students, and exhibitors displaying the latest technology and equipment. TDA CEUs were available for some parts of the program. Click here for RGRWA photos from the event.
RGRWA Sponsors 2010 Valley Environmental Summit
The Rio Grande Regional Water Authority proudly sponsored the Valley Environmental Summit in Harlingen on Friday, September 24th. The Summit was coordinated by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the office of State Representative Eddie Lucio, III.
All three TCEQ Commissioners - Chairman Bryan W. Shaw, Commissioner Buddy Garcia, and Commissioner Carlos Rubinstein - attended the event. Several speakers noted that Commissioners Garcia and Rubinstein are both natives of Brownsville, leading Cameron County Judge Carlos Cascos to joke that, "There's no reason we can't get everything we want from the TCEQ."
The LRGDVC's Debby Morales and Ken Jones talk to Stephen M. Niemeyer, TCEQ Border Affairs Manager & Colonias Coordinator Intergovernmental Relations, at the RGRWA booth; click here for more photos from the Summit
More than 200 people attended the day-long event, which featured a visit by the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives Joe Straus (R-San Antonio). Speaker Straus told the group, "What’s good for the Valley is good for Texas."
In spite of heavy flooding this summer, Commissioner Rubinstein said, "It's important to talk about water when you have it," and not wait until there’s a drought. Commissioner Rubinstein is the former Rio Grande Watermaster, a position now held by Erasmo "Moe" Yarrito.
In October, the RGRWA is sponsoring the Texas Irrigation Expo in Mercedes on Oct. 21 and 22. The Expo features educational content and nearly 50 exhibitors of products and services focused on helping farmers and irrigation districts conserve agricultural water. The event is FREE to the general public, but registration is required. Register HERE today.
RGRWA to Participate in Summit
The RGRWA is sponsoring the Valley Environmental Summit, which will be held in Harlingen on Setpember 24. The meeting will bring together stakeholders with federal, state, and local leaders, and will discuss environmental issues specific to the Valley. The Summit is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Be sure to stop by the RGRWA booth in the exhibit hall.
In the News
Gov. Perry requests federal funding for Valley flood control Read More
Submit Your Flooding Photos to RGRWA
The Rio Grande Regional Water Authority is collecting photos showing the impact of flood releases from the Rio Grande during the summer of 2010. If you have photos showing how high the water rose in your community, please send them to us so we can have a permanent record of how this event impacted the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
Amistad and Falcon reservoirs reached record levels after being inundated with flood water from Mexico following Hurricane Alex and a separate tropical storm in late June and early July. Floodways and levees throughout the Rio Grande Valley worked as planned, diverting excess water through flood channels to the Gulf of Mexico. The water, however, did damage some crops and homes that were in the flood plains.
The RGRWA is collecting citizens’ photos in order to help the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) archive this event. TCEQ and other state agencies took hundreds of photos throughout this flood event. A collection of photos, including those from the general public, will be posted to the RGRWA website as they become available.
If you would like to contribute flooding photos, please email them to the RGRWA by Oct. 1, 2010, using the free service www.yousendit.com. To send a photo via www.yousendit.com, go to the site and use the "Send a File" box on the left side of the page. Type your e-mail address in the "From" box, and type info@rgrwa.org in the "To" box. Click the "Select File" button to find and attach your photo. Click the arrow next to the word "Subject" to open up a text box, and type "Valley Flooding Photo" as the subject. Click the arrow next to the word "Message," which opens up another text box; there, please tell us what is seen in the photo, whose property it is, the approximate location of the property, and which direction the camera is pointed. For example, a good photo description would be "this is the Garza residence in Mercedes near the I-83 overpass, looking south." Once this information has been entered, click the green "Send It" button. By submitting a photo to the RGRWA, you are giving us permission to use it.
RGRWA Helps Establish "Charles Browning, Jr. Water Conservation Scholarship" at Texas A&M University-Kingsville
The Rio Grande Regional Water Authority, along with Mr. Jimmie Steidinger of the Donna Irrigation District, have established a $10,000 scholarship fund at Texas A&M University-Kingsville that will be named in honor of Charles Browning, Jr., the former general manager of the North Alamo Water Supply Corporation who passed away in May. Mr. Browning was a founding member of the Rio Grande Regional Water Planning Group and a state leader in the area of water utilities management.
The details are still being finalized, but the overall plan is to award scholarships of $2,500 per year “to support one rising junior in years one and two and an additional rising junior in years three and four” of the four-year scholarship term.
To apply for the scholarship, applicants must: be enrolled, full-time undergraduate students who have earned at least 60 or more college credit hours; be majoring in one or more of the following areas – agronomy, environmental engineering or wildlife science; have a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA; and be a resident of the one of the six counties served by the RGRWA (Willacy, Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, Zapata, and Webb). Application forms will be developed in the coming weeks.
RGRWA Sponsoring Texas Irrigation Expo
The Rio Grande Regional Water Authority is proud to be a Platinum Sponsor of this fall’s Texas Irrigation Expo in Mercedes, Texas. The two-day event is partially funded by a grant from the Texas Water Development Board. The Expo will be held Oct. 21 and 22 at the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show Grounds and will provide information on efforts to conserve agricultural irrigation water in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) and across the state. Companies that provide products and services for the agricultural community will be exhibiting, and site tours will also be offered of local demonstration sites where on-farm water conservation techniques are practiced.
The event is free to the general public, but reservations must be made in advance. Reserve your spot at the Expo by registering here.
The RGRWA will have a booth at the Expo in order to share information with local residents on future water infrastructure projects, the new college scholarship it is helping to fund at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, the importance of the El Morillo Drain in Mexico to water quality in the Rio Grande, and the efforts to eradicate invasive aquatic species.
Rio Grande Regional Water Planning Group Seeks Public Comment on Updated Water Plan
The Rio Grande Regional Water Planning Group (RGRWPG) is currently seeking public comment on its Initially Prepared Plan (IPP), and will be holding two public hearings in April. The IPP is an update to the 2006 regional water plan and includes new information on water demand due to population change, current water supplies, and water management strategies. The RGRWPG’s planning area encompasses Cameron, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Maverick, Starr, Webb, Willacy and Zapata Counties.
Public hearings will be held on the following dates and times:
1st Public Hearing
Date of Public Hearing: April 21, 2010
Time of Public Hearing: 10:00 a.m.
Location of Public Hearing: Weslaco City Hall Legislative Chamber
255 South Kansas St.
Weslaco, TX 78596
2nd Public Hearing
Date of Public Hearing: April 28, 2010
Time of Public Hearing: 11:00 a.m.
Location of Public Hearing: Laredo Public Library
1120 E. Calton Road
Laredo, TX 78041
The IPP can be read in its entirety on the RGRWPG website, www.riograndewaterplan.org. It is also available at libraries and county clerks’ offices in the 8-county region. For specific locations, please refer to the public notice.
Written comments regarding the IPP may be sent to:
Rio Grande Regional Water Planning Group
Attn: Kenneth N. Jones, LRGVDC Executive Director
311 N. 15th St.
McAllen, TX 78501
The deadline to comment on the IPP is June 28, 2010.
For additional questions or information, please contact Mr. Jones at 956-682-3481 / FAX 956-631-4670.
RGRWA Sets Water Rights Market Value for 2010
In accordance with Section 4.04 of its governing legislation, S.B. 707 from the 80th Legislature, Regular Session, the Rio Grande Regional Water Authority (RGRWA) has calculated the 2010 annual market value of water rights purchased or sold by municipalities, municipal utility districts, special utility districts, irrigation districts, and water supply corporations within the authority’s boundaries to be $2,218.00 for 2010. This is the same amount as last year and was approved by the RGRWA at its board meeting on January 6, 2010.
Recommendation for Selection of Consultant
Download the Recommendation for Selection of Consultant memo here.
Revised EDA RFQ Q & A Responses
Download the updated Q&A responses here.
EDA RFQ Addendum Number 3
Download the addendum here.
EDA Application for Federal Investment Assistance 2009
Download the grant proposal here.
EDA RFQ Addendum Number 2
Download the addendum here.
RFQ Regional Economic Adjustment Plan for Building Disaster Resilient Communities 2009 Q & A Responses
Download the responses here.
Addendum Number 1 Posted for RFQ Regional Economic Adjustment Plan
Download the addendum here.
Revised Minutes of the Pre-Bid Conference
Revised minutes from the Pre-Bid Conference held Sept. 11, 2009 are posted here.
Pre-Bid Conference on RFQ for Building Disaster Resilient Communities
The Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council will hold a non-mandatory, pre-bid conference at the Lower Rio Grande Valley Transportation Center Building on Friday, September 11, 2009, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. (noon). The Transportation Center is located at 510 South Pleasantview Dr., Weslaco, Texas 78596.
The LRGVDC is accepting RFQs for the Regional Economic Adjustment Plan for Building Disaster Resilient Communities. The deadline for sealed bids is October 20, 2009 at 3:00 P.M CST (extended per Addendum 1).
Please see the official meeting notice here. Questions should be directed to of the LRGVDC.
RFQ for Building Disaster Resilient Communities
The Rio Grande Regional Water Authority and the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council have issued a Request for Qualifications to teams interested in submitting their qualifications to plan and develop the Authority’s "Regional Economic Adjustment Plan for Building Disaster Resilient Communities." The plan is funded by a $3.5 million grant from the federal Economic Development Administration.
To view the RFQ, please open this pdf. To download the addendum to the RFQ, click here. Questions should be directed to of the LRGVDC.
The deadline to respond to the RFQ is Tuesday, October 20, by 3:00 p.m. CST (extended per Addendum 1).
RGRWA to Fund Special Study into San Felipe Springs
The Rio Grande Regional Water Authority has agreed to pay for a special study on the potential impact of increased groundwater withdrawal from the area near San Felipe Springs. The study was on the list of proposed projects the Rio Grande Regional Water Planning Group (Region M) had intended to complete for the current round of regional water planning, but it was not funded by the Texas Water Development Board.
San Felipe Springs, near Del Rio, is a tributary to the Rio Grande, downstream from Lake Amistad. Reduced flows from that area could impact water supplies for the communities downstream.
The study is expected to take 4 to 5 months and will cost no more than $14,000.
RGRWA Members Sworn In
Rep. Eddie Lucio, III administered the oath of office to the Rio Grande Regional Water Authority’s new and re-appointed members during its June 3, 2009 meeting. Members taking the oath are (left to right) Jimmie Steidinger, Sonny Hinojosa, Joe Barrera III, D.V. Guerra, Joe Pennington, Jo Jo White, who are pictured with Rep. Lucio. The representative served on the House Natural Resources Committee during the 2009 legislative session and thanked the authority’s members for their support and guidance on natural resource issues.
Keep an Eye on Austin
Throughout the state legislative session, currently ongoing in Austin, you can keep up with legislative activity through the Harlingen Irrigation District Cameron County #1 website. Legislative updates are provided by HillCo Partners, an Austin lobbying firm.
HID CC#1 general manager Wayne Halbert also shares the list of bills he’s tracking in a weekly report called "Legislative Water Words."
RGRWA Sets Water Rights Market Value for 2009
In accordance with Section 4.04 of its governing legislation, S.B. 707 from the 80th Legislature, Regular Session, the Rio Grande Regional Water Authority (RGRWA) has calculated the 2009 annual market value of water rights purchased/sold by municipalities, municipal utility districts, special utility districts, irrigation districts, and water supply corporations within the authority’s boundaries to be $2,218.00 for 2009. This amount was approved by the RGRWA on January 7th, based on water sales to the City of Laredo in February, April, and September 2008.
Wasp Study to Improve Water Supply
The RGRWA received a report in March 2009 on the effort to use biological weapons in the fight against Arundo donax, an invasive plant species also known as giant cane or Carrizo. Dr. John Goolsby of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service said the type of Arunda donax growing in the Rio Grande has been genetically traced to Spain. There, they found a wasp that lays its eggs only inside the Arundo donax, which stunts its growth and weakens it. The Arundo wasps, which do not have stingers, will be released near Laredo as part of a pilot study in the summer of 2009. Slowing the growth of Arundo donax, or giant cane, is expected to improve water supplies in the Rio Grande. MORE
Texas Water Day 2009
Several members of the RGRWA Board of Directors discussed key water issues with member of Texas’ Congressional delegation on February 4th during Texas Water Day 2009 in Washington, D.C. Representing RGRWA and their respective employers in D.C. were Sonny Hinojosa of HCID #2, and Sonia Kaniger of CCID #2. View photos of the event here.
Board Passes Resolution of Support; New Member Sworn In
Roel Rodriguez is sworn in at the January 7, 2009 meeting.
The RGRWA swore in new Board member Roel Rodriguez of McAllen at its January 7, 2009 meeting. Mr. Rodriguez was appointed by Gov. Perry to sit on the RGRWA Board. He is general manager of the City of McAllen's Public Utility, as well as assistant McAllen city manager. His term on the RGRWA Board will expire Feb. 1, 2011. Also at the January meeting, the Board passed a resolution of support of newly appointed IBWC commissioner C.W. "Bill" Ruth.
El Morillo Drain
The RGRWA is taking over responsibility for the El Morillo Drain, a task previously handled by the Lower Rio Grande Water Committee. Read the full story here; a copy of the RGRWA resolution can be viewed on the Policy/Issues page, along with the Memorandum of Agreement between RGRWA and the International Boundary and Water Commission.
New Member Sworn In
Paul Heller is sworn in by State Rep. Eddie Lucio III.
The RGRWA welcomed new member Paul Heller at a swearing-in ceremony prior to their meeting on August 19, 2008. Mr. Heller is the RGRWA's newest Gubenatorial Appointment. Visit the Organization page for a full list of RGRWA members.
RGRWA Recommends Reappointments to Governor
The Rio Grande Regional Water Authority (RGRWA) met jointly with the Rio Grande Regional Water Authority Conference Membership on May 28, 2008 and unanimously voted to recommend the reappointment of all irrigation district representatives whose appointments are scheduled to expire in February 2009. Those members are Joe Barrera, Sonny Hinojosa, Sonia Kaniger, Jimmie Steidinger, Frank “Jo Jo” White, and Glenn Wilde.
A new board member, Fitzgerald Sanchez, who will represent Webb County on the RGRWA, was sworn in, and the RGRWA also voted to submit the name of Othal E. Brand, Jr. to the governor for possible appointment to the board of directors in the irrigation district category.
The Dimmit Utility Water Supply Corporation reported on its plan to transport groundwater from Region O to Region M through pipelines that may include turbines to generate electricity. The RGRWA Board of Directors voted to endorse this project as a potential alternative water source and encourage local governments to seek other sources of water supply such as inter-basin transfers, conservation, and desalination.
Webb County’s Fitzgerald G. Sanchez takes the oath of office as a member of the RGRWA Board of Directors.
New Members Sworn In
The RGRWA welcomed six new members at a swearing-in ceremony prior to their meeting on April 15, 2008. New members representing irrigation districts are Frank "Jo Jo" White, Hidalgo & Cameron County CID #9; Bobby Sparks, Valley Acres; and Sonny Hinojosa, HCID #2. Brian Macmanus of East Rio Hondo WSC and D.V Guerra of D.V. Guerra Ranch represent water supply corporations and the public, respectively. Karran Westerman will represent Zapata County, replacing outgoing member Eduardo Guerra. Visit the Organization page for a full list of RGRWA members.
Pictured L-R: State Rep. Eddie Lucio III, Bobby Sparks, Jo Jo White, John Bruciak, Joe Barrera - Sec./Treasurer, Sonia Kaniger - Vice President, Jim Darling - President, Wayne Halbert, Jimmie Steidinger, D. V. Guerra, Brian Macmanus, and Sonny Hinojosa.
Water Rights for Sale
Cameron County Irrigation District #2 has received a proposal to sell 700 acre-feet of municipal water rights. The proposal is from an entity outside the Cameron, Hidalgo, and Willacy County areas. Notice is hereby given to entities within the mentioned 3 county areas, of the opportunity to submit an offer, matching the proposal, for the purchase of these water rights. Offers will be received through close of business on April 07, 2008. For details, please contact the District's General Manager, Sonia Kaniger at 956-399-2484.
Harlingen Irrigation District Cameron County #1 has received a proposal to sell 2,000 acre-feet of municipal water. The proposal comes from an entity outside the area formed by Cameron, Hidalgo, and Willacy counties. State law requires the district to provide entities within the area the opportunity to match the proposal. Offers will be received through close of business on March 31, 2008. For details, contact the district’s General Manager Wayne Halbert at 956-423-7015 or 956-873-2816.
RGRWA Supports SB 707
The RGRWA Board of Directors Feb. 20, 2007, unanimously voted to support SB 707.
Bill Filed to Amend RGRWA
Senators Lucio and Hinojosa Feb. 15 filed legislation to amend the composition and authority of the RGRWA. Details on SB 707.
El Morillo Drain
El Morillo Drain provides at least $40 million and perhaps as much as $108 million in annual direct benefits to communities, industries, and agriculture in South Texas by diverting about 300,000 tons of salt each year from the Rio Grande, reducing salinity concentrations in the river by 30 percent, according to a January 2007 report released by the Texas Water Resources Institute of Texas A&M University.
Sen. Lucio & Sen. Hinojosa announce new legislation at Nov. 30 RGRWA Forum
RGRWA calls on Washington to fund needed levee improvements
In a Jan. 17, 2006, resolution, the Authority asks for an immediate $7.8 million for urgent infrastructure improvements to reinforce deficient levees, and at least $10 million for ongoing levee construction and rehabilitation.
Read the full text of the resolution
here.
Administrative Agent
Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council, , Executive Director
301 W. Railroad, Weslaco, TX 78596; tel: 956.682.3481; fax: 956.631.4670
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