Orange County’s work for future flood prevention is like the chorus of a 1980’s George Harrison song. “It’s gonna take money, a whole lot of spending money.”
During a town hall meeting in Mauriceville Monday evening, State Representative Dade Phelan, Drainage District Manager Don Corona, and County Judge John Gothia talked about getting a regional plan so Orange County can compete for a limited amount flood prevention money.
“The projects we want to do are extremely expensive,” Corona said.
Phelan said overall plans need to be “science based” with engineering and hydrological studies and designs.
Phelan and State Senator Brandon Creighton of Conroe, whose district includes Jefferson and Chambers counties, worked to get more than $1 billion from the state for broad flood prevention projects. The money is coming from the state’s “Rainy Day Fund” (savings).
Phelan Monday said it is the first time the state has allocated money for flood prevention and mitigation. He said voters need to approve Proposition 8 in the November 5 election to assure the money stays with flood prevention.
He said without the proposition, which is a state constitutional amendment, the money allocation would not be permanent. A future state legislature could reallocate the flood prevention money to other state operations.
A conservative group in Tarrant County, which does not have the flooding problems of coastal areas, is fighting against making the flood prevention fund permanent, he said. Southeast Texas needs to turn out to support Proposition 8, he suggested.
Gothia said Orange County officials have met with officials from Newton and Jasper counties.
Orange is bordered by the Neches River on the west and the Sabine River on the east. Bayous drain into the rivers, which then empty into Sabine Lake, a bay of the Gulf of Mexico. The two rivers also drain from Jasper and Newton counties.
Gothia said the regional group will work to get money. A regional group will also have more influence for getting money, especially when competing with Harris County.
Last year, Harris County voters approved $2.5 billion in bonds to use for flood prevention and control. The money can be used for matching grants on federal and state projects. The county has a population estimated now at 4.65 million.
Orange County, with a population of 85,000, cannot afford those kind of bond issues, Gothia said. The county will need to get money from the state or other sources to meet matches for grants being offered.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers last year announced $3.9 billion in federal money has been allocated for three areas of a “coastal spine” system of levees, walls, and flood gates.
Orange County is allocated some of the money for 26.7 miles of the system, which in 2017 was estimated to cost $1.93 billion. Corona said the flood gate areas are planned to have pumps to help water coming from the north be moved out, in addition to closing to stop a storm surge.
Gothia said the county will need millions of dollars to participate in the coastal spine and then will need millions more for annual upkeep. He said the county cannot afford it.
Gothia, whose house has flooded twice, and almost flooded in Imelda, said the county will not give up on searching for outside money to help develop a flood prevention system.
Working with the other counties will help Orange County get outside money. He said Jasper and Newton counties will need to wait for results. Any flood prevention program needs to begin at the end of the watershed. If water flow is improved to the north first, it will then flow south and flood the area, and Orange County is south.
-Margaret Toal, KOGT-
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