The Sabine River Authority held a meeting Thursday with public officials from three counties to discuss drainage projects for the county. The meeting was attended by members of the Orange County Commissioners Court with officials from Jasper and Newton Counties.
Joining the members from the three county governments were mayors and city managers from all of the municipalities in Orange County. The Sabine River Authority and the Orange County Drainage District led the discussions at the meeting.
Orange County Judge John Gothia explained the purpose of the meeting was to discuss regional drainage projects that would be partially paid for by state funds. “We have to apply for them as a region so that it makes more impact. It’s the only way that we can compete with other areas in Texas that are competing for the same money,” Gothia said.
The Drainage District conducted four public meetings on drainage last month and has been working on several regional drainage projects. The main project that was discussed Thursday involved engineering plans for the Relief Ditch in the north end of Orange County.
Gothia shared the details of the Drainage District’s project for expanding the Relief Ditch. The ditch takes water from the northern portions of Orange County to the Sabine River. It catches water coming south from Newton and Jasper Counties.
Engineers want to do extension work on the Relief Ditch by deepening and widening it which will take more water to the Sabine River before the water moves further south into the watershed and puts pressure on the other areas of Orange County. The project would help relieve Jasper drainage allowing the water to move further south, but primarily it would keep the water from coming into Orange County proper.
It’s a big project which the engineering for it has been started by the Drainage District. “What we’re trying to do is have a project ready as a region come January whenever this money becomes available at the state level that we can apply for it, and we’ll have something ready to go with what we call a shovel ready project,” Gothia stated.
Drainage projects will be scored by state officials in January 2020. Those receiving the highest scores will be eligible for state funds to help pay for them.
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