Harlingen commission backs exploring regional ‘watershed’ flood control approach, asks staff to merge plans and set timeline

The Harlingen City Commission voted to support exploring a regional, watershed-based approach to flood control for the Rio Grande Valley and directed staff to merge two draft resolutions and present a schedule for follow-up meetings and actions.

The vote came after more than an hour of public testimony from repeated flood victims, local business owners and a volunteer group calling itself the Rio Grande Valley Coalition of Drainage Advocates (RGV CODA), which urged a regional strategy that follows natural watershed boundaries rather than the patchwork of existing drainage districts.

“The Arroyo Colorado runs right through our city,” said Ms. Garcia, a representative of the RGV Coalition of Drainage Advocates, arguing the watershed approach would allow planning and funding to follow the actual flow of water and better coordinate projects across Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy counties. “This is an issue that is regional — no one entity can do it alone.”

Why it mattered: Harlingen residents and business owners said repeated flooding has produced…