Flood Control Levees in Rio Grande Receive Certification

The International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) has certified more than 30 miles of Rio Grande Valley levees, which could save property owners millions of dollars in expensive flood insurance premiums, according to The Monitor.

The IBWC certified that 32.6 miles of flood control levees along the Rio Grande and its internal floodway system now meet 100-year flood standards established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The completed segments include portions of a levee system that were incorporated into the Department of Homeland Security’s border fence.

About 70 miles of these levees that are mostly complete will be certified once the finishing touches are done.

The IBWC was awarded $220 million under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to repair roughly 240 miles of Rio Grande levees in Texas and New Mexico.

The IBWC also certified:

·       11.6 miles of Rio Grande levees near Penitas to Anzalduas Park

·       two miles along each side of the interior floodway from Anzalduas Park to Granjeno

·       nearly four miles of levees protecting the city of Hidalgo

·       about four miles near the Donna-Rio Bravo International Bridge

·       and six miles near the Progreso-Nuevo Progreso International Bridge.

IBWC submitted the certification for those segments to FEMA last year that show the levees are high enough and strong enough to withstand a 100-year flood.

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