The Raymondville Drain project is a flood risk management initiative located in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. The project area spans Hidalgo and Willacy Counties, focusing on the Raymondville Drain, which is a 57-mile channel running from Edinburg Lake to the Laguna Madre. This effort will also benefit the surrounding communities in Cameron County.
The South Texas region is vulnerable to severe flooding due to a combination of factors, including its flat topography, soils with low permeability, and rapid urbanization. The existing drainage systems are insufficient to manage heavy rainfall, leading to frequent and widespread flooding that impacts homes, businesses, and agricultural lands. This project is essential to mitigate flood risk for vulnerable populations and to provide robust protection against a 100-year flood event for the cities in the vicinity.
The primary goal of the Raymondville Drain project is to enhance regional stormwater management and reduce flood risk. The project will also safeguard and promote economic development by reducing flood-related disruptions and will increase water conservation. The project is authorized under Section 203 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986, which allows the non-federal sponsor, Hidalgo County Drainage District No. 1 (HCDD#1), to lead the feasibility study. The proposed scope of work would expand the existing Raymondville Drain and construct new drainage system elements to provide flood risk reduction benefits.
HCDD#1 is actively working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to finalize an integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental Assessment (FR/EA). The USACE is providing technical assistance to ensure the report is environmentally acceptable, engineeringly sound, and economically justified.
Section 203, as amended, provides project sponsors flexibility to conduct their own studies in cases where time and Federal budget constraints may not comport with sponsor’s schedules and needs.
Latest Update (02/11/2026):
The draft integrated Feasibility Report (FR) and Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed Raymondville Drain Project is now available on the HCDD1 web site for public review. You can access the draft document using the following link: https://www.hcdd1.org/page/RVD%20Public%20Comments
The full Notice of Public Review is posted under the Project Documents tab on the left hand side of this page.