(San Benito News/Ray Quiroga)
Special to the NEWS
BROWNSVILLE, TX —Cameron County officials recently announced that the County’s application for a multi-purpose resaca restoration study has been selected by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as one of 12 projects across the United States to be funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed into law by President Joe Biden.
The application for the study plans to reconnect the resaca system (former Rio Grande River distributary channels) for improved flood control, ecosystem restoration, and outdoor recreation, according to County officials.
Restoring the resaca system that has been disconnected over time by roads, railways, and dikes will lead to a lower risk of flooding and improved transportation. In addition, restoring the resaca system will support biodiversity and increase ecotourism and outdoor recreation opportunities in Cameron County for birdwatching, fishing and kayaking, reads a County-issued press release.
The Cameron County Multi-Purpose Resaca Restoration study award was authorized as part of Section 165(a) of the Water Resources Development Act of 2020 and is 100% federally funded.
“I am extremely enthusiastic about our application being selected by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to receive funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” stated Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño, Jr.
“Restoring our wonderful resaca system, which is one of the natural assets that make Cameron County truly unique, has been a priority project of mine for some time because not only will it primarily help reduce localized flooding, which is a major concern in Cameron County, but will also provide opportunities for increased tourism and outdoor activities.”
Trevino went on to add, “We’ve established a great working relationship with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers through working collaboratively on other projects, and we look forward to getting started on this much-needed resaca restoration project.”
“The support from the Army Corps of Engineers in selecting this project will significantly promote the restoration of the natural water flow in our watersheds, increase flood protection and enhance the crucial ecosystem services that benefit our communities. This project will be an invaluable addition to the county’s portfolio, building on the success of previous initiatives to improve our environment and quality of life,” stated Cameron County Commissioner Pct. 3 David A. Garza.
Historically, the resaca is one of the most prominent fixtures in San Benito. According to the US National Park Service, resacas are the former channels of the Rio Grande Valley. They are naturally dry but do fill up in times of heavy rainfall. This can be dangerous when paired with immense flooding storms bring, hence the Irrigation District’s decision to drain the resaca ahead of recent storm threats.
According to Wikipedia, “resaca” is the name given to a type of oxbow lake in the southern half of Cameron County, and are naturally cut off from the river, having no inlet or outlet.
The Rio Grande’s water moves from Colorado to the Gulf of Mexico. Every year during spring, melted snow flowed into the Rio Grande, bringing seasonal flood waters to the most southern tip of Texas. Given the overflow of the river’s main and distributary channel banks, the Rio Grande carved new river channels, dubbed resacas. When the seasonal flooding ended and the river retreated, the newly formed oxbow lakes remained, creating resacas throughout the Rio Grande Valley.
There are two explanations for the origin of the word “resaca.” The first explanation holds that it is a contraction of the Spanish phrase rio seco (dry river). The second explanation is that the word stems from the Spanish word resacar (to retake). The latter is the most plausible explanation given that the primary geological function of a resaca is to divert and dissipate floodwater from the river. Additionally, the word resaca is a regionalism. Elsewhere, these are referred to as oxbow lakes, according to Wikipedia.