In 2012, the President signed the RESTORE Act, establishing the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund in the U.S. Treasury Department. The fund's primary objective is to provide necessary resources for projects and initiatives aiming to preserve and revive the environment and economy of the Gulf Coast region.
BPUB, in collaboration with the COB, applied for RESTORE funding for the Town Resaca Watershed Restoration Project. The project aims to restore the system and consists of four phases spanning nine years. The project will address three main objectives:
- The project will restore critical aquatic and riparian habitats within the watershed for various bird and wildlife species that live or migrate through the region.
- The project will improve water quality within the immediate project area and in the Brownsville Ship Channel and Lower Laguna Madre.
- The project will improve community resiliency and economic vitality by increasing the capacity and efficiency of the primary drainage system.
In 2020 BPUB was awarded $4.6 Million over two years for Phase I of the project via a reimbursement contract. Phase I improvements include: dredging an estimated 100,000 cubic yards of resaca material (i.e., sediment, sand, debris, litter), replacing two deteriorating weir structures and a failed gate valve, installation of twelve (12) stormwater interceptors and bank improvements that include planting of native vegetation. Phase I dredging began on April 2022.
Current status:
Dredging = 100% complete
Dredge Map
Engineering design of water control infrastructure and bank improvements = 100% complete.
Water control infrastructure and bank improvement construction = TBD
*Please note that to receive additional RESTORE funding for the remaining phases (2-4), BPUB/COB must apply for funding for each project phase.
