Congressman Gonzalez Secures Major Wins for South Texas Water Resources in House-Passed Legislation
September 29, 2026
Contact: Alexis Torres
Washington, D.C.—Today, Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34) announced that he secured several South Texas initiatives in the House-passed H.R. 9497, the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2026. This biannual legislation authorizes the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Civil Works Program to work on projects that improve the nation’s ports and harbors, inland waterway navigation, flood and storm protection, and other water infrastructure.
“To create a safer and more resilient South Texas, we must invest in drainage, conservation, and other water infrastructure priorities,” said Congressman Gonzalez. “I worked with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to secure these wins for South Texas and proudly supported its passage in the House. Our region is now one step closer to getting the federal support it needs to move our communities forward, and I look forward to continued negotiations with the Senate to ensure each of these initiatives is enacted into law.”
Congressman Gonzalez’s priorities in the House-passed WRDA 2026 include:
- Brownsville Public Utility Board (BPUB) Wastewater Infrastructure: Clarifies that previously authorized WRDA 2024 funds, which the Congressman secured, can be used by BPUB for “regional water, wastewater, and water reuse infrastructure.” This provision also increases the authorization from $40 million to $42.3 million.
- Port of Brownsville Alternative Water Sources: Authorizes $18.7 million for the Port of Brownsville for water supply and water reuse infrastructure.
- Sweeney Lake Restoration: Authorizes a study on the impact of restoring a dried segment of Sweeney Lake and the Resaca de Los Fresnos for use as a retention pond to prevent local flooding.
- Arroyo Colorado Embankment Repair: Authorizes a study on the impact of stabilizing the banks of the portions of the Arroyo Colorado River within the City of Rio Hondo.
- City of Mercedes Water Reuse: Authorizes $10 million for the City of Mercedes wastewater reuse and water supply infrastructure.
- Raymondville Drain Expedited Study: Requires the USACE to expedite the review and coordination of the feasibility study for the Raymondville Drain project.
- City of Kingsville Northeast Drainage Improvements: Authorizes $19 million for the City of Kingsville to improve stormwater drainage in Northeast Kingsville.
Additionally, several of Congressman Gonzalez’s priorities were included in the Senate-version of WRDA 2026, which is pending a floor vote. These include:
- Port of Brownsville Reimbursement: Directs USACE to prioritize reimbursing the Port of Brownsville for the $30 million in advance funding it provided to USACE for constructing the Brazos Island Harbor (BIH) Channel Improvement Project.
- Local Sponsor Operations and Maintenance Dredging: Allows ports and other local sponsors to be reimbursed by USACE for urgent maintenance work.
Congress has enacted a bipartisan WRDA every two years since 2014. Projects originate at the local level and go through a stringent vetting process to be included in WRDA legislation. Selected projects typically require two separate authorizations from Congress: (1) the authority to study the feasibility of a project, followed by (2) the authority to construct, operate, and/or maintain the project. The WRDA bill is an authorization measure that gives USACE the legal authority to conduct studies and build projects, but it does not provide any actual money. Once a project is authorized for construction, Congress must allocate funds through the appropriations process.