By ALBERT VILLEGAS
Special to the NEWS
The San Benito Wetlands are receiving a $750,000 grant after the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Commission unanimously approved more than $21 million in funding for statewide entities during a regular meeting last week.
San Benito, which will match the grant, received all the funds it requested, the TPWD Commissioners said.
During the meeting, Dan Reece, the TPWD local parks grants program manager, said his staff anticipates that the agency may receive additional funding during the current fiscal year that could be applied to local park grants, including San Benito’s.
Reece said that sporting goods sales tax, combined with federal offshore oil and gas royalties, provides matching grants to eligible local government entities.
The TPWD and several other entities collaborated to provide matching grants to local governments for the acquisition and/or development of public parkland and recreation facilities.
TPWD made this decision based on population size. San Benito, like many other Rio Grande Valley entities, fell under the non-urban outdoors category due to its population.
On the City of San Benito’s webpage regarding the Wetlands, it states that the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service-Texas Water Resource Institute initiated a wastewater reuse and tertiary treatment project with the city years ago.
The project’s goal was to reduce the amounts of bacteria, sediments, and other impairments in the Arroyo Colorado tidal segment. It currently has the Wetlands in Phase 4 of construction.
Among the needs are the purchase and installation of a new 10-hp pump and water-level sensor; clearing road debris and vegetation; refurbishing the pier and constructing observation decks; removing invasive trees and planting native trees and shrubs; installing interpretive signage; determining load reductions in sediment, nutrients, and bacteria; and filling ponds with water.
Phases 1 and 2 transformed abandoned polishing ponds into wetlands that filter more than four million gallons of treated effluent from the city’s operating water treatment plant each month.
Phase 3 further increased the wetlands’ capacity by adding three 16.7-acre former settling ponds to the system.
The City of San Benito reports that the Wetlands have more than 270 recorded bird species and are a microcosm of South Texas habitats.
The City of San Benito states that the Wetlands are enhanced by trails, water features, bird-feeding areas, photographic blinds, and extensive plantings of native vegetation. It also offers a unique experience that is a must-visit for nature lovers, according to the City of San Benito.
The Wetlands, which hosted the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival four years ago, is located on Mayfield Road/Line 20 off North Williams Road.
The TPWD used a scoring system to rank all recipients, and San Benito was fourth among 61 governmental entities. San Benito received a score of 77.
Among the other Rio Grande Valley recipients to receive funding, their rankings and amounts are as follows: 2-Cameron County, 82 score, project Bejarano McFarland Phase 2, $750,000; 8-Edinburg, 68 score, Memorial Park, $347,927; 17-Harlingen, 62 score, Arroyo Park, $750,000; 17- Rio Grande City, 62 score, Fort Ringgold Park, $367,700; 28-Brownsville, 58 score, La Posada Redevelopment Project, $750,000; 41-Progreso, 49 score, Progreso Outdoor Play Recreation and Learning, $499,100; 44-Hidalgo, 47 score, Hidalgo Nature Channel Park, $738,309; 53-Alamo, 41 score, Alamo Inclusive Sports Complex, $745,500; 57-McAllen, 37 score, Bentley Hike & Bike Trail, $750,000.
Word of the state-funded decision was made a day in advance when elected officials here were made aware of it during a San Benito Commissioners’ regular meeting.
City Manager Fred Sandoval alluded to the TPWD grant decision being a formality and boasted about San Benito being ranked fourth.
“It’s a matching grant; we’re going to be making Wetlands upgrades and looking to put that into motion,” Sandoval said.
He credited San Benito staff, including the Parks and Recreation Department, for organizing the grant process.
“It was a process that was very competitive, and we’re looking forward to beginning this,” Sandoval added.
Commissioner Deborah A. Morales said that part of the wetlands upgrades will include planting trees, too.
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