Passed by the Legislature and approved by Texas voters through a constitutional amendment, the Flood Infrastructure Fund (FIF) program provides financial assistance in the form of loans and grants for flood control, flood mitigation, and drainage projects via the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB). FIF rules allow for a wide range of flood projects, including structural and nonstructural projects as well as nature-based solutions. The County submitted four abridged applications in June 2020.

The County is currently managing one active TWDB grant/loan for stormwater project HAC7 in the Greater Clint Area as identified in the recently updated and adopted County Stormwater Master Plan. TWDB has been working with agencies across the state regarding their specific projects to determine if any funding would be available for additional project capacity if an agency was unable to close on the assistance or declined the funds. The County has received notice from TWDB that we have been invited to submit an additional application for the next prioritized stormwater project originally submitted in June 2020, Project SSA1. The funding proposal totals to approximately $34.5M and is 40 percent grant ($13.8M) and 60 percent zero-interest loan ($20.8M).

The project area is located south of I-10 along the unincorporated area of Nuevo Hueco Tanks in between the City of El Paso and City of Socorro. The watershed for the proposed project extends nearly seven miles to the east throughout the City of Socorro and the Greater Clint Area. This items seeks to authorize the County to submit the entire application for consideration by TWDB.

Proposed Funding Arrangement for SSA1 Project (if awarded):

Grant: $13,812,000

Loan: $20,718,000 (Zero-Interest)

Total Project Cost: $34,530,000

Note: Potential cost share with City of Socorro pending award and further-developed cost estimate.