Local, State, and National Leaders Call for Regional Coordination at the April Rio Grande Valley Funding Forum

April 16, 2026
By Colin McDonald, Director of Strategic Partnerships 

Austin, TX - Persistent drought, decreased water supply, and infrastructure investment needs are straining water security in the Rio Grande Valley. This, in turn, is hindering unprecedented growth in trade, population, and industry, while stunting agricultural operations.  

Last week, the Texas Water Foundation and Cameron County hosted more than 100 community members, industry professionals, and elected officials at the Rio Grande Valley Funding Forum and Workshop at Cameron County’s Dancy Building in Brownsville. 

Representing interests from the Gulf to Laredo, they came to learn about the coordination of more than $100 million in grants and low-interest loans from the North American Development Bank (NADBank) and the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), as well as existing United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs.

The forum consisted of three panels discussing water policy priorities, local water infrastructure challenges, and state and federal funding opportunities. At each panel, the need for planning and coordination was highlighted due to the severity and breadth of the challenges the Valley faces. 

“I think that is the wave of the future,” said Jesse Hereford, the Head of Strategic Partnerships & Stakeholder Engagement at NADBank. “The money that we have (NADBank), the money that they have (TWDB), the money that they have (USDA) is not enough individually. So, collaboratively, we all have to work together to fund these projects.”

The need for funding to upgrade and repair existing infrastructure, not just new water, was highlighted by State Representative Janie Lopez, who said the irrigation districts she represents alone need $250 million in upgrades and repairs.  

“The old infrastructure that we have is 100 years old,” she said. “If we have 20 percent water, and we are losing 60 percent of that, that is a major issue for us.”  

State Senator Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa emphasized that solutions will need to be found locally and not by relying on another country to meet water needs.   

“Mexico, quite frankly, is not a solution,” he said. “This is an issue that we have to really take head on.” 

Following the morning panels, attendees were invited to a community lunch and educational workshops on TWDB and NADBank funding programs.       

Overview of Ongoing Planning/Water Priorities panelists and moderator from L to R: Marilyn Gilbert, Sonny Hinojosa, County Commissioner David A. Garza, and moderator Colin McDonald.

Cameron County Commissioner David A. Garza said that the opportunities and stresses that come from more than $60 billion in trade moving through the region each year cannot be ignored if the region wants to improve its water security. With that growth, he explained that there needs to be more holistic, forward-thinking planning rather than a reactive approach to ensure water security for everyone.   

Garza was quick to point out that while collaboration is easy to say, it is not always easy to do, given the broad range of entities, boards, municipalities, and counties involved. He pointed out that region-wide coordination, however, enabled significant improvements in transportation and health care over the past decade.  

Representing federal interests, Dr. Chris Hartley of the USDA contributed that regional collaboration can make it easier for federal funding to flow.  

“When I look at the Valley and the opportunities there are for a regional approach, I do not see any other means of accomplishing what needs to be done,” he said.   

CEO & General Manager of Brownsville Public Utilities Board (BPUB) Marilyn Gilbert spoke to the benefits to everyone of regional planning approaches and for the need for individual actions. She referenced how BPUB leverages diverse water management strategies and funding to serve both people and industry and ensure new growth does not come at the cost of existing rate payers.   

“It’s going to keep on occurring,” Gilbert said about droughts and floods. “We need to do something together as a region, as a utility, as an irrigation district….it's not just one solution, it’s a mix of solutions.”

To learn more about the Funding Forum or to request a video recording from the event, please contact Colin McDonald at Colin@texaswater.org.

Thank you to NADBank for underwriting this event.

Attendees listen as panelists speak during the Rio Grande Valley Funding Forum.