Maverick County Commissioners Court Moves Forward With Nine Siren Flood Warning Plan
By Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2026 Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.
Maverick County Commissioners Court moved forward Wednesday, September 23, 2026 with a proposed nine-siren flood warning system that would also include 14 real-time flood monitoring gauges across the county.
Alan Stanton of Streamline Engineering, LLC, presented the project alongside Maverick County Grants Department Director Isaac Ruiz during the Commissioners Court meeting.
The presentation focused on the project plan and engineering framework developed by Streamline Engineering for the Senate Bill 3 outdoor warning siren project.
Officials said the overall project is estimated at approximately $1.25 million and is expected to be funded entirely through grant money, with the county seeking to maximize the available funding without requiring money from local taxpayers for construction of the system.
Stanton told commissioners considerable work has already gone into developing the plan.
Streamline Engineering created a hydrology model for the entire county to identify critical populations and areas facing flood risks. The firm also met with the Joint Emergency Operations Center and City of Eagle Pass to identify locations where outdoor warning sirens could provide the greatest benefit.
Areas identified for proposed siren coverage include Quemado, Elm Creek, Seco Mines at Seco Creek, North and South Heights in Eagle Pass, West Hacienditas subdivision, Tierra del Sol subdivision, the Kickapoo Reservation and areas associated with the Rio Grande and El Indio.
The locations remain part of the planning and engineering process as officials work toward completing the system.
While the sirens would provide audible warnings to residents, the 14 proposed gauges would allow the Joint EOC to monitor floodwaters in real time as levels begin to rise.
That information could help emergency officials determine when warnings should be activated, residents notified, evacuations considered or other emergency measures implemented.
Stanton said engineers are also conducting acoustic analysis to determine whether proposed siren locations will provide sufficient coverage to populations considered at risk.
Hydrology analysis and coordination with emergency management officials are also continuing.
During the discussion, Commissioner Robert Ruiz raised concerns about how warnings would reach people with disabilities and other special-needs populations.
Stanton acknowledged that the specific procedures have not yet been developed and said the issue would be brought into discussions with emergency management officials as the project progresses.
The planning process is operating under a deadline because the county must finalize its project plan as part of the Texas Water Development Board funding process by the end of the year. Each siren can reach up to more than a mile of being heard.
Commissioners also considered a separate resolution authorizing discussions and negotiations with the City of Eagle Pass, Joint Emergency Operations Center, Maverick County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1, Texas Department of Transportation and Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas concerning interlocal and cooperative agreements for implementation, operation and maintenance of the Maverick County Flood Warning System.
The Commissioners Court voted in favor of the resolution.
Those discussions are expected to establish how the participating entities will work together and determine responsibilities for operating and maintaining the system once it is installed.
If completed as proposed, the flood warning network would give emergency management officials additional tools to track rising water and provide residents in vulnerable areas with earlier warnings when dangerous flooding conditions develop.
