Jim Wells County breaks ground on $9.6 million flood fix project

After years of standing water in the K-Bar area, Jim Wells County officials broke ground on a $9.6 million drainage project meant to keep homes, culverts and roadways from going under after heavy rain. The work is the first of two major flood recovery projects planned for the area and is designed to reduce the chronic flooding that has repeatedly cut off access in the colonia.

County and City of Alice leaders marked the start of the project on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. The drainage improvements are being paid for through the Texas General Land Office under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant-Mitigation program. County officials said both K-Bar projects should be finished by the end of 2026, giving residents a timeline for when they should start seeing a difference before the next major storm season.

Published project documents describe a long list of physical changes for the K-Bar Ranch colonia. The work includes about 6,785 linear feet of HP pipe, 40,830 cubic yards of pond excavation, 16,279 linear feet of roadside ditch improvements, junction boxes and related appurtenances. Officials said the plan also calls for a new retention pond, upgraded culverts and other drainage infrastructure meant to move water away faster and hold runoff where it can be managed.

For residents like Jerry Munoz, the project addresses a problem that has already changed how people live. Munoz said rainfall over 4 inches can leave water standing on properties for extended periods. He also said he had taken it upon himself to repair culverts in front of his home because the existing ones were clogged, too small, covered or collapsed. His experience reflects the kind of practical disruption officials say they are trying to eliminate: blocked driveways, flooded yards and trouble getting in and out after storms.

Jim Wells County Judge Pedro “Pete” Trevino Jr. said the work matters not just for drainage, but for safety and emergency access. When flooding or hurricanes hit, he said, officials need to know where the water will go and be able to reach residents. The county’s public notice described the groundbreaking as ceremonial, with no formal county action scheduled at the event.

The K-Bar project sits inside a broader countywide mitigation push. The Texas General Land Office previously announced more than $29.7 million in flood mitigation funding for Jim Wells County and the cities of Alice and Premont, tied to repeated storm damage in 2015, 2017 during Hurricane Harvey and 2018. Another project notice identified the Rancho Alegre and Alice Acres Drainage and Detention Project at $9,650,296, with 54.87% of the area classified as low-to-moderate income.