A proposed border-wall project near Alamo, Texas, could be rerouted through the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge as the federal government seeks to resolve a dispute with Hidalgo County Irrigation District No. 2, according to The Texas Tribune’s report.
The potential change emerged during an Oct. 14 federal court hearing. An assistant U.S. attorney said the government was considering moving the wall from its expected route along a levee next to the refuge and into the refuge itself. The planned project covers 2.8 miles, but CBP has not confirmed that a reroute is being pursued.
The affected service is irrigation infrastructure used by cities, farmers and ranchers in the Rio Grande Valley. The district alleges that contractors entered land it owns around an irrigation canal without permission. Its general manager testified that placing the wall within the district’s property would narrow the space available for timely canal maintenance and repairs, the Tribune previously reported.
For local infrastructure operators, the practical change is that the canal-access dispute has prompted federal officials to examine a different alignment, not that the wall has been rerouted. The earlier court report said the district’s attorney proposed moving the wall 15 to 20 feet south of its current alignment; the newer report said the government is instead considering a route through the refuge. No final route or construction schedule was reported.
A temporary restraining order remains in effect against the contractors. The earlier report said the order followed the district’s allegations that construction interfered with its property and allowed dirt to fall into the canal. CBP told the Tribune it remains committed to border security at the refuge and is coordinating with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other partners, but the agency did not confirm the proposed relocation. The newer report said the government could pursue condemnation if necessary and that a move into the refuge could lead to additional litigation.