OLMITO – A pending contract between Cameron County and city agencies is keeping the water from flowing back into a once thriving Olmito resaca.

People living at Olmito Lake said they’re fighting to revive the land. Cameron County Irrigation District No. 20 vice president Mario Benavides said it’s not what it used to be.

“When I moved, in 1999, two to three years after that the resaca dried up and we were wondering what’s going on,” he said.

Benavides said the resaca didn’t always look empty.

“We had this resaca filled 15 years ago, stocked by Parks and Wildlife for free, so the kids and family could come and enjoy fish here… Now that’s all gone, erased,” he said.

A contract between the county and Brownsville’s utilities board stated the irrigation district was only charged for pumping water into the resaca. But the agreement expired last year.

“Apparently, our district was not included in an application that was sent to TCEQ up in Austin; therefore, eliminating us from the equation,” he said.

Cameron County Irrigation District No. 20 president Gary Bryant said he objected to BPUB, who then amended and resent the contract to the TCEQ. But Brownsville’s district had to approve first.

“At that point District No. 6 raised an objection,” he said.

BPUB said the district worried they would be negatively impacted if the resaca was included.

Bryant said a new contract is currently in the works and a decision should be made within the next couple of weeks.

“It’s gotten to the point that all the wildlife has left, turtles are crushed on the highway out there, the ducks, the birds, everything. It’s really sad. It’s gotten really bad for us here,” he said.

Both representatives said Irrigation District No. 6 offered to pump water to their resaca. However, they said their budget can’t afford the offer.

Bryant said the price is nearly double what they used to pay under contract with BPUB.

We learned Cameron County Irrigation District No. 20 was under a contract BPUB permit No. 1838.

A spokesperson with Brownsville PUB said water flowing into the Gulf Coast sometimes runs in abundance, especially when there’s a heavy rainfall season. Instead of dumping the excess water back into the Gulf, he said it’s given to participants of permit 1838 at no charge.

The participants are only financially responsible for the pumping of water.