On January 21, 2010 the Brazoria County Conservation and Reclaimation District 3 celebrated it's 100th anniversary.  Below is the address delivered by Drainage Commissioner Nelson Blackwell.

     "On January 21^st, 1910, the Brazoria County Commissioners Court, in compliance with the law, established Brazoria County C & R , District 3.  The Commissioners Court appointed S.K. Mebane,       F.M. Ragland and T.W. Carlton as the first Drainage Commissioners of the District.  These men immediately set about the business of securing a contractor to begin the work of excavation and clearing for the purpose of providing drainage for the citizens of the district.  By August of that same year, the district had contracted with J.C. Kelso of Galveston, Texas to begin work on the first ten drainage ditches in the district, paying 10 ½ cents a cubic yard for dry excavation, 16 2/3 cents for wet excavation and $300 a mile for clearing. 

     In the early years, as the commissioners made plans and secured contracts, employees of the district would often spend their weekdays away from their families, on work crews in outlying areas because it was not feasible to travel by horse or mule into town every day. 

     Throughout the past 100 years, numerous devoted and concerned citizens have served our district in the capacity of Drainage Commissioners and many have been employed in the service of the district to meet the needs of our community.   And although the means and methods for developing adequate drainage for our community may have changed throughout the years, the vision and commitment has remained the same – to provide and maintain good drainage for the citizens and businesses in our community.   

     100 years ago, our predecessors were faced with the challenges of providing drainage to a changing community.  Today, we are faced with those same challenges due to geographical changes brought on by an ever growing population in and around our district.

      It seems that improvement is a perpetual action.  As William Bradburn, a former consulting engineer for Brazoria County C & R 4, once said,' Experience teaches us that we can never attain perfection in anything earthly' to which another man replied, 'tell me what it is and I will improve upon it'.  These statements still ring true today. 

     As commissioners and employees of the district, we continuously strive to improve our community’s drainage while allowing for new growth in our rapidly changing community.  What began 100 years ago with a handful of employees, equipped with mules, shovels and one piece of equipment has grown into an organization of more than 29 employees, which includes a general manager and the recent addition of a safety director, and over 30 pieces of equipment.  What started out with 10 ditches is now a network of miles of ditches, numerous detention ponds, and bayous that provide relief and prevent flooding. And while we have not attained perfection, it is a goal we continue to work towards.  We now have a state of the art building that not only serves as our offices, but also as a back-up location for the Brazoria County Emergency Management.  This building was constructed to withstand a category 5 hurricane.  We continue to strive to provide a professional and positive work atmosphere for district employees and work diligently with officials from other agencies to create good working relationships that allow for collaboration on projects, reducing the overall cost to tax payers.

     Currently today the district mows the existing ditches, responds to request from the citizens, excavates and cleans up wash outs along the ditches, and maintains and or continues construction on   detention ponds.   As a result of a drainage study conducted on the M1 ditch, which serves the area of Mustang road, and up to Johnson Street, a bypass ditch was constructed. It is an overflow ditch that allows flow from the M1 ditch to Mustang bayou during a major rain event.  This project was a joint effort with the City of Alvin and Brazoria County. Each entity performed work that they had expertise and resources to perform, with only a minimal amount of actual products having to be purchased. This resulted in a savings to the taxpayers of between 70 and 80 percent, versus if the work had been contracted out to a private contractor.

     In addition and as a continuation of the study, we are currently working on a second phase, reversing the flow of the crossing at the Gulf Coast Water Authority’s canal where it intersects with the M1 Ditch. Currently the water crosses this intersection via siphons, or pipes. These pipes are deteriorating, and will soon have to be replaced at a cost nearing $700,000.00. We are seeking a grant to fund a project that will allow the water in the canal to pass over the ditch, thus opening  up flow at this location and preventing  a backing up of water. The canal water will pass through pipes which will flow “over the top” of the ditch. Upon successfully obtaining the grant, the cost to each entity involved could drop to as little as $10,000.00.

     Other future projects include up-sizing the culverts at the M1 ditch crossing at 1462 which will benefit the area of Johnson Street, in the City Of Alvin. Also, we are in the discussion phase of the new Hospital that has been proposed for the City of Alvin, with the intent to ensure that the appropriate drainage for the project is provided, but to also better the existing conditions in the area.

     We also participate with the Chocolate Bayou Steering Committee, which includes a representative from each entity affected by the bayou, with the goal of improving drainage for this watershed. We have recently completed a study that was financed by a grant from the Texas Water Development Board.

     In addition, a little known responsibility of the drainage district is maintaining the correct depth of The Chocolate Bayou Channel from the Inter-Coastal Waterway to the chemical plants. This ensures that products can be imported and exported via barge to the plants. Just prior to Hurricane Ike the channel was dredged to a depth of 17 feet. After Hurricane Ike the channel had silted in, leaving a depth of 10 feet, thus requiring the channel to be dredged earlier than the normal 4 year cycle. Again, through cooperative efforts of the drainage district, and the participating chemical plant entities, a grant has been approved, and the project will go out for bid during first quarter of 2010 and is projected to be completed by third quarter of this year.  This project is budgeted at $4,000,000 with all expenses being paid by the plants or the grant process.

      No one can say for certain what the future holds, but if history is our teacher, we can undoubtedly look forward to more growth in our community and a growing need for professionalism and expertise in our drainage district.  Hopefully, 100 years from now, those who follow us will look back on what we have accomplished with admiration and respect, just as we look back on those who have preceded us."                 

                                                         - Nelson Blackwell

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