Commercial and industrial HDD for conduit, fiber, water, sewer and gas in Brownsville, Harlingen and across Cameron County, planned around Rio Grande delta ground and the drainage district’s written crossing rules.
Texas Hawk is headquartered in Southlake and our crews are based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Cameron County is at the far southern tip of Texas, a long haul from DFW, so for Cameron County projects we plan the rig and crew mobilization into the schedule and price from the start. When a program outgrows one crew, our 300+ crew network can mobilize nationwide.
Cameron County sits on the Rio Grande delta, and the USGS state geologic map shows river and coastal deposits almost everywhere. That means sand and clay, often in alternating layers, with shallow groundwater. Site soil borings set the final tooling and fluid program; this is the general picture.
Rio Grande alluvium that is predominantly sand covers about 35 percent of the county. Clean sand drains and caves, so fluid design and borehole support matter.
Rio Grande alluvium that is predominantly clay covers about 29 percent of the county, and clay veneer over meanderbelt sand another 4 percent. Clay holds a stable hole but can stick to tooling, and a bore can cross from clay to sand within one run.
The Beaumont Formation covers about 16 percent of the county, 12 percent as sand and 4 percent as clay. It is older coastal-plain deposit that is generally firmer than the river alluvium.
The dune sand sheet covers about 5 percent of the county, barrier ridge and flat deposits 4 percent, and clay dunes 2 percent. Loose coastal sand runs into the same fluid and caving concerns, especially near the Laguna Madre side of the county.
Delta ground sits close to the water table, and Brownsville has old river channels called resacas. We check bore depth, fluid containment and restoration expectations near them before choosing an alignment.
Soil data drives the bore profile, tooling, drilling fluid and vacuum capture. Alternating sand and clay changes the schedule, so we price and plan for it up front.
In Cameron County, drainage ditches get their own written rules, and the City of Brownsville has its own right-of-way process. Several utilities and co-ops share the electric territory. We line these up early so they do not hold up mobilization.
Any utility, pipeline or cable crossing a district drainage facility, easement or right-of-way needs a District permit approved by its Board of Directors before construction. The District publishes its crossing rules in its drainage manual.
Crossings must be within 20 degrees of perpendicular, with no utility running parallel inside a District easement. The top of the utility must be at least 5 feet below the channel flowline for the full width of the easement, and a pipeline above 200 psi needs a concrete pad, which the District may waive if the pipe is directionally drilled at least 10 feet below the flowline.
The application is due 7 days before the Board meeting where approval is sought, with 6 copies of the application form and 6 copies of drawings showing plan and profile views. Markers go at both ends of the crossing, and the District needs 48 hours’ notice before construction starts.
Utility work in Brownsville’s public right-of-way needs a City permit, applied for through the City’s Accela Citizen Access portal, and Engineering and Public Works has the current requirements. The City’s dig-safe guidance calls for an 811 call and a two full business day wait, and for potholing to expose utilities and monitor the drill head.
Brownsville Public Utilities Board serves the Brownsville city limits and certain Cameron County areas, AEP Texas serves much of the rest of the county, and Magic Valley Electric Cooperative serves rural areas. Texas Gas Service provides natural gas in Brownsville.
Cameron County is in TxDOT’s Pharr District with Brooks, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Kenedy, Starr, Willacy and Zapata counties. Work in state right-of-way is permitted through TxDOT’s utility process.
Cameron County work spans commercial and industrial sites in Brownsville and Harlingen, and growth along the highways and the Gulf side of the county.
Plans, utility records and soil data reviewed up front, with the bore set to the drainage district and City rules and to delta sand and clay conditions.
Texas811 notice at least two working days ahead, utilities potholed where the bore crosses them, and drainage district and City paperwork started early.
Bore the path, track it, and capture drilling fluid so it stays out of ditches, resacas and storm drains.
Daily production reports and as-builts for close-out.
Yes. In Cameron County Drainage District No. 1, any utility crossing a district facility, easement or right-of-way needs a permit approved by the Board of Directors before construction.
The District requires the top of the utility to be at least 5 feet below the channel flowline for the full width of the easement.
The application is due 7 days before the Board meeting where approval is sought, and the District needs 48 hours’ notice before construction starts.
Pipelines over 200 psi need a concrete pad over the line, which the District may waive if the pipeline is directionally drilled at least 10 feet below the flowline.
Brownsville Public Utilities Board, AEP Texas and Magic Valley Electric Cooperative share the electric territory, and Texas Gas Service provides gas in Brownsville.
Commercial and industrial projects only: developers, general contractors, utilities and electrical, telecom and mechanical contractors.
Commercial projects only. Fill out the quick form or call us — we’ll take it from there.