About The District

The Orange County Drainage District is a special district of the State of Texas charged with the maintenance and improvement of drainage infrastructure within Orange County, Texas.

Jurisdiction and Governance

The District is located in Southeast Texas and covers approximately 380 square miles, all within Orange County, Texas. The District is governed by an elected five-member Board of Directors. The Board selects and employs a General Manager responsible for managing the District consistent with the Board’s plans, goals, and directives, and for implementing the Board’s policies. Because the Orange County Drainage District is a special district of the State of Texas charged with drainage in Orange County, Texas, it shares coterminous boundaries with Orange County, Texas, which is a separate political subdivision of the State.

The District’s Mission

Orange County, Texas is uniquely bordered on the east by the Sabine River, on the west by the Neches River, and on the south by Sabine Lake. As a coastal county that primarily drains into major river systems and/or the marsh, riverine and tidal conditions can significantly affect drainage within Orange County. In general, the District is responsible for providing and maintaining drainage in the County’s developed areas. Drainage within the County is largely achieved through drainage ditches and channels that flow into the rivers, bayous, creeks, gullies, and man-made ditches that span large portions of Orange County.

The District’s drainage infrastructure consists almost exclusively of the major earthen drainage ditches and channels, both natural and man-made. On a day-to-day basis, the District maintains and improves these earthen ditches (over 600 miles), which regularly includes excavation, silt removal, mowing, and/or herbicidal spray operations. 

Intergovernmental Cooperation

The District works with other entities that also have a role in drainage within Orange County, such as the Cities and the Orange County Road and Bridge Department, all of which generally share responsibility for internal drainage within city limits and alongside most roads. Likewise, the Drainage District works with the Texas Department of Transportation, which generally has responsibility for the drainage along state highways.  

Board Meetings

The Orange County Drainage District Board of Directors holds its Regular Meetings at 10:00 a.m. on the second Tuesday of each month. To provide additional opportunities for public attendance, the Regular Meetings in July and October are held at 5:30 p.m. The Board may also call Special Meetings as necessary to conduct District business. Notice of every meeting is posted in accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act, and members of the public are invited to attend.