Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-01-12
Settlement of the Water
Controversy

The report from Austin that q settlement Of the
controversy between the BrOwnwOod irrigation dist
rct and the Syndicate Power Company Is in sight will
be received with considerable satisfaction by the irri-
cation and power interests Of Texas. The basis upon
which q settlement. has been reached has not been made
public, but the fact that the power company proposes
to 90 ahead with its power Development project on the
Colorado indicates that the BrOwnwood irrigation in
terests made numerous concessions and completely re-
vamped their original demands.
The construction Of six dams on the Colorado by
the power company will result in cheap power for a
large section of Texas and will also assure extensive
Development of irrigation on the lower reaches Of the
stream. The dams will supply a steady flow for ir-
rigation purposes, prevent in a large measure the
floods which occasionally devastate the farming areas
on the lower part of the river. and will bring prosper
Gus development to a part Of Texas which is now prac-
tieally worthless from an agricultural or industrial
standpoint.
The Brownwood irrigation interests originally
demanded 100000 acre feet near the head Of the
stream, a demand. which if approved by the water
board, would have prevented power or irrigation de-
velopment except on q very small scale at any other
point along the Colorado. The state water board re-
fused to appropriate this volume Of water for the
Brownwood interests, finally granting a permit for
$4,000 acre feet, sufficient to assure irrigation for at
least $4,000 acres, a larger area than is now contained
in the Brentwood district.
The action Of the state water board was supported
by practically all irrigation interests in Texas. They
asserted that If the demand Of the Brownwood inter
ests were met and the principles enunciated by the
Brownwood district and the West Texas Chamber of
Commerce were recognized it would absolutely pro-
hibit further irrigation or power Development within
the state. Brentwood and West Texas were obdurate
during the early days Of the controversy, but the fact
that a settlement now looms as a probability indicates
that the West Texans have receded from their original
stand and are willing to grant to the rest of Texas
some rights in the streams which originate in West
Texas territory.
What the power development proposed by the In
sull interests means to Texas in the way Of develop
ing industries and agriculture is not difficult TO
vision. The building of these power dams will be
followed by an era Of intensive industrial development
which will have far reaching effects upon the pros
pcrity of both southern and central Texas. Their con-
struction will also be followed by intensive develop
ment Of the agricultural resources of a semi-arid re-
gion, we'll adapted to the production of staple crops,
which is now without irrigation except in very limit
ed areas.
The settlement of the Brwonwood controversy is
Of paramount Importance to the entire state, and with
this settlement the principles governing water APP
preparations should be definitely fixed TO eliminate
similar controversies in the future.