Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-11-25
NEW RULE OF
WATER BOARD
aids VALLEY
Conservation By Indi-
vidual Districts To
Assist In Solving
Water Problems

NAdib NNANi NINNu AN1L lW dluAAANNhA
appropriations Of waters from the
Rio Grando would be granted unless
adequate storage facilities are pro-
vidcd Is expected 10 result IN a gen
eral movement toward storage Of
surplus waters M the individual
districts. The decision Of the wa
ter board. based upon appropria-
tions previously granted which arc
believed 10 cover the minimum flow
Of tho stream, is pronounced by
Valley managers one Of the most
constructive moves Of that body.
and will tend 10 insure ample water
supplies for All existing projects.
According "a "a survey nducted
by Valley engineers, the minimum
flow OF the stream IN wholly Insult
ficlent to meet tho requirements OF
the $4,000 acres 10 which appro
priations have been granted. inclnd-
ing the large acreage or the Lower
Rio Grandc Valley, the Maverick
county district and projects upon
which presentations have been made
IN Webb and adjoining counties.
However. 80 per cent Of the average
flow would We ample for approxi-
matelv 100000 acres. but 10 con-
serve this volume would require e.
t%ensive conservation dams on she
upper reaches Of the stream and the
impounding Of what are now sur
plus waters IN the TX ard
other natural reservoirs or that
arcs.
Small Reservoirs viii Aid
According to the ruling Of the
state water board. storage OF A min
imum Of one aero loot Of water
pcr acre Of land 70 be irrigated will
be required OF all districts organ
lied since the appropriation % the
Maverick county district. This will
include districts Nos. no, IA, H. and
IL in Cameron county, already or
ganized. and which will be supplied
through the Los Fresnos system,
and Cameron district No. 4, known
as the Barreda tract. IL is UNDER
stood that zach of these districts
will be obliged 10 provide storage
on the n acre foot OF water rcr
acre irrigated basis. However, this
~ the minimum that will be required
By the water board. and districts or
gambling in sections where the rain
fall Is more limited will be required
10 provide storage up "a two acre
feet. il is understood, the mount
Of storage to be determined by the
water board.
While this storage will provide
conservation 10 a very limited cx-
tent irrigation managers point out
that It Will prove very valuable, and
VIII act as insurance for the acre
age upon which appropriations have
been granted. The reservoirs will
serve to edualize the diversion &C
water from the stream during per
iods Of minimum flow which como
IN the first four or five months or
the year at a time when the demand
for irrigation water in the Lower
Rio Grande Valley lis heaviest,
These reservoirs will Be filled eth.
or bv gravity flow from the Rio
Grande nc high stage or BY pumping
~ n time when the flow az tho
stream IS more than adequate 10
meet the demands Of ir~rigators.
During periods of minimum flow the
districts can pump from either the
river or the reservoirs. the latter as
suing sufficient water 70 tide over
any shortage IN the main stream.
Storage Facilities
Engineers who have made a thor
ough survey Of the Rio Grande from
Fort Quitman below Fl Paso 10
Brownsville state there is no lack ar
natural facilities for storage OF sur
plus waters; and that storage If
sufficient volume 10 protect the in
divifual districts would be compara-
lively inexpensive.
The Maverick county district.
which will irrigate approximately
10000 acres. though not required hv
IT'S permit to provide storage. u
making surveys M natural storage
reservoirs abve Eagle Pass. They
have ascertained that sufficient stor-
ago TO assure two aero feet for each
acre Of their project can BE- pro-
vided nc comparatively small cx-
pense. the reservoirs 20 be- filled NV
gravity during high periods. The
Starr county district. which will ir-
rigate $4,000 acres, can also pro-
vide storage at small cost. 10 i5
stated. by utilizing Olmos creek and
ravines above Roma. No definite
plans in this connection have been
announced. but N is understood en-
Tineers are making surveys with
that object. Tho Goodwin tract
project. watering $4,000 acres west
Of Mission. the proposed 10000 acre
project west OF the Goodwin tract
and the recently organized district
which Will supply part OF the Mis-
sion. Jackson and Retama tracts
northwest of Mission. would ncoun
ter considerable difficulty Am pre-
viding storage in the same mount
- the districts on tho upper and
lower reaches or the stream. This
Is due 70 the fact the high iinds
come close ~ the river and they
lack the natural storage basins.
Storage In the Valley
The EnRleman project of 5000
sores on the Mestenes tract north
Of Donna. has made provisions for
5000 nero feet OF water storage ~
be carried in two huge reservoirs
which will be- filled from the drains
Of the Donna and Pharr-San jam
Alamo irrigation systems. and will
also utilize surplus waters from tho
river 70 be pumped through the
Donna district canals. Huge reser-
voirs are planned BY the engineers
Of the proposed Union irrigation
district. which has been designed ~
water approximately 100000 acres %
eastern Hidalgo and northern Will
lacy county lands. Organization of
this district will be voted upon b.
The land owners December 10, the
proposed district 10 include major