Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-07-22
TAMINCOFR RIO
CRANDE NOW IN
FINAL STAGES
Flood Control System
VIII Prove Import
ant Factor in Valley
Development

SAN BENITO. July 22.-The "Old
Muddy" is rapidly being tanned.
A. few more weeks. and the swirl
ing waters Of the strange { Of rivers
viii meal little more "a people Of
the Lower Rio Grande Valley than
an interesting spectacle.
The tanning is taking two import
ant channels-one. that Of flood CON
troll, or the Harvesting Of the river
az flood stage in order TO prevent
damage; and. second, the conserva-
tion Of river waters, for use in irri-
cation.
The two arc joint problems by
their very nature. and the fact that
y vs. solved lessons the difficulty
Of solving the other.
Within two months. or before the
heavy September rises of the Rio
Grande, the last work on the flood
control system IN the Lower VAL
lev will BE finished. The levees
along the Arroyo Colorado will be
in shape. and the levees on the
north floodway will be competed.
When the river starts discharging
It's thousands and hundreds az thou
sands Of second feet Of water. the
giant dikes will be prepared to
carry it off to the LaCuna Madre.
Mexico Aids Control
on the Mexican side a similar
situation will exist. as the Arroyo
del Tigre is being used as a chan
mel.
Both the Arroyo del Tigre in Mex
ico and the Arroyo Colorado in
Texas were former channels az the
Rio Grande. and the river had a
variance Of about 70 miles in the
point 1t emptied into the Gulf of
Mexico.
Engineers in tackling flood con
troll along the Lower Rio Grande
Valley had many difficult problems
10 solve.
They found that If the river were
tapped at a certain point, and a
considerable amount Of water taken
out. IL would silt up below that
point, and break out % its levees.
They found that the higher the
levccs were built. the higher would
rise the bed ar the river. until the
stream was many feet above the
surrounding land. and n flood then
would be a menace to life as we'll
as property.
Other interesting facts-that the
length of the river through all its
m~canderincs and turns. remained
the same in spite Of its frequent
cut-offs OF Horseshoe bends" that
10 can never be depended on 20 OBJ
serve any set rules IN cutting into
banks-a change IN the breeze often
viii start IL cutting into a new
Ill - aLsrse-w A. rLn.w |
Had Many Problems
IN addition % these problems the
greater one-that is. thatiDNal-.M
engineers were faced with the great
er ore-that is. that diverting any
considerable body Of water through
some other channel. such rs the Ar
royo Colorado. might easily result
in changing the channel OF the river.
Added 70 these troubles were in
terrational problems. which the Of
ficials Of the Valley had 10 solve.
Flood control plans in the lower
Valley have been considered since
the beginning of the century. when
farming was first started on a
larger scale.
The plans gradually rounded out
under the guidance ~ several well
known engineers in the Valley. prin-
riraliv w. p. Anderson ~ this city.
W. q. Washington Of Brownsville.
county engineer Of Cameron county;
q. ri. Van Berg and W. r. Shaw Of
Mercedes. and Pat nevine Of Pharr,
county engineer az Hidalgo county.
When the nlans had reached a def
mite stage. where the removal Of a
large volume Of water from the river
above the Valley was agreed upon
the only possible means Of flood
control. then the proposal was ear
ried 70 the legislature. and tax re-
CONTINUED on page two)