Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-09-22
new DISTRICT
TO CONSTRUCT
ALL
Part of Mission, Shary-
land, jackson, Re-
tama Tracts to Have
Efficiency System

20 County Water Control g. I'm
provement District No. z, organized
last year, and which has voted
bonds In the amount Of S2.750.OOO
for the purpose OF taking over and
reconstructing part OF the canal
system OF the United Irrigation
aompany and extending tle system
~northward into the Jackson and
petama tracts.
The district comprises 1884
ceres, including 1890 in the Mis-
sion and Sharyland tracts, $4,000 II
the jackson tract which adjoins
Sharyland on the north, and 1000
on the Retama tract Immediately
east Of the jackson tract. The ma
ior part Of the area in the Mission
and Sharyland tracts was included
in one Of the earliest irrigation pro-
iects Of the Valley, receiving us
water from the canals OF the Unit
ed Irrigation company. All canals
and other properties Of the United
Irrigation company within the ols-
trict were acquired by the district
in June and an option has been Sc
cured on the river pumping plant
According TO the plans approved
bv the state board OF water engl-
neers the entire distribution sys-
tenn will be placed under concrete
and all irrigation water will be de-
livered through concrete nneo
canals or pipe systems. WORK d
rehabilitating the old canal system
Is well underway, and extension OF
the canals into the Jackson AND
Retama lands TO the north and east
will keep pace with Development
~ those sections. Practically none
~ the acreage in the jackson n
Retama tracts IS under CULTIVATION
but that part Of the district lnciuo-
"a in the Mission and Sharylann
tracts ranks among the most n
t~ensively developed sections OF tne
Valley.
Land Owners Back Project
Following organization OF ~ dis
.riet a bond election vas called. 2
issue carrying by a vote o. 100 70
"a. The engineering work unoer
the direction Of z. p. Congden, gen
eral was started immedi-
ately. and the plans fully approved
bv the state water board. In every
move toward carrying out the plans
Of the district the board OF direc-
tors. consisting Of A. G. Trapps
nresident: Pat Sweeney, Joe Mea-
dor. c. B. Thompson and Lioyu
Bentsen. have had the full coopera-
ton If land owners and others in
lprested in the development OF the
area the district is designed %
serve.
The major part Of the acreage
yin be devoted to citrus fruit ac-
cording to plans Of the land owners
and the entire acreages included "
the Jackson and Retama tracts VIII
he developed as citrus projects, the
land. which is a light loan anu
veil drained, being well adapteh
for that purpose. Many OF the
oldest and most prolific fruit
groves in the Valley are located on
the Mission and Sharyland tracts
which are served by the dlstrict'
and it is believed that concretins
Of canals will result in materlaiiy
Increasing the acreage Of fruit AZ
those areas.
High Efficiency System
According to plans announced py
the district the entire system VIII
~ placed upon a high efficiency
basis and water wastage and land
D will be practically elimina.-
Cd. The concrete canals, on which
work Is now underway, are oe-
signed 10 handle the water with
greater velocity than under the old
dirt canal system, and all deuv-
cries will be made through meters
assuring application Of the proper
amount and elimination OF wastage.
All of the land is above the first
lift. receiving the water from the
river pump under contract with n
United Irrigation company.
aOur objective is to construct q
system Of the highest possible Ell
ficiency, which will assure min
imun cost, facilitate application o.
irrigation water and eliminate
wastage,' was the assertion Of r
p Congden, general manager, who
has been in charge Of the engineer
inc work since the organization Of
the district. we will have a COM
plete concrete system, and all de-
l~iveries will be made through met
ers. A careful study has been made
Of irrigation construction IN all
parts of the West. and we propose
10 utilize those features which have
proved best adapted to Valley con
ditions.
~Our first objective will be 20
Mace all canals in the present If
rieated district under concrete as
raridly as possible. and the sys-
TEN will be extended into undevel-
oped territory as fast as develop
ment justifies. I believe that Ill
timately we will have a system that
win be as nearly 100 per cent eff
ficient as il is possible TO con
struct-a system in which all vast
ace Is eliminated. which viii as
sure prompt and adequate service
and the application OF the proper
volume Of irrigation water TO the
land. Such a system is very es-
sentiai to the development Of citrus
uroiects. and / am confident that
before many years have passed the
major part of the acreage served
by this district will be planted to
citrus fruit"
The soil Of the entire district Is
very uniform, a light colored loam,
extremely fertile, and which has
been proved on both the Mission
and Sharyland tracts to be well
adapted to citrus culture, growing
sturdy trees which produce fruit OF