Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-09-22
WILL UTILIZE
FLOOD WATER
OF CRANDE
Work Started on Larg-
est Irrigation Sys-
tenn In Southwest;
Ready in 3 Years

IOAltIOl ana Improvement ulSlrlct
No. /, which early this year voted
q bond issue OF s7.500OO0 and start
ed construction work in July.
Contract for the construction was
awarded to the Trinity Farms COM
pany Of the largest contracting
firms in the south. and S750.000 Of
the bonds were sold in June to fl
nance the initial work. The con-
tract calls for completion Of the
system in 900 working days. indi-
eating that by June. 1892. the en-
tire vast acreage included in the
district will be receiving irrigation
water.
The entire district. with the ex-
ception Of a few high points viii
be watered by gravity. Flood wa
tiers will be taken from the Rio
Grande at a point near Santa
Maria and carried northward
through the intake canal to huge
reservoirs on the Mestenes tract in
eastern Hidalgo county. the lands
to the north and east to be wa
tered by gravity flow from these
reservoirs.
The lands TO be watered include
approximately 10000 acres Of the
MesteneS tract. 5000 acres on the
Young tract. $500 on the Laguna
Lagua, $4,000 on the Stillman tract.
and scores Of smaller tracts in CEN
trail Willacy county.
Two reservoirs will be construct
ed by the district to impound the
flood waters Of the Rio Grande, the
San Martin reservoir, located In
southwestern Willacy. to comprise
approximately 1000 acres, and the
Guadalupe reservoir Of approx
mately 5000 acres will extend south
from the Sal Del Rey region TO a
point about three miles north Of the
San Martin site. These reservoirs
will have an average depth Of ap-
proximately IA feet and will carry
over 10000 acre feet in storage.
Use Flood Water Control
: Under the terms of the permit
granted by the state board of wa
ter engineers the district will use
flood waters only. taking the va
ter from the Rio Grande when the
water level Of that stream is above
five feet. The height at which wa
ter will be taken will be at least
65 feet. The main canal which will
carry the flood waters from the
stream to the reservoirs will aver
age from 80 to $50 feet in width
with a maximum depth Of IA feet.
Control works will be constructed a:
the river intake to assure complete
control Of the volume Of water adj
mitted into the canal and to pre-
vent taking water at a lower level
than prescribed In the permit.
Main distribution canals will run
north and east from the reservoirs
the gradual slope Of the land to the
north and east assuring ample We
locity. and with the exception of a
few high points. where booster
pumps will be installed to supply
small acreages. the entire district
will water by gravity. The entire
canal system, with the exception
Of the main canal from the Rio
Grande TO the reservoirs. will De
concerted. plans being made for the
installation Of pipe distribution sys-
TENS on part of the acreage.
Engineering plans for the reser-
voirs and the major part of the
distribution system have been COM
pleted and approved by the state
board Of water engineers. Accord
ing to these plans. prepared by the
Morgan Engineering company Of
nn1fna The krtOa woea~sr~s~r ~.~sI -
surrounded by a deep ditch 10 in
tercept seepage and prevent dam
age to surrounding lands. the Seep-
age waters to be conducted to a
stump from which they will De
pumped into the distribution ca
mails or back into the reservoir. AS
the entire distribution system will
be concerted practically no vast
age or land damage from seepage
is anticipated. The plans of the
district also include a drainage
Cystem to handle surplus surface
waters.
To Serve Rich Territory
The Willacy district. which is the
largest irrigation district in the
world. win serve q very uniform
and fertile territory. There is little
variation in the soil type, and prac-
tically no waste land in the entire
area. According to the plans Ct
W.. A. Harding. George r. LochriS,
4. A. Lindahl and other large land
holders and developers in that sec
ton. the major part Of the acreag.
viii be set TO citrus fruit In a few
years. Approximately 10000 acres
within the district already have
been set TO fruit and irrigation wa
ter will be available for the entire
area by the time the trees attain
bearing age.
Plans also are being made to de-
velop large acreages for winter veg
etables and staple crops. Many Of
OF the land owners are preparing 10
embark in the dairy industry upon
an extensive scale. anud every eff
fort is being made by land owners
and developers TO promote DIVERSE
fication, the fertile soil being
adapted for practically every crop
that can be grown in the temperate
or semi-tropic chimes.
No land has been ineiuded in the
district over the protest Of the own
er. and as a result there is close
cooperation among all land own
ers In facilitating all moves OF the
district officials and in promoting
construction of a system Of the
highest possible efficiency which
win assure low irrigation costs. The
fact that the district will maintain
no large pumping plants and that
its o~pexRtion costs viii be confined