Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-09-22

Control Works Dis
charge Flood Waters
Before They Menace
Valley Section

by the completion Of flood control
works which have practically re-
moved the menac of the oft-times
turbulent border stream.
The extremely fertile river lands
of Hidalgo and Cameron counties
and the vast areas Of Willacy coun
ty. which in the early days Of VAL
ley development were subject TO
overflow during the periodic rises OF
the Rio Grande, are today protect
ed against the encToachments of
flood waters. Artificial floodways
hereafter will discharge surplus wa
ters of the river into the Laguna
Madre. and thousands Of acres OF
fertile land, formerly in the path
Of floods. Is today being built un-
der intensive development.
The Valleys flood control system,
completed at a cost Of approximate
ly So .O00. 900 Is the direct result OF
cooperation between the state Of
Texas, the counties of Cameron
and Hidalgo and the Lower Rio
Grande Valley Chapter Of the
American Association of Engineers.
Planned by the Valley engineers
and financed by remission OF state
taxes TO the two counties, the sys-
tenn has eliminated a menace which
for years was a serious handicap
to Valley development. and has add
ed many millions to Valley vaiua-
tons.
Government and state reclama-
ton engineers. who have Inspected
the flood control system. have been
unanimous in expressing the opln-
ion that 1t will prove effective IN
protecting every section Of the VAL
lev. The Valley flood problem was
in all essentials similar to hat oil
the lower Mississippi valley. n =
government engineers. in their Ell
fort to control the Mississippi floods
have adopted on a gigantic scale the
nlan of the Valley engineerS-to re-
move the flood waters from n
main stream before they become a
menace to the lands on the lower
reaches.
Channels Garry Surplus Waters
Four channels. three ON 2
American and one on the Mexican
side are designed TO discharge ire
flood waters into the Laguna MAD
re On the American side n nam
inlet i above Mission with q sec
ond inlet at the Grangeno near the
citv If Hidalgo. A third inlet IS
nrovided In Cameron county. utlilz-
inc the Resaca Rancho Vieho. On
the Mexican side cuts have been
made through the Caoras Fh1as
ridge southwest Of MatamoroS anu
levees constructed to carry 1000
waters into the Arroyo del T1gre
through which they will be DIS
charged into the Gulf.
The Rio Grande in the greatest
flood in recent years-June. lSzz-
carried approximately 100000 sec
ond feet. the water spreading over
large areas in Hidalgo. Cameron
and Willacy counties. A few month";
later the Valley engineers presented
a plan for flood control ana NJ
daIeo county applied Tor remission
If state taxes to finance n pro-
sect through that county. ms VAS
vofed bv the legislature IN 1873
a,d in 1925 similar remission was
Granted Cameron county. Bonds IL
1anced by remission Of state taxes
were voted BY both counties. ana
annroximately three years we're re-
c,,ired 10 complete the artiiiclai
Channels and river levees.
- - -~res0N nj the %A&IEUl
e designed TO take care OF ap-
nroximately 10000 second teel \
ing period Of major flood. Oi uhs
amoi,nt 10000 second feet VIII DC
ADMITTED into the main tloooway
.hove Mission and 10000 at y
Cranveno inlet near Hidalgo. Inc
r,ein floodway follows the course OF
IA resacas paralleling the river II
Hidalgo county and connecting VIII
TIann Grande lake near Merceoes-
Az re south end Of Llano Granoe
1ake the flood waters are divided.
4 second feet being carried
north and east through an a..l-
cial floodway through lake All
nacuas and northwestern Cameron
ana southern Willacy counties "
the Iaquna Madre. approximate
~ IN 0n0 second feet will be DIS
CHARGED through the Arroyo Coo.
80 the Valleys great natuIai
d-ainwav. which extends from SCUM
- Mercedes east near La Feria 7
uarlinrer end northeast past no
rrondo 10 the Laguna Maore.
Wexican Government Cooperates
Arother floodway is provided py
utilizing the Rancho Vle!o $500
r,ith an inlet several mics ~oos1
n~rownsville. This channei VII
carry approximately S'OOO se'ON"
o ~ the Mexican side cuts through
,he cabras Pintas ridge ana con-
.~,,ctson AZ levees which Will "a,
49, MOOD flow into the Arroyo oei
rSrva uiIl invaluable IN renev--
-e tne ~situation on both sloes u
s..s stream. The Mexican govern
L ssrured that fun cooperation
would be extended IN the liOou
troI work and the Mexican n-
button to the system Is eApec.eu
eve care OF 1000 TO 4O'OUO ssconu
feet during periods OF MAJOR llOOus'
Tne rabras Pintas ridge. averae-
- f~om s 10 8 feet in height, pre-
.aS = barrier TO flood waters
S~@snf during very high stages Oh
80 Stream. The floods spread over
49, Mexican lowlands ONE OF the
r,star finding its way into the AFRO
- deI Ticre through CONSTRUCTED
channels. but the major part re-
turning to the main stream as the