Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-01-27
LINED CANALS,
PIPE Lines TO
REDUCE COSTS
Mission Project Pro-
poses Adding $4,000
Acres; Pharr Will
Erect Pipe Plant

ARG AGAAA@
Tremendous strides toward placing
the irrigation systems OF the Lower
Rio Grande Valley under concrete
will De made this year. according To
plans Of water district managers.
Bond issues already voted for that
purpose, including approximately
s.. 200. 001 which will ~ expended ON
concrete work in the Willacy county
district, total over S6,Oe0, 600. On
February l6 the LIN FGria district
will vote on an issue OF Sl,600,00O,
and February 10, Hidaigo District
No. z will vote on So. 759 900 to ex-
tend its canals to include approxi-
mately 1900 acres additional and
concrete the entire system. New
districts in Cameron county are ex-
pected 70 vote approximately $780,
600 for concrete work.
The Pharr-San Juan-Alam0 district,
which voted SIT. 1000 600 last year, re-
Gently sold 100000 OF its bonds and
~ now erecting a concrete pipe
manufacturing plant nc San Juan,
the plant to be the largest of it's
kind in the south. Work on the
canals is expected 10 get underway
in March OF April. The Edinburg
district. which also voted Sl. 500, 900
for concreting, will start work early
in the ummer The bonds have not
been sold, and will not be disposed of
until the market improves, directors
state.
On the Goodwin Tract. west OF
Mission, where the dirt canals are
being completed, concrete work is
well underway, with five crews piac-
ing pipe lines and other crews lining
canals. This entire district will be-
under concrete. In the Brownsville
area, District No. z, West Browns
willie has practically all major can
ais concreted, and FL Jardin district
has expended a large amount in con-
creting main canals nc points of
heaviest seepage. Cameron County
Districts ~. 13 and IA, which will
water approximately $4,000 acres,
also will be eoncreted throughout.
An All-COncrete System
Hidalgo County District No. ",
which will vote on n 81, ESQ, 600 bond
issue on February 10, proposes nm
extension OF It's system TO include the
Jackson tract Of 1900 acres TO the
north, bringing the total acreage up
70 $4,000. Plans Of the district have
been approved by the state board OF
water engineers, and work ia expect
ed to get underway as soon as the
bond issue Is voted and part of the
bonds placed on the market.
The entire system Of this district
which comprises part OF the lands
under the United Irrigation company
all Of Sharyland and part Of the
Mission tracts-will be placed under
concrete. Organization OF a sepa-
rate district TO include the remain-
der Of the lands under the Mission
system is contemplated, and the pro-
ponents Of this move also propose
concreting OF their system.
The project announced by Hidalgo
No. z is one Of the most comprehen-
sive ever undertaken In the Valley.
The water supply for the $4,000
acres will be secured from the United
Irrigation Co., which In under con-
tract to deliver water from the Sec
ond lift az $3.50 per acre foot, this
rate TO hold for one year only. The
company proposed a delivery price
which would assure o per cent I'm
~terest upon the investment, and the
delivery rate will be reduced III earn
ings are in excess OF that amount.
In the event either District No. z or
the proposed District No. =, or both,
desire 70 purchase the pumping plant
at the end Of two years IL will be
sold at nm agreed price
Will Reduce Costs
Extension Of the system to water
1000 acres additional is expected to
greatly reduce the cost TO owners OF
lands now under irrigation. The new
lands will carry their part on the
bond tax levy, the levy Increasing as
they develop and valuations in-
crease. According 10 estimates, the
cost Of the concrete system and
other improvements Will average np-
proximately $50 per acre. whereas the
cost without the additional lands
was estimated az sl02.
According 70 the plans submitted
the state board Of water engineers,
the district will construct approxi-
mately 40 miles Of pipe line and ap-
proximately lao miles on concrete
lined canals. This IN expected to
increase the efficiency from 80 per
per cent 10 81 per cent. I'm other
words. approximately 90 gallons on
each 10 0now diverted from the riv-
er W put ~ beneficial use, whereas
AAAt' - NNHNANNE - NAFNA aHNiAAAHANA~~
ly 80 gallons will be used benefit
cially. This will mean a decided re-
duction in operation costs. and the
concrete system also will reduce
materially the cost on applying wkter
to the land.
Study California Systems
~. n. C0nEdOn, engineer for the
district. left last week for Calif0r-
mia. where he will remain several
weeks studying the concrete irriga-
ton system Of that state. Directors
assert they propose ~ incorporate
in their construction plans the most
modern designs as proved by the
California systems after years on
experience.
Under the present arrangement
with the United Irrigation company,
the district will have only one pump
inc plant, the third lift, which will
water approximately rs per cent OF
the acreage. the remainder, including
NIL OF the Jackson tract. receiving itH
water from the second lift. The
average lift for rs per cent of the
acreage is I'D feet, and while this is
high as compared with the low lifts
Of the extreme lower part OF the
Valley. the fact that under concrete
the duty Of water will be more than
doubled. assures a very moderate
irrigation cost, officials or the diE-
ltrict state. IL is estimated that the
volume t0 ~ pumped to supply the
entire $4,000 acres under concrete
will he approximately only B5 per
cent w the volume required tO sup
ply The 1900 now irrigated from