Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-01-08
TEXAS DAILY PRESS LEAGUE
The Irrigation Committee

Th4t the irrigation interests or the Lower Rio
crsndc fsll'y should maintain utmost vigilance during
the session Of the Legislature which convened today is
indicated r. the organization at Austin Friday of a
committee de lgn.d - promote legislation affecting IT,
rigaticn.
one feature Of considerable significance in this
connection is that the Lower Rio Grsnde Valley. which
comprises IS per cent or the irrigated area Of the state,
has only one member on the committee Of nine. Very
fortunately for the Valley that member il r. B. Rent.
fro Of Brownsville. legal representative for a number
Of districts and familiar with every phase Of Valley
irrigation problem. Also nc is author of several irr@
cation measures and has taken a prominent part IN
framing the present irrigation laws. As a member of
the committee he can be relied upon to protect Valley
interests against any assault which may be launched
by those advocating radical changes in existing laws
laws with which the Valley is very well satisfied.
West Texans form the majority Of the committee.
which might &c regarded as indicating that Valley in
t.rcsis arc destined to receive secondary consideration.
Homer u. Wad,, secretary of the Wess Texas Cham
Der Of Commerce, advocate Of revolutionary theorieE
relative 10 water appropriations and water rights, was
elected secretary OF the committee. Other members in
cludc Representative Leonard Tillotson of Sesly;
Richard Burgess. III Paso; John W. Gaines, San Anto-
MO. Frank Kemp. Dallas; J. A. Kemp, Wichita Falls,
and Clarence ousley. Dallas.
When the statewide water committee was organized
in 1926 to settle the controversy between Brown
wood and the power Interests seeking appropriations
from the Colorado. the statement was made by West
Texans that an effort would be made at this session
OF the legislature to secure passage OF a measure IN
cooperating their theory TO the effect that the right 10
water is vestsl in the owner Of the land upon which
it originates. In other words. this would give owners
on the upper reaches Of streams prior rights over those
below. regardless Of whether the former desired to
ue them. This theory would reverse the usual order
az development starting in the fertile valleys on the
lower reaches by RELOCATING to owners at the mead OF
streams tho power to practically control use Of water
the entire length u the stream.
West Texas is ambitious to develop irrigation pro-
jeets at some time in the far-distant future. In the
meantime the waters Of streams are being appropriated
for development projects. According to the theory OF
the West Texans these appropriations are infringing
upon their rights; that there should be no utilization
Of water from streams originating in West Texas until
west Texans finally get around to irrigation and take
such supplies IS they may desire.
n the theory expressed BY West Texans Is ineor-
narrated into law il would virtually halt irrigation or
rouer development in central and south Texas IL
would mean that the state water board would DC PCT
mancntIy cnjcincd from making appropriations until
W.. Tcxas finally works out it's development plans.
The board would then be permitted TO parcel out sueh
residue. II any. IS might remain IN the watereourses'
~. nr.,ent irrigation laws. formulated after years
cf experience, are adequate to meet the needs oil leXas'
and need no drastic revision. They arc designed %
rrorc,c NJ, 10 halt ~ embsrrass. Development under
irrigation. They do not provide that any one sceui0n
RIA Indefinitely postpone development y II Na'
resources and prevent all other sections io"er u'"h
- the came watercourse from developing uhtii y i'ha'-
:, -, how much Of the flow it desires to use
rh,y provide that each development he r'innl''cu -
-. sufficient water to supply is needs and \ any
-..,tor !. . la-xard in utilizing its supply u y nos
- : =. ro,i,ion whereby IT can rcnalizing the more
rnterprising actions