Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-06-29
VALLEY SAVES
WATER SUPPLY
Economic Use of Available
Rio Grande Flow Being
Practiced Here

4AAC 1OWN4 ANAO 1AAAAAC NGANNf
which used less water per acre for
irrigation purposes than any other
section Of the country even in the
1 days when economy was not at
tempted here, bids fair TO make its
available supply 90 still further In
the future through educational
means and by concreting its canals.
Decrease in the amount OF water
necessary per acre in the past has
been partly due to efforts 10 educate
the water user 10 economic.
Practices OF the irrigation sys-
TENS themselves have been changed
so that there Is less waste. Thus
1t is possible to make the supply Of
water go farther than ever before.
The increasd acreage being served
also contributed to ~lessening Of loss
per acre. Formerly there were long
lines Of canals with a limited num-
Der Of acres to be served. A canal
five miles long watering only 10
acres has as much loss as one serv-
\ zig 500 acres.
Lining Of canals will automatical-
ly reduce the amount Of water nee
J essary for the pumps to handle per
acre in the future, according to
Frank S. Robertson, manager Of the
San Benito district and secretary
Of the Joint Association OF Gamer
on-Hidalgo County Water Improve
ment districts.
erraits now granted BY the State
ID Of Water Engineers stipu-
laH Z. at canals must be lined with
some impervious material or install
lation Of pipes. Some Of the old
Af9IstrictS are doing lining voluntar-
Il nv. financing the work through
bond issues or out Of maintenance
J and operating funds.
A One Of the largest such projects
Is in the Pharr-San Juan system.
This district voted $4,000. 900 for
pipes and drainage. Most OF this
money is being used for lining the
canals with concrete.
What is known as the Goodwin
/ district near Mission IS the first =
whose permit from the state board
required lining.
The McAllen district has nearly
u FINISHED its lining work. The dis
\ trict voted bonds for this work and
the Donna system also voted a large
I issue. The Progreso district has prac-
A4AATNwW A<~aN@NaHAl n HaasaI EwHHaN~
and the Edinburg system has voted
o large bond issue for canal lining
and drainage.
About S75O.Oo0 is being put into
canal lining by Hidalgo and Gamer
on County District No. 9 which tco..
over the irrigation system OF the
American Rio Grande Land and
Irrigation company near Mercedes
In Cameron county the La Feria
district voted S~l.6O0.0O0 for canal
lining and the II Jardin district has
already done a lot 81 lining. The
La Feria lining program is well adj
vanced.
A bond issue Eas voted By the
West Brownsville district which has
completed lining its system.
AAOAL ~ ~ Va - ms 49,
done by the San Benito district out
of maintenance and operating funds.
Work in the san Benito district Is
confined to the smaller distribution
canals and field bitches.
Lining Of the smaller canals and
bitches is regarded as more impor-
amt than the larger ones. The
larger ones silt up and become fair
fv water tight while the smaller
ones do not always have water in
them and may crack. Each time
water is let into the cry canals the
soaking UP process is gone through
again. Cost OF lining the main
canals would be extremely expen-
sive.
The w1lacy and starr county
I districts, each embracing large acre
ages. must line their canals under
provision OF the water permits.
Lining work Is being done on sur
face canals while some underground
concrete distribution systems are
being laid out. The underground
system has the advantage Of making
the soil over it available for culti-
Walton. In a large system many
acres are saved for cultivation which
otherwise would be taken up with
open canals.
re Is regarded as likely that the
tendency in the future Will be 70
line large surface canals and put
ths smaller ones underground.
Nctering OF water may add 10
conservation II widely adopted. The
fendency on the part Of the growers
- flood heavily when paying by the
ere In hopes that the watering will
rs-~x them through without another
before q rain falls or the crop ma
s,,-eS 4 noticeable. When water IS
raetered out the grower is mor in
lined TO water more lightly and
moro frequently.
n one district West Brownsvlle)
s metering all its water and the
Mercedes system has a few meters.
rrnxt OF installation and the main
1ance crews necessary are seen as
~-oniy objections 70 meters but
may become general in the
hey because OF the water they
save.