Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-12-28
BIG WILLACY
DISTRICT TO
WATER AREA
Tremendous Amount
Being Spent On
System
Continued from page d

- $500
LACY county for the six years for
which the Government reports dis
charges. The Willacy district. after
its 80. 900 acres are all under in
tensIre irrigation. Will require on
the average only s per cent OF the
water that now goes 10 waste IN
the Gulf, or in other words, there IS
now flowing to the Gulf. over six
teen times rs much water as VIII
facv county viii yer require TO ir-
ripate its lands. This fact Is I'M
migtakable evidence of the large
factor Of safety which surrounds
The supply Of water for Wilacy
county district.
The Willacy county project lies
an average OF about 25 miles north
| 81 the Rio Grande. AS would natur-
ally be expected IN a stream sucn
as the Rio Grande, the land several
miles back from the river Is OF
lower elevation than along the
river. The elevation OF the river
bank where the Wnlacy county
intake canal cuts into the river Is
II feet above sea level. whereas the
elevation of the land at the point
where the intake canal discharges
into the storage reservoir in Will
lacy county is about As feet above
sea level. a difference OF % feet.
after allowing for the depth Of flow
in the canal. the balance OF this
difference in elevation Is utilized IN
the Willacy county plan 70 carry
water by gravity from the river
into the reservoir.
Canal % Miles Long
The water will flow from the
r.=er 10 the reservoir through the
intake canal. 81 miles long. extend
inr for the first Is miles a short
distance east OF the west line OF
Cameron county and thence con-
tinuin9 generally nOrthwesterly to
its outlet in the storage reservoir.
ON the bank of the Rio Grande.
where the canal takes out OF the
river. a concrete intake structure
viii be constructed which will have
ten large gates through which the
water will be admitted into the
canal. These gates are necessary IN
order that too much water may not
flow down the canal. for IL would
be possible, If the canal were lett
open ut the river end. TO take IN
during the year several times as
much water as could be stored IN
the reservoir or used by the lands
sn the project. Actually the intake
canal will be regulated so that water
Is allowed to flow down II In such
quantities as is necessary to keep
the reservoir filled from the waters
which now flow unused to the sea.
TO accomplish this. water will flow
in the canal only part OF the year.
Studies Are Made
Engineering studies have been
made which have taken into &C
count the flow In the Rio Grande,
the amount of water which the
intake canal will carry TO the
storage reservoir at various river
stages. the resulting elevations OF
the water in the reservoir. and the
use OF this water by the land. The
unmistakdble conclusion from these
studies shows that the works as
planned insures the Willacy county
lands an ample supply of water.
The taking OF water from the Rio
Grande BIZ Willacy county In no wise
topardizes the supply of water
available for existing irrigation
enterprises in the Lower Rio Gran
de Valley which do not have storage
but which depend upon pumplsg
fhe necessary irrigation water from
Che river directly into distribution
canals serving the lands in such
projects. In making application for
r permit for water, the intention of
willacy county 20 obtain its water
from food water now flowing I'M /
used 10 the sea was definitely
stated ard the permit was granted
on this basis. All Of the plans for
the District have been made with
this condition rigidly adhered TO.
As a matter of fact. with IS per cent
Of the water in the Rio Grande o
flowing unused 70 the Gull Of
Mexico. and with Wiliacy county
requiring only six per cent Of this
large surplus. and III addition hay
ing a large storage reservoir in
which 20 hold this supply. it should
be perfectly clear that the water
taken by Willacy. county viii not
endanrer the supply vitality neces-
gary for pumped projects without
storage.
The Storage Reservoir
The heart of the Willacv county
project may be said to lie in its
Ftornre reservoir. for ii Is this
storage basin that enables the
rrciect 70 take water from the
river and hold II In storage IN the
reservoir. using the water as needed.
ertirclv i~nderendent of the low
water flow In the Rio Grande. which
rust he depended on by projects
WHICH obtain water BY direct pump
1nr diversion.
The storage reservoir is located
a little west Of the center az the
project in Willacv and Hidalgo
counties. TIE reservoir is formed by
the construction oi 26 miles az main
earth levees which entirely sur
round the reservoir. and even miles
Of cross levees which divide the
reservoir into five separate units.
These levees are virtually earth
dams and tllcv r being constructed
with dimensions such As are used
in building dams. and using as
much care in construction. The
average height OF the levees Is
about IS feet. They are 10 feet wide
on top and their sides slope two
and q half feet horizontally to
every one foot vertically. Under
meath each levee a core trench Is
cut and backfiled with selected
vatertirht material 10 prevent any
under flow. To build the reservoir
1cvees, 100000 cubic yards Of earth
arc required.
The surface area Of the storage
reservoir IS aruroyimatelv 1000