Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-05-30
Already Have Permit

district has a permit to take water
out Of the Rio Grande by gravity
through 38 miles Of canal for power
purposes and then spill it back In the
river.
There Is this district at Eagle Pass
but at Laredo all water users are
individual appropriations. Mr.. Rob-
ertson said. He will interview the
larger appropriations, chamber Of
commerce officials and others, ex-
planning the situation to them In
full with q view to securing their
support.
4 believe that full publicity on the
matter and a complete understand
ing now will keep out any possible
misunderstanding later" MI. Rob-
ertson said. 1T win benefit them as
well as ourselves. There Is no pro
vision In the statutes for a hearing
but the board wishes to give every
one an opportunity for intervening
II they desire. The Valley districts
are willing that this be done.
Presentations Refused
Two presentations made for filing
with the board were turned down
several weeks ago and n Of the
reasons was that they each covered
too much ground. The ten presen-
tations now before the board for
filing each take In less territory but
cover all available desirable dam
sites.
A system Of three storage and an
undetermined number of control
and power dams will be necessary,
IL Is believed by close students Of the
situation. One large storage dam
would be located in the Big Bend
country where there are three suit
able sites. They are known as Mar
iscal, Boquillas and Santa Helena
sites. Another storage dam would
be located somewhere between Eagle
Pass and Laredo and a third near
Zapata or Salineno.
Dams for control of water and
generation Of power would be 10
Gated below the storage dams. There
IS one desirable site near Roma and
there also are a number of others,
any or all OF which may be utilized
II presentations are accepted for
filing.
Cost s~lo,OO0,0Oo
A system OF dams which would
make most of the flow of the Rio
Grande available for use would
cost about sl0,000,000 it Is estimat-
ed. There are three ways by which
the system could be financed. it is
stated. One Is for the federal gov
eminent to furnish the funds,
another for the districts TO CO.
operate with a power company to
build them and a third the forma-
ton OF a master district. embracing
the areas of all the smaller districts,
to vote a gigantic bond issue.
"Mr. Robertson believes that the
dams could be financed with little
cost to the districts. He does not
believe that 1t ever will be neces-
sary to form a master district and
vote bonds but thinks that 1t
would be justified If 10 other
means were found TO finance the
dams. The structures would assure
an adequate supply Of water for
almost the entire area which is
under irrigation or may be placed
under irrigation along the Rio
Grande In the United States and
Mexico.
Agreement Sought
Everything is being done TO reach
an agreement with Mexico In
TO division of the waters OF
the Rio Grande. At present nego-
fiations are at q deadlock but IL is
hoped that an agreement may be
reached. Failure Of the board 70
accept presentations for filing In
the past have been attributed partly
10 the fact that no agreement on
division of the waters exists on
this international stream.
The board said that 1t had closed
the stream to appropriations because
- agreement had been reached
~ns that 1t did not wish to reopen
rstnout some notice 10 the public
s,,ch as notice Of the hearing to be
Rid next month
presentations On behalf Of the !