Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-10-18
THREE PUMPS
ARE ADEQUATE
IN IRRIGATION
Valley Now Has 80
Districts And AS
Many Pumps
BY III. G.. sTILwELL. JR.

How many irrigation districts, and
how many pumping plants are es-
sential TO the most efficient and
economical irrigating Of all lands in
the Lower Rio Grande Valley?
This Is a question which has been
given serious consideration down
through the years by irrigation men
in the Valley.
And the conclusion was given the
writer by several recognized irriga-
ton authorities OF the Valley, whose
names will not be used in this
article. during the past few days.
II Is, substantially as follows:
From n to three irrigation dis
tricts, and not more than three
pumping plants.
80 Districts.
There are 80 irrigation districts n
the Lower Rio Grande Valley, with
every prospect Of this number be-
ing eventually doubled If the pres
ent system Of forming districts is
continued.
Most OF these districts have pump
ing plants. Some OF them have two
or three pumping plants.
All these districts. in the opinion
Of irrigation authorities, could Of
grouped into one large district, or
at most, three districts. the latter
grouping giving one district Tor each
pumping plant.
And the lands Of all these dis
tricts could be served by three
pumping plants.
No attempt 10 estimate the
amount OF saving TO the people OF
the Valley by such a consolidation
was made. However. the fact that
the irrigation bond tax in the Valley
varies from $40 to 500 an acre, md
that the ratio Is in almost every
instance In exact reverse proportion
to the number OF acres IN the dis
trict gives some indication Of what
would result. The largeS districts OF
the Valley have a considerably small
er bond tax per acre than the smaller
districts with few exceptions.
The three districts, in the vent
this number were finally agreed up
on, instead Of one huge district COW
ering the Valley, were outlined
OuSnly as AOlOWS.
Districts Outlined.
No. AL lands in Hidalgo county.
Or what is known as the upper VAL
ley, including the second lift lands
Of the Mercedes system. with a
pumping plant at the northern end
Of the Valley-probably close TO
where the Edinburg plant Is.
No. 2.-The first lift lands Of the
Mercedes system, Santa Maria, La
Feria, Harlingen north Of the Arroyo
Colorado. and other lands in that
section, using the Mercedes first LIT
plant.
No. 3.-The remainin- lands in
Cameron county. with a pumping
plant located about where the pres
ent Harlingen plant is located.
Willacy county lands could be
irrigated from the canals of such a
system. these engineers said, without
much additional costs.
The present system OF irrigation
districts in the Valley, II was ex-
planned, Is the result OF private
development, with different
tracts being developed at diff
ferent times: and Of conflicting
claims TO water rights. some land
owners claiming rights superior 10
those OF other landowners.
The lands of the Valley even
back when the first irrigation de-
velopments started. were held by a
large number Of different owners"
one engineer said. 1T was practically
impossible to get the owners to-
gether. so that development could
be started on all these lands at the
same time.
Land Is Sloping.
Hence, one owner would build a
pumping plant or the Rio Grande,
build a canal to his lands. and start
developing 1t. This was comparative
" easy because the lands in general
slope away rom the Rio Grande.
and most Of the early developments
were near the river. presenting no
difficult engineering problems in the
handling Of water.
The result was the formation of
more and more districts. As time
| goes on these districts are naturally
! smaller and smaller, because the
land is more isolated by existing dis
trictS. and most Of the larger tracts
have been developed. Where the end
is, remains to be seen"
Each Of these irrigation systems
was built as a unit. with no thought
to any possible future coordination
with any other part OF the Valley.
The result is complete diSorgan-
ization insofar as the engine ing
features OF the various districts are
concerned. Within the past few
years some OF the smaller districts,
comprising lands a considerable dis
lance from the Rio Grande. have
built their systems in such a way
as to take water from a nearby
larger district. but most OF these
new districts use reSacaS for stor-
age, build thei~ own pumping
Continued On Page Two)