, 1935-06-12
FLOODWAY NOT
KEPT CLOSED
River Still Too Low At
Intake For Waters
To Enter

The Rio Grande during its pres
ent series Of rises has never reached
q point at the Main Floodway en-
frances above Hidalgo high enough
tor water to overflow into the flood
way, stated j. l. Lytel. In charge Of
the International Boundary COM
missions construction and main
tenance work on the Valleys flood
way system.
Lytel explained the operation Of the
fioodway, in view Of unfounded re-
ports that water had been deliber-
ately kept out Of the Main floodway
because OF crops planted in II.
In a statement TO The Herald. Mr..
Lytel said:
The two inletS to the Main flood
way r located Immediately above
the town OF Hidalgo, the upper or
Mission inlet being 1911 river miles
above Brownsville and the lower Oh
Hackney Lake inlet being 1919
river miles above Brownsville. These
inlets have been for many years
natural overflow channels which
derive their water whenever the
water surfac elevation In the Rio
Grande became sufficiently high TO
overflow the low banks Of the river
IN the vicinity. The courses Of these
inlets follow the general low land
and converge about 8 miles south Of
Pharr, forming what is commonly
known as the Main floodway.
When the gauge height at Hi
dalgo regi,ters about 10 correspond
ing to 9S.3 feet actual elevation) the
fleod water will begin to enter the
Hackney Lake intake at the Main
floodway. At such tine the river will
probably be carrying about $4,000
cubic feet per second past Hidalgo.
This amount increasing as the river
Uses. OF the water flowing past Hi
dalgo gauging station $4,000 cubic
feet per second Is expected to pass
Brownsville, 5000 cubic feet per Sec
Ond TO be turned into the Rancho
Viejo Floodway and the remain
der to be diverted into floodways in
TO Mexico. the construction Of which
Is now in progress.
The maximum high water at Hi
dalgo during the recent floods was
Ia feet or about Il, 500 cubic feet per
second on June 2. 1885. This quantity
was not sufficient TO raise the eleva-
ton OF the water 70 cause 1t TO flow
into the Main floodway intakes At
Mission oil Hackney Lake"
In commenting further Mr.. Lytel
explained that the Rancho Viejo re-
SAGA has been carrying only half ca
pacity because the county has not yet
turned over to the International
Boundary Commission right-of-
way for a dam at Noreiga which must
be built before the Rancho Viejo
ear carry its full capacity.
He also explained, in discussing
the main floodway entrances, that 1t
Is extremely dangerous TO tamper
With q river such as the Rio Grande.
Lytel said the flood control pro-
gram contemplates sending MS much
water down the river past Browns
vilel as the stream viii carry, TO pre-
vent sitting, which has caused the
river TO build up considerably in the
past.
Even with control gates at the en-
trance, and such gates are contem-
plated in the 100000 program in
the future, water will not be turned
into the main floodway until the riv-
er has reached high enough stage 10
assure a swift movement OF water In
the Lower reaches. TO prevent sitting
up the bottom.
Such sitting would cause danger Of
the river some day changing its
channel. and leaving the lower VAL
ley without q river.
The unfounded rumors Of water
being kept out Of the main flood
way" to protect crops. or for some
other such reason are current in the
Valley with almost every rise Of the
river. and are due to lack OF under
standing Of problems connected with
flood control and Of the manner in
which the system works.