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Last Changed 2/23/2008 |
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The level of the Rio Grande River is higher than the land around
Mission Texas. This water elevation is used to distribute the water
for irrigation. Water is a very valuable commodity in the Rio Grande Valley and therefore highly regulated. The amount of water that can be taken from the Rio Grande is rationed. Basically, for agricultural purposes, you are allowed 2 1/2 acre-feet per acre per year. For most crops this is adequate if efficiently controlled. Some crops take a lot more. For example sugar cane needs about 11 acre-feet per acre per year. Sugar cane would be a better source for ethanol than corn if wasn't for the water need. Housing developments actually help the agriculture water problem. Housing developments need far less then the 2-1/2 acre-feet which allows that surplus water to be applied to more water intensive crops. |
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This is canal that carries some of the Rio Grande River into the Mission Texas area. | |
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There is a current in the water flow but not real visible. | |
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Along these water canals, there are pumps located to take water from the canal and insert it into the irrigation systems. | |
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You see these pipe-like structures all around Mission Texas. They are part of the irrigation system. They act like a mini-water tower taking water from the pumps and then releasing the water into irrigation tubes in the soil. They level out the water flow. | |
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The water reservoirs come in many sized as shapes. | |
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Disclaimer: The information in this site is a collection of data we derived from the vendors and from our personal experiences. This information is meant as a learning guide for you to make your own decisions Best practices and code should always be followed. The recommendations we make are from our personal experiences and we do not receive any compensation for those recommendations. |