Background

Established in 1929, Maverick County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1 currently provides service to 849 water accounts, including 549 irrigation accounts. The district contains approximately 45,000 acres of irrigable farmland, of which approximately 38,500 acres are currently being farmed.

The District’s system consists of two storage reservoirs, 90 miles of main canals, 200 miles of primary lateral canals, and 250 miles of sub-lateral canals and farm ditches. It operates entirely by gravity flow without any pumps. Water in the Main Canal not needed for irrigation purposes in the upper part of the District and not diverted into the Canal Extension for use in the lower part of the District, is used for hydropower generation and then returned to the river.

Over the past 70 years, system infrastructure has deteriorated due to rust, warping and debris damage. As a result several gates are difficult to operate and leak significant amounts of water, while considerably reducing conveyance efficiency. Delivery efficiency to farm turnouts for irrigation purposes is estimated at 67%.

Because the District depends upon surface water from the Rio Grande as its main source of supply, it is constantly looking for ways to maximize its use by increasing the efficiency with which water is delivered, used and accounted for. Each year, the District reviews past performance and identifies areas for improvement. Continuing efforts are made to implement efficiency measures within the existing resources and capabilities of the District. Aggressive efforts to meter all customer deliveries have improved the efficiency of the District's water supply system. As part of these ongoing efforts, the District has developed the proposed infrastructure project as a critical step in continuing to increase
overall system efficiency. 

Description

The proposed project consists of:

1. Installing an impermeable lining on 4.7 miles of lateral canals;
2. Replacing 18 turnout gates and associated piping;
3. Rehabilitating 12 check gate structures located along the El Indio
   Canal Extension; and
4. Installing 10 flow meters at critical water delivery locations.

Benefits

In addition to saving an estimated 2,421 acre-feet of water per year, the project will improve the operational efficiency and water management capabilities of the District, as well as reduce operation and maintenance costs.