More than One Way to Steal Land

 
By Dorothy Irwin                                                               2154 Looking for Water ER.jpg (383313 bytes) Click to Enlarge

 
You've already heard about the problems with the Rio Grande. Here are some results.

This is irrigation season. Mexico is drastically taking out their water from Falcon Dam Reservoir and diverting it to Mexico - supposedly for their farmers, leaving very little for our cities and even less for our farmers, as we head into a hot summer. Of course, there is absolutely no consideration for the water Mexico owes us. How much water do you think we'll have for our irrigation? How much money will go into damaged machinery? Here are the pictures (sent one by one because of time for loading and downloading).

If you look closely, you'll see not only the water hyacinths on top, but there is hydrilla growing under them and, in places, grasses growing in the middle of the river. The river is covered from shore to shore. The more plants there are, the more sediment is trapped. The more sediment that is trapped the more plants will grow. The more plants that grow, the more sediment will be trapped. And thus it goes. If we have a big hurricane this year (and it will take that now to clear the river), there will be some major flooding. In order, Matamoros, River Bend (a community just west of Brownsville of mostly Winter Texans) and Brownsville will take the brunt of it. All this is the consequence of politicians and environmentalists quibbling for the last 7 years over "how do we solve the problem of a few stray weeds - and now a mass of weeds - that are clogging the river." It is sick and shameless. Our politicians and the environmentalists are "sin verguenza" (that means 'without shame' - the worst insult, about 25 or more years ago, that you could say of a Mexican). And I want to say, "hoy, casi todos son sin verguenza!" - 'today, almost all are without shame!'

Click Thumbnails to Enlarge Photos
2155 A Small Pool ER.jpg (319105 bytes) 2156 Looking Beyond Tractor ER.jpg (263059 bytes) 2157 Grass Growing in River ER.jpg (339714 bytes) 2158 Pool for Irrigating ER.jpg (425704 bytes)
The far bank is Mexico. As you can see, you can't see any "river." (383k) That thick green stuff between the banks is supposed to be the mighty Rio Grande River. No way to see the water for the weeds!! (263k) Do you see the grasses growing further downriver?

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 Here's picture # 5 Please note the grass growing in the river (upper left). Further downstream we have bamboo growing out to the middle of the river, along with the grasses. (415k)

2159 Pool for Irrigating ER.jpg (368783 bytes)

2160 A Clogged River ER.jpg (325915 bytes)

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I have other pictures of the plugs, showing greater stretches of the river, but these give a better idea just how thick and entrenched these weeds now are. (318)

All Photos Copyright of Dorothy Erwin © 2003 used by permission.