Newlands Project Headquarters and Maintence Yard Facility Transfer Act
NEWLANDS PROJECT HEADQUARTERS AND MAINTENANCE YARD FACILITY TRANSFER ACT -- (House of Representatives - May 16, 2005)
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Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 540, a bill that will authorize a variety of water projects including several in my congressional district. I want to thank Chairman POMBO and Ranking Member RAHALL for including my legislation, H.R. 386, in this bill.
I represent a region of the country that is subject to periodic droughts and yet is experiencing phenomenal population growth.
The 2000 Census showed that the population of Hidalgo County, in my district, increased by 48 percent. On the Mexican side of the border, millions have come to work in the maquiladoras and to take advantage of the economic boom that has come from NAFTA.
This growth has placed an enormous strain on water delivery systems along the Texas-Mexico border. Agriculture irrigation water often flows through open dirt ditches and studies show that much is lost to seepage and evaporation.
Municipalities rely on the water from the irrigation delivery systems to meet the water needs of growing communities.
H.R. 540 will authorize 19 projects that will allow border water districts to continue upgrading and modernizing our antiquated water delivery systems through the installation of water pipes and canal linings. Similar projects were authorized in the 106th and 107th Congresses.
We have already made a great deal of progress because this has been a collaborative effort. The irrigation districts have provided matching funds. The Texas Water Development Board and Texas A&M University have paid for many of the engineering studies. Federal appropriators have provided more than $10 million. As a result, we are seeing water savings of almost 80 percent in the projects that have been completed.
Most importantly, Federal authorization has allowed us to tap into the resources of the North American Development Bank. To date, NADBank has approved almost $24 million for these projects and passage of H.R. 540 will make these new projects eligible for NADBank assistance.
These funds are being put to good use. Numerous projects are already underway and some are almost completed.
When the metering system is fully installed, irrigation districts will have a much clearer picture of water usage and water savings. This data will be vital to improving water management throughout the region.
I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
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