Water & Agriculture
A Large Irrigation Canal Supports Farming Here
Maverick County has one of Texas's largest gravity-fed irrigation canal systems, drawing from the Rio Grande to water farmland.
The Maverick County Irrigation Canal opened in April 1932. It pulls water from the Rio Grande at a point about forty miles from Eagle Pass. The water flows by gravity — no pumps needed. The main canal runs over 100 miles and feeds more than 200 miles of smaller channels.
By the 1940s, the canal watered about 34,500 acres. Most of that land is in the Quemado Valley area. Farmers have grown onions, cotton, alfalfa, and other crops using this water.
If you are buying farm land in Maverick County, find out whether water rights come with the land. In Texas, water rights are a separate legal interest — you can own the land without owning the right to use water. The Maverick County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1 runs the canal system. Check the source below for more history on the canal.
Source to confirm: TSHA Handbook — Maverick County Irrigation Canal