Del Rio Canal System Gate -- Del Rio TX - Historic Hand Operated Sluice Gates on Waymarking.com

This historic sluice gate has been chosen to compliment the state historic marker discussing the history of the Del Rio canal system. The ate is located at the cormer of Griner Street and canal Street in downtown Del Rio.

The marker reads as follows:

"CANAL SYSTEM OF DEL RIO

Crude irrigation systems, drawing water from San Felipe Springs and Creek, were first devised by Indian and Spanish inhabitants of this area. Anglo-American settlers also saw the need for irrigation in this arid region, and about 1869 a group of landowners formed the San Felipe Agricultural, Manufacturing & Irrigation Company. Among early stockholders were W. C. Adams, Donald Jackson, Joseph Ney, Randolph Pafford, James H. Taylor, and A. O. Strickland. They dammed San Felipe Creek just below the Springs, and by 1871 had built canals diverting water to 1,500 acres of land.

Under an 1875 irrigation law, the company received a 99-year state charter which authorized the digging of two canals: five-mile-long "Madre Ditch" and mile long "San Felipe Ditch", plus lateral canals. In 1876 the state inspector reported that the San Felipe Company had irrigated about 3,000 acres. Land grant provisions of an 1876 law awarded the company 5,000 acres of state land for the total mileage of its canals.

In addition to promoting agricultural development, the work of the San Felipe Company stimulated the growth of Del Rio, since the irrigation canals provided water to the city as well. Today this vital water supply system is still in operation. (1975)"

Name of Waterway.: Del Rio Canal System Roughly when was the Waterway created?: 1870 Is this waterway working?: Working What is the condition of the sluice gate?: Excellent working order What is/was the water used for?: Irrigation

Visit Instructions:
Please take photo of your visit.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log   07/21/2015 Benchmark Blasterz visited it