MARCH 1, 2023 www.wintertexantimes.com 18 WINTER TEXAN TIMES • 12 Colors Vinyl Siding • Complete Building Supplies • Patio Covers & Carports • Window Awning Parts • Exterior Vinyl Shutters • Phifer Solar Sun Screens • Custom Aluminum Fabrication • MH & RV Accessories The SIDING SOURCE “Lets Build a Deck”....Composite Decking/Vinyl Deck Railing DUTCH LAP VINYL SIDING (12 COLORS IN STOCK) MOBILE HOME SKIRTING (6 COLORS IN STOCK) CLASSIC RIB METAL ROOFING THE SIDING SOURCE 705 BUS. 83 • ALAMO, TX • (800)-567-3311 90 YEARS OF TRUSTED SERVICE Planning a Project? We Give Expert Advice on all Products and Projects Check us out at www.KautschTV.com FREE ESTIMATES VALLEYWIDE DELIVERY Lic# TACLB00114391E 10 Year Parts and Labor Warranty Mobile Home Installations 2022 Winter Promotion A/C Replacement 2 Ton - $3,500 3 Ton - $3,800 4 Ton - $4,500 5 Ton - $4,700 Free Installation Rio Grande Valley Call 830-399-0177 Text 956-304-8110 I feel a little guilty. Every time I leave the water running a little longer than necessary, I am immediately reminded of the drought we are in, and I hurry to close that faucet. We, as a nation, are observed as a wasteful nation by so many other countries. We shouldn’t waste so much, and we certainly should not be wasting water - at least not in the Rio Grande Valley. Our lack of water was certainly stressed during our last two Farm Tours. The farmers are already finding that their irrigation water is going to be allocated. Generally, when the farmer finds it is time to irrigate, all he needs to do is just go to the Water District Office and ask and pay for water to irrigate his crops. Four days later that wonderful rush of water will be available to water his fields. Unfortunately, he can ask but his water now must be cut back as there is just not enough to go around. Remember all the water for municipalities, for industrial use and for the fields comes from the Rio Grande River. That is our water source. The water sheds upriver have just not provided enough run off to supply all our needs. Plus, we have not received as much rainfall as we generally receive. It is time to shower a little faster, be sure the washer has a full load of clothes and turn that faucet off a little sooner. Farmers are being encouraged to consider planting crops that need less water. Sugar cane is one of the most lucrative crops in the Rio Grande Valley, but it also needs more water than any other crop. Perhaps that is why I am seeing crops in our fields that I Water – A necessity for our farmers, for us have never seen before...crops that supposedly don’t need as much water. Canola is a new crop in the Rio Grande Valley. Until this year I had never seen soybeans in the fields so I would imagine that crop also takes less water. Our National Weather Forecasters are warning us to expect a hot, dry summer. It is just now becoming spring, but I am already seeing the results of the drought. At the end of my property there is a shallow drainage lake. It is so peaceful and tranquilizing to watch the sun set over the shimmering water. Soon the sun will be setting over a dust bowl. The water has already receded at least five feet from the shoreline. It seems that every day the water line recedes just a little more and a little more and then a little more. I pledge to do my best to conserve as much water as I possibly can. Just maybe what I save from the city’s allotment can be transferred over for the farmers use. In the meantime, I will enjoy those beautiful sunsets as long as I can. Watching the sun set over a dust bowl isn’t as thrilling as watching the sun slowly slide below the water level. That’s enough from this soap box. It is difficult for those of us who grew up on a farm not to speak out. We have all seen how important water is to the crops and to the livelihood of the farmer. Experience has told me that drilling wells in the Rio Grande Valley is not the answer. During the last extreme drought in the Valley, many water wells were drilled. That water was so loaded with minerals that coffee made from that well water was horrible. No one wanted to drink a cup of coffee made from that water. And that was before bottled water was so plentiful. No telling what that water did to our teeth and our stomachs. Let’s try really hard not to be wasteful - especially when it comes to water. Fort Brown in Brownsville
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