A canal system that has served the Rio Grande Valley for more than a century is getting its biggest overhaul yet. The network spans over 3,500 miles and delivers water to roughly 300,000 residents, plus the farms that depend on it. The problem is age and design: open canals lose about 30% of their water to evaporation, and during extended heat domes that loss climbs even higher.

The fix comes with a $146 million price tag, funded jointly by NADBank’s Water Resiliency Fund and the Texas Water Development Board. The project will convert open canals into closed pipelines serving 12 irrigation districts. Officials estimate the change will save up to 44,000 acre-feet of water per year, water that stays available for drinking, farming, and everything else the region needs it for.

The tradeoff is time. Construction is expected to take about five years, and the region is already dealing with long-term drought and reduced Rio Grande flows. Local irrigation district leaders like Troy Allen and Ben Escobar say improved infrastructure isn’t optional anymore. With Ellis County growing as fast as it is, stories like this one are a reminder that water planning is everybody’s business, not just South Texas.

What would you want our own local leaders to prioritize when it comes to water and growth? Let us know in the comments.