About HCID1

Hidalgo County Irrigation District No. One was created in 1921 to bring dependable surface water from the Rio Grande River to the developing farmland of central Hidalgo County. In its earliest years the District operated earthen canals excavated by hand and mule team, with pumping plants lifting water from the river to gravity-fed laterals serving thousands of acres.

The District as it exists today is the successor to Hidalgo County Irrigation Districts No. 7 and No. 14. In 1987, following several years of study by the boards of both districts, the two systems were consolidated into a single district in order to eliminate duplicated pumping and maintenance costs, unify assessment rates, and manage the shared canal network as one integrated system. The consolidated district retained the water rights, facilities, and obligations of both predecessor districts.

For 103 years, HCID1 has balanced tradition with innovation — relining canals, burying pipelines, and adopting technology to serve future generations. Concrete lining and buried pipeline projects have replaced miles of open earthen ditch, dramatically reducing seepage and evaporation losses, while telemetry and flow measurement give staff a clearer picture of water in the system each day.

Purposes and Powers

HCID1 is a political subdivision of the State of Texas operating under Chapter 58 of the Texas Water Code. Section 58.121 of the Code provides that a district is responsible for the irrigation of the arid and semiarid lands within its territory and authorizes the District to acquire, construct, maintain and operate the facilities necessary to divert, transport and deliver water for that purpose.

• Divert and deliver surface water from the Rio Grande River for irrigation use.
• Construct, operate and maintain canals, laterals, pipelines, pumping plants, reservoirs and related works.
• Levy and collect flat-rate and water-use assessments against the irrigable land within the District.
• Acquire easements and rights-of-way and regulate encroachments upon District facilities.
• Adopt rules governing water orders, deliveries, allocation and enforcement.

District Governance

The District is governed by a Board of five directors elected by the qualified voters within the District. Directors serve staggered four-year terms so that continuity of policy is preserved from one election to the next. Elections are held in accordance with the Texas Election Code and the Texas Water Code, and notices of election are posted at the District office and published as required by law.

The Board meets in regular session once each month, on the second Thursday, and may call special meetings as District business requires. All meetings are posted and open to the public under the Texas Open Meetings Act. The Board sets assessment rates, approves the annual budget, awards contracts, and adopts the policies administered by the General Manager and District staff.

Mission and Values

Our mission is to deliver irrigation water reliably, equitably and efficiently to every account within the District, and to steward the canal system entrusted to us for the generations of growers who will follow.

• Reliability — water delivered when and where our growers need it.
• Stewardship — conserving a limited public resource through infrastructure investment.
• Transparency — open meetings, published budgets and audited financial statements.
• Service — courteous, prompt assistance to every landowner and agency we work with.