Selene Bocanegra Tizapan EDINBURG- The National Integrated Drought Information System reported the Hidalgo County area has been in an “abnormally dry” state for the past couple years. However, it has now improved since the “exceptional drought” state in 2021.
Civil Engineering Professor Jungseok Ho said the Rio Grande water is one of the major resources for drinking water and agricultural use.
“More than 90% of the water directly [comes] from the Rio Grande,” Ho said. “There is another [resource] one of the important resources just kind of ground water, desalinated water but those percentages [were] very small.”
He said general groundwater has no issues. However, since the region is in a coastal area the groundwater has high salinity
“There’s a lot of minerals but the salinity also so desalination of the ground will likely be one of the main issues.”
Ho added more about the negative effects that the drought has caused.
“It just kind of negatively impacted all of these kinds of environmental things and also for the human beings and the community around here,” he said.
According to Ho the 27 Irrigation Districts in the Valley have not always been able to supply water due to the low water levels.
“We can now say water is very precious,” Ho said. “Water supply decline on these location means a lot because of our major industrial resources and agricultural uses right. If that doesn’t make the goal, then even just kind of economics of the valley will be decreased.”
