Franklin Canal (Texas) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Franklin Canal
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Franklin Canal
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 Franklin Canal
Location in Texas
Franklin Canal
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | El Paso, Texas |
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| Area | 184 acres (74 ha) |
| Built | 1889 |
| Built by | El Paso Irrigation Co. |
| NRHP reference No. | 92000696 |
| Added to NRHP | June 19, 1992 |
The Franklin Canal is a special waterway near El Paso, Texas. It is located in the Upper Rio Grande Valley. This canal helps bring water to farms and fields.
It gets its water from the Rio Grande river. The water first flows through another canal called the American Canal. The Franklin Canal is about 28.4 miles (45.7 kilometers) long. It can carry a lot of water, about 325 cubic feet every second. That's like filling a large swimming pool very quickly!
Building the Franklin Canal
A company called the Franklin Irrigation Company finished building the canal. This happened in 1891. It cost about $150,000 back then. This was a very large sum of money for that time!
In 1912, the U.S. Reclamation Service bought the canal. It then became a very important part of a bigger plan. This plan was called the Rio Grande Project.
Making the Canal Bigger
Workers made the canal even better between 1912 and 1916. They fixed the dam that directed the water. They also made the start of the canal wider. Part of the canal's path was lined with concrete.
When all the work was done, the canal could water a huge area. It was able to irrigate about 40,000 acres of land. This helped many farms grow crops.
