Did You Know? Del Rio Was Built on Ingenuity — and Irrigation
Del Rio, Texas — When most people think of West Texas, they picture dry landscapes and wide-open skies. But in the heart of Val Verde County, a spring-fed oasis changed everything.
Flowing from the clear, cool waters of San Felipe Springs, one of the largest natural springs in Texas, Del Rio’s story began with a simple yet powerful idea: harness the water to build a thriving community.
Long before modern pumps or pipelines, Indigenous peoples and Spanish settlers here were already creating crude irrigation systems to draw water from San Felipe Creek. But by the late 1860s, the next wave of settlers saw an opportunity to turn that local knowledge into a full-scale agricultural revolution.
In 1869, a group of forward-thinking landowners — including W.C. Adams, Donald Jackson, Joseph Ney, Randolph Pafford, James H. Taylor, and A.O. Strickland — founded the San Felipe Agricultural, Manufacturing & Irrigation Company. Their mission? To bring life to the desert.
They dammed the creek just below the springs and built a network of canals — the five-mile-long Madre Ditch and the one-mile-long San Felipe Ditch — to carry fresh water across the land. By 1871, they were irrigating 1,500 acres. By 1876, that number had doubled to 3,000 acres, transforming the once-arid landscape into productive farmland.
And it didn’t stop there. The system didn’t just feed crops — it fed a city. Those same canals supplied water to Del Rio’s earliest homes and businesses, setting the stage for the community’s growth and prosperity.
Nearly 150 years later, this remarkable water network — born from collaboration, courage, and a little frontier engineering — is still part of what keeps Del Rio flowing.
So next time you’re in town, take a moment to visit Texas Historical Marker #699 and the San Felipe Springs area. You’re not just looking at water — you’re looking at the reason Del Rio exists.
👉 Plan your trip and explore more of Del Rio’s history, charm, and adventure at ExploreDelRio.com/visit.