Location
Colquitt "Kit" Bramblett
Topics
Description
In 2003, the West Texas rancher and county attorney Kit Bramblett gave rights to 1236 acre-feet of water per year (roughly 402 million gallons) to the Texas Water Trust. The rights had once been used to irrigate 500 acres of farmland, and were associated with his family’s ranch in southeast Hudspeth County which featured 23 miles of frontage on the “Forgotten Reach” of the Rio Grande. The donated water rights were dedicated to maintaining instream flows and other environmental needs, and were protected from cancellation in case of nonuse. These rights are reputedly the first to be deposited in the Trust, which was created by SB 1 in 1997.
Location Notes
A good spot for a sign commemorating Bramblett's donation of water rights might be on Highway 170, the River Road, at a close approach to the downstream reach of the Rio Grande which most immediately benefits from the gift. This site is also not far from the Warnock Center, and is adjacent to the entrance sign to Big Bend Ranch State Park, both of which might attract travelers who would be interested in natural resources and water conservation.