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View Full Version : Let's take a tour along part of the area where the WALL is supposed to go.



jar
February 8th, 2018, 07:06 PM
Lately the topic of "The Wall" has been yet again in the news and I thought it might be interesting to take a look at the border to get some idea of what is involved. Since I'm old though I no longer consider long hikes fun so instead I thought we could just look at about thirty miles that are pretty close to home.

We'll begin at the last hand drawn ferry crossing left on the Rio Grande; the ferry at Los Ebanos (The Ebony Trees).


http://www.fototime.com/08C0A624FE7F326/large.jpg


Since we have Google Maps now we can even look down from above to get an understanding of what is involved. We will begin at the ferry and then move eastward towards the edge of the next county.



http://www.fototime.com/F0E2C26A0F4BE71/large.jpg


Notice that part of Mexico is North and East of the Customs and Border Patrol Checkpoint at Los Ebanos and that the border itself is not a straight line or even parallel to some access road. But let's move on.


http://www.fototime.com/AB4CE9971B664AC/large.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/86AD08BF34F319C/large.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/C04DEC7DA017F47/large.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/2FD8126CAE1EE38/large.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/A59FFA55B0D7B3C/large.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/0A43E63CA153753/large.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/46493211CBEEBAD/large.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/F1CDB3BF22C4354/large.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/604796C5EF40192/large.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/4361D8E67849E1C/large.jpg


A couple things to remember.

The Rio Grande is open to use by citizens of the US and Mexico and they can both travel freely along the river. Also while the distance traveled in these pictures is only 30 miles the distance following the river itself is over twice as far. To build a wall along the 30 miles shown in the pictures requires over 60 miles of actual wall OR building the wall in a straight line which would block OUR access to those parts of the US south of the wall. Also, to get access to the wall either to build it, maintain it or patrol it will require building the roadways along the wall and those simply do not yet exist.

If you go back and look at the images again, see how many examples of where the Rio Grande once flowed both north and south of the river.

SIR
February 9th, 2018, 03:21 AM
My reckoning, they will build the wall close to but set back from the river - maybe twenty metres, and follow the line of the river; putting too much space on the U.S. side between the river and the wall will negate the advantage given by the river as a natural defence.

jar
February 9th, 2018, 05:59 AM
My reckoning, they will build the wall close to but set back from the river - maybe twenty metres, and follow the line of the river; putting too much space on the U.S. side between the river and the wall will negate the advantage given by the river as a natural defence.

The Rio Grande has never been a natural defense. Didn't you ever watch any John Wayne movies?

Remember, the land along the river is mostly owned by private individuals. To build on private property the first requirement would be for the Federal Government to somehow take ownership. There is a method for doing that but it is not simple or inexpensive. In addition each property owner has a Constitutional Right to take legal action to prevent the taking of the land. And the fact remains that to scale a 30 foot tall wall takes a 35 foot tall ladder.

SIR
February 9th, 2018, 08:26 AM
the fact remains that to scale a 30 foot tall wall takes a 35 foot tall ladder.

Quite.

RNHC
February 10th, 2018, 08:10 PM
More the reason not to build the idiotic border wall. It's simply a waste. And why is Congress proposing a budget for it? Wasn't Trump, the Great Negotiator, going to make Mexico pay for it?

jar
February 13th, 2018, 07:20 AM
More the reason not to build the idiotic border wall. It's simply a waste. And why is Congress proposing a budget for it? Wasn't Trump, the Great Negotiator, going to make Mexico pay for it?

Well, we could save money by building the wall in a straight line and just ceding all the land south of the wall and the River itself to Mexico. The cities and farmers and industry that depend on the river water could then buy water from Mexico. For the land and the water rights Mexico might even be willing to pay for the wall as well and even contract to build and maintain it. It's a win-win; Trump gets his wall with no WALL line item in the Federal Budget, Mexico gets part of La Frontera back as well as jobs for Mexicans and a steady and increasingly valuable natural resource called water.

Anyone not happy with the deal could sue Mexico.

SIR
February 14th, 2018, 09:21 AM
Your idea definitely has potential i reckon jar, i would struggle to imagine USA ceding any land though.