Franklin Canal
Why it's listed
Running about 30 miles from downtown El Paso to the farmland near Fabens, the Franklin Canal carries Rio Grande water to fields in El Paso County. Built between 1889 and 1891 by the El Paso Irrigation Company, it succeeded after decades of failed attempts to irrigate the valley with river dams that floods destroyed. The federal Reclamation Service bought it in 1913 and spent $263,000 on upgrades in 1914-1916, adding concrete lining in places and many bridges. Its early success drew so much water that Mexico protested, which led to the 1906 treaty requiring the United States to deliver 60,000 acre-feet yearly to Ciudad Juarez. That agreement led to the Mexican Diversion Dam, later the American Diversion Dam and the All American Canal, and other international works downstream. Two segments are nominated, the canal's earthen and concrete-lined channel with a maximum capacity of 325 cubic feet per second.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the canal supplied irrigation water to agriculture in El Paso and eastern El Paso County for over a century, succeeding where earlier river dams failed. It also prompted the International Treaty of 1906-1907 between the United States and Mexico, leading to a joint system of diversion dams and canals along the Rio Grande.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 92000696, listed June 19, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly, S of the Texas and Pacific--Southern Pacific RR tracks from western El Paso to Fabens, El Paso |
|---|---|
| County | El Paso County |
| Listed | June 19, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92000696 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1889-1941 |
| Architect / builder | El Paso Irrigation Co. |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned and operated by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and still used to distribute irrigation water; it irrigates approximately 17,000 acres. |
| Acreage | 184 |
| Within district | El Paso County Water Improvement District No. 1 |
| Coordinates | 31.63271, -106.32403 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 92000696.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5491337
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.