The Canadian River Municipal Water Authority was authorized by a Texas Constitutional Amendment on May 27, 1953. It was approved, by vote of citizens of eleven West Texas cities, for purpose of supplying municipal and industrial water to Amarillo, Borger, Brownfield, Lamesa, Levelland, Lubbock, O'Donnell, Pampa, Plainview, Slaton and Tahoka. Construction was supervised by the United States Bureau of Reclamation. Sanford Dam (located 34 mi. NE of here) is the impounding structure for Lake Meredith. The aqueduct system consists of 322 miles of concrete pressure pipe--the longest pipeline supervised by the Reclamation Bureau to this date. Construction costs ($83,799,000) covered the following items: municipal and industrial water, $76,975,000; flood control, $2,833,000; fish and wildlife, $2,891,000; recreation, $1,100,000. Water cost will be repaid to federal government, with interest, over a 50-year period. This is largest repayment contract ever made between a water authority and the U.S. Government. This section of pipe is identical to that utilized in segment of the aqueduct two miles west of this marker. This pipe section is 78 inches in diameter, 22 feet in length and weighs 36,000 pounds. Incise on back: This marker contributed by Gifford-Hill-American, Inc., Concrete Pressure Pipe Manufacturers. (1968)