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8/22/17

Border Barns


Good fences make good neighbors.

Intro: I’m related to the people who built his castle, so while reading this you may get an idea of what poor Queen Elizabeth went through with the Irishman named Blarney.  No intent was made to ruffle people’s hackles, it’s just my stream of consciousness stuff.
US-Mexico Boundary
Nations are something like our collective political houses.  To Americans, the US is our home.  To Mexicans, Mexico is their home.  Basically, both Mexicans and Americans treat each other as they themselves want to be treated.  Our agreements should also be reciprocal.  If you let us come visit your home we let you visit ours.  We never ask anyone to use the back entrance.  In our lives, we have never seen servants’ entrances.  All are to use the front entrance unless they, of their own volition, wish to come to the rear entrance.  People who use the rear entrance are usually well known to us and as a kindness to us they expect to save us the time and steps otherwise required to answer the front door.  When we invite you into our home we treat you as respected guests and see to your comfort and needs.  If there is work expected to be done, it is only after the pleasantries have been accorded that the subject is broached.  Accustomed friends will fetch for themselves that which is habitually offered them as guests, again as a kindness saving the host time and steps.
We usually bring a gift when we visit friends and relatives.  Unless expected, we don’t go into each other’s homes uninvited.  It is not only rude, it is criminal, and sometimes dangerous.  And we don’t overstay our welcome.  When we come to our friend’s or relative’s homes we stay long enough to catch up on events in each other’s lives, but not too long or it overtaxes our host.  Being a host is tiring to most, so there is a limit to the length of time one stays before the host starts to feel “put upon” and enjoy seeing our backsides so they can relax.  Tourist strangers are more tiring than family and friends, probably because they are more exciting, with stories we had never heard before.

If we have a valid passport, aren’t carrying contraband, don’t plan to make money working, and don’t stay long, then US citizens are welcomed into Mexico and Mexican citizens are welcomed into the US.  There is a difference in the way the two countries treat each other’s citizenry.  An American can stay in Mexico up to 180 days on a Visitor Permit.  If Americans want to stay longer than that then they apply for a Temporary Resident Visa[K1] (FMM).  Today, if you have a Visitor Permit and want a Temporary Resident Visa that means leaving Mexico first and then applying.  Things are different[K2] for Mexicans wishing to visit the US[K3].  Mexicans might apply for the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) if they meet certain requirements.  Otherwise Mexicans apply for B visas, and must demonstrate their intention to enter the US for a temporary period, solely for the purpose of tourism and/or short-term business.  Applicants must also demonstrate sufficient funds to cover travel expenses during their stay in the US; as well as sufficient social, economic, and other ties to their home country to compel the applicant to return after a temporary and lawful visit.  There is also a difference in the length of time a Mexican can stay in the US.  VWPs allow them to stay 90 days, instead of 180.  A B2 visa allows Mexicans to stay 180 days, but that is a visa.  Mexicans staying within the US on B-visas may apply for 6 month extensions to their stay.
Political boundaries[K4] can be defined by comparing them to ethnic/cultural boundaries.  Political boundaries utilize both natural geological features such as rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, mountain ranges, deserts, and even dense forests or “hedgerows” as well as manmade borders, such as the Maginot Line which separated France from Germany between WW’s I and II[K5].  Such borders are usually fixed and today are rarely changed.  Even when a political boundary is militarily enforced upon a weaker nation, its physical existence is mostly beneficial to both sides[K6].
Secure political boundaries allow for more domestic stability within both nations, and with reduced border stress comes reduced resource expenditure and an improvement in each nations’ ability to plan their economic system’s operations without worry of disruptions (such as Pancho Villa’s Columbus Raid of 1916.)  Weak borders invite military overthrow [K7] and destruction by a neighboring nation.  Such barriers are critical when needing to prevent catastrophic defeat from 2nd & 3rd generation warfare (GW), but need help to be useful against 4GW.

The distinction between political and ethnic boundaries comes from when political boundaries cross-sect an ethnic region where that ethnicity is an ethnic minority in at least one of the respective countries, but the dominant ethnic group within the border region.  The Sunni Kurds are an example of this in SE Turkey, northern Syria, northern Iraq and NW Iran.  It would seem best for domestic stability to have political boundaries that are set according to ethnic boundaries.  But none of the governments of Turkey, Syria, Iraq nor Iran are keen on redrawing their boundaries to create a Kurdistan.  As proxies for the US fighting IS in Syria and Iraq, the Kurds are being armed.  What could go wrong?
Another example is that of the Palestinians residing in Israel[K8].  In 1947, the UN partitioned Palestine to give Israel a home, which caused the 1948 Palestine War, which resulted in a Jewish state for the winners, but no Palestinian state for the losers.  Israel did nothing when Jordan annexed the West Bank (of the Jordan River) in 1950, but Jordan then lost the West Bank (WB) to Israel, just as Egypt lost the Gaza Strip (GS) and Syria lost the Golan Heights (GH), after the 1967 War.  After[K9] the first intifada (uprising[K10]) by the WB Palestinian PLO in 1987 against Israeli occupation there, Jordan gave up all claims to the WB in 1988.
In 1993, in secret meetings between the PLO and Israel, the WB and GS Palestinians were to be extended self-government over a 5-year period.  Israel’s implementation began in May 1994, leaving Jericho and surroundings.  But by 2000, the Palestinian Authority still only controlled 1/6th of the WB.  By September, after an affront to the WB Arabs at Jerusalem’s Temple Mount by an Israeli government representative, the Palestinians started their second intifada.  They lost this one.  The 2nd intifada[K11] ended in 2005, but by 2002 Israel had already approached the UN who agreed with their plan to build a wall separating the WB from Israel to protect themselves from the PLO’s suicide bombers.
To date, the WB wall is still 36% unfinished.  Palestinians have broken some holes in completed sections in a few places, and although Palestinian terrorist attacks have increased recently, such as knife-wielding suicide slashers most Israelis believe the wall is already finished and proceed with their daily lives with little fret.  The faith in their government, that it is doing everything it can to protect and provide a stable environment for them is the main benefit to their nation’s people of their border wall.  For the Palestinians, the border wall keeps the Israelis mostly on their own side, leaving them to organize the WB for themselves.
Facing the situation of the combination of undocumented Mexicans residing amongst the ethnic Hispanic US population, the US is in a somewhat similar situation to that which the Turkish and Israeli governments face with the Kurds and Palestinians.  Facing a physical barrier, some terrorists may be deterred from spreading their efforts to control an adjacent territory until they have consolidated the political areas they are in.  The ease of choking off a supply line with an effective physical barrier to work with requires another level of logistical support planning by terrorist insurgents, which somewhat deters their insurgency[K12].

A solid physical wall can provide some degree of defilade for Americans from sniper attack, but it mostly provides a psychological feeling of security to the border community.  Overall, it helps the societies on both sides of the wall to function independently.
US Border Patrol
Prior to the temperance movement and prohibition, the borders of the US were not regularly patrolled.  US Immigration Service occasionally patrolled the border in an effort to prevent illegal crossings as early as 1904.  The inspectors, called “Mounted Guards”, operated out of El Paso and totaled as many as 75.  They patrolled as far west as California, restricting the flow of illegal Chinese.  Congress authorized a separate group referred to as “Mounted Inspectors[K13]” in 1915.  Most rode horseback, but a few operated cars and boats.  Military troops stationed along the southwest border performed intermittent border patrols, but this was secondary to their work of military training.  Militarily encountered illegal aliens in the US were directed to the immigration inspection stations.  Texas Rangers were sporadically assigned patrol duties by the State of Texas.  Their patrols were noted as “singularly effective.”
By the 20th century, customs violations and catching “enemy communications” were higher priority than enforcing immigration laws.  Agencies charged with inspecting people and goods entering and leaving the US found their efforts ineffective without border enforcement between inspection stations.  After 1917, higher head tax and literacy requirement imposed for entry prompted more people to try to enter illegally.

With prohibition in 1920 and numerical limits placed on immigration to the US by the Immigration Acts of 1921 and 1924[K14], border enforcement received increased attention from the US government.  Numerical limitations resulted in people from around the world to try illegal entry if attempts to enter legally failed.  Congress passed the Labor Appropriation Act of 1924, officially establishing the US Border Patrol (BP) for the purpose of securing the borders between inspection stations.  In 1925 its duties were expanded to patrol the seacoast.
In 1932 the BP was placed under the authority of two directors, one in charge of the Mexican border office in El Paso, the other in charge of the Canadian border office in Detroit.  Liquor smuggling was a major concern because it too often accompanied alien smuggling.  The majority of the BP was assigned to the Canadian border.  Smuggling was commonplace along the Mexican border also.  Whiskey bootleggers avoided the bridges and slipped across the Rio Grande by way of pack mules.
In 1933, FDR combined Bureau of Immigration and Bureau of Naturalization into the Immigration and Naturalization Service.  From[K15] 1935 until 1940 the work of the BP remained constant.
In 1940, the Immigration Service moved from Department of Labor to Department of Justice.  Aircraft[K16] proved extremely effective and became an integral part of operations.
The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, also known as the McCarran–Walter Act, restricted immigration into the US.  Since[K17] then, illegal entrants traveling anywhere within the country are subject to arrest.
As illegal immigration continued along the Mexican border, 62 Canadian border units were transferred south for a large-scale repatriation effort.  In 1952, the government airlifted 52,000 illegal immigrants back to the Mexican interior.  Program was terminated after it ran out of funds during its first year.  Mexican government provided train rides into the Mexican interior for nationals returned from the San Antonio and Los Angeles districts, but that program ended after only five months.
Throughout the early 1950s, a taskforce of 800 BP agents was assigned by the US Attorney General (AG) to round up and ship home[K18] thousands of illegal immigrants residing in southern California.  The task force moved to the lower Rio Grande valley, then to Chicago and other interior cities.
Lots of illegal aliens entered the US on private aircraft in the late 1950s.  In cooperation with other federal services, the BP began tracking suspect flights[K19].
By the early 1960s the business of alien smuggling began to involve drug smuggling also.  BP assisted other Federal agencies in intercepting illegal drugs from Mexico.
LBJ’s Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, also known as the Hart–Celler Act[K20], changed the way quotas were allocated by ending the National Origins Formula that had been in place in the US since the Emergency Quota Act of 1921.  Representative Emanuel Celler of New York proposed the bill, Senator Philip Hart of Michigan co-sponsored it, and Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts who was out-front promoting it.
The 1980s and 1990s saw an increase of illegal migration into America. BP responded with increases in manpower and with the implementation of modern technology.[K21]
In an effort to better control the border, Operation "Hold the Line" was established in 1993 in El Paso, and proved an immediate success[K22].  The drastic reduction in apprehensions prompted the BP to undertake a full-scale effort in San Diego, California, which accounted for more than half of illegal entries.
Operation "Gatekeeper[K23]" was implemented in 1994, and reduced illegal entries in San Diego by >75% over the next few years.  Border Safety Initiative (BSI) was created in 1998 with commitment by BP and the promised cooperation of the Mexican government.

Security within our nation became a primary concern of the government after the “terrorist” attacks of September 11, 2001.  Border security became a topic of increased interest[K24] in DC.  In 2003 the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was established, and the BP became part of Customs and Border Protection (CBP), a component of DHS.
CBP continues controlling our nation's borders.  The US-Mexico border is the most heavily crossed – both legally and illegally – international boundary in the world (about 350M legal crossings per year).  Improvements in technology can be put to good use by border enforcers on both sides of the international borderline.

CBP retains BP's 1924 motto: “Honor First.”
Mexico-US Physical Barrier
The total length of the continental border between Mexico and the US is said to be 1,989 miles[K25].  By treaty, the Mexican-US maritime (not continental) border projects out into the Gulf of Mexico 12 miles from the Rio Grande’s mouth, so it should not be included in the length of the continental border.  The border then loops back and forth along the middle of Rio Grande at its deepest channel for a distance of 1,255 miles to a point just upstream of El Paso/Ciudad Juárez.  The Rio Grande continues northward, but the border goes overland westward, marked by monuments, for a distance of 534 miles until it gets to the Colorado River at San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora, where the border reaches its highest elevation at the intersection with the Continental Divide.  Then the treaty border meanders along the middle of the Colorado River northward for 24 miles to just past Algadones, and then makes a sharp bend to the left and goes overland westward again, marked by monuments a distance of 141 miles to the Pacific Ocean at Tijuana/San Diego.  The treaty’s[K26] maritime boundary then extends the border 18 miles out into the Pacific, (not included in the continental border).
The majority of the overland Mexico–US border is provided with a series of walls and fences aimed at preventing illegal crossings from Mexico into the US and vice versa.  Also, there is a fence along that 24 mile stretch of the border along the banks of the Colorado River.  The built barrier[K27] is not one continuous structure, but a grouping of fairly short physical walls and fences, secured in between with a "virtual fence" which includes a system of sensors and cameras monitored by the CBP.
The most obvious type of barrier is a physical boundary.  A physical boundary is a naturally occurring barrier between two areas.  Rivers, mountain ranges, oceans, and deserts can all serve as physical boundaries.  Many times political boundaries between countries form along physical boundaries[K28].  There are some natural boundaries between Mexico and the US, like the Rio Grande/Bravo del Norte, Sonoran desert, and many rocky, mountainous, desert and other difficult to traverse and inhospitable places along their border.
The existing border barrier includes physical boundaries as well as stretches of steel and barbed wire, fortified with infrared cameras, watchtowers and floodlights, patrolled by over twenty thousand guards.  Justification for the government’s existence is for the protection of the people it serves, their common good.  That is, control of undocumented immigration is the main impetus for the modernization of the border[K29].
The earliest precursor to the construction of a border fence was surveying of lines between the nations of Mexico and the US.  The area was acquired after the Mexican-American War in 1848[K30] and the Gadsden Purchase in 1853, which ceded 30K square miles of northern Mexico into Arizona and New Mexico.  After the line between the two nations was surveyed and officially demarcated, there was still easy movement among people on both sides of the border.  The violent phase of the Mexican Revolution 1910-1920 pushed many of Mexicans north into the US for asylum.  Those migrants sheltering in the US due to the Mexican civil war were welcomed by farmers and businesses for their labor in field and factory to aid in the domestic efforts of WWI.  Business profits increased because the low cost of the labor force before and after the WWI boom.
Late 1920s through the 1930s had a reduction in Mexican immigration across the border with the Great Depression and lack of jobs.  Mexicans were exempted from quotas imposed by the immigration acts of 1921 and 1924 and continued to move unimpeded across the border, mainly as a result of their value as a source of low cost labor.
WWII’s demand for labor increased as the US labor force was inducted into the military.  At about that time it was not human migration, but rather environmental concerns that required making the border less permeable.

NPS fencing promoted the efficacy of the idea of a border fence.  Modernization of the border barrier was increased during the “War on Drugs” in the late 1960’s.  Increased criminalization of marijuana resulted in criminal prosecutions at the border.  In 1969, 37th POTUS RMN launched Operation Intercept, mandating surprise inspections of any and all border crossings, whether they were by plane, car, or foot.  Thousands of additional BP, Customs, and Immigration agents were dispatched to the Mexico border to carry out the mission.  Measures[K31] to fortify the border fence taken by RMN was increased by subsequent administrations.
1994’s NAFTA agreement devastated many individual Mexican farmers by depreciating crop prices, which spurred large numbers of illegal migrants into the US.  This caused another expansion of the border barrier and border control regulations.  Geographically specific “operations” to better control the most frequently traversed urban centers in the 1990s was undertaken.  Increased modernization of the barrier reduced the flow of illegal migrants through major ports of entry like San Diego and El Paso, but redirected crossings into more remote and inhospitable areas[K32].
After the attacks of 9/11 the push to improve border security nationwide increased the scope and modernization of the border barrier.  In 2006, 43rd POTUS GWB signed the Secure Fence Act, which mandated constructing 850 miles of two separate layers of “reinforced fencing” that included patrol roads along stretches of the border.  Building up of border security carried a price of from $2M to $3M per mile depending on topography, materials, and price of lands.
Innovations, like the “virtual fence” or SBINet[K33] might still be implemented to better detect any insurgencies.  SBInet was initiated in 2006 as an integrated system of personnel, infrastructure, technology, and rapid response to secure the northern and southern land borders of the US.  It was a part of the Secure Border Initiative (SBI), a DHS program to better integrate the operating components of border security: Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and the Coast Guard (USCG).

Components of SBInet:
Tower Systems: were to be set up along the border, with various surveillance and communications equipment depending on the climate, terrain, population density, and other factors.  Towers were slated to include radar, long-range cameras, broadband wireless access points, thermal imaging capabilities, and motion detectors.  SBInet was to include ground sensors for seismic detection as well.

Command Centers: Information from sensors went to command centers, where a "common operating picture" was compiled by CBP and shared with the other agencies.  The common operating picture appeared on computer screens as a geospatial map, where border entries were tracked in real time.  Command center personnel were to be able to click on a given entry, view the entry, and assess the threat using long-range cameras on the towers.  They then dispatched CBP agents to interdict.

CBP Response: CBP agents would carry PDAs[K34] with GPS capability, to allow command center to track their location while interdicting illegal entries and watch the encounter in real time on the common operating picture.

Airborne Sensors on UAVs were to fill in gaps in the "virtual fence" in remote areas where building and maintaining towers was impractical.  The small UAV that a lone person could launch called Skylark, made by Elbit Systems was proposed for that use.

Construction Strategy: Boeing would use 1,800 towers to create its virtual fence along both the northern and southern borders, (about one tower per 3-1/3 miles of border.)  The southern border would have about 600 towers.  The first towers placed would be special purpose mobile ones, so that they could be relocated to obtain optimal placement.  Once that was found, the mobile towers would be replaced with permanent ones, with the mobile towers taken to be reused at the next proposed tower location of the SBInet.  In addition to towers and technology systems, SBInet was to include the construction of additional fences, vehicle barriers and border roads.  BHO’s DHS announced the program's cancellation in early 2011[K35].
Mexico-US Ethnic Barrier
1845 to 1900 – Texas annexed.  Mexicans from Texas migrated south across the re-laid borders of Mexico.  Surveyed boundary markers of piled rocks had been moved or removed by “persons unknown” and the boundary continued changing with the changed banks of the Rio Grande/Bravo del Norte.
1917 – “Gringo[K36]” farmers and manufacturers needed labor migration[K37] of Mexicans into the US.
1924 – Mexico was exempted from the Immigration Act that restricted newcomers from other countries.

1929 – After the Great Depression started, thousands of Mexicans were unofficially “repatriated” by city, state and federal governments of the US and sent back to Mexico.
1965 – LBJ changed the preference of immigration law from country of origin – therefore European ethnicity – to family ties inside the US, acknowledging large numbers of Mexicans with family members who were already residents, acknowledging the close relationship with Mexico.
1969 – RMN launched “Operation Intercept” and mandated surprise individual inspections[K38] of any and all border crossings, plane, car, or foot.
1980′s – Lacked strict border enforcement.  Pedestrians and cars were stopped intermittently.
1993 – WJC mandated construction of a 13-mile “Border Wall[K39]” along the border between San Diego and Tijuana.  Illegal immigrants found unfenced places to cross.
1994 – NAFTA passed.  Large agricultural areas in Mexico were devastated by low-cost competition with US industrial agriculture.  Surge of illegal immigration into the US, swamped the CBP.
1996 – WC signed the Illegal Immigration Reform and Responsibility Act, increasing fines for illegal entry and approving funding for more patrols and fences[K40].
2000 – Tohono O’odham Native Americans[K41] whose reservation is divided between the US and Mexico, needed passport documents to move between their reservation lands on either side of the border.
2001 – 9/11.  Border security became a national security issue.
2004 – CBP found remains of 325 illegal border crossers that year.
2005 – In anticipation of expected amnesty, over 1M arrested crossed illegally into the US from Mexico.  Over 500 died in their attempts.
2006 – GWB signed the Secure Fences act, for 700 miles of fencing on the border, plus the virtual wall across the entire border.
2007 – GWB’s DHS argued that it was impossible to construct the same type of fencing – i.e. a wall – across the border’s diverse terrain, and got an amendment allowing a variety of barriers including “fencing, physical barriers, roads, lighting, cameras,” with another $12B in funding.
2008 – GWB increased[K42] CBP staff from 10K to 20K.  Congress approved DHS to avoid some EPA red tape to get the fencing constructed by year’s end.
2009 – GWB/BHO’s Great Recession caused outflow of Mexicans from the US.
2010 – From 2006-2010, 51 tunnels running under the border were found extending from Nogales in Sonora to Nogales in Arizona.  They were used for illegal drug trafficking.
2011 – BHO’s DHS completed 649 miles of barriers, including 350 miles of pedestrian fencing, at an estimated $6.5M per mile, and 299 miles of vehicle barriers at approximately $1.7M per mile.
2012 – Washington Office on Latin America estimated that the number of border crossing fatalities doubled since the 2011.  CBP found remains of 463 illegal border crossers.
2014 – Large numbers of migrants from Central and South America crossed Mexico headed for the US.  Non-Mexican illegal crossings exceeded the number of illegal Mexican crossings.  Many unaccompanied illegal migrant children crossed the US border.
2016 – More Americans migrated into Mexico than Mexicans into the US.  Scott Walker, Wisconsin Governor, reported concerns about security along the US’s northern border.  He said he would support the building of a wall between the US and Canada.
2017 – DJT has vowed to build a great, great wall across the rest of the border.  EO calls for an increase of 5,000 CBP agents and an undetermined number of additional ICE officers.
There are reportedly anywhere from 11M to over 40M undocumented aliens currently residing within US borders.  The majority have come from Mexico.  25% of the population of Mexico has moved to the US.  Many undocumented migrants are hardworking salt-of-the-earth people who try to avoid drawing attention to their resident status.  There are many though, who have come to the US only to climb aboard the welfare system.  Undocumented migrants percentage on US welfare[K43] = 62%.  Cost to US taxpayers for providing welfare benefits to them is $133B per year.  Also an undetermined number of undocumented migrants are members of criminal gangs[K44] involved in such things as human trafficking, arms dealing, extortion, assaults, murder, torture, etc.  Their main enterprise is the importation and distribution of illicit drugs, either cooperating with or competing against legal US residents in the same business.  Undocumented aliens are also reported to commit 3M violent crimes/year (murder, rapes, brutal beatings, etc.)
Crime is the most urgent concern facing Mexico today, as Mexican drug trafficking rings play a major role in bringing cocaine, heroin, and marijuana from Mexico and the rest of Latin America into the US.  Drug trafficking has led to corruption, which has had a bad effect on Mexico's Federal Representative Republic.  Drug trafficking and organized crime have also been a major source of violent crime in Mexico.  Mexico has experienced big increases in their crime rate over the past decade, especially in major urban centers.  The country's large economic polarization has stimulated criminal activity mainly in the lower socioeconomic strata, which includes the majority of Mexico's people.  It has not helped the border region’s stability that caught criminal illegal aliens are being deposited just over the border of Mexico instead of dispersing them across the interior of Mexico.  The concentration of criminals has caused war-like conflicts between the Mexican government and the criminal drug gangs.

If the Mexican government improved its protection of all its peoples’ property rights, the socioeconomic status of all would improve, reducing the incentive of the lower socioeconomic class to cross the border into the US.  NAFTA moved US industry to Mexico, but it increased the profits to the relocated US corporations more than it improved the prosperity of the poorest Mexicans.  Without Mexico’s political will to protect the majority of their peoples’ property, labor organizing and other rights[K45]; and willingness to provide good education, healthcare, law enforcement and a social welfare security net, etc.; NAFTA cannot live up to its billing.
If the US decriminalized drugs whose use is deemed illegal, treating addiction as a health issue instead, and sought to control the use and flow of drugs by supplying (thus controlling) them themselves, it could eliminate most of the criminal gang profits.  That would decrease the motive of narco-terrorist drug-gangs to further infiltrate and remain within the US illicit drug market.  The use of such drugs amongst the general population may temporarily increase, but if the accounting of drug use in Amsterdam[K46] can be taken as an example of what might happen in the US, then maybe the total number of users would not increase much beyond those currently using.  Possibly decrease[K47], as drug gangs would not feel the need to advertise illicit drug use as being “cool” to our children.
The founders’ admonition that the republic they created was only suitable for a moral people - is a warning for us today[K48].  The US peoples’ own acceptance of profligate tastes (excessive power, expropriation/theft/ redistribution, excessive mind-numbing alcohol use, conscientiousness-reducing drug use, brain chemicals secreted by amoral sexual practices, etc.) causes the imported competition from our enemies who sneak across our own internal moral boundaries as well as international borders to cooperate with or compete against those criminals already profitably satisfying the existing market for such immoral and illegal tastes.  By allowing, even promoting, such tastes to flourish within us and within the US (to avoid offending those of differing morals?), those values said by our founders to be necessary for our free society to be sustained are diminished – even extinguished.
The founders’ idea for the US was to create more freedom for the descendants of those who suffered great hardships to get here, not less.  It was to create a federal government which ensured that States protected the rights of their people.  That was the giant magnet in the past which drew people to here from all over the world.  Non-criminal illegal migrants faced nearly as great hardships getting here and creating a life for themselves as our pilgrim settlers.  Still, the greatness of the US is founded on the universality of its laws.  Laws, until repealed are to be uniformly enforced.  But by creating a pathway for citizenship for undocumented migrants who voluntarily expatriate themselves back to whichever country they came from, increasing the number of legal permanent residents (LPRs) allowed into the US, increasing the number of agents and speeding the work of the USCIS to verify and grant such LPRs based on US family ties and lack of past criminal involvement (besides the initial illegal entry and possible failure to pay all taxes) seems workable[K49] .
The border barrier started by DJT’s EO is mostly a sort of people weir, to help us screen, catch and remove those criminal elements seeking to cooperate or compete with those criminal elements already within our borders whose business is sating Americans’ wanton lusts[K50].  The border wall is needed, but it is only part of what needs to be done for the salvation of both our nations and cultures.  We Mexicans and Americans as members of societies striving to not only survive but thrive, need to step back from the current invasive cultures of polymorphous perversity, which are at the core of the harm being done to our societies and which create the need for our shared border’s barrier.
Executive Order 13767
In early 2017, DJT issued an EO[K51] called “Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements” stating the reasons for providing better control of immigration along the border between Mexico and the US, as well as the primary goals which are to “prevent further illegal immigration into the US, and to repatriate illegal aliens swiftly, consistently, and humanely.”
As a means to reach these goals, and in accord with his stated policies, DJT ordered the Secretary of DHS to use allocated funds to plan, design and construct a wall along the southern border.  DHS is also supposed to figure out the current and long-term funding for the wall to give to Congress.  DHS was also supposed to have done a thorough study on the security of the southern border by now, including the current situation, resources available, geophysical and topographical aspects, and plans for operational control of that border going forward into the future.

DHS is supposed to acquire detention facilities for detaining aliens at or near the land border with Mexico.  DHS will assign asylum officers to these facilities to accept referrals and conduct reasonable fear determinations.  The AG assigns immigration judges to these facilities to figure out what to do with the immigrants according to federal immigration law.  DHS is to detain illegal aliens pending the outcome of their removal proceedings.  DHS is to issue policy guidance for detention of illegal aliens, ending "catch and release."  DHS is to ensure that illegal aliens failing to follow their legal instructions are returned to the territory from which they came, pending formal removal proceeding.  DHS, through the Commissioner of CBP, is going to hire 5,000 additional CBP agents, and ensure that they are assigned ASAP.
Besides Federal performance of immigration control duties, DHS was to make agreements[K52] with the Governors of the States as well as local officials to perform the functions of immigration officers to investigate, apprehend, and detain illegal migrants within the US.  These individual agreements are to be tailored to the effectiveness of their meeting the immigration control goals of the EO within each of the State and local jurisdictions.
DHS with other agencies[K53], will permit US officers and employees as well as State and local officers, to access all Federal lands to implement the EO.  Federal prosecutors will accord a high priority to prosecutions of offenses having a nexus to the southern border.
Legal Implications of EO
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo:
Prior to the Mexican US War of 1846, the US sent delegations to Mexico City to work out some border disputes between the two nations.  The Texas province of Mexico had already revolted in 1835 when English speaking colonists, mostly from the US set about to become an independent nation, rather than to try to force a return of the whole of Mexico to the Mexican Constitutional Republic government of 1824, where citizens’ rights were better protected.  By 1844, the leaders of the Republic of Texas were seeking to become part of the US, to protect their Republic from a Mexican counter-revolution.  The Mexican government told the US that if Texas should become part of the US it would be considered an act of war.  In 1845, under 10th POTUS JT, the US accepted Texas into the US.  An increasingly centralized government of Mexico refused to see the delegates from the US sent there by then 11th POTUS JP to offer upwards of $50M for the northern and north-western Mexican provinces.  Winfield Scott and the other delegates reported back to JP that negotiating with Mexico would be better accomplished after the conclusion of the expected upcoming war.
February 1848, at the conclusion of the two year long war between Mexico and the US, the peace was accorded by the execution of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (GH[K54]).  GH’s Article VIII[K55] guaranteed that Mexicans who remained more than one year in the ceded (US) lands would automatically become full-fledged US citizens (or they could declare their intention to remain Mexican citizens). Over 90% chose to become US citizens.
About 80,000 Mexicans lived in the areas of California, New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas before the treaty.  So if almost 10% moved to Mexico immediately after, the remaining 72,000+ became US citizens[K56].  Those Mexicans who chose to stay and become US citizens were also to be accorded their same legal property rights after the treaty that they had had before the treaty.  Hundreds of complaints, cases of property takings, were filed with the US government but nothing has ever been done to satisfy the claimants, whose claims persist to this day.
To them, the war was seen as an aggressive war of choice by the USA.  The greater crime of the USA was forcing the Treaty of GH upon the Mexican people through their rulers, and the subsequent breach of its terms and conditions as to freedom of movement rights of the conquered people.  Articles VIII and IX of the Treaty of GH gave the Hispanics who were living in the US at the time of ratification, and their descendants, US citizenship unless they renounced it affirmatively.
The GH treaty has also been interpreted by some to say that they and their descendants can cross and re-cross the border as often as they want, and live on either side of the border without losing their US citizenship.  How many left the US, who they are and who their descendants are is not known[K57].
For over these last hundred years (except during the dust bowl days) Mexicans - who may have been US citizens[K58] - crossed and recrossed a relatively porous border to provide labor on US farms.  With the end of slavery coming at the end of 1865, they were cheap labor.
After the GH Treaty came the Treaty of Mesilla (M), which concluded the Gadsden Purchase of 1854, and had implications for the GH Treaty.  Article II of the M Treaty annulled article XI of GH, and article IV of M further annulled articles VI and VII of GH.  Article V of M however reaffirmed the property guarantees of GH, specifically those contained within articles VIII and IX.  The M Treaty extended the choice of US citizenship to Mexicans in the Gadsden Purchase territories (mostly southern Arizona).  If they chose to, they had to declare to the US government that they “would be US citizens” within a year from when the Treaty was signed; otherwise, they could remain Mexican citizens, but then they would have to relocate to within the new borders of Mexico.  If the M treaty superseded the GH treaty regarding US vs Mexican citizenship, then that point and its effect on the status of undocumented migrants should be clearly resolved.
How much legal immigration does the US get each year?
Per DHS, 1.05M migrants were granted permanent residence in the US in 2015, up from 1.02M in 2014.  33M immigrants receiving a green card, or Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status, in the last ten years, about 2/3 family related and 1/3 employment based.  Green cards today are good for 10 years of LPR, then they have to be renewed.  There is a backlog of about 10M people awaiting new green cards.  Per the USCIS, green cards from 1946 to 1964 need to be renewed with current green cards for LPR.  Green cards issued from 1964 to 1989 had no expiration date and are still good, but USCIS recommends getting the new ones to help prevent fraud.  BHO's EO allowed almost half of the 11M (40M?) illegal migrants to legally stay and work in the US, although it offered no path for citizenship.  The biggest blip in the number of LPRs occurred around 1986 when 40th POTUS RR gave amnesty to 3M undocumented migrants[K59].
The mainstream media’s (MSM) public relations spin[K60] of the current residence status of many undocumented migrants in many State and local jurisdictions affirms that those jurisdictions are against being prejudicial to their undocumented migrant residents, most of whom are of Hispanic descent.  The main push-back to the IRCA was not from US citizens objecting to amnesty for illegals due to racial prejudice, but from employers who continued knowingly hiring illegals and did not want formal sanctions made against the practice.
Where do immigrants to the US come from?
Given its proximity to the US, it isn't surprising that Mexico has sent more migrants to America every year than any other country in the world.  Of the over 1M migrants given LPRs, 157,227 were Mexicans in 2015, up from 133,107 in 2014.
The undocumented resident migrant vs undocumented US citizen status[K61] question is a legal and technical mess and an unfortunate situation for those with inadequate documentation of their family tree and status.
DJT’s Border Barrier
DJT set out to fulfill one of his key campaign promises, with his EO to finish the US-Mexico border wall.  To restrict illegal migration, DJT has promised to finish the wall on the southern US border and to deport criminal illegal migrants living inside the US.

How long will it be?
The border between the US and Mexico is said to be 1,989 miles long[K62] and spans four US states: California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.  There is already roughly 700 miles of existing fence along the US-Mexico border - the remainder is either open, nearly impossible to actually build upon or fairly impassable.  DJT said[K63] his wall will cover 1,000 miles, with natural physical boundaries protecting the rest of the border.
How much will it cost?
Estimates vary.  Estimates for the border wall have ranged from $12B to $15B by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.  In early 2016, DJT told MSNBC he could finish the wall for $8B[K64]. “Of the 2,000, we don’t need 2,000, we need 1,000 because we have natural barriers … and I’m taking it price per square foot and price per mile,” he said.
Who will pay for it?
Mexicans, according to DJT.  No chance, says Mexico's ruling elite.  During his campaign, DJT said he would “make Mexico pay” for the wall by taxing remittances from illegal migrants from the country and increasing fees on entry visas to the US for Mexican citizens.  DJT has said the building project would initially be paid for with a congressionally approved spending bill - as early as April - and Mexico would eventually reimburse the US, though he has not specified how he would guarantee payment.  Few Democrats, if any, will support the bill, so the support of GOP budget hawks is critical[K65].  DJT later met with Nieto at the White House with the POM seemingly more conciliatory.  Especially after DJT reportedly considered pulling the US out of NAFTA.
Does DJT need approval from Congress?
No.  DJT’s authority to build a wall has already been determined, DJT may rely on a 2006 law that authorized several hundred miles of fencing along the frontier.  That bill led to the construction of about 700 miles of various kinds of fencing designed to block both vehicles and pedestrians.  The Secure Fence Act was signed by GWB, with the majority of the fencing built before he left office.  The last remnants[K66] were completed after 44th POTUS BHO took office in 2009.
Is it actually a wall?
"A wall is better than fencing and it's much more powerful.  It’s more secure.  It’s taller," DJT said, as he described the barrier he has in mind.  Plans have evolved since then.  DJT said that it may be part wall and part fence.
Solar-Powered Border Wall:

DJT's vision was a US-Mexico border wall 40 to 50 ft high and covered with solar panels[K67] so they’d be “beautiful structures.”  The president said that most walls you hear about are 14 or 15 feet tall but this would be nothing like those walls.  Barrier solar power could be coordinated with the border municipality of Agua Prieta, whose Agua Prieta II is the first integrated solar combined cycle (ISCC) power plant in Mexico – one of the first power plants of its type in the world – and its being equipped with the SPPA-E3000 low-voltage switchgear solution from Siemens Mexico Energy.  Agua Prieta II is a combined-cycle power plant (CCPP) that has been extended with a solar field and parabolic trough collectors.  In this plant type, steam generated by solar field is fed into water-steam cycle of CCPP to increase steam turbine output and reduce CO2 emissions.  Power plant in Mexico is supposed to have an output of approximately 465 MW with a contribution from the solar field of 12 MW, and supplies electricity to northwest Mexico.  End customer is the Mexican state power provider Comisión Federal de Electricidad, which also operates two plants of the same type in Morocco and Algeria.  Agua Prieta is also home to several maquiladoras, including Levolor, Commercial Vehicle Group, Takata, Velcro, and Standex.
Where will criminally-charged illegal immigrants be detained?
DJT's policies will increase the number of undocumented immigrants held in detention[K68] being processed for deportation.  Congress previously appropriated funding for about 34,000 beds for criminal migrant detention across the country.  542,000 cases are pending in immigration court.  ICE said it has increased capacity by roughly 1,100 beds since DJT's EO.
How fast will cases be heard?
Cases pending in the backlogged US immigration courts were said to be a factor in previous US policies to release individuals pending court dates that could be years in the future.  DHS guidance orders the agencies now to "surge immigration judges and asylum officers" to reduce that backlog.  DHS may use video conferencing systems to make more judges available across the country in underserved areas.  Hiring immigration judges will involve the Justice Department, which runs US immigration courts.  Perhaps JAG military justices and lawyers could be shared with DHS to help clear the backlog?  DJT will require that agency, and others, to improve their efficiency.  The glacial pace of government agencies needs to end.
How do you find new immigration agents?
A difficult task might be the hiring of 5,000 CBP plus the needed number of new ICE agents.  CBP and ICE[K69] have faced difficulties hiring applicants in the past.
Will Mexico cooperate?
CBP policies require cooperation from Mexico.  In addition to those Mexican citizens seeking to cross into the US illegally, migrants from Central America and all over the world also make their way through Mexico to reach the US each year.  It is a cottage industry in places like Naco, Sonora, which charges both Mexican and those foreign migrants from further south, high food and provision prices and over 200 pesos/night to stay in their run-down accommodations while waiting to illegally sneak across into the US.  The federal government of Mexico in the past has worked with the US to cut back on smuggling and illegal migrant numbers, but Mexico’s current efforts to combat drug cartels and gang violence that contributes to people fleeing north has been very inadequate, to the point that the stability of the Mexican government itself comes seriously into question.
What will the courts do?

Some courts have been critical of DJT's actions on this front.  A federal district court judge issued a nationwide block on DJT's travel ban[K70] .  Illegal immigration advocacy groups have vowed to mount numerous legal challenges to DJT's orders on other fronts as well.  DHS memos explain how it will carry out DJT's EOs regarding illegal immigration.  These memos deal with the practicalities of how DJT's EOs can best be carried out.
Meanwhile, Back into Mexico:
DHS said it will return immigrants who are in the process of removal proceedings to the “foreign contiguous territory from which they arrived.” This will free up resources[K71] for the agency to deal with higher-priority immigrants in the US.
Some Suggestions for the Border Barrier:
The border property for the border barrier, detention and other facilities, utilities, roads, airstrips and rail transportation adjacent to the border barrier should be owned by the federal governments of the US and Mexico.  Rather than having ownership of the border barrier land be by individuals whose property goes right up to the border and then having each property owner furnish an easement to the federal government for construction and maintenance of the border infrastructure, have the US government own a 60 ft strip of land from the border measured perpendicular to the border projecting into the US, plus additional properties as needed.  The Mexican government would do likewise on their side.  Ownership by the federal government would include all air rights, restricting[K72] non-commercial, non-government fly-overs.
To save lives from narco-terrorist insurgents, we need to see the need for border security and accomplish it ASAP.  DJT and his staff will consider the complete set of problems the EO is meant to resolve from the stability and good will of the neighboring nations to the south; to the needs of the individual states, counties, municipalities and local communities on either side of the border, to the individual people whose daily lives are impacted by the physical existence of a secured border, to the effects on the hydrology and biology of each region through which the barrier passes.  A secured border will benefit both nations, but the result of the EO on the secured border must primarily be to help protect the lives of US citizens from narco-terrorism and other criminal activities being imported into the US from south of the border.  DJT et al will work to incorporate the most benefit to the biggest number of people on both sides of the border, but that primary goal must be accomplished.  Maybe other challenges to the peoples on both sides of the border can also be addressed simultaneously with the transnational migration barrier?
Spin-off Solutions
Costs:

Gleason Partners solar panel barrier construction cost estimate of $7.5M/mile = $1,420/lf.  That’s an economical solution!  DJT’s estimate of $8B for the 1,000 mile barrier = $1,515/lf.  Rosenblum’s[K73] estimate of $15B ($2,841/lf) to $25B ($4,735/lf) for the 1,000 mile barrier construction might be based on quite different assumptions than Gleason and DJT.  Solar panels are probably over half the cost of Gleason’s barrier(?)
Using Horizontally Stacked ISO Cargo Containers (CC):
Each year nearly 8M equivalent 20 ft long shipping containers[K74] enter the Port of Los Angeles alone.  Standard[K75] (most common) cargo containers are 8 ft wide by 8.5 ft tall by 40 ft long.  About 1M new cargo containers of various sizes and types are made each year (in China) with costs between $2K and $7K depending on size and function.  Most of that number or even more are also retired from service every year, with many only having made one ocean voyage.  Used/refurbished individual standard 40 ft long cargo containers can be bought for from between about $1.4K and $2.5K.
If 5 rows or layers high of 40 ft long cargo containers were used along the entire 1,989 mile border (from San Diego to the Gulf of Mexico at the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge) it would currently require a little over 1.3M containers.  To place 5-high CCs over the overland border (including alongside the Colorado River,) would take 461K CCs[K76].  Twist lock anchors can be bought for from about $30 (China + shipping) to $135 each (US retail) and are also in good supply.
To estimate such a barrier cost, take a one mile long barrier made of stacked (5 CCs tall = 43’-4”) standard cargo containers.  Each cargo container is held in place with 4 vertical twistlock anchors[K77] and connected end to end with two horizontal twistlock anchors or bridge anchors at the top of each CC.
132 std 40 ft long CCs end-end = 5,280 ft = 1 mile 
@5 high = 660 CCs @$1,700 ea =............. $1.122M
5-8 high lifting equipment rental, hauling & labor =.......................................... $0.594M
660 CCs w/ 6 twist anchors ea @$70 ea = ... $0.277M
3 CY concrete/40 ft @ 132 @ 3 @$100 ea =... $0.118M
4 helical earth anchors @ 132 @$400 ea = .. $0.211M
Solar panels 3MW at $2 / watt = ........... $6.000M
Subtotal for 1 mile = ..................... $8.322M
@ 1 / 5,280 = .......................... $1,576 plf
Largest cost component noted above is the PV solar panel system, but as noted above, the PV system not only ought to pay for itself, but also pay for the remaining cost of the barrier, the debt service, plus some left over[K78].  As for maintenance, international cargo containers use Corten steel, so maintenance[K79] should not be required on them.  Solar panels also need to be kept clean from dust and damage, as well as the maintenance of electronic equipment used to feed into the electrical grids to ensure a compatible electrical supply with the local utilities.
Besides PV solar panels, gravity based solar water heaters may be added by using tank containers placed at or near the top of the wall, and used in conjunction with water-based solar panels beneath them as well as check valves to prevent nighttime backflow, and heat exchangers where required by plumbing codes to either prevent potable water from being run through solar collectors or where glycol systems are required to prevent their possible freezing, to provide heated water which could be piped into and sold to local communities to reduce their residential, institutional and commercial water heating and AC costs.  Cost of a used 20 ft ISO tank containers is about $10K each, holding 20-30K gallons and having a useful life of 30-35 yrs.
The main advantage of a CC based border barrier[K80] is the more than adequate existing supply of CCs, resulting in a faster and more certain completion schedule.

Tare weight of one 40 ft long standard CC is about 8.5 kips (1 kip = 1,000 lbs).  Five empty CCs stacked vertically equals about 42 kips.  CCs might be less movable in place already than a wall or fence, but it is also possible to use cut site material from the required reshaping of existing topography to fill at least the bottom rows of containers to make them even less susceptible to others’ possible attempts to move them.  Depending on the manufacturer, each 40 ft long standard container may hold about 2,400 cf or about 89 cy with a maximum payload of about 59 kips or nearly 30 tons.  With the number of CCs per row which could be filled, that’s nearly 4.5M 10 cy dump truck loads of barrier CC space available for filling.  Spoil piles[K81] from cuts made for the barrier could be used to help remediate nearby existing abandoned open pit mines if done correctly…
Filling the bottom layers of CCs (which can be tilted up, filled with sand and rock,) before setting them in place on border barrier foundations also protects the barriers from planned or accidental vehicle crash damage.  Possibly fill the bottom layers of CCs with compacted solid waste from landfill sites approaching their maximum capacity.  Municipalities might pay for emptying their landfill sites so they could be reused, at least into those CCs in the more remote stretches of barrier (in case of odor.)
Landfill site operators might also direct placement of organic materials, especially those coming from individual and corporate growers in the region, but including other sources such as too old produce from stores or markets, into bins feeding chippers.  After chipping, the landfill site operators use the chipped organic material mixed with dirt[K82] from other sources, and microorganisms to break down the soil and organics mix into humus.  After sufficient decomposition of the compost has occurred, place that material into large shallow bins which would then be covered with plastic film to allow heat from sunlight to eliminate disease organisms and weed seeds.  This topsoil or planting material if bagged and sold in stores retails for roughly between $2 - $5/cf.  Bulk goes for about $15-$30/cy.
Where considered to be visually objectionable by adjacent local communities on either side of the barrier - besides solar panels, the stacked CCs could be clad with nearly any type of building material[K83], in case the aesthetics could help the existence of the wall to be less objectionable to those who object to the idea of the wall itself.
Something like a child’s gigantic toy ant farm, there is also the potential to utilize CCs within the barrier for guard stations, electronic surveillance command and control rooms, detention facilities, and other accessory uses[K84].
For patrol/chase vehicle storage within the barrier, change one first level 40’CC to a 20’CC, provide whatever added supports are needed for the CCs above, and add remote-controlled motorized gates or coil-up doors, etc.  The gates or doors would be interconnected as in a sally port.  Provide an abutting 40’ CC and fork lift in lieu of the gate/door to control access and prevent outside vehicles from being used to crash through the barrier.  To make gateways sized to allow big trucks and trailer rigs to pass through, switch out the bottom 40’CC plus the 40’CC directly above it with two stacked 20’CCs.  Provide additional supports as required, crash-through prevention and gates or coiling doors as needed.
Provide proper guardrails and ladders where needed and the CBP can patrol [K85] the top of the border barrier from one end to the other.  Also possible, by adding stacks of (5) 20’ CCs one stack to each side of border barrier, plus whatever additional internal reinforcing as needed, is to construct helipads atop the barrier at spacings required to suit DHS, CBP and other using agencies’ needs, including Mexican agencies.

To reduce or offset the costs of protecting our mutual border, it might be feasible for CBP and other government agencies utilizing space within the barrier to review plans, vet potential apartment customers, and issue RFPs for creating small rentable residential apartments, where feasible to be incorporated within adjacent communities, (especially where there are good views?)  Designs would incorporate prefabricated turnkey facilities with fabrication and placement of units scheduled to be incorporated into the wall, timed to coincide with wall construction.  Designs incorporate border security agencies review to adequately maintain border security.
What if the current fence that extends out into the ocean from Tijuana and San Diego could be multi-level housing leasable to vetted residents of both nations instead of just a fence?  Concrete-filled bottom CCs bridging between concrete pilings might require annual corrosion resistance work, but with adequate corrosion protection, a utilidor[K86] and people-mover to elevators to parking and mass transit facilities on the US and Mexican sides, an enhanced border barrier ocean extension might just be able to pay for itself?  Remodel to retain the fence from the bottom of the lowest CC to the seafloor (or wherever the current fence bottom extends to?) and use less-invasive technology to ensure the border barrier[K87] remains secure.
Another income flow might be available by reviewing commercial or retail shop plans and designing the interior of the border barrier into shops integrated into a mall or marketplace to serve the local communities on either side of the border.  US and Mexican governments might joint venture such malls and markets integral with their barrier.  Unchecked pedestrian passage of people from one side of the border to the other would be prevented by design.

Incorporating Other Needs:
Except for the Texas border barrier which is the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo del Norte from about El Paso onwards to the east-south-east (whose main problems as a barrier in the past were mostly caused by low flow,) the regions that the border barriers pass through lack rainfall generally, and the rainfall they have is inconsistent.  The flow of the Rio Grande comes mostly from the waters of the Rio Concho which flows from Mexico.  With the increased amount of land under cultivation and irrigation in Mexico, growers have been depleting the aquifers feeding the Rio Concho, which in turn decreases waterflow[K88] into the Rio Grande.  These border areas mostly get good sunshine, but not a lot of rain.  Hundreds, maybe thousands of undocumented migrants trying to pass undetected have been found dead from thirst in these border regions.  A horrible, terrible, outrageous, but unintended consequence of border control efforts needing to be resolved.  The obvious need is for better control, not less.
Also, dryland (unirrigated) farming is not practical when you average less than 10 inches of rainfall per year or vary between less than 3 inches and just under 40 inches from year to year.  Drought or flood.  Some dryland farming is done where rainfall is more consistent where rainfall averages about 27 inches per year, but those places don’t seem to exist much in the border region.  Considering that evaporation from the ground in the high temperatures of the border regions is mostly over 100 inches, the amount of water needed to irrigate[K89] and traditionally farm is very high on both sides of the border.
What If:
OK, what if a border barrier could be used to help work out solutions not only to the need to control transnational migration, but also to develop ways and means to help alleviate existing and future water shortages, and to test potential solutions[K90] to the effects of possible climate change on the future of the region?  Climate change would be transformational to all people and industries living and operating not only within the border region, not only in adjacent regions, but globally.
The leading concern facing the future of agricultural production in the border region is the availability of water.  Climate change is expected to cause more extreme droughts and floods and shifts in plant growing zones.  As populations grow, more efficient use of water for growing food will become more important.  Past and current overuse of aquifers make it necessary to improve the efficiency of irrigation and dryland agriculture methods to grow tomorrow’s food.  The increasing competition for water in urban areas and for energy uses will decrease what is now available for agriculture, estimated to be 70 – 80% of global fresh water use.  As other interests gain a share of the fresh water supply, the production of food will need to increase at the same time that the water used to grow it decreases[K91].  Many methods to conserve water and use it efficiently have been practiced for thousands of years in some very arid regions of the world with great success.  The best systems require little maintenance while yielding maximum results.  The ability to add water during crucial growth periods can greatly increase crop yields.  Government activity can speed the conversion of agricultural practices to avert future food shortages.
(1) Climate Change Facility:
Start with a climate change facility sited with its center aligned and coinciding with the line of the border[K92] and collaboratively owned and operated by both the Mexican and US Federal governments for sharing of information and performing the work of planning for climate change regulations for their nations.  Whichever existing departments of Mexican and US governments are effected by the potential problems of climate change would be given time and facilities there to work and to liaise with the other government departments of either nation[K93].  People from around the world who’ve done work on climate change as well as people from nations already facing climate change problems and especially those offering solutions would be prompted to share their findings here.  Colleges, corporations and individuals from both Mexico and the US would be invited to attend speeches and lectures, as well as share climate change findings and concerns.  Another part of the operation of this facility would be to collect data from both our border region and other regions worldwide to share with those working on solutions on the border and worldwide.
The success of the operation of the climate change facility is based not only on the creation of laws that take into account the economic, environmental, infrastructure, political, legal, religious and ethnic considerations of the whole border region facing the effects of climate change, but the creation of solutions for the common good between our nations[K94] and not creating solutions which are at odds with each other (like two groups of ants from the same colony pulling a foodstuff in opposite directions.)
One proposal which might be put forth in the form of a treaty between the US and Mexico might be that all contracts made between growers and buyers for foodstuffs produced by means of irrigation methods which over-draft aquifers would be considered null and void.
Another proposal might be to add a tax to those water users where excessive water use causes the aquifer water level to decrease long term.
A third proposal might be to reevaluate (or perhaps in Mexico’s case, to initiate) water use permits, such that the permits will have time limits, and that ranchers and farmers using water conserving techniques and who prove that they are supplying more food with less water will be given a preference in obtaining water use permits over those ranchers and farmers whose relative water use is higher[K95].
A fourth proposal would be for the Mexican and US governments’ commitment to the lives and well-being of their citizens, to establish a continuously cycled national food reserve in case of a temporary collapse in the ability of their farmers to supply the food needs of their nations’ people, as when the existing aquifers can no longer be used to water the industrial farms, and the flows of the Rio Concho and Rio Grande have simultaneously stopped[K96].  Or when drought conditions ruin food crops where inadequate water is available to meet irrigation needs.
One common aspect of proposals created in this facility would be to assess proposals in terms of their effect on the optimum efficiency of water use rather than maximum profitability and resultant maximum taxes collected.
The 40-50 ft tall climate change facility[K97] would include a surveillance system tower similar to one of the SBInet system towers on its roof.  CBP and their Mexican counterpart (vetted to ensure no corruption, criminal backgrounds or connections) and security system component manufacturer representatives would be provided access to the facility and tower as required for their proper operation.  Employees and visitors would receive passes allowing access to and egress from their own side of the border, unless other arrangements are made between departments and CBP.  Personnel are vetted - checked for criminal associations and background.  Personnel objected to by the joint venture partner nation would be barred, unless the objection was found unwarranted by investigation and joint mediation panel review.
(13) Experiment Stations:
Next, build some joint venture government owned and operated experiment stations centered along the US-Mexico border[K98].
The Rio Grande border could be re-created with two rivers out of one by connecting curved arcs along tangents to the northern and southern extreme arcs of their existing loops, filling the segments in-between, creating a new border along the in-between space of the Rio Grande River within the US and the Rio Bravo del Norte within Mexico.  Property values would be equitably adjusted where property owners would otherwise lose agricultural lands which become river bottom.  Provide weirs in El Paso or otherwise adjust water flow to divide the total water flow evenly between the two rivers.  Also work out a way to share the incoming water from the Rio Concho.  This would create a long island in-between the two rivers which would be provided with a tall continuous border barrier including experiment stations, experimental greenhouses, border barns and border walls.  This would preclude the transnational border from becoming dry riverbed walk-across in the summer, kind of like the Phoenix River is now.  Also, the USCE could reinforce the river banks with large rock revetments where needed to ensure the new rivers do not stray from within their newly established banks.  At the same time the existing salinity issues of the Rio Grande banks could be addressed.
The function of these experiment station facilities would be applied science, to develop and test hypothesizes about the effects of reduced water, temperature changes and other climate change effects on the natural landscape and ecosystems of the border and other adjacent regions, and to supply their findings to the workers in the climate change facility, experimental greenhouses, federal departments of both nations, and others[K99].  Also, by working and living with the students and teachers from the adjacent nation, all can broaden their view of the commonalities and differences of those living in their neighboring nation.
These experiment stations are jointly managed by the Mexican and US versions of EPA, and are run by state versions of EPA, Fish and Wildlife, environmental studies colleges and all NGO environmental organizations such as the Sierra Club, Nature Conservancy, Friends of the Earth Int’l, etc. who desire access.  Their work here needs to be transparent and shared.  Those deliberately providing false data or hiding their data would not be tolerated and asked to leave.  These facilities continuously monitor, record and report their particular region’s pollution and toxin levels, flora and fauna numbers and stress levels, natural landscape plant conditions and plant microbiology, soil conditions and soil microbiology, and closely monitor conditions as far as the success and adaptation limits of native species and naturally occurring variations, invasive species and their effects, measure quantities of water and other particles in the atmosphere, water, organisms and nutrients in the soil, water-table monitoring, verification of aquifer conditions over time, presence of impurities, prevalence and types of plant and animal diseases and predictions of ecosystem change, etc[K100].
These would be working laboratories solving problems and sharing their findings over the internet as well as teaching classrooms for both college students and local growers.  They also collect climate and ecological data from satellite, field work and sensors located in their region.  These facilities are intended to review feasible techniques for growers in their region to become more compatible with and less destructive to the existing natural landscapes of their region.  Those working in these facilities are to apply the latest, most accurate modelling to study those practices promoted for farmers and ranchers to incorporate into their farming and ranching operations to reduce or prevent destruction to existing grazing lands, and other habitats facing potential climate change, and to report all findings to the climate change facility for incorporation into proposed legislation or voluntary guidelines.  This facility should also study remediation of existing ecosystems[K101] previously damaged through human activities within their region for the time when climate change would make such activities untenable.
Through the help of the climate change facility staff to acquire the temporary use of USAF planes equipped with LiDAR, ground penetration radar, or other desired technology, the experiment station might be able to continuously monitor the conditions and decline of existing natural landscapes, aquifers being drafted for irrigation, manufacturing, municipal water supplies, and other human uses - studied in the US and Mexico over time, or used to fly over other areas to collect other needed or useful data.  Sharing of equipment between government departments has historically been resisted, but facing potential ecological and economic crises, perhaps they can find the ways and means needed to become more adaptive and cooperative.
As appropriate to the specific region of each experiment station[K102], studies should include the relationship between the genetics, spatial distribution, symbiotic relationships, etc. of the flora and fauna of the region as to how plants, insects and other organisms have evolved mechanisms to cope with reduced water availability compared to the water needs of agricultural monoculture plants and animals grown for food.

On its roof, each 40-50 ft tall experiment station facility would include a surveillance system tower similar to the one on the climate change facility.  CBP would have constant access to the towers as they may require.  Access to and egress from the facility could be recorded via computer and controlled via card key with biodata.  Personnel using the facility would be checked for criminal associations and backgrounds.  Personnel objected to may be barred by people of other departments of either nation with their cases reviewed by joint nation independent mediation panels.
(13) Experimental Greenhouses:
These are joint government owned and operated experimental greenhouses which are managed at the level of both country’s national, state, county, and municipality agricultural departments[K103], extension services, and agricultural colleges and universities.  Where the numbers of species of plants diminishes due to climate change, it may be useful to revise some restrictions where current technology may provide for much more thorough disease control.
Experimental greenhouse personnel[K104] function as intermediaries between the applied scientists of the experiment stations and their region’s growers, and act as a feedback mechanism between them both.  Their job is to take the stations’ proposals and adapt them to the conditions of their region, to help make them useful and profitable for their growers to implement.  Experimental greenhouses are to test and develop agricultural growing techniques and to test plant and animal species and varieties to help growers select and develop those best suited for coping with increased drought and temperatures caused by anticipated climate change.  To aid in sustaining their resident municipal and county individual and corporate growers’ profits and to prevent future food shortages as well as further destruction of native landscapes.  These facilities test experiment station proposals and work out their practical implementation.  These facilities propose growing techniques found to offer water savings and possibly increased yields to growers, and also send those proposed solutions back to experiment stations for further review and feedback.
These are mostly working greenhouses/farms, with traditional and aquaculture facilities as well as any other proposed technologies to respond to water shortages and other effects of climate change.  They are also intended to serve as classrooms for college students and growers interested in learning first hand, how to improve yields while using less water.  Those working in these facilities would interface with and do some testing work in conjunction with work the experiment stations might be doing for the FDA[K105] and agricultural corporations regarding their safety concerns of GMOs, pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, on the consumer as well as the natural landscape.
Some of the proposed water saving practices which experimental greehouses might seek to further develop for their border region growers include:
Drip Irrigation: delivers water (and fertilizer) either on the soil surface or directly to the roots of plants through systems of plastic tubing with small holes and other restrictive outlets.  By distributing these inputs slowly and regularly, drip irrigation conserves 50 - 70% more water than traditional methods while increasing crop production by 20 - 90%.  The water and fertilizer are also more easily absorbed by the soil and plants, reducing the risks of erosion and nutrient depletion.  Usually operated by gravity, drip irrigation saves both the time and labor that would otherwise be needed to water crops, leading to larger harvest yields.  Small systems on timers can easily be set up by a home gardener, too.  This technology must be innovated and tailored to the crop and conditions[K106]. Instead of using plastic tubing, ceramic can be used as it is more porous.
Small Stream Diversions: Water collection tanks, or holding ponds can be used to provide a gravity water supply for drip irrigation systems.  Hand or peddle powered pumps or elevated buckets can also be used[K107].  The adoption of drip irrigation in more areas holds much hope for growing more food with less water.
Growing the Right Crop for the Growing Region:  Regions which suffer water shortages plant crops which are more tolerant to drought.  These include finger millet, pearl millet, Guinea millet, cowpea, teff, lentils, amaranth, fonio, emmer, various sorghums, African rice, Ethiopian oats, irregular barley, mung beans and many grasses.  Ideally, researchers would be working with all of the crops on this list to improve the seeds for our crop requirements of tomorrow.  Having the right, reliable, and quality seeds[K108] in hand for a new planting season is of utmost importance.
As a corollary solution to this, work with both the experiment stations and the food labs of major corporations producing food products consumed by the people of the Mexican and US nations, and examine the types of plants which already thrive in the dryland regions which are generally seen as “weeds” to typical growers.  Such plants which are also seen as invasive, like “cheat grass” might be experimented on to see if they might be able to be changed into a productive crop form, provided that they can be made into something marketable to the consumer, and that their enhancements do not negatively affect consumers’ and the natural landscape’s health.
SCI & SRI: Millions of smallholder farmers worldwide have found that by using System of Crop Intensification (SCI) or System of Root Intensification (SRI) methods of farming, they can get higher yields with fewer inputs through setting up an environment with optimal conditions for the plant.  The effect is to get crop plants to grow larger, healthier, longer-lived root systems, accompanied by increases in the abundance, diversity and activity of soil organisms.  These organisms constitute a beneficial microbiome for plants that enhances their growth and health.  These principles are being successfully applied to growing vegetables, legumes, wheat, corn, finger millet, and sugarcane.  These methods use 25 - 40% less water, and make crops more resilient to temperature and precipitation stresses.  Crops can be productive with less irrigation water or rainfall because SRI[K109] or SCI conditions enhance the capacity of soil systems to absorb and provide water.
Ripper-furrower: In northern Namibia, farmers are using a ripper-furrower to rip 2 ft deep and form furrows which function to harvest rainfall.  The crop seeds are planted into the rip lines with fertilizer and manure.  When it rains, the water is funneled by the furrows to the crop roots.  Tractors are used the first year to start the ripped furrow system.  After the first year, farmers plant crops directly into the rip lines using an animal drawn direct seeder.  This practice[K110] is being used to plant drought tolerant millet, sorghum, and maize.
Aqueducts: Near Las Trampas, New Mexico on the High Road to Taos, there is a wooden aqueduct that spans a deep gorge at an approximate elevation of 8,000 ft above sea level.  This is an example of an acequia, which is a historical engineered canal that carries snow runoff or river water to a distant field.  Acequias are commonly ditches, and need to be planned, maintained, and overseen by groups of cooperative farmers.  Acequia water law requires that all persons with irrigation rights participate in the annual maintenance of the community ditch including the annual spring time ditch cleanup.  Acequias originated in Spain and were built later in the Spanish-American colonies.
Subsurface Irrigation Systems: Where drip lines are buried near the plants’ roots, advantages include:
• water savings
• improved crop yields
• low surface evaporation
• low soil and nutrient run-off
• nutrients can be applied at the root
• less disease and fewer weeds
• less labor
• produces uniform moisture at the root zone
• reduced amount of energy required for pumping
Subsurface irrigation is especially suitable for hot, windy regions.  Disadvantages include the high initial cost, clogging and leaking problems, and potential rodent damage.  Problems[K111] can’t be seen since they are below the ground.  Maintenance[K112] requirements are chemical injections, an annual clean-up flush, and draining the pipes before it freezes each fall.
Excavated Water Holding Reservoirs: Can be dug to collect water during heavy rains.  If built lower than the remaining field, gravity could do the collecting.  A drip irrigation system with some type of pump might be added, and the small pond can also be lined with plastic.  Holding ponds or small storage tanks on small farms can also be fed through canal irrigation.  They can collect the water when it is available to be used by the farmer — when needed or when it is a convenient time to irrigate.  There are many kinds of tanks: steel rimmed tanks, plastered concrete tanks, cisterns which are covered storage tanks either above or below ground, and birkahs which are open reservoirs.  For both the cisterns and birkahs, channels, dykes, or (stone) walls constructed as wings can be used to aid in collecting water for the reservoir.
Black Plastic Mulch: And organic mulches can save 25% in water use.  Organic vegetable producers in drier, cooler climates, like to use black polyethylene plastic film as mulch on vegetable row crops for many reasons.  When drip irrigation is lain underneath the plastic film, it delivers water and fertilizer to the plants and evaporation is reduced.  But, because there is no surface evaporation of water, it is easy to over-irrigate crops.  So, a moisture probe should be used to check root zone moisture levels.  In addition to providing water conservation, this synthetic mulch controls weeds and warms the soil, making for an earlier crop.  The black plastic mulch is covered with hay or straw to protect crops from excessive heat later in the summer[K113].
Sand Dams: Were developed by the Romans in 400 BC.  Africa is especially well-suited to benefit from this fairly simple concept, but maybe it can be tried in the Mexican-US border regions[K114].  One sand dam can provide clean drinking water and enough water for gardening and farming for a thousand people, lasting several months after the rains have fallen.  As a rain water collection system, they create a life generating spring where there was none before, by storing wet season water in sand, which filters the water and keeps it from evaporating.  This technique has been used in India, Africa, and South America for the past fifty years, but remains underutilized.
Plastic Buckets: A time-saver for irrigating newly planted trees is to use recycled 5-gallon plastic buckets[K115].  The idea may be adapted to irrigate berry shrubs and tomatoes, too.
LEPA Pivots: As compared to the old days when center pivot irrigation lost an enormous amount of water through evaporation by spraying the water high into the air during hot weather, today’s systems are much more efficient.  This efficiency comes from putting sprinkler heads, or nozzles on hose drops to minimize water drift and evaporation.  The systems can be customized with many available options.  These newer Low Energy Precision Application (LEPA) center-pivot systems also use less electricity.  Soil sensors can be employed to monitor soil moisture levels for center pivot irrigation which can report results directly to the owner’s computer.  This helps to prevent over-irrigating.
Pasture Management: Although livestock can get the majority of their water from lush forage which is 70 to 90% water, they still need to have a supply of drinking water.  (Cattle can require 15-20 gallons of water per day, yearlings 10-15 gallons, and sheep 2-3 gallons per day.)  With good grazing management, decreased water runoff and increased soil organic matter keeps pastures more resistant to droughts.  During hard rains, pastures can absorb water better due to organic matter in the soils and better forage cover as compared to industrial farm fields.  Reduced erosion rates preserve these fertile soils with higher water holding capacity for future crop production.  Do not to overgraze the land[K116].
Bucket Gardens: Are a simple technology that is gaining a foothold for subsistence farmers in Africa, India, and at least 150 other nations. Utilizing plastic buckets or larger containers, and drip irrigation tape, these systems enhance food security.  Buckets need to be elevated on stands that are at least three ft above the ground — on the high end of the garden, if it is not flat.  Beds should be prepared with compost or organic material and manure and then leveled.  The drip tape can then be set up, and with care, the system should last 5-7 years.
Organic Farming: In the Rodale Institute’s 30 year farming systems trial, they found that organic outperforms conventional farming in years of drought.  Organic fields increased groundwater recharge and reduced runoff as compared to industrial farming.  The organic farm fields had 15 – 20% higher water volumes “percolating” through their soils[K117].
Drought Tolerant Critters: Nelore cattle breed is of the Zebu species from India and is raised extensively in Brazil.  It does better than most other cattle breeds in conditions of heat, poor range quality, and drought.  Its hallmark is the prominent hump behind its neck.  Other breeds of the drought tolerant zebu are found in Africa.  In the US, the Texas longhorn is gentle, provides lean meat, and is heat and drought-tolerant.  Australians have developed their Droughtmaster breed, and Texans have also developed their Beefmaster cattle breed, which like the Droughtmaster is a cross with the Brahman breed.  Virgin Islands’ Senepol cattle are also known for their heat tolerance[K118].
Suitable Menus: To conserve water, diets could be regionally appropriate and in season.  Water use is embedded in our food processing, packaging, and distribution systems, so eating locally, unprocessed food saves both water and energy.  Drought tolerant crops should be consumed in drier regions, such as dried beans, lentils, wheat, millet, and squash.  Dryland or drip irrigated fruit and nut trees produce water efficient food.  Some tuber crops and root vegetables are also water efficient.  Water use can be reduced by taking care to reduce food waste.  Don’t buy more than needed, store food appropriately, and compost the waste to recycle it into future food.
Deficit Irrigation: In deficit irrigation, the goal is to obtain maximum crop water productivity rather than maximum yield.  By irrigating less than a crop’s optimal full requirement, you might reduce the yield by 10%, but save 50% of the water.  With supplemental irrigation to rainfed crops in dry lands, a little irrigation is selectively applied during rainfall shortages and during the drought-sensitive growth stages of a crop.  (These important stages are the vegetative stages and the late ripening period.)  The end goal is to maximize irrigation water productivity[K119], even if it means some loss of production.
Mycorrhiza: Which means “root-fungus” grows in healthy soils and functions symbiotically with plants by enhancing the uptake of phosphorus and other nutrients.  The fungus attaches to plant roots, increasing the root surface area which comes in contact with the soil.  It excretes enzymes which allow it to dissolve soil nutrients, and extends the life of the root.  This fungus increases the drought tolerance of plants and can reduce water needs by 25%.  It increases the fruit and flowering of plants while reducing the need for water and fertilizer.  It also enables plants to grow in salty or contaminated soils and increases the temperature stress tolerance for plants.  It helps protect plants from disease, and helps store carbon in the soil[K120].
Soil Moisture Sensors: Incorporating soil moisture sensors into an irrigation system is an important tool for water conservation.  It not only prevents over-watering, but saves unnecessary pumping costs and helps prevent leaching of fertilizers.  By monitoring soil moisture conditions, yield increases can be dramatic through careful water applications during the most critical plant growth stages.  By watering less, plant roots grow deeper and there is less disease.  Moisture sensors can be used for commodity crop farming, vegetable farming, or orchards.  The probes are made up of multiple soil moisture sensors.  They range in price, with the higher priced models generally more accurate.
Other Practice Studies: In conservation agriculture or natural farming systems, zero tillage, crop rotations, manure fertilizer, cover crops, and residues help to protect the soil and increase organic matter.  During rains, healthy organic soils absorb water and store it better.  Good soil structure with macropores allow water to go deep into the soil where it can be accessed by roots and is less prone to evaporation.
Findings: from the above studies are reported to any and all interested parties over the internet and by hands-on seminars taught in the facility, which show the apparatus and means of data collection as well as the results.  One seminar taught in Spanish and the next in English.
Experimental greenhouses are paired up between US counties and Mexican municipalities along the border.
Kind of like:
Mexican                                US
State               Municipality       State                 County
Experimental Greenhouse BC/C1
Baja California     Tijuana         California            San Diego

Experimental Greenhouse BC/C2
Baja California     Tecate          California            Riverside

Experimental Greenhouse BC/C3
Baja California     Mexicali        California             Imperial

Experimental Greenhouse S/A1
Sonora              San Luis        Arizona                    Yuma
              Puerto Peñasco                                 La Paz

Experimental Greenhouse S/A2
Sonora Plutarco Elías Calles        Arizona                    Pima
                     Caborca                               Maricopa
                       Altar                                               Pinal

Experimental Greenhouse S/A3
Sonora                 Sáric        Arizona              Santa Cruz
                     Nogales                                 (open)
                  Santa Cruz                                 (open)

Experimental Greenhouse S/A4
Sonora               Cananea        Arizona                 Cochise
                        Naco                                 (open)
                 Agua Prieta                                 (open)
Experimental Greenhouse C/NM1
Chihuahua               Janos       New Mexico              Hidalgo
                       (open)                                 Grant

Experimental Greenhouse C/NM2
Chihuahua           Ascensión       New Mexico                 Luna
                       (open)                                Sierra
                       (open)                             Donna Ana
                       (open)                                 Otero
In addition to the above, estimate four more experimental greenhouses for Texas[K121] and the Mexican Municipalities on the opposite side of the border.  The “open” references noted are where counties or municipalities which do not have an edge along the international border may join with those who do (like Riverside County in California pairing up with Tecata Municipality).
Check the region’s existing corporate and individual growing practices right off, to see if there are any common ones which could feasibly be revised immediately to reduce wasteful water consumption in the region[K122].
If border region agriculture corporations don’t, then help those who do to develop new varieties of more drought tolerant plants within the greenhouse/test plots tested for the nutritional benefit and safety of human use as well as for animal forage and for the safety of natural landscapes from unintended consequences of invasive species displacing native ones, etc.  Look at the feasibility of amending soils as well as finding and using products and techniques to significantly reduce evaporative water loss from the soil to aid growers whose traditional farm lands will endeavor to remain in continuous production.
Where funding can be organized so that the testing can be done with no economic interests coming between the ag-corporations and the greenhouses, then greenhouses may work directly with ag-corporations to test their GMO, pesticide, fertilizer, & other proprietary products for successfully growing within the region[K123].  Whether grown inside experiment greenhouses, or outside on adjacent test plots, cooperate with and provide all needed feedback to these ag-corporations so that they may identify and correct product problems prior to marketing, or afterward in those cases where they may have already been distributed into the market.
The purpose of these experimental greenhouses is only fulfilled[K124] when natural landscapes remain intact while corporate and individual growers within their border regions continue profitably producing the foodstuffs needed for their growing markets, even under the stress of climate change.
ASAP, the experimental greenhouse staff shall have provided all criteria needed for the design and development of optimal alternative growing systems, in order that core and shell border barns may begin construction to become part of the border barrier, so joint Mexico-US reduced water usage and increased food production may begin[K125].

On its roof, each 40-50 ft tall experimental greenhouse facility would include a surveillance system tower similar to the ones on each of the experiment station facilities.  CBP and equipment manufacturer representatives would have constant access to the towers as they may require.  Access to and egress from the facility would be recorded via computer and controlled via card key with biodata.  Personnel using the facility would be checked for criminal associations and backgrounds.  Experimental greenhouse personnel objected to may be barred by people of either nation with their cases reviewed by joint nation independent mediation or resolution panels.
(573) Border Barns:
Vertical Cargo Containers (CC):
Orient CCs by placing them vertically[K126].  40 ft height would be adequate for a border barrier, but perhaps the south facing wall may be 20 ft CCs on the lower end and the rest 20 ft sheets of vandal-resistant transparent polycarbonate surfacing.  Rotated about their axis 45 degrees they can meet along their edges so that their upper receivers can be joined together with a twistlock anchor leaving a 2 inch gap[K127] between adjacent CCs.  Then to cover 40 ft of barrier wall, 5 standard horizontal CCs can be replaced with 3.5 vertical CCs.
Prefabricated Scaffold Towers:
In addition, vertical CCs are placed so that their doors face upwards so that at any time after the CCs are placed, by opening the doors, a scaffold tower[K128], factory prefabricated and containing all the equipment, spiral stairs or ships ladders, floors, insulation, plumbing, water tanks, material hoists, etc., can be hauled to the site raised and lowered into position by crane into each CC.  The south wall scaffold towers will be prefabricated with the 20 ft sheets of polycarbonate surfacing and flashings, and those CCs will have their doors permanently removed.
Customizing Scaffold Towers:
Owners of the barns first purchase scaffold towers needed for vertical circulation for the barns which are installed by the fabricating factory.  Then when their growers determine which towers their operations need, the barn owners purchase and have them installed.  After these scaffold towers are inserted, the owners of the barn then hire contractors to make the proper cutouts and connections in the CCs as directed by the factory fabricators of the scaffold tower inserts.  Growers lease their tower inserts[K129] from the barn owners as part of their monthly payments.
Hoistway CCs:
Two of the vertical CCs of each barn are not 20 or 40, but 48 ft long[K130] CCs.  These CCs are also placed vertically and they are used within the barns as material hoistways to accommodate the hoists used to transport the vertical growing tubes from where they have had seedlings installed within the barn, up to the level where they are incorporated back into the vertical growing tube manifolds[K131].
Horizontal Truss Braces/Walkway Sections:
After the scaffold towers have been installed, the CC doors are shut again and locked, and the inside surface of the doors insulated where required.  Horizontal truss sections are lifted via crane over the top of the vertical CCs, and rigidly secured to them.  These horizontal truss sections serve to brace the tops of the vertical CCs against lateral displacement, and are also designed to incorporate small ponds used to grow water plants which are fed to the fish below, as well as help cool the barns, incorporate twistlock anchors for attachment of horizontal CCs used as quarters as well as bracing across the top of the barn vertical CCs, and the horizontal trusses also serve as walkways for both growers, CBP agents and others needing access to solar and security equipment.
Spreader-Growers Quarters and Basic Furnishings:
Ten 40 ft CCs placed via crane atop the barn lateral brace truss sections help to brace the tops of the barn vertical CCs.  They act as spreaders and work in combination with internal cross bracing noted below.  These CCs also incorporate rudimentary quarters for growers and their workers not wanting to commute to work and back home each day.  These growers’ quarters[K132] contain a unit kitchen, a WC, shower and wash basin, and a desk or table and file cabinet for business records used to schedule and track sales and costs, orders placed, filled and pending, receipts, quarterly income taxes, working budget and targets, equipment, utilities and insurance records, small safe and about three beds.  One or more beds may fold up to fit desk/table/file space under for day use, or the table may fold up and the bed fold down for sleeping.
Guards Quarters:
CBP[K133] employees needing to patrol, monitor and control the border area of and adjacent to the barn may work in shifts and have most of the same furnishings as the growers, plus individual gun safes.  The 10th CC would serve as quarters for the owner’s superintendent as well as for 2-3 Mexican Border Guard agents.
Solar Collectors:
The rooftop PV system is used to capture electricity for use by the barn equipment, lights and power.  Maintenance[K134] of solar panels and associated electronic equipment used to feed into electrical grids is required of professionals to ensure a clean, compatible electrical supply with the local utilities.
Joint Barn Ownership and Leasing:
The percentage of joint ownership of each barn should always be 50-50 between Mexican and US governments.  Core and shell barns might be owned and developed by agencies of the federal governments, like the CBP and their Mexican counterpart, and leased out by them to growers in order to offset their agencies’ operational expenses, and be initially paid for by the issuance of bonds purchased by individuals, corporations and jurisdictions of the US and Mexico (and other nations?)  Where ownership of barns is by federal government agencies, they would not include payments of leases on the land to the federal government, but revenues collected above the cost of operations go to the costs of running their agencies.  Short term startup and operational costs might also be covered with short term government bonds, sort of like bridge loans.  Transnational border security operational costs[K135] are then at least partially paid for by the individual, corporation or cooperatives’ facility lease payments to the US and Mexican governments.
Leases to Previous Border Property (60 ft Wide Strip) Owners:
Core and shell barns might be leased by individuals, corporations or cooperatives upon whose (previously owned) land the barn would be sited.  To reduce the federal governments’ initial land purchasing costs, where the previous US owner of the border property opted to lease a core and shell barn with a Mexican counterpart, (and vice-versa) the US government’s monthly land lease cost could be waived[K136].  If the barn leasee is an existing rancher or farmer who joint ventures with a Mexican counterpart, they could then grow produce or silage and fish (and other aquatic life such as eels, fresh water shrimp, crawdads, snails, etc.) within the aquaculture system barn, integrating it (or them) with their modified traditional farming and ranching practices on their adjacent property[K137].  Or they could choose to sublet parts or all of their barn(s) to other individual growers (acceptable to CBP) who make lease payments or pay rents to the prior landowners.

Special Cases:
Some barn leasers may be special cases, where a single entity owns both sides of the border, or at least their land sits on both sides, such as the Tohono O’odham Native American tribe[K138] in Pima County, Arizona near Saguaro National Park and opposite Puerto, Peñasco Municipality and Sonoyta, Sonora, Mexico.  Instead of being owned fee-simple, their reservation land is already owned by the US federal government and held in trust for the tribe.  Not sure how their land holding is handled by the Mexican government…
Other Joint Government Leaseholders:
Border States and Municipalities (and their counties and cities and towns[K139]) upon whose prior land the barns sit, may joint venture with a counterpart across the border and jointly invest in leasehold of core and shell barns where increased returns might better support their retirement and other HR programs.  They may wish to increase current returns on their investment capital through lease or rental incomes, or they may simply want to diversify their portfolios.  Provided that the CBP regulates the security aspects of their construction and operations, institutional owners might rely on their management companies and superintendents to run their leased barns and to keep a watchful eye on the growers’ operations and payments.  Other non-border States and Municipalities[K140] from outside the state could buy bonds covering the construction of several barns built on land owned by the federal government and whose barns are leased from them by border joint venture partnerships.
Joint Nation Leaseholders:
In all cases, ownership of core and shell barns is by the joint federal governments, and leasing should also be by joint nation individuals (partnerships), joint venture corporations or cooperatives, and formed to provide several individual aquaculture facilities within each barn to be used either by themselves or leased to other individual growers of both nations[K141].  Joint venture partner leaseholders from either nation may be publicly owned corporations which are bought and sold in the stock market, so although the corporation may be Mexico based, it could be held by US stockholders who might own more than half of their stock.  Mexican owners might more easily obtain investment capital needed to form joint ventures, or vice versa.
Payments:
Each joint venture lease partner pays their own monthly lease to their own country.  If one partner defaults in these lease payments, their assets are turned over to their nation or designated holding company to be released to another joint venture partner who is acceptable to the remaining original joint venture partner[K142].  Barn lease-holders are paid by individual growers through monthly rental and utility payments plus fee.  Growers earn income through their harvests which they sell through pooled contracts made with restaurants and markets on their side of the border.  Contracts stipulate that the growers use water conservation techniques.  Individual growers with poor crop quality (per the customers), or who overuse water resources and reduce the value and income of the cooperative may be asked to leave, to be replaced by other individual growers.

Common Environmental Conditions:
Where the group of growers strive to grow produce or fish within common environmental conditions within the barn, but one or some growers desire to grow different produce better suited to different environmental conditions, those growers may seek to relocate to another barn better suited to their optimum environmental conditions for their produce and/or fish.  Barn environmental conditions may be modified to suit the growers, but utility and modification costs are born by the group.
Core and Shell Barn Construction:
Obtaining Barn Components:
Barn components which end up sitting within their nation’s political boundary line in the finished construction might be required to be purchased from suppliers of that nation only, and constructed by contractors from that nation only.  Or, purchasing may be from suppliers of either nation, providing competition to help lower the overall barn cost.  But, the actual total costs of the products sold for the projects may need adjustment to make a more even playing field between the competitive bidders from the two nations.  If US federal purchasing rules require Davis Bacon wages, or union contracts, which Mexican contractors are not required to match (or vice versa), then some reasonable way of comparing bids should be developed.
Site Preparation and general CC Height and Orientation:
Clear, strip, level, compact, and build the foundations for the vertical CCs and grade the bottoms of the fish ponds.  Except for two 48 ft long standard height CC units, all CCs are either 20 or 40 ft long, standard height.  Place all vertical CCs with their doors at the top and the plywood surface of the units always faces into the center of the barn enclosure[K143].  Remove the doors of 20 ft tall CCs.
Composting Soil Bins:
Note that four of the 40 ft vertical CCs would contain composted planting soil for use in planting rootcrop tables, outside planters, and possibly the vertical tube planters.  These CCs are designed to be able to be swapped out on an as-needed basis and taken to and from the solid waste landfill sites to be refilled with composted, mixed and sterilized planting soil.
Once the soil is taken from these CCs, fertilizer, mycorrhiza and bio-carbon or other moisture retention products are added.  The bottom twistlock anchors should be eliminated and the unit supported on rollers allowing, after unlatching the top and bottom twistlock side anchors, the CC to be rolled out, turned horizontal and mounted onto a flatbed for hauling the empty CCs back to the solid waste landfill sites to be refilled.  Each barn may also be able to make its own compost to refill these planting soil dispensers.  These CCs also probably need to be equipped with doors, chutes, and an auger to meter soil out of them without spills.
Sprouting CCs:
Prior to, or as the vertical CCs are being placed, set the (9) bottom level diagonal horizontally oriented and reinforced CCs creating the sidewall structure of the fish and settling ponds.
Finish Out Barn Interior:
Once all the vertical CCs are in place, cut out and place surrounds for the vertical CC passageway openings, install the triangular landings, wind generator/evaporative cooling screens and guardrails around the interior of the barn and install the walkway planks between the triangular landings and adjacent to the vertical growing tubes for inspecting and working with them.  On the underside of each walkway plank provide a secure and sturdy pipe which is anchored to the plank and end supports to use by the growers and their helpers who will wear a harness with a snap-on clevis secured to the pipe to prevent falling accidents.  No-one “walks the plank” without wearing their connected safety harness.  Insert[K144] the prefabricated scaffold towers for vertical circulation first, including hoists and ships ladders.
Fish Pond Construction:
Place the framing, plywood and cement board wall substrates and cover with protective fabric to receive the EPDM.  Place the sumps, and the unreinforced EPDM for the ponds, the low wattage bilge pumps, waterproof wiring and piping into the pond sumps, and cover all with clean washed pea gravel to 2-3 inches deep[K145] [K146].
Spreader-Quarter CCs & Greenhouses:
Once the scaffold towers are installed, the horizontal truss pieces are installed, and then the 10 horizontal CC spreader-quarters are hoisted onto the top.  After the spreaders are installed, tension cross brace the verticals on either end of each spreader on their inner edges.
Install prefabricated galvanized tube greenhouses spanning from the Mexican facing side horizontal trusses to the US side facing horizontal trusses (spanning in the north-south direction), with a height that clears the tops of the vertical growing tubes but also fits under the solar arrays.  At the center peaks above the spreader-quarters CCs in the middle, provide temperature controlled ventilation fans for use if needed when there is no wind.
Provide for rainwater on the greenhouse film to drain into the fish food ponds.  The greenhouse roof film ends wrap around and attach to long pipes on the north and south sidewalls of the greenhouses.  These pipes have manual or motorized crank-lifts so they may be rolled up to allow air to flow across the fish food ponds and through the upper layer of the barn to cool the barn, and/or rolled down at night to reduce heat loss.  Scupper and pipe the rainwater from the spreader-quarters roofs into the settling ponds[K147], or into the fish food ponds.
Rootcrop Growing Tables:
Construct the rootcrop growing tables over the tops of the nine diagonal CCs, and reinforce the CC tops if needed to support the loads.  Most of the rootcrop growing beds will be 7-10 inch deep 2 ft by 4 ft trays grown using grow lights.  Check about using some 3-4 inch diameter x 2 ft long vertical food grade plastic tubes that can be placed vertically into the table and filled with a lightweight material that both holds water and nutrients, can hold the rootcrop in place while it grows, and whose media can also be readily squeezed out of the rootcrop’s way as it grows[K148].
Removing the tubes to the processing and packaging rooms inside the diagonal CCs, the tubes are strap-held, while the rootcrop is carefully pushed and/or pulled out of the tube, the filler material is cleaned and reinserted into the tube as it is replanted and reinstalled into the rootcrop growing table again.
Plant Nutrition System:
There are 2-3 nutrient water supply tanks[K149] which are kept agitated by internal sump pumps to prevent settling out of any suspended but less than totally dissolved nutrients.  Water from the sump of grower’s own fish pond is pumped up to one tank at the level of the grow tables.  The pumped fish pond water is measured for nutrients.  A second tank holds nutrients in excess of the plants requirements.  The third tank combines and mixes the nutrient water from the fish pond with that of the enriched plant nutrient tank to make up the optimum amount of nutrients[K150] for the plants being grown.  The third tank is installed an elevation that allows gravity or siphonic action piping supply to each grow table.
Overflow water from each grow table is fed to a fourth tank which is measured again for nutrient content.  If the recycle water contains more nutrients than the fish pond it is re-sent to the first fish pond water receiving tank above to be re-amended by the nutrient make-up tank within the mixing tank and fed again to the growing tables.  When the return water tank water contains less nutrients than the fish pond water it is sent to the settling pond.
Fish Pond Operation:
Each grower has his own pond for the raising of edible varieties of fish (tilapia, trout, perch, catfish, barramundi, bass, koi, and goldfish) and other fresh-water critters (crustaceans) and for the growing of water plants.  In addition to the food fish, include Gambusia affinis or mosquitofish to control any infestations of mosquitos.  Mature fish are marketed, but the purpose of the fish is also to provide nutrients for the plants, so they need to be sustained healthy with a diet that produces not only marketable fish meat, but also wastes with good plant food nutrients.  Fish waste is recycled into plants via the solar powered sump pumps in the bottom of the ponds (and other pumps are added as required to meet the flow and head height requirements for the aquaponic system.)
The ponds are each individually monitored as to temperature, pH, and ppm nutrients.  The fish ponds (and fish food ponds) are refilled from the settling ponds which have filtered outside air pumped into them[K151].  In addition, provide filtered air to be pumped into the bottom of the fish pond to aerate the water to reduce anaerobic problems with the water. Also, outdoor fish ponds may use a fast spinning paddlewheel on the surface which helps increase oxygen content of the water in the ponds.  The waves created on the surface of the water also prevents mosquitos from laying their eggs in the water.  Paddlewheels could also be used in these ponds possibly with screening between the fan blades and inquisitive fish.
Rough Estimate of Fish Revenue for Grower’s Budget:
In the border region, Tilapia raised indoors should be harvested[K152] continually, at about 2+ lb size which would take maybe 9 months in these ponds.  Tilapia are killed in a few minutes by placing them in a container of icy temperature water.  Tilapia can’t take temperatures below 50oF or 10oC.  Left over fish parts and pieces from filleting at the barn would be composted.  If every 9 months each grower markets 3,600 lb of fish, then each month each grower can estimate that they each market 400 lb of fish.  Growers should be able to sell tilapia fillets retail for $10/lb and gross about $4K/mn from harvesting fish.
Fish Food Ponds:
Rather[K153] than growing the fish food in with the fish in their pond, raise the food on the top walking surface of the barn within shallow ponds used for the growing of duckweed and/or other plants used to feed the fish.  If half the duckweed is harvested each day and spread out again, the tank will likely be re-filled with duckweed the next day.  Evaporation from these ponds also help cool the greenhouses.  Use the most practical way to control mosquitos.
Cool Rooms:
Each grower has one or two cool room(s) to store his harvested and boxed produce in until he has sufficient to move all into the vehicle to transport to market.  The growers could pool their resources and marketing chores and have one or two vehicles between them to make all their deliveries as well as picking up of supplies.  Each grower has his own coiling overhead door and loading ramp for moving out produce and bringing in supplies.
Vertical Growing Tubes (VGT):
Construct the VGT system[K154] from a few feet above the head height at the rootcrop growing tables to the top of the greenhouse roof structures adjacent to the quarters CCs.  Vertical growing tubes are based on the 7 ft Zipgrow tubes of BrightAgroTech.  Their connection at top and bottom of each tube would use 6 inch diameter soil pipe with 6 inch diameter cross and tee fittings.  Each VGT squeezes into the soil pipe fittings above and below and prior to inserting them the ¼ inch water supply valve is opened.  Provided they are within proper nutrient ranges the water pumped out of the ponds are used to supply the growing plants in the rootcrop tables and the vertical growing tubes above[K155].  However, since the nutrient level may not be optimum, and the requirements may vary by the particular type of plant being grown, one tank with water from the pond and another tank with water supplemented with additional nutrients may be metered together to create the proper balance of nutrients for the rootcrops, and again metered differently from the two tanks for the particular plant types grown in each continuous column of the VGT in the upper levels.

Border Security:
Assuming they are spaced 3.33 miles apart, atop the CBP’s quarter’s roof, each 40-50 ft tall barn facility would include a surveillance system tower similar to the ones on each of the experimental greenhouse facilities.  CBP and equipment manufacturer representatives would have constant access to the towers as they may require.  Access to and egress from the facility would be recorded via computer and controlled via card key with biodata.  Personnel using the facility would be checked for criminal associations and backgrounds.  Barn personnel objected to may be barred by people of either nation with their cases reviewed by joint nation independent mediation or resolution panels.
Aquaponics and Water Use
Aquaponic systems reduce water loss, increase water use efficiency, and use water more sustainably.  In aquaponic farming systems, water is recirculated[K156].  Run-off water that is not taken up by the plants is recaptured.  Nutrients are constantly added by fish waste or fertilizer, and water returns to the plants.  Water loss occurs in two main ways:
1)  Transpiration: Transpiration is the use and evaporation of water through the plants.  There is no way to eliminate transpiration; it is a necessary function of living plants.  Keep it as efficient[K157] as biologically possible by making sure that the temperature range is suitable for the crops being grown.
2)  Leaks: Leaks sometimes form in the greenhouse irrigation system.  This might be a broken pipe or split tubing, but it's most likely that a dripper has been displaced or a leaf is redirecting the water flow.  Careful and frequent monitoring of the system is the best way to identify leaks.  Walk through the barn three times a day to check for leaks, and make repairs as quickly as possible[K158].
Water loss in aquaponic systems is about 2% to 7% per day of that lost in most traditionally irrigated farms.  Traditional gardening requires 20 times the water used by a recirculating system.  Agricultural flood irrigation in large fields loses water to simple evaporation, run-off, and dispersion beyond the reach of plant roots.  The agricultural industry is changing its practices to be more water-wise, but even the best drip irrigation only cuts flood irrigation losses by about 25%, nothing close to aquaponics[K159].  New techniques promise as much as 40% water use improvements, but none are yet in widespread commercial practice.

For an aquaponic system, plan that for each pound of mature fish, allow 8-10 gallons of water.  Each linear ft of vertical growing tube requires 0.3 - 0.5 lbs of fish[K160].  Each 7-ft tube in the system, requires about 3.5 lbs of fish and 20-25 gallons of water.  If fish ponds are full height, the aquaponic system proposed on the attached drawings includes eight 32,600 gallon fish ponds.  Each grower’s fish pond would be adequate for about 3,600 lb of fish, and would allow for (1,035) 7 ft VGTs.
Vertical Growing Tubes, Grow Lights and Plant Numbers:
Vertical growing tubes (VGT) shown in attached drawings indicate rows going in the west-east direction, and columns going in the south-north direction.  Barn sections show four levels of VGT.  Assuming there are (8) growers/barn, and the VGT will be divided evenly between them:
Each grower has (6) columns of (11) VGT in each of the lower three levels for (198) VGT.  Since these are located under the spreader-quarter CCs, these will not be available in the topmost level, and will also require grow lights (GL): (198) VGT w/GL, none without.  There are (4) columns of (11) GL for each of three levels for (132) 8 ft GL supplying added light for the (198) VGTs under the spreader-quarters CCs.
Growers also each have (16) columns of (11) VGT in each of the four levels for (704) VGT.  Assume the bottom 3 layers also require GL. (528) VGT w/GL, (176) without.  There are (8) columns of (11) GL for each of three lower levels for (264) 8 ft GL.  There are (2) additional columns of (11) VGT in each of the four levels of VGT for each grower on the end of the barn (88) VGT.  Bottom three layers may also require GL.  (66) VGT w/GL, (22) without.  One column of 11 lights for each of three levels (33) 8 ft GL.  So, each grower has (990) 7 ft total VGT, (792) VGT with GL, (198) VGT without, so with (429) total 8 ft 75W GL.
Each 7 ft long VGT holds from 8 to 17 plants, depending on their spacing within the tube.  Each grower’s VGT planters hold a total of between nearly 8K and 17K plants, based on plant spacing within the VGT.
The main difference between traditional and aquaponics growing is how the plants’ roots are treated.  Plants have small “hair-roots” which can dry out and die in somewhere between a half a minute to a few minutes.  In traditional in-soil growing, the moisture content at the plants’ root level is mostly observed by how much the plants’ leaves and stems droop, and then start to yellow.
Gas bubbles may form in the xylem water-transfer channels that allow the water to get from the roots to the leaves before required water may be delivered to the roots.  It is possible to install moisture sensors to provide continuous readings of moisture content of the subsurface root zone soil to control watering cycles, but it takes time for the water to get to the hair roots, so overwatering may be required.
Also, at night, the photosynthesis stops and so does transpiration, so water added in the late afternoon, evening or at night may not have any effect on the plant until the next day’s sunshine begins.  Meanwhile, much of the irrigation water may have percolated below the plants’ root zone.  When transpiration stops for the night, for the most part, no more water is needed by plants until leaves start transpiration again the next day.
In an aquaponics or hydroponics system water and nutrients are continuously flowed across the plants’ roots during transpiration (daylight) times and stop during the night.  Since pump failure or other potential problems during the day could be critical to the plants’ hair roots, a safeguard of media around these roots to help prevent their drying out is needed.  Water used by each grower’s VGTs lost to transpiration and evaporation should be just under (350) gallons per day[K161] in the barns.
If heirloom or heritage seed is used, row 11 (the northernmost row) of every column will be used for plants grown for seed.  Seeds will be collected and the plants either chopped and composted or, if suitable, used for fish food.  New germinated seed plants will be transplanted into the VGT and re-inserted into row 11.  The other ten rows are expected to be grown using a “conveyor system”, but could be batch harvested where conditions warrant.
Rows 1 & 2 (the southernmost two rows of VGTs in each column) include plants which have just been sprouted in the sprouting CCs and placed into the previous two VGTs from that column which had been harvested last.  The length of time they stay in rows 1 & 2 before moving to rows 3 & 4 will be based on the optimum cycle for the time of year, roughly between 1 and 2 weeks.
Rows 3 & 4 will move to rows 5 & 6, then 7 & 8, and finally 9 & 10, then harvested.  When the plants are ready for harvest they are taken via nearest hoist to the lower level sprouting CC, removed from the VGT, packaged and taken to the cold storage room awaiting delivery to market.  The VGTs are replanted with sprouted plants grown in that CC, hoisted back up to their level and reinstalled in rows 1 & 2.
To try to even out the sunlight received by each VGT, the 1st row VGT may be next moved to the 4th row, while the 2nd row VGT is next in the 3rd row, etc.  Depending on time of year and cycle time, from their VGTs each grower should be harvesting and taking to market roughly between 1,500 and 3,000 plants every week.  That is, there are 164 VGTs either fully harvested about every week, or some number of the VGTs are growing herbs on longer cycles to take cuttings from and deliver to market every week.
Plant Growing Nutrients, Temperature Ranges & Cycles:
Nutrients:
Ratios of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NKP) recommended for fertilizing of plants listed below for their optimum growth.  Sulfur is also recommended for some plants and will be noted where included in listed ratios.
Nitrogen (N) is essential to the cellular structure of plants, is a building block of chlorophyll, DNA, enzymes and amino acids critical to plant development, and stimulates reproduction and leaf and foliage growth.  N is vital to chlorophyll, which allows plants to carry out photosynthesis ~ the process by which they take in sunlight to produce sugars from carbon dioxide and water.  N is also a significant component in amino acids, the basis of proteins.  N also aids in the compounds that allow for storage and use of energy.  US cereal yields were studied as to how they would be affected by omitting N fertilizer.  The study estimated that without N, average yields for corn declined by 41%, rice by 37%, barley by 19%, and wheat by 16%.  While nitrogen can be taken in and converted into a usable nutrient from the atmosphere (during a lightning storm, a ton of nitrogen may be added to the soil per acre), and may be naturally present in soils, it is almost always desirable to supplement nitrogen to ensure plants have the optimum amount available to them.  Some common inorganic nitrogen-containing products used to provide N in fertilizer are urea, urea ammonium nitrate, and anhydrous ammonia.  Common organic sources of N are manure, compost, blood meal, and feather meal.
Phosphorus (P) is necessary for photosynthesis, encourages root growth, seed production, the plant’s structural strength and fruit formation.  P also promotes blooming (when you look at commercial fertilizers such as “Bloom Busters” or bloom promoters, it is the higher second number – the P - that is essential), and P is essential in DNA.  The transformation of solar energy into usable compounds is also largely possible because of P.  The common inorganic source of P comes from crushed phosphate rock, which can be applied to the soils directly, but is more effective if processed to be more readily available for plant uptake.  Common organic sources of P are manure, compost, biosolids, blood meal, and bone meal.
Potassium (K) is important for the growth of flowers and fruit and disease resistance.  It aids photosynthesis, activates plant enzymes and is essential for building proteins.  K is often referred to as the “quality element,” because of its contribution to many of the characteristics we associate with quality, such as size, shape, color, and even taste, among others.  Plants low in K are stunted in growth and provide lower yields.  The primary inorganic source of K for use in NPK fertilizers is potash.  Like phosphate rock, potash is mined all over the world and processed into a more refined product.  K can also come from potassium sulfate, langbeinite, and granite dust.  Common organic sources of K are manure, compost, and wood ash.
Secondary macronutrients and micronutrients included in fertilizer in small amounts include magnesium, sulfur, calcium, boron and chloride.  The Acid Rain Act reduced the amount of atmospheric sulphur dioxide which reduced many growers’ crop size.  Commercial fertilizer manufacturers have been selling NPKS with added sulphur (S) to counteract the amount lost due to environmental regulations.
Other ingredients include copper and iron.  Plants take small molecules such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and dozens of other minor nutrients, and use them to build large molecules such as sugars, carbohydrates, oils, protein, and DNA.  These large molecules are used for everything that happens in the plant.  Carbohydrates build cell walls, which in trees, eventually turn into wood.  Enzymes are proteins that make all of the chemical reactions in a plant work.  Sugars and carbohydrates are the energy source that allows the plant to grow.  Production of flowers and fruit require many different types of large molecules and all of these are made by the plant using the small molecule nutrients.
Temperature Ranges:
The internal barn temperature will not be significantly different from the ambient outdoor temperature unless the growers decide they need to meet temperature needs of the plants they intend to grow.  The growers need to come together with the plant types they each want to grow.  Some barns may install jet stoves[K162] burning organics and transferring as much heat as possible into the barn where winter conditions warrant.  If some growers want to grow plants to cycle schedules more suited to the outdoor ambient temperature but other growers want to grow plant types needing higher (or lower) than ambient temperatures, then the growers must reach consensus.  Or, growers may seek to relocate to within other barns whose agreed climate control is more suited to their temperature needs.
Cycles:
In Yuma, AZ[K163], growers grow plants in their fields all year round.  The length of time[K164] between planting a seed and harvest varies with the plant, its variety, the season and the weather.  The cycle time in the VGTs is that between sprouted seedlings and harvest.  The number of days given for the seed types below (first numbers given) are optimal from planting the seed to harvest.  The 4 months of summer is the fastest cycle rate (100% rate of production.)  Growing times will increase in the 4 months of winter to double that of summer (50% production rate.)  The two months each of spring and fall production will be the average of summer and winter production rates.  For budgeting, use 75% production rate for the number of cycles expected annually and use that figure (divided by 12) to use for a monthly average (knowing that actual summer production cycles need to be much better than those of winter, etc.  Divide the optimum growing time by 75%, then subtract sprouting times of 18-21 days (but add 7 days back for transplant shock setback) = days for average cycle time, providing budgeting cycles per year (cpy) and cycles per month (cpm):
Vegetable Environmental Conditions and Cycles:
Lettuce. 45-70oF; NKP 8-15-36; 5wk= 7 lb/VGT; 6wk= 10 lb/VGT
Green Leaf:
Grand Rapids ((45/.75)-14 = 46); 365/46 = 7.9 cpy = .66 cpm
Green Ice ((45/.75)-14 = 46); 365/46 = 7.9 cpy = .66 cpm
Oak Leaf ((50/.75)-14 = 53); 365/53 = 6.9 cpy = .58 cpm
Salad Bowl ((45/.75)-14 = 46); 365/46 = 7.9 cpy = .66 cpm
Simpson ((45/.75)-14 = 46). 365/46 = 7.9 cpy = .66 cpm
Butterhead: 55-60oF;
Bibb ((70/.75)-14 = 79); 365/79 = 4.6 cpy = .38 cpm
Buttercrunch ((70/.75)-14 = 79); 365/79 = 4.6 cpy = .38 cpm
Summer Bibb ((62/.75)-14 = 69). 365/69 = 5.3 cpy = .44 cpm
Loose-Leaf:
Black-Seeded Simpson ((45/.75)-14 = 46); 365/46 = 7.9 cpy = .66 cpm
Lollo Rossa ((56/.75)-14 = 61); 365/61 = 6 cpy = .5 cpm
Oak Leaf ((50/.75)-14 = 53); 365/53 = 6.9 cpy = .58 cpm
Red Sails ((45/.75)-14 = 46). 365/46 = 7.9 cpy = .66 cpm
Chinese lettuce 生菜 (sheng cai) Chinese lettuce is known as sang choy in Cantonese and (sheng cai) in mandarin 生菜. In Taiwan it is known as 莴苣 (wo ju).  Assume ((45/.75)-14 = 46). 365/46 = 7.9 cpy = .66 cpm

Spinach. 35-70oF; pH of 6; NKP 8-15-36
America ((45/.75)-14 = 46); 365/46 = 7.9 cpy = .66 cpm
Bloomsdale Long-Standing ((45/.75)-14 = 46); 365/46 = 7.9 cpy = .66 cpm
Winter Bloomsdale ((45/.75)-14 = 46); 365/46 = 7.9 cpy = .66 cpm
New Zealand Spinach ((65/.75)-14 = 73); 365/73 = 5 cpy = .42 cpm
Bloomsdale ((38/.75)-14 = 37); 365/37 = 9.9 cpy = .83 cpm
Seaside ((42/.75)-14 = 42); 365/42 = 8.7 cpy = .73 cpm
Space ((39/.75)-14 = 38); 365/38 = 9.6 cpy = .8 cpm
Kookaburra ((37/.75)-14 = 35); 365/35 = 10.4 cpy = .87 cpm
Corvair ((39/.75)-14 = 38); 365/38 = 9.6 cpy = .8 cpm
Woodpecker ((37/.75)-14 = 35); 365/35 = 10.4 cpy = .87 cpm
Emperor ((37/.75)-14 = 35); 365/35 = 10.4 cpy = .87 cpm
Gazelle ((36/.75)-14 = 34); 365/34 = 10.7 cpy = .89 cpm
Red Kitten ((34/.75)-14 = 31); 365/31 = 11.8 cpy = .98 cpm
Flamingo ((37/.75)-14 = 35); 365/36 = 10.1 cpy = .84 cpm
Reflect ((38/.75)-14 = 37); 365/37 = 9.9 cpy = .83 cpm
Water spinach 空心菜 (kong xin cai).  Water spinach 空心菜 (kong xin cai) is also known as ong choy, kang kong, water convolvulus, swamp cabbage and water morning glory.
Horenso (spinach); Komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach).  Seed directly in VGT & thin because of difficulty to transplant.  Chinese spinach 苋菜 (xian cai) Also known as yeen choy (Cantonese), 苋菜 (xian cai).
Bok Choy. 55-75oF; NKP 8-15-36; 5wk = 9 lb/VGT; 6wk = 12 lb/VGT
Bok Choy ((45/.75)-14 = 46); 365/46 = 7.9 cpy = .66 cpm
Canton Dwarf Flat Cabbage ((40/.75)-14 = 39); 365/39 = 9.4 cpy = .78 cpm
Gai Choy ((45/.75)-14 = 46); 365/46 = 7.9 cpy = .66 cpm
Green-In-Snow ((45/.75)-14 = 46); 365/46 = 7.9 cpy = .66 cpm
Mitsuba ((60/.75)-14 = 66); 365/66 = 5.5 cpy = .46 cpm
Mizuna ((36/.75)-14 = 34); 365/34 = 10.7 cpy = .89 cpm
Pak Choy ((42/.75)-14 = 42); 365/42 = 8.7 cpy = .73 cpm
Tatsoi ((45/.75)-14 = 46). 365/46 = 7.9 cpy = .66 cpm
5wk = 4.2 lb/VGT; 6wk = 5.6 lb/VGT
Bok choy or pak choy 小白菜 (xiao bai cai), also known as Chinese white cabbage, pak choy (transliteration of the Cantonese), 白菜 (bai cai) and Chinese chard.  Mizuna (Japanese mustard, spider mustard)
Mustard Greens. 50-75oF; NKP 8-15-36; 5wk = 4.2 lb/VGT; 6wk = 5.6 lb/VGT
Curled:
Fordhook Fancy ((40/.75)-14 = 39); 365/39 = 9.4 cpy = .78 cpm
Giant Red ((23/.75)-14 = 17); 365/17 = 21.5 cpy = 1.8 cpm
Green Wave ((45/.75)-14 = 46); 365/46 = 7.9 cpy = .66 cpm
Kyona ((40/.75)-14 = 39). 365/39 = 9.4 cpy = .78 cpm
Plain Leaf:
Komatsuna ((30/.75-14 = 26); 365/26 = 14 cpy = 1.2 cpm
Tendergreen ((34/.75)-14 = 31). 365/31 = 11.8 cpy = .98 cpm
Chard. 55-75oF; NKP 8-15-36; 5wk = 5.6 lb/VGT; 7.7 lb/VGT
Burgundy ((60/.75)-14 = 66); 365/66 = 5.5 cpy = .46 cpm
Rhubarb ((60/.75)-14 = 66); 365/66 = 5.5 cpy = .46 cpm
Fordhook Giant ((57/.75)-14 = 62); 365/62 = 5.9 cpy = .49 cpm
Lucullus ((50/.75)-14 = 53); 365/53 = 6.9 cpy = .58 cpm
Rainbow ((55/.75)-14 = 59). 365/59 = 6.2 cpy = .52 cpm
Kale. 45-85oF; NKP 8-15-36; 5wk = 4.2 lb/VGT; 6wk = 5.6 lb/VGT
Dwarf Blue Curled Vates ((55/.75)-14 = 59); 365/59 = 6.2 cpy = .52 cpm
Russian Red ((40/.75)-14 = 39), 365/39 = 9.4 cpy = .78 cpm
Siberian ((60/.75)-14 = 66); 365/66 = 5.5 cpy = .46 cpm
Verdura ((60/.75)-14 = 66). 365/66 = 5.5 cpy = .46 cpm
Cabbage. 40-70oF; NKP 8-15-36
Charmant ((52/.75)-14 = 55); 365/55 = 6.6 cpy = .55 cpm
Earliana ((60/.75)-14 = 66); 365/66 = 5.5 cpy = .46 cpm
Early Jersey Wakefield ((63/.75-14 = 70); 365/70 = 5.2 cpy = .43 cpm
Golden Acre ((58/.75)-14 = 63); 365/63 = 5.8 cpy = .48 cpm
Ruby Ball ((70/.75)-14 = 79); 365/79 = 4.6 cpy = .38 cpm
Hakusai (Chinese cabbage).
Choy sum 菜心 (cai xin) Choy sum is also known as the Chinese flowering cabbage, 菜心 (cai xin), yow choy, and yow choy sum (those with yellow flowers).
Napa cabbage 北京白菜 (bei jing bai cai).  Napa cabbage is also known as the celery cabbage and the peking cabbage 北京白菜 (bei jing bai cai).  The scientific name is brassica pekinensis.  So named as it is grown in Peking (the old name of Beijing, the capital of China).  It should not be mistaken with the common green cabbage (Brassica oleracea) which is round.
Peppers. 70-95oF; NKP 8-15-36
Sweet:
Bell Boy ((70/.75)-14 = 79); 365/79 = 4.6 cpy = .38 cpm
Camelot ((67/.75)-14 = 75); 365/75 = 4.9 cpy = .41 cpm
Cardinal ((70/.75)-14 = 79); 365/79 = 4.6 cpy = .38 cpm
Early California ((65/.75)-14 = 73); 365/73 = 5 cpy = .42 cpm
Sweet Banana ((70/.75)-14 = 79); 365/79 = 4.6 cpy = .38 cpm
Piman (Green pepper); Shishito (Small Japanese green pepper).
Hot:
Cayenne ((70/.75)-14 = 79)); 365/79 = 4.6 cpy = .38 cpm
Hungarian Wax ((70/.75)-14 = 79); 365/79 = 4.6 cpy = .38 cpm
Mexibell ((70/.75)-14 = 79). 365/79 = 4.6 cpy = .38 cpm
Strawberries. 65-75oF; NPK: 2-9-19
Tomato. Day 68-85oF, Night 59-72oF; NPK: 2-9-19
Herb Environmental Conditions and Cycles:
The harvest weights for the following are based on the expected plant growth within each 7 ft VGT.
Arugula. 50-65oF; pH 6.0-7.0; NKP 2-3-8

Oregano. 55-70oF; NKP 2-3-8
cuttings: 5wk = 1.4 lb/VGT; 8wk = 3.5 lb/VGT; 11 wk = 3.5 lb/VGT; …
Chives. 65-80oF; NKP 2-3-8

Mint. 55-70oF; NKP 2-3-8

Fennel. 60-70oF; NKP 2-3-8
cuttings: wk8 = 8.5 lb/VGT; wk11 = cycle
Basil, Sweet. 65-95oF; NKP 2-3-8
cuttings: 5wk = 5 lb/VGT; 8wk = 6.3 lb/VGT; 11wk = 7.7 lb/VGT; 14wk cycle
Cilantro. 50-95oF; NKP 2-3-8
cuttings: wk5 = 5 lb/VGT;
Rosemary. 75-85oF; NKP 2-3-8
cuttings: wk14 = .7 lb/VGT; wk17 = 1.4 lb/VGT; wk20 = 1.4 lb/VGT, wk23 = 1.4 lb/VGT; wk26 = 2.8 lb/VGT…
Parsley. 60-75oF; NKP 2-3-8
cuttings: wk5 = 5 lb/VGT; wk8 = 5 lb/VGT; 8wk = 3.5 lb/VGT; wk11 = cycle
Sage.
cuttings: wk14 = .7 lb/VGT; wk17 = 1.4 lb/VGT; wk20 = 1.4 lb/VGT, …
Slow growing crops like oregano, rosemary, and sage often are cultured for 9-12 months with increasing harvests.  Replant when production of the VGT decreases.
Plant Prices (Advertised Retail):
Lettuce.                           Regular        Organic
Iceberg:                           $2.14/lb       $2.99/ea
 Green Leaf:                       $1.17/lb       $1.79/ea
 Red Leaf:                         $1.26/lb       $1.88/ea
 Romaine:                          $1.15/lb       $1.38/lb
Spinach.                           $3.99/lb       $8.85/lb
Bok Choy.                          $0.33/lb       $1.25/lb
Mustard Greens.                    $0.99/lb       $2.17/bunch
Chard.                             $0.99/bunch    $2.07/bunch
Kale.                              $0.74/bunch    $1.77/bunch
Cabbage, Red.                      $0.75/lb       $1.15/lb
Cabbage, Green.                    $0.43/lb       $0.92/lb
Chinese Cabbage.                   $0.33/lb       $1.44/lb
Peppers, Green Bell.               $0.79/lb       $0.98/ea
Strawberries.                      $3.68/lb       $3.95/lb
Tomato.                            $1.08/lb       $1.58/lb
Eggplant.                          $2.00/ea       $2.49/lb
Cilantro.                          $0.43/bunch    $1.38/lb
Arugula.                           $0.81/bunch    $8.91/lb
Oregano.                                          $65/lb
Chives.                                           $2.65/bunch
Mint.                                             $1.42/bunch
Fennel.                            $2.63/bunch    $2.66/bunch
Basil.                                            $1.65/bunch
Cilantro.                                         $1.53/bunch
Rosemary.                                         $62/lb
Parsley.                           $0.43/bunch    $1.58/bunch
Rough Estimate of VGT Revenue for Grower’s Budget:
Assume that one out of every 11 VGTs is growing seeds for replanting, that is, 90 of the grower’s 990 VGTs are out of production for crop revenues.  Assuming a 5 week cycle, (2) VGTs from each column will be harvested each week.  Assuming that the (900) VGTs are split 50-50 between growing basil and lettuce, (450) VGTs each.  Also, half of the basil harvested each week and half of the harvested lettuce are sold retail and the other halves are sold wholesale.
Weekly VGT Harvest Revenues:
Retail:
Lettuce: 45 VGTs, @ 6.33#/VGT, = 285# @ $2.10 =           $600
Basil: 45 VGTs, @ 6.33#/VGT, = 285# @ $24/lb =          $6,840
Wholesale:
Lettuce: 45 VGTs, @ 6.33#/VGT, = 285# @ $1.05/lb =        $300
Basil: 45 VGTs, @ 6.33#/VGT, = 285# @ $16/lb =          $4,560
VGT Weekly Revenues:                                   $12,300
VGT Monthly Revenues:                                  $53,300
Sprouts:
Growing sprouts for sale to health food stores and direct to customers would be one of the grower’s quickest turn-arounds or cycles.  Generally no more than two weeks from planting a seed to harvesting, packaging (cold-pack) and shipping (overnight) to the store or customer.  The anti-fungicides on commercial seeds would probably not be a good thing for seeds grown for sprouts, so sources of seed may have to be developed and certified as food-grade.  Seeds vary in their original weight vs weight of their sprouts, so yields vary from 5:1 for radish sprouts (one lb of seed yields 5 lbs of sprouts), 7:1 for alfalfa sprouts, etc, but generally one ounce of seed makes a cup of sprouts.  For an idea of on-line retail prices (prices do not including shipping):
Broccoli Sprouts:                                  $4/lb - $10/5 oz
(Broccoli seeds cost $13.56/lb, yield probably similar to radishes)
Radish Sprouts:                                    $4/lb - $10/5 oz
(Radish seeds cost $1.99/lb, 1 lb of seed will make 5 lb of sprouts)
Buckwheat Lettuce:                                $10/lb
(Lettuce seeds cost $13.56/lb, yield probably similar to radishes)
Wheatgrass Sprouts (juicing):                     $10/lb - $20/lb
(Wheatgrass seeds cost $12/lb, yield probably similar to alfalfa)
Pea Greens: (Pea seeds cost $7.96/lb)             $10/lb - $20/lb
Bean Sprouts: (Bean seeds cost $7.96/lb)          $10/lb
Sunflower Sprouts: (Sunflower seeds cost $4/lb)   $12/lb - $20/lb
Sprout Mix (alfalfa, radish…)                     $10/5 oz
(Alfalfa seeds cost $3.90/lb)
Clover, arugula, radish and fenugreek sprout mix: (Clover seeds cost $3.12/lb)                      $20/lb
Arugula Greens: Arugula seeds cost $35.40/lb)      $8/2 oz
Onion Shoots: (Onion seeds cost $29.56/lb)         $5/oz
Cilantro Microgreens:                              $8/oz
Red Cabbage Sprouts:                              $12/3 oz
In the barn example, sprouts would be grown in the harvesting and packaging room, in trays on the wire racks along with the sprouting plants used to replant the VGTs and rootcrop tubes, or in mobile carts.  Provide germination “dressers” in this same barn space for growing sprouts which have pull-out drawers, see-through plastic covers, controlled temperature, automatic misting, lighting, etc.  The most critical thing about this market is timely delivery.  Once harvested, sprouts can last 7-10 days.  Since turn-around is 2-3 weeks, each grower can get 17-26 harvests of sprouts per year per growing tray.
Rough Estimate of Sprout Revenues for Grower’s Budget:
Assuming (10) “dressers” with (10) 2 ft x 2 ft trays each, each converting about (2) lb of seeds into (12) lb of sprouts per harvest with (2) harvests per month and an average sale price of $6/lb yields revenue of $14,400 per month (gross) per grower.
Market Plants:
Growing plants from seed until they can be brought to stores for others to buy, take home and continue to grow until harvest would be the next quickest turn-around.  Good looking plants taken from the germinated plants at one week old, should be ready for marketing by another 3 weeks growing in the vertical growing tubes, driven to stores or markets and placed in stands for shoppers to purchase.  Common plants that retail for about $5 to customers might gross $2 to the grower.  Provided there is a continuous local market for such plants, a grower could have 14 harvests of 3,000 food-type plants per year, grossing about $7,000/mn.  Bare root plants would be potted, fertilized and watered before delivery to the retail outlets.
Basil grows well aquaponically, and this system may increase its flavor.  Chives also grow well aquaponically and can be planted quite densely.  Mint and chives thrive in an aquaponic greenhouse as well.  Numerous other herbs can also be grown aquaponically, including oregano, rosemary, watercress, dill, parsley and sweet marjoram.  Aquaponic growers will experience the most success with herbs that grow in wet conditions, instead of those that thrive in dryer environments, like sage.
In these barns, one of the grower’s top objectives for best success is to obtain contracts to supply fresh produce to top-end restaurants who demand best quality ingredients.  Obtaining these contracts will take proving a consistent supply of better produce than these clients can obtain from other sources.  Use the time until then, while selling to other outlets, to fully understand the produce to be supplied.
Research the produce, how it is used, what nutrients it provides the consumer, and try to understand what happens to the produce as it is incorporated and processed, how it is incorporated into the cuisine.  How long does the chef keep the food on hand?  What does the method of growing the produce do to effect its quality?  What can the grower do to improve the produce characteristics, which in turn improves the quality of the meal served using that produce?  Try the different meals served by the restaurant(s) using the competitor’s produce.  Also, ask the chefs to learn the qualities of the produce most valued by them.
Discover where potential clients obtain their produce and examine the quality, and cost if possible.  Also, if possible, see if their current produce supplier has supply limits.  If there is a time in their existing schedule when the competition can’t furnish the produce, offer your produce to fill that gap for the restaurant.  Possibly, sell the best produce within the local markets where the restaurant may purchase other ingredients.  Generally, learn to grow and know the produce you grow better than other competing growers.  Provide the best quality and service and find customers who have an affinity themselves for quality and whose customers have an affinity for high quality.  Do not try to speed or simplify the process by undercutting the prices of other growers – that way will not lead to success.
If there are no suppliers furnishing desired fresh produce to these restaurants, investigate the possibility of filling that niche, budget the profitability of growing these ingredients properly and timely delivering them.  Find as many other restaurants who desire this produce who can timely be delivered to.  There are many ethnic restaurants whose menu repertoire is limited by the availability of fresh produce and having to substitute frozen or canned products which change the taste and nutritional quality of their menu items served to their customers.  Barn produce which does not meet the competition’s market quality should be sold to the canneries.
A product which would be great for the region around Yuma is dragon fruit.  The border climate is good for growing this product, except for the amount of average rainfall.  If the water output from the packaged wastewater treatment plants was truly suitable for growing crops, this one could provide one of the best paybacks.  These fruits are sold in markets in the north for about $6-$8 apiece.  Plant them on the Mexican side of the barn in boxes in the triangular spaces formed between the CCs and train them against the CCs.  The flowers for sale in markets would be grown beneath the large Dragon Fruit cactus trunks.
Before planting, aquaponic growers will create a calendar detailing the days to harvest of each crop they want to plant.  They'll also have to know the date of the last and first frosts of the season (if any).  Succession gardening and crop rotating throughout the growing season help them get the most out of their garden plot.  For example, they may plant quick-maturing lettuce a few weeks before their warm-season vegetables.  After they harvest the lettuce, they have enough space and time to plant a warm-season quick crop such as snap beans.
Outside Flowers/Decorative Plants (OFD):
There will be two packaged wastewater treatment plants (not septic tanks) within this facility, each with the capability of serving a community of 15 people, and discharging very clean water, which is supposedly clean enough to recycle into the aquaponic system.  Instead, the maximum combined 3,000 gallons per day discharge from these package plants due to the human use of potable water should be recycled into a separate hydroponic or subsoil irrigation system used solely for growing decorative flower starts for selling to customers in retail outlets.  These started flowers should have a similar turn-around time to the produce plants noted above.  These could be kept separate, outside the barn with shade loving plants on the US side and sun-lovers on the Mexican side.  These flowers could be raised outside within the triangular niches of the barn so they are out of the way, plus add some color to the barn.
The outside-raised nursery flowers could be simultaneously taken to sell in stores and markets by each grower based on the number of plants each grower’s 250 gallons of water per day will irrigate.  Transpiration rates vary between plants, so a grower may grow more cactus, succulents and aloe-vera than bamboo and decorative grasses using the same quantity of water.
Rough Estimate of OFD Revenue for Grower’s Budget:
Each grower has 6 niches on the outside of the barn with (3) movable 4 ft x 4 ft planters in each.  Each planter may be filled with 4 inch pots, gallon containers, 2.5 gallon containers or 7 gallon containers.  If (50) 1-gallon container plants are raised in each planter, and ready to market in 2 months, and grosses $8 each to the grower, grossing $3,600/mn to each grower.  If there can be found some additional outside space to grow things, each grower should have enough water left over to grow 48 decorative landscaping trees every year.  Decorative landscaping trees may sell for over $100 each, so selling one per week might just cover a grower’s weekly fuel bill for transportation.
Root Crop Tables (RCT):
Each separate section of the rootstock growing table holds 66 planting tubes.  There are 9 diagonal CCs on grade, each with 18 growing table sections.
9 @ 18 = 162.  162 / 8 = 20.25 sections for each grower.
66 tubes fit into each rootstock growing table section.
20.25 @ 66 = 1,336 rootstock planting tubes for each grower.
The approximate amount of daily water used by each grower for growing the rootstock plants should be 30 to 40 gallons per day.
Root crops can thrive in an aquaponic greenhouse, and they tend to grow best in a large container crossed by deep channels that allow the roots room to grow.  For larger crops such as potatoes, channels must be 8 inches deep, while for smaller carrots, 3 inches deep may suffice.  I would guess that only about 32 or so plants should be growing in each rootcrop growing table before becoming too overcrowded.
Beets.
Detroit Dark Red ((58/.75)-14 = 63); 365/63 = 5.8 cpy = .48 cpm
Early Wonder ((52/.75)-14 = 55); 365/55 = 6.6 cpy = .55 cpm
Lutz Green Leaf ((70/.75)-14 = 79); 365/79 = 4.6 cpy = .38 cpm
Ruby Queen ((60/.75)-14 = 66); 365/66 = 5.5 cpy = .46 cpm
Sweetheart ((58/.75)-14 = 63). 365/63 = 5.8 cpy = .48 cpm
Turnips.
Golden Ball ((60/.75)-14 = 66); 365/66 = 5.5 cpy = .46 cpm
Just Right ((60/.75)-14 = 66); 365/66 = 5.5 cpy = .46 cpm
Market Express ((38/.75)-14 = 37); 365/37 = 9.9 cpy = .83 cpm
Purple Top White Globe ((55/.75)-14 = 59); 365/59 = 6.2 cpy = .52 cpm
Royal Crown ((52/.75)-14 = 55); 365/55 = 6.6 cpy = .55 cpm
Tokyo Cross ((35/.75)-14 = 33); 365/33 = 11 cpy = .92 cpm
Kabu (turnip).
Radishes.
Burpee White ((23/.75)-14 = 17); 365/17 = 21.5 cpy = 1.8 cpm
Champion ((28/.75)-14 = 23); 365/23 = 15.9 cpy = 1.33 cpm
Cherry Belle ((22/.75)-14 = 15); 365/15 = 24.3 cpy = 2 cpm
Comet ((25/.75)-14 = 19); 365/19 = 19.2 cpy = 1.6 cpm
Early Scarlet Globe ((23/.75)-14 = 17); 365/17 = 21.5 cpy = 1.8 cpm
Easter Egg ((25/.75)-14 = 19). 365/19 = 19.2 cpy = 1.6 cpm
Onions.
Bunching: Beltsville Bunching ((65/.75)-14 = 73); 365/73 = 5 cpy = .42 cpm
Southport White Globe ((65/.75)-14 = 73); 365/73 = 5 cpy = .42 cpm
White Buching ((40/.75)-14 = 39); 365/39 = 9.4 cpy = .78 cpm
White Lisbon ((60/.75)-14 = 66). 365/66 = 5.5 cpy = .46 cpm
Carrots.
Baby Finger ((50/.75)-14 = 53); 365/53 = 6.9 cpy = .58 cpm
Danvers ((65/.75)-14 = 73); 365/73 = 5 cpy = .42 cpm
Imperator ((64/.75)-14 = 71); 365/71 = 5.1 cpy = .43 cpm
Lady Finger ((60/.75)-14 = 66); 365/66 = 5.5 cpy = .46 cpm
Scarlet Nantes ((70/.75)-14 = 79); 365/79 = 4.6 cpy = .38 cpm
Tendersweet ((60/.75)-14 = 66). 365/66 = 5.5 cpy = .46 cpm
Parsnips.
Hollow Crown ((105/.75)-14 = 126); 365/126 = 2.9 cpy = .24 cpm
All America ((120/.75)-14 = 146); 365/146 = 2.5 cpy = .21 cpm
Harris Model ((120/.75)-14 = 146). 365/146 = 2.5 cpy = .21 cpm
Lotus root.
 莲藕 (lian ou) Lotus root 莲藕 (lian ou) is the root portion of the lotus plant.  These might be better grown in the fish and settling ponds.
Taro root.
 芋头 (yu tou) Taro root [K165] is a starchy tuber.  It is a vegetable as well as a staple.  There are other ways to use taro root, only limited by the chef’s imagination; Satoimo (taro root).
Gobo (burdock root).
Nagaimo (yam).
Satsumaimo (sweet potato).

Ginseng.
A slow growing rootcrop which might be grown in the end rootcrop table without requiring grow-lights.  Fresh ginseng roots are very expensive to US customers, if found.  The plants are 3 years old.  What is currently being sold are small pills filled with a dried ginseng powder purchased from health food stores.  Half gram capsules, 60 per bottle are sold over the internet for $17/bottle, or $15/bottle if purchased in quantities of 4 or more.  A half lb bottle of ginseng powder is sold for $85.  A half lb plastic bag of whole ginseng roots sells for $66.  A 1 lb plastic bag of whole ginseng roots sells for $128.  Shipping costs are not included.  The growing of ginseng is controlled by the USDA.
Rough Estimate of RCT Revenues for Grower’s Budget:
A 10 lb bag of satsumaimo (sweet potatoes) sells online for from $18 to $37, depending on the variety, and not including shipping.  Developing a method of producing root crops hydroponically/aquaponically which increases the size of the roots or tubers would make them more desirable.
Assuming that the satsumaimo are sold retail, (3) crops per year, @ 32 plants per table, @ 18 tables = 1,728 plants/yr = 144 plants/mn, and 4 pounds of satsumaimo per plant @ $2.51/lb = $1,444/mn.
Assuming that the ginseng are sold retail, if 32 plants per table, @ 2.25 tables = 72 plants, 1/3 harvested per year = 24 plants harvested per year, harvesting 2 per month @ 16 oz per plant @ $128/lb = $256/mn.
Barn Water Budget:
30 people work in each barn, so the packaged wastewater treatment plants are each required to process up to 1,500 gallons of potable water or 100 gallons per person per day.  The processed water exiting these package plants will be then used to water outdoor flowers and possibly fruit trees via subsurface drip irrigation systems.  They may only process a small percentage of that quantity, so the minimum outflow should be used to calculate the amount of plants grown.
Uses:                                                                                                          Gallons / Day
Human Use, 3 CBP, superintendent + 2 guests ............... 600
Evaporative cooler/generators (240 @ 1 gal/hr @ 8 hr).... 1,920
Settling Ponds ............................................. 40
Each Grower (3 people):
 Human Use (showers, drinking, washing, cooking) .......... 300
 Vertical Growing Tubes (transpiration and evaporation)...  350
 Rootcrop Tables (transpiration and evaporation) ........... 50
 Germination Shelves (transpiration and evaporation) ....... 25
 Fish Pond (miscellaneous leaks and evaporation) ........... 25
 Fish Food Ponds ........................................... 25
 Miscellaneous Tanks (nutrient mixing, replacement fish) ... 25
 subtotal per grower: ..................................... 800
 @ 8 growers: ........................................... 6,400
Barn total daily water use (gallons): ................... 8,960
That’s about 1,200 cubic feet (cf) or 12 hundred cubic feet (hcf) of water per day generally going back into the atmosphere from each barn, not leaching salts into ground water or runoff.  For the Yuma area, for commercial and irrigation use outside of the city, they charge $2.18/hcf which would amount to less than $26.12 / day for total water usage per barn.  If the growers picked up the water cost and divided it among the 8 growers, that would be a little less than $3.27/day for each.  By 2019 the charge for Yuma water will increase to 2.29/hcf.  The daily water cost would then be $27.50 per day or about $3.44 per grower.
Another way of looking at this is that in Yuma, the average daily per capita customer demand for water in 2015 was 25.6 cf.  For 30 average Yuma customers taken together, their average daily per capita water use would have been 7.68 hcf.  The barn’s growers, CBP, staff and guests, each would use (@ their maximum use) 0.14 hcf more than what was typically used by each of Yuma’s average customers.  That is a much more efficient use of irrigation water when compared to any traditional irrigation growers in the border region.
Although the barns might be sited anywhere and everywhere along the border, (total number of barns which could be squeezed within the 1,959 mile long Mexico-US border length = 32K ~ providing agri-business & CBP employment and housing for 770K people.)  Barns would first be spaced out (directly centered on the line of the border) to accommodate the DHS surveillance towers, at about 3.33 miles apart.  There would need to be about 600 towers along the entire Mexican-US border.  If 27 of these were placed on the Climate Change, Experiment Station, and Experimental Greenhouse facilities, each of which were spaced at a minimum of 6 miles apart, that would leave 573 border barns spaced at about 3.33 miles apart to provide the necessary tower locations.
Barn/Grower Operations:
Expenses:
Land under barns and outside as required for security, transport, access and maintenance functions is owned by the federal governments of Mexico and US.  US should pay for about a 60 ft wide strip of private property along the border something like $131K per mile.  For 322’x60’ area along US side of barn length it would be about $8K for land cost.  To pay off the land cost in 8 years, the US barn owners might be charged a lease of something like $1400 per year, which would be redistributed to each of the 4 US growers at something like $30/month.
Ownership of the barns constructed half on US and half on Mexican property would be 50% Mexican and 50% American based on whose property the portion of the barn sits on.  Their construction costs should be equally shared.  Following does not include earthwork and surveillance equipment estimates:
(66) std ht 40 ft long CCs vertical @ $2,500 ea ............ $165.K
(15) std ht 20 ft long CCs vertical @ $1,750 ea .............. 26.K
(56) insert towers with plastic & equipt @ $3,500 ea ........ 200.K
(2) std ht 48 ft long CCs vertical @ $2,500 ea ................ 5.K
(2) hoistway lifts @ $10,000 ea............................... 20.K
(4) soil CCs @ $10K........................................... 40.K
(18) horizontal trusses, ponds, walkways @ $5K ............... 90.K
crane lifting equipment rental, hauling & labor .............. 80.K
(56) sets 5 twist anchors ea @$70 ea ......................... 20.K
(50) CY concrete @ 3 @ $100 ea + prep......................... 25.K
(112) helical earth anchors @ $400 ea ........................ 45.K
Solar panels 80KWH @ $2 / watt .............................. 160.K
(2) Battery storage banks @ $20K ............................. 40.K
Prefab interior 10 CCs @ $30K ............................... 300.K
Prefab interior 9 CCs @ $20K ................................ 180.K
(10) ponds, pumps, liners, aerators, tanks.................... 20.K
(400) vertical growing tubes @ $300.......................... 120.K
(324) rootcrop tables @ $300................................. 100.K
(1) LS planks, triangle walking surfaces .................... 100.K
(9) greenhouse roof @ $8K..................................... 72.K
(60) outside planters @ $1K................................... 60.K
Total: ...................................................... $1.9M
US half: .................................................... $1M
If their half of the barn was a US government investment property, which they leased to 4 US growers, they would want each of the 4 US growers to try to pay off their part of the US barn cost (of say $250K) over about 100 months.  The government would need to replace things that break or wear out, as well as hire a superintendent – not to mention the CBP agents, so their payback at that rate might end up being much longer than 100 months.  If you make the interest rate 4.5% and a payback of 100 months, the monthly payment becomes about $3,000.  Adding the $30 for leasing the land, and the $105 for the water, the cost comes to $3,135 per month for each grower.
Operating costs will also be higher because the 80KWH from the barn solar panels is divided among the 8 growers in the facility and of the 10 KWH to each grower, (and that amount will become more like 7.5KWH due to the fixed positions of the solar panels) might only be adequate for running water pumps, condenser pumps, and maybe some low voltage task lighting, walkway lights, and kitchen use.  Add an additional average $5K/mn for each grower for additional electrical needs for pumps, heating, fans, and cooling.  That makes $8,135 per month per grower paid to the governments.
The border region generally gets lots of sunshine, but for optimal growth, plants want about 18 hours of light every day and 6 hours of darkness.  To increase the light to the plants, provide one 8 ft GL behind each two VGT, above the rootcrop tables and within the diagonal CCs for the starter plants and sprouts.  The lights for the starter plants and sprouts will run 18 hours per day, the lights for the rootcrop tables will average about 6 hours per day, and the lights for the vertical growing tubes will be on for an average of about 4 hours per day.
Each 8 ft T5 tube burns 75 watts per hour.
Each grower has 500 GLs for VGTs, Rootcrops, and sprouting, and will run each 75W light for an average of 8 hours, = 300 KWH, costing about 10.22 cents per kWh or $30/day for $930/mn, say $1,000/mn.
(paid to governments for their solar energy generated on the border wall.)  Added to the $7,835 above = $9,135 facility lease and utility expense per month per grower paid to their government.
Labor expense:
Each grower’s VGTs and fish tanks together should average 185 hours of work needed per week combined.  The RCTs should take 10 hours of work and the sprouts 15 hours of work per week.  Besides the full time grower, two full time hands are needed to accomplish the work of each grower’s system, each paid $15/hr for 12 hours work per day for 6 days per week, amounting to $180/day each including one paid day off per week plus room and board.  The full time grower works for profits.  So monthly labor expense for each grower is $10,920 plus cost of meals.  Produce which is good to eat but doesn’t meet the eye-test for market can be used for the grower’s and hands’ food needs, but an additional $345/mn for food and other incidental costs should be added, bringing monthly expense subtotal to $20.4K/grower.
Cost of Goods Sold (COGS):
Including seeds, fertilizer, plugs, packaging, all of the direct inputs, estimate $15K per month per grower.
Costs for Regulatory Fees, Insurance, Transport and Misc:
Estimate another $5K per month per grower to cover costs for licenses, fees, transportation of goods to market, marketing, accounting, Legal, etc.  Any services needed to help run each grower’s business.  Transport is based on fuel costs for 2 trips @ 200 miles round trip twice a week.
Estimated per Grower Total Monthly Expenses: 
$40.4K.
Estimated per Grower’s Gross Monthly Receipts:
From VGTs: ........................................... $53.3K
From RCTs: ............................................ $1.7K
From Sprouts: ........................................ $14.4K
From OFDs:............................................. $4.K
From fish: ............................................ $4.K
Total estimated gross receipts per month per grower: . $77.4K
Estimated per Grower Monthly Profit:
$77.4K - $40.4K = $37K.
It is hoped that each grower can figure out ways to increase their monthly receipts by finding more lucrative specialty markets such as ginseng and dragon fruit.  With good marketing the ratio of expenses to profit for growers could achieve 40% (expenses) to 60% (profit).
Barn Ownership:
Federally Owned and Operated:
The barns could be owned directly by the two federal governments.  Like the Climate Change facility, the Experiment Stations and the Experimental Greenhouses, the barns could be joint ventures between Mexico and the US who would jointly operate them, pay their expenses, and collect and share revenues (if any) from their operation.  The federal governments could use them to produce non-commercially available plants for use in land reclamation and other projects where plant materials needed to fit into the natural landscape are not available from other sources.  Another possibility would be to operate them by prison trustees, and possibly undocumented migrants awaiting their case reviews, in order to furnish fresh produce and fish to military commissaries, remote fire fighters, federal prisons and detention camps, academies, naval ships, food stamp recipients, and to furnish to contracting producers of MREs for overseas soldiers.  The facilities may be sited on lands already held in trust by the Federal government and the barns turned over to the tribe there to grow some of their own ethnic foods.  Finally, the federal government may replenish warehoused emergency food rations for use at a time when a national emergency might be declared.  Part of the operation of each barn is to provide border security, patrolled by 3 CBP agents and 3 Mexican border guard agents who are to have access throughout the entire barn.
Federally Owned and State and Municipality Operated:
The barns would be owned directly by the two federal governments.  The (Mexican) Municipal and the (US) State governments whose land the federal governments acquired would operate them without making lease payments to the federal governments, provided their initial cost to the federal government was pretty reasonable.  The Municipalities and States, like the federal governments, have needs for food for their State prisons, for schools, and for State programs like meals on wheels, fight hunger, feeding the homeless, etc.  Prison trustees, or those entrusted by the State or Municipality to work under minimal supervision might work in the facility.  Part of the operation of each barn is still to provide federal border security, patrolled by 3 CBP agents and 2-3 Mexican border guard agents who are to have access throughout the entire barn to verify and maintain its effectiveness in controlling transnational border migration.  Since the facility would be on federal land, federal laws would take precedence.
Federally Owned and Individual Grower Operated:
The barns could be owned directly by the two federal governments but leased to growers (50% Mexican and 50% American) who would operate and collect revenues from their own operations.  Individual growers could be 4 Mexican, 4 American individual growers, to 1 Mexican and 1 American corporation, or any combination in between, provided the 50-50 ratio is kept.  Where the grower was the previous owner of the property the lease amount could be reduced appropriately, provided the sale price of their property to the government is also appropriately reduced.  If the grower is a corporation, say like a pharmaceutical, they may require secrecy in some of their operations as far as patented processes, GMOs, etc.  Although part of the operation of each barn is to provide border security, patrolled by 3 CBP agents and 2-3 Mexican border guard agents whose access throughout the barn may be required for border security, care would need to be exercised not to infringe on corporate rights to control their legal proprietary data (secrets.)
Vetting of Immigrants:
Applicants for immigration to the US might be asked to spend some time working in one of the border barns, where they may be studied and vetted over time.  This may improve the accuracy of the vetting process.















Footnote comments:

 [K1] Mexico operates what is known as a Temporary Resident Visa, intended for people who wish to live in Mexico for more than 6 months and not longer than 4 years. The Temporary Resident Visa is a renewable, long-term (>6 months) permit which gives non-immigrant temporary residency status to the holder. The visa is issued for one year, and can then be renewed for a further 1, 2, or 3 years (i.e. 1+3 = 4 years max); this visa can optionally give work permissions, and allows unlimited entries to, and exits from, Mexico. This means that it gives a person holding the permit the right to live in Mexico for up to 4 years under terms as set out in the visa.
 [K2] A few decades ago, early, on a weekday morning on the Mexico-US border of San Luis, just south of Yuma, I witnessed about a dozen or more yellow school busses parked in the lot to the west of the border crossing station, with loads of Mexican children climbing aboard.  Doubtless, these children were brought back to the parking lot every afternoon at the end of school.  None of these children went through a CBP check.  There was a substantial fence there, two layers deep now?  There was a small gap between the guard station and the fence, presumably to let the guard station get re-sided, or maybe washed, where I saw a couple Mexican lads squeeze through just to avoid the waiting line inside the guard station.  They must have had low body fat because that gap was not big.  They were laughing out loud together like “no big thing” and also were not bringing in anything noticeable with them.  Pedestrians and cars from south of the border were crossing daily into the US there also, maybe to work in Yuma as day laborers?  San Luis Rio Colorado was (is?) a bedroom community of Yuma, just as other bedroom communities exist across the rest of the US.  Some daily commutes within the US take much longer than the border crossing there, like the train ride from Connecticut or even Albany, NY into the city, or the LA freeway commute.
 [K3] Most applicants applying for a non-immigrant visa are temporary visitors coming to the United States for business or pleasure. “B-1” visas are issued to temporary visitors for business and short-term training; “B-2” visas are issued to temporary visitors for pleasure. Most Mexican nationals are issued a combined Border Crossing Card and B-1/B-2 visa either in the form of a card (BCC/Laser Visa) or a foil affixed to their Mexican passport (BBBCV).
 [K4] Political boundaries are boundaries that have been set through conquest, earlier partition of an older state or kingdom or empire, or any number of man-caused events that ended with a settlement in which the various parties involved came together and agreed upon a settled border or area of demarcation between two or more states.
 [K5] France did not extend the Maginot line to the English Channel because it did not want to offend neutral Belgium.  If France had extended the line it might have taken Hitler more than 6 weeks to defeat them.
 [K6] The political boundary belongs to the nations on both sides of the boundary.  Boundaries are shared resources, whether imaginary lines, natural barriers, or man made out of concrete and steel.  The boundary serves both nations.
 [K7]It took about three weeks for the USSR to halt Hitler’s armies outside Moscow at great cost.  Hitler’s blitzkrieg was stopped by 300,000 women and children of Moscow who dug the necessary physical barriers by hand (tank traps and redoubts) capable of halting Hitler’s mechanized armored spear point and providing effective defilade for Stalin’s artillery.
 [K8] In 1882 not many Jews lived in Palestine.  Five waves of Jewish immigration between 1882 and 1939 changed their cohabitation of Palestine from friendly to angry on the part of the Palestinian Arabs, whose absentee Arab landlords sold their properties to the Jews. The Palestinian Arabs who were paid less and had fewer employment opportunities than the illegal Jewish immigrants, grew in their resentment as Jewish numbers increased.
 [K9] Israel maintained military control over the WB and took unused lands to make settlements for more and more Jews coming to Israel from around the world.  1/6th of the settlers in the WB were illegal immigrant Americans.
 [K10] Up until then, Israel was seen as a tiny, brave nation surrounded by hostile Arab nations.  Palestinians won the first intifada because they carefully presented themselves as victims of a vastly superior Israeli military.  Avoiding the use of weapons other than the stone, and taking full advantage of the television camera, the Palestinians transformed Israel's image into that of an oppressive state that condoned the murder of little children in the street.
 [K11] This time PLO resorted to violence, including suicide bombers, and gave up their power of weakness.  This time Arafat and the radical elements in the PLO “supported” Israel’s effort because their suicide bombing campaign gave Israel the moral authority for complete freedom of action.  In 4GW, what seems weak is strong and what seems strong is weak.
 [K12] Some people who may be under more stress in their daily lives than they can handle (young men with no work, and no perceived future, seeking to impress women and each other?), can be triggered by perceived ethnic slights into cruel vengeful acts of violence, even while knowing they will receive severe punishment.  A good barrier can slow the spread of such inclinations towards violence currently found in Mexico from spilling over into the US.  Some Mexicans from concealed positions inside of Mexico have been reportedly shooting at US police, CBP, and ranchers, knowing they (the snipers) are politically immune from punishment by the US.  Maybe it is a planned attack aimed at triggering a violent response by us in order to fan it into a PR incident, counting coup for the MSM?
The same seems true of many of the efforts of the Soros-funded activists such as La Raza, and those black-hooded vandals of the college campuses and downtown riots, the BLM rioters, the violence-professing college professors, the leftist-leaning MSM.
BO’s arming of the Mexican drug cartels with “fast and furious” and the democratic politicians currently encouraging their base to “resist” are two other examples tied to the wicked incitement of ethnic instability for political gain.
Brain-washed (or paid off) communist minions hoping to incite a general insurrection amongst the majority Hispanics for political instability and their own gain.  Inciting angst and division amongst the ethnicities to destabilize society is the beginning of 4GW.  Saul Alinsky, who learned from his one-time employer Al Capone’s “Enforcer” Frank Nitti, how to use violence to obtain political ends, was the mentor of the current DNC’s leadership.
 [K13] These inspectors had broader arrest authority.  They mostly pursued Chinese immigrants who tried to avoid the US “Chinese exclusion” laws.  These patrolmen were “Immigrant Inspectors”, assigned to inspection stations.  They could not watch the border at all times.
 [K14] Officers were quickly recruited for the new positions, and the BP expanded to 450 officers.  The US provided the agents with a badge and revolver.  Recruits furnished their own horse and saddle.  The US supplied oats and hay for the horses and a $1,680 annual salary for the agents.  Agents got uniforms in 1928.
 [K15] The first BP Academy opened as a training school at Camp Chigas, El Paso, in 1934.  Although horses remained the transportation of choice for many years, by 1935, the BP began using motorized vehicles with radios.  Rugged terrain and the need for quick, quiet transportation guaranteed that horses would remain essential transportation to the BP even to the present day.
 [K16] An added 712 agents and 57 auxiliary personnel brought the force to 1,531 officers.  Over 1,400 people were employed by the BP in law enforcement and civilian positions by the end of WWII.  During the war, the BP provided tighter control of the border, manned alien detention camps, guarded diplomats, and assisted the Coast Guard searching for Axis saboteurs.
 [K17] The Act governed primarily immigration to and citizenship in the US.  This Act unified statutes of the 1917 and 1924 Acts governing immigration law and organized them into one body.  BP agents could then board and search any conveyance for illegal immigrants anywhere in the US.
 [K18] BP began expelling adult Mexican males by boatlift from Port Isabel, Texas, to Vera Cruz in late 1954.  Repatriation programs proved expensive and were ended because of cost.
 [K19]  During the Cuban missile crisis of the early 1960s, Cuban defectors living in Florida flew aircraft out over the ocean in an effort to harass their former homeland.  US made this harassment illegal, and assigned BP to prevent unauthorized flights.  BP added 155 officers, but discharged 122 of them when the missile crisis ended in 1963.

 [K20] The Hart–Celler Act abolished the quota system based on national origins that had been American immigration policy since the 1920s.  This Act was to change the US immigration policy conform to the immigration policies set out by the UN.  The 1965 Act marked a change from past US policy which had preferred northern European immigrants who were more easily assimilated into, and who were more compatible with the cultural values of the US (Western Christian cultural values ~ equality before the law, innocent until proven guilty, government of laws and not of men, property rights, the sanctity of contract, personal honor, respect for women, etc.)
In removing racial and national barriers the Act significantly altered the demographic mix in the US.  Hart–Celler maintained the per-country limits, but also created preference visa categories that focused on immigrants' skills and family relationships with citizens or US residents.  The bill set numerical restrictions on visas at 170,000 per year, with a per-country-of-origin quota.  However, immediate relatives of US citizens and "special immigrants" had no restrictions.
 [K21] Infrared night-vision scopes, seismic sensors, and a modern computer processing system helped the BP locate, apprehend, and process those crossing into the US illegally.
 [K22] Agents and technology were concentrated in specific areas, providing a "show of force" to potential illegal border crossers.
 [K23] A defined national strategic plan was introduced alongside Operation Gatekeeper and set out a plan of action for the BP into the future.  With illegal entries at a more manageable level, BP was able to concentrate on other areas, such as establishing anti-smuggling units and search and rescue teams such as BORSTAR.
 [K24] Funding requests and enforcement proposals were reconsidered as lawmakers began reassessing how our nation's borders must be monitored and protected.
 [K25] That 1989 mile number does not make sense when you just count up the individual sections.  1,255 + 534 + 24 + 141 = 1,954, not 1,989.  Where did the other 35 miles go?  Also of interest was the 1933-1938 Rio Grande Rectification Project which straightened a stretch of the river, reducing its length from 155.2 miles to 85.6 miles.  If such a reduction ratio could hold for the rest of the Rio, then the existing stretch of 1,255 miles could be reduced to about 692 miles.  That would reduce the total Mexican-US continental border to about 1,391 miles.
 [K26] This treaty’s “border region” extends 37 miles to the north, 37 miles south, 37 miles east out into the Gulf of Mexico and 37 miles west out into the Pacific.
 [K27] By 2009, CBP reported that it had over 580 miles of man-made barriers in place.  Existing constructed physical barrier inventory is said by DHS to be over 700 miles today, and is expected to be both increased and improved by DJT’s Administration, if funded.
 [K28] For example, the boundary between France and Spain follows the peaks of the Pyrenees, the boundary between Chile and Argentina - the peaks of the Andes, while the Alps separate France from Italy.
 [K29] The initial cause for the barrier’s development was to protect the fragile environment and wildlife of the NPS from the damage and disease brought by migrating animals into the Organ Cactus Reserve east of Yuma.  Later US policy expanded border fencing for human migration and national security.
 [K30] The US Army called for volunteers for their expedition.  My family’s relative was 106 years old at the time, and according to a newspaper report of the day tried to sign up to serve in the US Army for the expedition.  They thanked him but were sorry that the old timer was past their upper age limit.  The newspaper said he was suffering from dementia.  He lived another 3 years.
 [K31] Mexico’s failure to match the US level of effort to enforce the border may have been because of the drug gangs and organized crime which are so prevalent throughout Mexico today, were already corrupting the Mexican government by the late 1960s - early 1970s.
 [K32] The state of the existing barriers caused both ranchers and public institutions problems with protecting their properties from the ravages of illegal border crossers, to also defending their very lives against increasingly militarized coyotes and narco-terrorist insurgents, not to mention providing humanitarian aid to undocumented migrants when left stranded to die in the desert by Mexico’s human trafficking coyotes.
 [K33] SBInet replaced two former programs, America’s Shield Initiative and the Integrated Surveillance Intelligence System.  Both of these programs had similar goals, but were scrapped due to bad management and the failure of equipment performance.  DHS decided instead to have development of SBInet managed by a single private contractor.  Boeing was required to design, develop, test, integrate, deploy, document and maintain the optimum mix of personnel, technology, infrastructure, and response capability to defend the northern and southern borders.
Boeing was to manage every aspect of the implementation of SBInet; their job even included such things as recommending new paradigms for the way CBP agents operate, training maintenance personnel to repair their products, and guiding construction of facilities to house additional CBP offices required for SBInet.  Additionally, Boeing was required to integrate their program into existing infrastructure and equipment systems wherever possible.  A pilot section of SBInet was required to be completed and operating within 8 months after contract signing, but Boeing missed its deadline for delivery.  Boeing had subcontracted out most of the design, development, implementation, and maintenance of the program, while handling the management themselves.  Some subcontractors missed their target deadlines, delaying the overall pilot program completion date.
 [K34] PDAs were to have finger print identification technology, allowing CBP agents to identify an individual at the interdiction site immediately and view and control tower cameras from their PDA.  In addition, CBP agents were given laptops in the patrol car that would provide them information needed to safely approach any given threat.
 [K35] Janice Kephart of the Center for Immigration Studies defended SBINet, writing, "SBInet is still operational where it was deployed, despite the widespread notion that the light switch was turned off on both the Tucson and Ajo sectors due to cancellation.  The reason SBInet is still operating is because it works."
SBInet might have also been cancelled because its efficacy might have had a negative impact on democratic~party voting block numbers.
 [K36] Spanish language speakers of the period heard a lot of US people singing a popular song of the day “green grows the lilacs…” which was just nonsense sounds to them.  “Green-grows” or “gringos” stuck as a mild racial epithet.
 [K37] A cotton company executive wrote then 28th POTUS WW, “Personally, I believe that the Mexican laborers are the solution to our common labor problem in this country.  Many of their people are here, this was once part of their country, and they can and they will do the work.”
 [K38] Thousands of agents were dispatched to the Mexican border, stopping illegal immigration by car for the first time.
 [K39] It was projected to cost $39M and reduce border apprehensions from 100,000 per day to 5,000 per day for those 13 miles.
 [K40] Illegal immigrants shifted away from traditional crossings into privately held land, causing landowners to fence their property.
 [K41] 34-year old Faustino Romero Zepeda, from Mexico, was arrested and “deported” for illegally doing business on tribal land in the US and was barred from entering the US for five years.
 [K42] Everyone now shows international travel documents when crossing by car or plane.  US announced that a section of the barrier had been wrongly sited and had to be removed and relocated.
 [K43] If the US welfare state did not provide “free stuff” to undocumented migrants coming for welfare instead of work, the numbers of illegal migrant welfare cases would decrease.  Those who enter the US to do major criminal activities hide among the much larger number of border crossers.  Decreasing the total number would make spotting and arresting the organized criminal gang members much easier.
 [K44] To take marketplaces within the US from their competition, Hispanic (as well as all other ethnicities) drug gangs advertise their competitive strength by being as vicious as possible.  Their targeting of police shows rival gangs they are not to be ‘messed with’.
 [K45] … such as the right to expect that the US corporations to care for their air and water – that they not be polluted or overused…
 [K46] It would be interesting to determine the success vs amount of money the Netherlands spends on their narcotics “treatment” programs and compare that to the US methadone programs…

 [K47] Or, if the US had the political will to further increase the surveillance state, to occasionally surprise blood test (or hair sample or breath test) all US residents and to quickly and efficiently execute recreational and habitual illicit drug users, the demand for illicit drugs would decrease.
 [K48] The CIA has been alleged to be involved in the importation and distribution of illicit drugs into the US.  They allegedly used the drug profits to fund their black ops.  The drug war was also allegedly used to eliminate competition to the CIA’s own distribution network.  US military involvement in Afghanistan was also reported to be in order to return the farmers there to growing the poppies for the international heroin trade of which the CIA is allegedly a part.  After Russia left, the Taliban stopped poppy production.  To re-establish the opium supply the US military invaded to overthrow the Taliban in favor of the rule of northern Afghani drug lords.  The US Military is currently protecting and guarding the farmers’ growing poppy fields for harvest.  The Taliban now compete because it is morally OK for them to sell the opium to hurt the nation of the American invaders.
 [K49] Add some fines or community service maybe?
 [K50] Just a thought, but the protection of the culture of our founders is the real “wall” needing to be built throughout our nation, separating us from our enemy which works against both the greatness of America and the greatness of God.  Each of us need to keep – or rebuild - that moral wall within us.  We are each the restrainer of God’s enemy who seeks to reside within us.  Where our own walls need rebuilding, that is where we must start.  MAGA cannot happen until a better morality among our people is promoted and successfully returns.  Psychologists may pooh-pooh it all they want, but eliminating the kakistocracy from positions of leadership in our nation is the greatest benefit of all DJT is doing for us.
 [K51] The stated policy of DJT's executive branch is to:
“(a) secure the southern border of the United States through the immediate construction of a physical wall on the southern border, monitored and supported by adequate personnel so as to prevent illegal immigration, drug and human trafficking, and acts of terrorism;
“(b) detain individuals apprehended on suspicion of violating Federal or State law, including Federal immigration law, pending further proceedings regarding those violations;
“(c) expedite determinations of apprehended individuals' claims of eligibility to remain in the United States;
“(d) remove promptly those individuals whose legal claims to remain in the United States have been lawfully rejected, after any appropriate civil or criminal sanctions have been imposed;
“(e) cooperate fully with States and local law enforcement in enacting Federal-State partnerships to enforce Federal immigration priorities, as well as State monitoring and detention programs that are consistent with Federal law and do not undermine Federal immigration priorities.”
 [K52] The "parole and asylum" provisions used to prevent the removal of illegal aliens is to be discontinued.  DHS will ensure that Federal immigration laws are not exploited to prevent the removal of illegal aliens.  DHS will ensure that credible and reasonable fear determinations are consistent with plain language.  DHS will parole illegal immigrants, on a case-by-case basis and in accordance with the plain language of the statute, and only when the individual demonstrates good reasons for such parole.  DHS will ensure that illegal alien children are processed, receive care and placement while in custody, and safely repatriated.
 [K53] Federal foreign aid (bilateral and multilateral development, economic assistance, humanitarian, and military aid) to Mexico for the past 5 years was supposed to be reported by the heads of all the federal agencies and departments to the State Department by now, who were to report to DJT.
 [K54] The treaty made the US pay $15M to Mexico and the US also paid off claims of US citizens against Mexico of up to $3.25M.  It made the Rio Grande as a boundary for Texas, and gave the US ownership of California and a large area comprising roughly half of New Mexico, most of Arizona, Nevada, and Utah, and parts of Wyoming and Colorado.
 [K55] The Senate modified Article IX, changing the first paragraph and excluding the last two. Among the changes was that Mexican citizens would "be admitted at the proper time (to be judged of by the Congress of the United States)" instead of "admitted as soon as possible", as negotiated between Trist and the Mexican delegation.
 [K56] After February of 1849, many of the ill-treated, dispossessed new US citizens then crossed the new border back into Mexico.  Assuming Congress acted in a timely manner, under the treaty of GH, they would still have the status of US citizens, because they did not formally renounce their US citizenship.
 [K57] If half of the 72,000, or 36,000 people moved back and forth between Mexico and the US, 169 years = 8 generations and with the average fertility rate of 7.3 children to Hispanic mothers in 1960 which did not slow much until these last few years….  If everything was optimal, the population rate would increase at about 2.5 times the initial number per generation, so the total effected number could be up to about 55M people.
 [K58] What is the real (DNA and genealogy) status of the 11M to 40M illegal migrant Mexicans in the US whose ancestors may well have lived here at the time of the GH Treaty, giving them US citizenship under the Treaty terms, as well as another 20M to 40M Mexicans in Mexican border states whose ancestors also may well have lived here at the time of the GH Treaty, also giving them US citizenship too?  How many migrants really are illegal, and how many have legal US citizenship under the terms of the GH Treaty?  The US government really should work together with the government of Mexico to get their peoples’ citizenship status right, rather than assume that the NAU will eventually make the point moot point.
 [K59] The Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), enacted November 6, 1986, required employers attest to their employees' immigration status; made it illegal for them to hire illegal immigrants knowingly; legalized certain seasonal agricultural illegal immigrants, and; gave green cards to 3M illegal immigrants who entered the US before January 1, 1982 and had resided in the US continuously with the penalty of a fine, back taxes due, and admission of guilt; candidates were required to prove that they were not guilty of crimes, and that they possessed some knowledge of US history, government, and English language.
 [K60] Being “sanctuary” States and localities is also about political pandering to special interest groups by the local political elitists, and to businesses and industries continuing to abuse the illegal immigrants’ residence status against them, to increase their own business profits, at least enough to keep from going broke within such fiscally irresponsible jurisdictions.
 [K61] US treatment of undocumented resident Mexicans must be considered prejudicial until the US determines whether they have a legal right to be here, or not.
 [K62] The Great Wall of China is 13,000 miles long and the Berlin Wall was 96 miles long.  The 440 mile long Israeli West Bank barrier is also a security barrier against terrorism.
 [K63] DJT said in 2015:
"You know, the Great Wall of China, built a long time ago, is 13,000 miles.  I mean, you're talking about big stuff.  We're talking about peanuts, by comparison to that."
 [K64] Other estimates are higher.  The existing border fence cost about $2.4B.  Building the rest of it would cost between $15B and $25B, with an annual maintenance cost of $700M, according to an estimate by Marc Rosenblum, deputy director of US Immigration Policy Program at the Migration Policy Institute, cited in a report in 2016.
 [K65] Lawmakers will consider a supplemental funding package that will contain some combination of defense and border security funds.  GOP leaders have been told that the spending has to have a way to pay for it.
 [K66] DJT administration will have to deal with the border treaty with Mexico that limits where and how structures may be built along the border.  The 1970 treaty required that structures cannot disrupt the flow of the rivers, which define the US-Mexican border along Texas and 24 miles in Arizona.
 [K67] During the government’s call for proposals, Gleason Partners, a small, Las Vegas-based construction-supply firm proposed building a wall of cement, steel, and solar panels.  Each mile of wall would cost $7.5M, with each mile generating 2 Megawatts (MW) of electricity.  This power could then be sold and fed into the electrical grid on both sides of the border.  The cost of electricity to Yuma, AZ customers is between 11 and 12¢ per kWh, making the mile of solar paneled wall able to earn about $1,750 to $2,000 per day, if it received retail value.
Ignoring overcast sky losses, debt service and maintenance, the mile of wall would earn a little over $57K per month.  If the cost of the fence quoted above ($7.5M) is borrowed at a 4.5% loan rate for a 30 year loan the required monthly payment would be $38K.  The $19K per mile of fence left over per month after paying debt service, could be used to pay towards the maintenance of the fence as well as towards the added cost of border agents, detention facilities, etc.
 [K68]  One of DJT's key focuses has been ending "catch and release," where undocumented migrant criminals who are apprehended and processed are released back into the US on parole pending further court proceedings.  Released criminals then often commit more crime within the communities.  DJT vowed to end that policy, needing more places to securely detain these criminals.
 [K69] DJT may introduce business acumen to government hiring practices to reduce some of the problems existing in the big government culture there.  The slow rate of hiring border agents has been a problem of the agency.  Anti-corruption laws require border agents to pass polygraph tests to find the less corruptible of candidates.  Even the entrance exam is a barrier, as 40% of applicants failed to show up or schedule one.  It has been difficult finding qualified people who want to work in remote border regions.  Perhaps they might ask past Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio to help find suitable candidates?
 [K70] The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the block, but the SCOTUS unanimously overturned the lower courts blockade of DJT's EOs while they have also agreed to try those cases involving his EOs.
 [K71] DHS memo says that there may be some kind of facility set up south of the border so that the proceedings could be carried out remotely via teleconference.  In a Q&A on the new policy, DHS said it was working with the Mexican government.  The memo addressed legal and practical caveats, saying the policy will be applied “consistent with the law and US international treaty obligations” and “to the extent appropriate and reasonably practicable.”
 [K72] Only those personal plane fly-overs which not only file flight plans with the FAA but also receive written permission from DHS, allowing the private plane owners to fly across the border following the specific time and place of the approved border crossing.  As would occur in overflights of highly restricted top secret military bases, violators such as smugglers attempting to fly across the US border without permission could be given radio warnings in several languages to turn back first, then covered by search lights as a secondary warning, and then shot down.
 [K73] It is probable that Mr Rosenblum was not looking at just the construction cost from lowest price solutions.  The Gleason and DJT estimates may not have included land acquisition cost and legal battle costs.  Also, building a 40-50 ft tall continuous wall out of concrete, bricks or CMU and mortar in some of the most inhospitable building sites, plus add enough solar panels to provide 2 MW per mile (380 watts/lf) at $2/watt or more, perhaps construction costs estimated by Rosenblum make sense.
 [K74] In school my friends and I used to play a “what else could this be used for?” game, laughing and holding up anything at hand and saying all the adaptive reuse possibilities…  Maybe if we all look about we can find other elements which might be useful to constructing a border barrier?
 [K75] These containers are being replaced by shippers with high cube containers which are 9.5 ft high.  Now there are lots of 8.5 ft high CCs for sale at very good prices.  Also, if the US brings back manufacturing into the US there ought to be additional CCs which would otherwise only be clogging up the ports storage yards.  With their corrugated sides they do not provide good aerodynamics for use as trucking containers (increasing drag and fuel consumption over smooth sided containers by 10%.)
 [K76] Assuming the number of cargo containers sitting unused in American ports are in the neighborhood of 45M, there are many times the number of shipping containers needed that are existing and sitting available to construct a 40-50 ft tall southern border barrier.
 [K77] Cargo container twistlock anchors are designed to hold loaded cargo containers steady on board container ships in rough seas and weather, so they should be adequate for land-based applications bolted into concrete footings…
 [K78] I ignored the required dirtwork as figuring the topography, lengths and cost differences between solid rock and sand, goes beyond my meager abilities…
 [K79] If the barrier gets covered with graffiti, maybe that could be a good place for people who receive government welfare and are now required to work for it may provide the labor to remove the graffiti or paint over it?
 [K80] Tops of CCs need to be placed to level.  That limits their applicability to those areas which have not previously been fenced.  Solid and discontinuous rock with very steep topography costs too much to create the stepped foundations needed.  Where occasionally needed, stepped foundations may provide for grade changes when it is more economical than cutting or filling the existing grade.  Where horizontally adjacent CCs offset vertically, add welded-on twistlock anchors and receivers for horizontal attachments.  To reduce the size of individual foundation steps at grade changes reduce the length of CCs from 40 to 20 or 10 ft.
 [K81] Removal of portions of mountains without having to worry about finding places to put spoil piles nor having to make environmental impact statements about placing such spoil piles on fragile natural landscapes, and instead filling CCs would be limited by the weight limit of CCs rather than volume, but would still be beneficial.
 [K82] Place resulting material that has been turned into compost-planting mix within modified CCs and delivered back to growers’ barns.
 [K83] For example, an EIFS system adding insulation and stucco or adobe appearance could be done for about $500/lf of full barrier height per side.
 [K84] CCs would be secure hard-wired with interconnected video, video conferencing, computer, telecom and other equipment as needed.  Tower systems could be mounted atop a stacked CC wall, similar to those proposed for SBInet system towers.  CCs used for security personnel space could be tipped up and a scaffold construction lowered in which would contain all insulation, room finishes, dividers, doors, plumbing, equipment, wiring, etc. before CC placement in the wall.
 [K85] If adequate ramps were provided atop the border barrier at level changes, CBP agents would be able to use motorized vehicles to quickly move along the top of the barrier to nab those attempting to scale their way across it.  Otherwise, if welfare recipients could be used as additional eyes atop the wall, then even wheelchairs or mobility scooters could transit along the top of the wall when using ramps at vertical offsets.
 [K86] The security wiring and solar panel electrical wiring along the border barrier needs to accessible to the CBP security staff and solar power electrical engineers.  These utilities, as well as water pipelines could be placed within a continuous utilidor running the length of the border.
 [K87] Federal property not subject to State and local community property and other taxes might also make it possible to provide rudimentary housing for the otherwise homeless?  The DHS border facility might also be able to provide benefits to other agencies’ clients as well.  CBP could inspect premises on demand to ensure that the security of the border is maintained, or less-invasive technology might be used as noted above.
 [K88] Just as the salinity of the Colorado required the US to provide many water treatment and desalination facilities (some of which are currently reaching the end of their useful life while some sit idle) in order to ensure the water quality of the Colorado flowing into Mexico per treaty requirements, so the Rio Concho is increasing in salinity.  Together with the salinity from the Pecos river the bank salinity of the Rio Grande downstream of El Paso has become extremely high.
 [K89] Water availability is getting more and more critical and portends big problems not only for the future of food production by the corporate and individual growers in this region, but also for fragile natural landscape ecosystems here.  And climate change problems are certainly not going to be limited to only the border regions…
 [K90] Solutions are needed by both Mexico and the US now, even if climate change does not cause the expected devastation by itself, since the region’s existing aquifers have already been heavily over-drafted.  And, even though Mexico is much more centrally planned, and the US is supposed to be less so, there should be interest in collaborating on joint ventures working towards solutions to our shared problems.  Not only between the central governments of the two nations, but between the individual States, adjacent cities, towns, local communities, businesses and individual ranches and farms on either side of the border.
 [K91] About 80% percent of globally cultivated land is done by dryland farming, amounting to 60% of world food production.  Using methods to enhance efficient and creative water use in dryland agriculture has the potential to increase production.  Productivity of irrigated land is more than three times that of unirrigated land.  Around 40% of the world’s food is produced on the 20% of land which is irrigated.  The monetary value of the yield of irrigated crops is more than 6 times that of unirrigated crops because crops with higher market values tend to be grown on irrigated land.
 [K92] Today, when a person straddles a political borderline, part of their body is in one nation or state and the other part of their body is in another.  There is an infinitesimal part of their body that is in both nations at once.  What if that width was slightly widened?  Where people within a wider borderline could be considered to be in both nations at the same time.  The political borderline would still bisect a wider borderline, but being within the borderline facility would be like being within an embassy within another nation, for both nations.
 [K93] Two nations’ heads are better than one.  Another truism might be that just as with human health, the earth’s biosystems require proper hydration.
 [K94] Those US people working in this facility will be required to learn conversational Spanish, while those from Mexico would learn conversational English prior to their being stationed here.  By working and living together the common concerns of the bordering nations as well and their differences can be better appreciated by those making laws and regulations for their own nations but which effect the success on the operations of each other’s nation.
 [K95] Growers with better water conserving techniques must be given the opportunity to compete with existing growers (with water use permits) since water resources are already tight.
 [K96] Where border barns, using highly water conserving practices, are starting up and need the assurance of a steady market, the federal governments will provide a floor, or base, market price for the growers, so they can have a period of time to gradually develop their own markets.  Products purchased from the growers can be processed for long term storage, as well as delivered for feeding prisoners, food stamp recipients and others.
 [K97] All of the joint venture facilities, as well as all commercial facilities designed to serve both the Mexican and US border regions would be built directly on the border, and would thus also serve as part of the border barrier.
 [K98] Three on the border between California and Baja California, spread out but centered on distinct climate regions/ecosystems along the border; four on the border between Sonora and Arizona, similarly spread out; and locate two on the border of Chihuahua and New Mexico.  Assume four facilities would also be placed in Texas, Coahuila and Tamaulipas on either side of the river with immigration controlled bridges to the adjacent country (as long as they don’t interfere with the flow or quality of the river).
 [K99]Study, classroom, and sleeping facilities would be provided for boarding of vetted professional scientists, department staff, political science and environmental major college students and professors, from both Mexico and US, especially those from the border region, who do volunteer or minimum wage work in the facilities.  Unless grant-funded for doing specific projects within specific regions, educational staff and students might be rotated through all experiment stations to get a better idea of the commonalities and specificities of climate change effects on each border region by hands-on experience in them.
 [K100] Silvaculture, including the analysis of climate change on aquatic life as well as the microbiology of sediments would be part of all experiment station studies, but more so for those stations along the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo del Norte.  Modification of raw data to suit model predictions would not be allowed.  Sensors will be laboratory calibrated annually in accordance with their manufacturers’ instructions to reflect temperatures or other intended data as accurately as possible.
 [K101] Example, after testing in the lab, if the experiment station wished to distribute a proposed soil microorganism over a native habitat test area of a previously damaged ecosystem to see if it could improve or restore it as modelled and shown in the lab, and provided a workable method to again remove that microorganism without further damage to the other biota of the test area, it would then propose the procedure to the proper department personnel within the climate change facility who would make arrangements perhaps for a USAF, NPS or NFS spray plane to undergo thorough cleaning of its tanks, loading with the microorganism mixture, and oversee its application to the test area.  The experiment station lab would then carefully monitor and examine the results for unexpected consequences.  An airport runway would be a good thing to have adjacent to each facility.
 [K102] Study H+-ATP processing in native plants vs market crops.  Look at differences in how guard cells respond to environmental cues; stoma density; stoma diameter during transpiration H2O vapor drive out & CO2 intake; cuticle thickness; boundary air films and hairiness of leaves and stems; differences in photosynthesis; differences in structures of typical tissues involved in transporting H2O from roots to the leaves, etc.  If plants typically transpire 99% of water for cooling without incorporating nutrients to grow the plant, can that ratio be changed?  If plants were cooled by other means could water use become more efficient?
 [K103] Also, these facilities should work with the FDA, Fish & Wildlife, and other Federal, state and municipal departments responsible for vector control, who may control what growers are allowed to plant as well as import and export, or which ranchers may raise as well as import and export.
 [K104] Prior to working within experimental greenhouses, personnel whose first language is English will learn conversational as well as written Spanish and personnel whose native language is Spanish will learn conversational as well as written English.  Part of the functioning of these experimental greenhouses is to share as many findings with our nation’s neighbors as practicable.  Also, to function as smoothly as practicable, it will be important for personnel to cooperate with each other in the operations of the facility.  It is also hoped that the people from each nation might acquire consciousness and concern for the ethnic backgrounds of each other and gain appreciation and understanding for the lives of those from the other side of the border.
 [K105] Also, the experimental greenhouses may do work for other agencies such as BREC, BLM, NPS, etc., whose remediation procedures for work done on and adjacent to natural landscapes require updating to account for climate change.
 [K106] For example, some systems are now solar powered and tubing materials have changed.  There are many styles of drip inserts which can be incorporated into the hoses and soaker hose segments can also be used.
 [K107] Drip systems are more suitable for high value vegetable gardens than for grain crops.  Care needs to be taken to avoid build-up of salts in drip-system soils.  Within the last two decades, the area irrigated using drip and other micro-irrigation methods has increased more than six-fold, to over 10M hectares.
 [K108] As an example, researchers have improved cassava varieties over the past four decades which can increase yields two to four-fold over traditional varieties.  Traditional millets require little water and can grow in poor soils without any synthetic fertilizers.  Millet is a heat resistant crop which has high calcium and fiber content as well as essential amino acids.  In addition, drought tolerant crop seeds are available both through biotechnology and from native seed varieties.  Examples of drought tolerant seeds available today include corn, rice, and cotton.  Just as importantly, there are flood resistant rice seeds available.
 [K109] SRI methodology is based on four principles:
● Establish healthy plants early and carefully, nurturing their root potential.
● Reduce plant populations, giving each plant more room to grow above and below ground and room to capture sunlight and obtain nutrients.
● Enrich the soil with organic matter, keeping it well-aerated to support better growth of roots and more aerobic soil biota.
● Apply water purposefully in ways that favor plant-root and soil-microbial growth, avoiding flooded (anaerobic) soil conditions.
 [K110] Farmers using the system are encouraged to practice crop rotation with legumes.  These practices together lengthen the growing season and improve the soil’s structure, fertility, and moisture retention.  They improve crop growing in both droughts and floods.  Average maize yields have increased five-fold in Namibia since using this system.  This method of rainwater harvesting especially aids in regions where soil is dry, solid, and crusty. Whereas the rain previously ran off, now it soaks into the ground right where it is needed to grow the crop.
 [K111] Leaks can be detected and flow determined by use of acoustic equipment.
 [K112] If a subsurface drip irrigation system costs $1,000 to $2,000 per acre and lasts 12 - 15 years, or up to 20 years with good maintenance, so if the currently prevalent center pivots last 20 to 25 years, these subsurface systems must last 10 - 15 years to be economically competitive.
 [K113] Other than black plastic film, which can only be used one season, black woven landscape cloth is often used, which can be reused up to seven years.  Organic mulches such as straw, hay, grass clippings, pine needles, and leaves also conserve moisture. These organic mulches add organic matter to the soil after they decompose. One needs to pay attention how different organic mulches can change the soil chemistry, however.  Finally, green living mulches, or cover crops, can help to conserve moisture -if the right cover crop is used for the right agricultural crop- given its soil and climate conditions.
 [K114] A hand pump can be installed in sand dams to access the deeper, stored, clean water.  Fruit and other trees can be planted near the dams and grass can be added for erosion control.  To construct the dams, workers line up to dig a deep trench which is filled with concrete and the rainy season backfills the new wall with sand over several rainy seasons.  These walls might be 90 meters long and 2-4 meters high.  Located across small rivers which stop flowing in the dry season, the sand becomes about 40% saturated with water and can hold 2 to 10 million liters.
 [K115] These are often discarded at construction sites.  You first need to drill one or two 1/32 inch or smaller holes towards one side of the bottom of the bucket.  Set it next to your small tree and fill with water every 1 to 2 weeks.  You may move it to the opposite side of the tree each time you refill it.  Or, you can connect a small tube from the bucket into the soil to slowly irrigate.  Gravity does the remainder of the work for you.  If you have a row of seedling trees for a new windbreak, you can refill your water buckets from a tractor water tank if you have one.
 [K116] Pastures have reduced soil and fertilizer run off compared to cropped fields and barnyard herds.  The animals hooves help break up the soil surface allowing better water penetration and their manure fertilizes the plants and makes healthy microbial life in the pasture soils.  The input costs for the farmer are low and he or she sells “grass” in the form of meat on the hoof.
 [K117] When rain falls, the organic soils absorb the water instead of running off the surface and taking soil with it.  During periods of drought, healthy crop roots can access the stored water present in the organic field soils.  And by practicing crop rotation, soil retains more water, reducing erosion and the need for irrigation.
 [K118] Sheep are drought tolerant.  During the cooler season sheep require little or no supplemental water beyond their forage intake.  Navajo-Churro Sheep are a drought-resistant breed which is tolerant of temperature extremes and can subsist on marginal forage with minimal grain.  Dorper sheep (see photo above) is a hardy, popular breed in South Africa.  Originating in arid conditions, it is highly adaptable to many environments.  Dorper’s have been popular in the US since 1995.  Free range chickens are also efficient meat producers requiring a small amount of water.
 [K119] As an example, results from use of deficit irrigation have been dramatic for wheat production in Turkey.
 [K120] Mycorrhiza has the potential to bring poor and degraded lands back into cultivation.  It is possible to encourage mycorrhiza growth in soils by adding compost to your garden soil, by not using synthetic chemicals, using minimum tillage, rotating crops, and growing cover crops.   By cold composting, or mulching your garden with shredded leaves each fall, you can promote optimal Mycorrhizal fungi growth.  Or, it can be purchased and added directly to sterile potting soils, or degraded soil.
 [K121] Since these experimental greenhouses will do a lot of work on water quality and desalinization of the Rio Grande, they should coordinate closely with BRec’s Water Quality Improvement Center in Yuma.
 [K122] In addition to growing within the greenhouse facility, develop more efficient traditional farming practices on test plots for more arid regions.  Where shown to be successful, demonstrate practices to local corporate and individual growers and ranchers in the region.
 [K123] Since there is no economic incentive for the experimental greenhouses to give corporations a pass, or not thoroughly verify the safety of the corporations’ products, the consumers purchasing the products in the marketplace would be less inclined to doubt their findings.
 [K124] Since the 13 experiment stations and 13 experimental greenhouses each house security towers they need to be about 3.33 miles apart.  If CCs were used for the border barrier between them and each CC held 8 sets of bunk beds, housing for the 542,000 cases backlogged could be fit within the border barriers between these 13 sets of facilities.
 [K125] Where CCs and anchors are already installed as part of the border barrier and barns are to subsequently replace a section of the barrier, the appropriate amount of CCs and anchors would be removed, the foundations redone, and the barn constructed.  Additional fencing may be required to maintain border security during construction operations.
 [K126] In lieu of setting CCs horizontally as they are designed to be used on board cargo ships, 5-units stacked, one atop of the other, creates a 43.5 ft tall barrier.
 [K127] The gaps can be filled with foam insulation like crawlspace plugs if temperatures need to be artificially maintained.
 [K128] Once the barn core and shells are sold to a particular owner, with land rights leased from the governments with monthly payments from the barn owners to the governments (which are then distributed by the federal government directly to the States and counties or individual landowners to ease land acquisition costs or other issues) then the barn owner and their growers consult with experimental greenhouse staff, choose from the several options of insert towers available at the factory, or have the towers customized to fit their particular needs.  Different factories compete to provide different towers.
 [K129] This allows the CCs to be pre-placed, forming a barrier wall quickly, while internal construction is fabricated more efficiently, and easily installed, making only the necessary cutout CC openings other interior platforms, and plug-in equipment and utility connections to be made on site.
 [K130] These were originally designed to be used for transporting things over the Great Lakes instead of over the oceans
 [K131] Hoists bring vertical growing tubes with their fully grown plants to the place within the barn where their plants are harvested and packaged, ready for shipment to market.  The tubes are checked over, cleaned, replanted with new seedlings, hoisted back up to the appropriate level and reinserted into the vertical growing tubes system.  The 48 ft long hoistway CCs are fitted with additional receivers and connected to the adjacent 40 ft CCs with twist anchors.
 [K132] The middle 8 CC quarters are alternated Mexican, American, etc., 4 each.
 [K133] Overnight stays by guests, surveillance or barn equipment manufacturer’s representatives or repair men, or produce delivery truckers awaiting morning loading help can be provided via bunks above the CBP beds.  The CBP quarters may also be used as a room for sick or injured growers as well as CBP agents awaiting paramedics for transport to a medical facility.  Remote facilities might have airstrips or helipads suitable for both border patrol activities and lifeflights.  Helicopters may also be used with infrared sensors to scan remote regions for dehydrated undocumented migrants needing water, food, emergency medical and other assistance.
 [K134] House cleaning of the solar panels from dust might be done by people who receive government welfare and are required to work for it.
 [K135] CBP staffing requirements would be set by DHS & CBP, but I imagined 3 people, one in each of 3 shifts providing border and facility security around the clock.  Possibly overlap shifts when deliveries arrive and depart so there would be “eyes on” on both sides of the facility, and checking outgoing vans for stowaways.
 [K136] As federally owned land, State and county taxes on the land would not apply.  And, payments by the federal government to previous landowners could include non-taxed interest provided the purchase principle cost is lowered.  Or, maybe the original landowner (or the government) would prefer the prior landowner to sell their property and barn to the federal government and then lease it back?  That way the land and the improvements would not be owned by the prior landowner and would not be subject to State, county and local property or inventory taxes.
 [K137] While also free from vandalizing or marauding illegal migrants
 [K138] If it was possible for them to afford to buy them, it might be a good investment for them to develop barns.  One might supply all the produce needed for their own tribe’s use, to produce foodstuffs for their individual tribal members’ daily meals.  Additionally it might also furnish produce for special occasions, such as Elder meals, meals for those in assisted living, meals on wheels for those living in their own place but needing some help to cope with everyday activities, pow-wow and other special event meals, such as Elder honor days - where they host and celebrate tribal Elders of other tribes.  And, if they own a casino, a second barn to furnish produce for their casino’s associated restaurants.
 [K139] They could sell tax-free municipal bonds to other jurisdictions within their state to build core and shell barns offering better returns than other investments.
 [K140] The non-border State and Municipal investors would receive dividends from their investment based on the given rate, which would come from lease payments from individual growers to the border region barn owners.  This way the opportunity for improving the financial conditions of other jurisdictions’ retirement, healthcare and other HR programs could be shared with non-border jurisdictions.
 [K141] Absentee owners of the barns would probably need to hire a bilingual superintendent or couple whose job would be to ensure the proper and continual operation of the equipment of the barn to the grower tenants, whose rents or lease payments would cover the superintendent’s salary as well as government debt service payments.  The superintendent could also be someone who previously worked at an experimental greenhouse.  Use of the 10th CC Quarters unit could be included as part of this superintendent’s salary.
 [K142] However, if that remaining joint venture partner objects to that governments proposed backup partner, they have to continue to acquire whatever labor is needed to run their previous partner’s operations to the satisfaction of their prior partner’s customers, billing the government for the provable costs and turning over the proceeds to the government.
 [K143] The proposed core and shell barn pattern, starts at the SE corner unit and is 26 vertical CCs installed parallel with the border and located inside Mexico as diagrammed, one vertical 48 ft CC attached to and aligned with the previous 26, then the SW corner vertical CC attached to and aligned with the 48 ft CC.  Place another vertical CC to the north and attached to the northernmost edge of the SW corner unit and whose own northernmost corner falls on the border line.  Then two more verticals to the north attached to and aligned with the previous two, with the last one being the NW corner unit.  Repeating this arrangement along the northern side (except that it is installed inside the US border) will get one back to the starting point of the SE corner.
 [K144] Also install the prefabricated scaffold towers for the sinks, toilet rooms, small sized packaged or fabricated sewage waste treatment plants and grower’s cold rooms in the bottom layer.
 [K145] The remainder of the barn construction awaits the finding and leasing of spaces to individual growers, unless the barn owners choose to select them themselves and make any in-place modifications to existing scaffold towers later on, on an as needed basis, and provide generally suitable towers to better ensure a non-delayed construction schedule.
 [K146] Bilge pumps are placed within removable heavy duty 5 gallon plastic buckets within slightly larger buckets which will stay in place.  The bilge-pump housing buckets will have non-corrosive bird screen to allow the fish pooh to pass, but block the.  Both buckets will have numerous 5/16” holes drilled in their sides for drainage.  Water plants will also be in removable buckets inside other stationary buckets which allow the water plants to be harvested by hooking and pulling on the nylon ropes attached to the buckets.  Pea gravel is to prevent fish from disturbing plants growing medium.
 [K147] Channel the rainwater from the greenhouse roofs into the shallow duckweed ponds.
 [K148] Investigate reusing filter media from vertical growing tubes no longer usable for them.
 [K149] In lieu of three tanks, it would also be possible to use two tanks and meter the water from the two to provide the calculated nutrient output desired.
 [K150] Note that each grower has control of their own NKP mixture, but not the temperature range of the facility, unless control of temperature is agreed between all growers.  The barn cannot be individually controlled for optimum temperature.
 [K151] If raising say tilapia and catfish together, provide a screen with an opening size required to keep them separated, but large enough for water plants to grow through.  Catfish below and tilapia above.  Also note that the raising of some fish (e.g. tilapia) is regulated by some States F&W Departments.
 [K152] One lb fresh tilapia fillets are sold for just under $9 online, with a minimum order of $40, and a shipping charge of $7.  Another online store sells frozen tilapia for $14/lb with free shipping on orders over $200 to certain states.  Amazon shows prices from $8/lb to $15/lb depending on quantity purchased.  Growers who could deliver to restaurants within a few hours packed in ice should probably be able to sell the freshly killed fish for $7/lb gutted and scaled.
 [K153] Water plants can be grown for marketable produce, for sales as decorative pond plants, and for feeding the fish.  The lotus plant seed pod as well as the root is prized in Asian cooking as are others.  Some water plants also provide a very good food source for the fish.
 [K154] Each 7 ft tall (inclined 22.5” at the top to the north) ‘vertical’ tube has to be individually removable and hoisted down to the inside of the diagonal CCs, which will have mobile growing units for starting plants (from seeds) with grow lights and misting, and tables for the harvesting, packaging, replanting, hoisting back up to the proper level and reinserting into the system of vertical growing tubes.
 [K155] The water and nutrients from the tube directly above flows into the tube below by gravity, except that by removing the tube below the water and nutrient flow is stopped, until that tube is re-inserted.  Water returning from the plant growing systems are returned to the settling ponds which, like the fish ponds and the water fed to the plants are also oxygenated by pumping air through them.
 [K156] Every bit of water is reused over and over again, an impossibility in traditional, soil-based agriculture.  Since it is recirculated and recycled, water is never discharged in aquaponics.
 [K157] To reduce losses through evaporation, cover all water tanks except the fish ponds.  Covers of plastic film held on with bonji cords will also reduce the chances of mosquitos laying eggs in the tanks.
 [K158]  In the barns proposed above, most water leaks would simply go back into the fish and settling ponds and be recaptured.  However, the increased nutrients provided to the plants may not be a good thing for the fish, so it is still a good idea to constantly monitor for leaks.
 [K159] Aquaponic farms can run a 4,000 gallon system with a little over (200) 5 ft vertical growing tubes, replacing only 40 - 60 gallons of water each day due to loss.
 [K160] A (200) 5 ft tube system, then, requires 6000-7000 gallons of water.
 [K161] That relates to an evaporation plus transpiration of from 5/8th cup of water to less than a third of a cup of water used by each plant per day.
 [K162] Maybe on the Mexican side of the barn if the US EPA objects too strenuously…
 [K163] Yuma/San Luis is near the highest elevation along the border, so they have close to the coolest winters there, but also summers.  Check all climate variables.
 [K164] Note that the vertical growing tubes grow sprouted plants (4 good leaves = 3 weeks in the mobile cart) rather than insert seeds directly into the vertical tubes.
 [K165] There are so many ways to use this root.  It can be roasted, sliced and fried, boiled and mashed or grated and shaped.  It is also known as cocoyam or dasheen.  There is a popular dish in Singapore Chinese restaurants where mashed taro is shaped into a ring and deep-fried.  It is then used to hold stir-fried bell peppers, pork nuggets and cashew nuts.  It is yummy.  It is also a key ingredient in sweet dessert known as bubur chacha.  Another popular dessert is what we commonly call the yam paste.  It is a traditional Teochew festive dish. Lots of lard mixed with ground taro and sugar.  For soups, it is best to be cut into cubes or thin slices and fried before adding to the soup.  There is a substance just below the skin of the taro root which can cause skin irritation.  Use a glove when peeling the taro root and wash the peeled flesh well.  Taro root must be cooked thoroughly.  It can be boiled or steamed or microwaved.

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