The Mexican government has agreed to immediately transfer Rio Grande water from international reservoirs to the U.S. following a dispute over lagging water deliveries to Texas, the State Department announced Monday.
Mexico has also agreed to "increase the U.S. share of the flow in six of Mexico's Rio Grande tributaries through the end of the current five-year water cycle," according to a press release.
The press release says the U.S. and Mexico have also committed to develop a long-term plan to "reliably meet treaty requirements while addressing outstanding water debts — including through additional monthly transfers and regular consultations on water deliveries that take into consideration the needs of Texas users."
“Mexico finally meeting the water needs of Texas farmers and ranchers under the 1944 Water Treaty is a major win for American agriculture," Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said. "After weeks of negotiations with Mexican cabinet officials alongside the Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, we secured an agreement to give Texas producers the water they need to thrive. While this is a significant step forward, we welcome Mexico’s continued cooperation to support the future of American agriculture."
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Mexico is supposed to deliver 1.75 million acre-feet to the United States over a five-year period under a 1944 treaty but has lagged in its deliveries during the current cycle, which ends in October. As of Saturday, it had delivered less than 600,000 acre-feet, according to data from the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission.
In a release, Texas Farm Bureau President Russell Boening applauded the announcement and said the deliveries "will be critical for farmers and ranchers who have long suffered because of Mexico's non-compliance."
“The recovery of Rio Grande Valley agriculture will take time after years of hardship," Boening said. "Mexico must make good on its new promise to deliver water.”
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