U.S. Representative Monica De La Cruz, R-Texas, has called on the Trump administration to pressure Mexico to fulfill its water payment obligations to the United States under the 1944 Water Treaty. De La Cruz said Mexico has made a "feeble attempt" to meet its commitments and warned that the shortage is threatening agriculture along the South Texas border, including the citrus industry.
In a letter sent to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on Friday, De La Cruz wrote: "The most critical issue for our region continues to be the lack of water deliveries from the 1944 Water Treaty." She added, "We have seen a feeble attempt to deliver water by the Mexican government this year."
Mexico was required to deliver 1.75 million acre-feet (2.16 billion cubic meters) of water to the United States by October 25, marking the end of the most recent five-year cycle. Data from the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) show that Mexico has delivered only 884,864 acre-feet (1.09 billion cubic meters), about half of what it owes.
Under the treaty, the United States provides Mexico with 1.5 million acre-feet (1.85 billion cubic meters) of water annually via the Colorado River, a commitment U.S. authorities say is consistently met. However, Mexico has failed to meet its required deliveries in several of the past seven treaty cycles.
"This gravely affects South Texans, and ultimately the entire country. If our farmers do not get consistent water deliveries over the next 6 months, we are at risk of losing our citrus industry, after recently having lost our only sugar mill in Texas," De La Cruz wrote.
Texas's only sugar mill closed in January 2024 after insufficient water supplies reduced yields. The facility had been one of only three sugar mills operating in the United States.
De La Cruz expressed concern that Mexico may again declare drought conditions to justify the shortfall, as in previous years. "If the Mexican government declares another drought, our farmers will not get any more water for five years, which will devastate South Texas producers and could create a national crisis," she said.
She urged the administration to request that Mexico deliver 350,000 acre-feet (431 million cubic meters) of water by April and to include the 1944 Water Treaty in the upcoming renegotiation of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) trade discussions.
Source: Border Report
