US and Mexico Sign Agreement to Deliver Remaining Water Obligations

The United States and Mexico signed an agreement that could bring more water to drought-stricken South Texas farms, reports Berenice Garcia in The Texas Tribune.

As Garcia explains, “Under the 1944 international treaty, Mexico must deliver 1,750,000 acre-feet of water to the U.S. from six tributaries every five years, or an average of 350,000 every year. But Mexico is at a high risk of not meeting that deadline. The country still has a balance of more than 1.3 million acre-feet of water it needs to deliver by October 2025.”

The new amendment lets Mexico use additional water from its reservoirs and two additional rivers to meet its obligations. “The amendment’s provisions that address current water delivery shortfalls expire in five years unless extended. The amendment also establishes longer-term measures such as an environmental working group to explore other sources of water.”