Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) have demanded Mexico immediately address their failure to meet the minimum delivery obligations to the United States under the 1944 Water Treaty.
“Mexico must be held accountable for their continued breaches of our long-standing water agreement,' said Abbott. 'Because of their pattern of neglect, Texas farmers are enduring preventable hardship and an erosion of the agricultural viability of the Rio Grande Valley.
“The significant economic loss from Mexico's failure to supply more than two years' worth of water obligations—almost 2 million acre-feet—has had a severe negative impact on Texas' agricultural industry.'
The latest five-year cycle under the 1944 Water Treaty between the United States and Mexico closed on Oct. 24. with Mexico failing to meet its minimum delivery obligations, which total 1.75 million acre-feet. Mexico is required to deliver a minimum of 350,000 acre-feet of water annually to the Rio Grande River, averaged over fiveyear cycles.
Preliminary data indicates Mexico has a remaining delivery deficit of over 800,000 acre-feet of water—equivalent to roughly two and a half years of required deliveries. These figures remain provisional pending final accounting by the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC).
Under the treaty, the United States has consistently met its delivery obligations on the Colorado River, while Mexico has significantly breached its commitments on the Rio Grande River.
A Texas A&M University study estimated economic losses in the Rio Grande Valley at $994 million in 2023 alone.
Last year, record-low levels in the Falcon and Amistad reservoirs forced Texas to instead accept water from Mexico through nondesignated sources. These deliveries were downstream of Falcon and Amistad reservoirs, which prevented Texas from capturing water that was not immediately needed.
Earlier this month, Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz proposed the Ensuring Predictable and Reliable Water Deliveries Act of 2025 to hold Mexico accountable for failing to provide water to South Texas in accordance with the 1944 Water Treaty. It would also limit engagement with the government of Mexico until Mexico upholds its obligations to deliver water to the United States.