A group of Texas lawmakers have introduced legislation they say will add teeth to the 1944 Water Treaty and compensate Rio Grande farmers impacted by a lack of reliable water deliveries from Mexico.
According to U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz from Texas, the 1944 Water Treaty has been ineffective because it lacks consequences on the Mexican government for failing to deliver water. The objective of The Water Assurance and Treaty Enforcement for Rio Grande Farmers Act (WATER for Farmers Act) is to collect tariffs that will fund a new South Texas Agriculture Compensation Trust which would be distributed to South Texas farmers and producers when they suffer a loss due to the lack of water deliveries.
The legislation was introduced in the Senate on May 14 by Sen. John Cornyn. Under the 1944 Water Treaty, the U.S. delivers 1.5 million acre-feet of water from the Colorado River to Mexico over a five-year period. In return, Mexico is supposed to send 1.75 million acre-feet to the Rio Grande for use by the U.S. over a five-year cycle.
The uncertainty of having water for the upcoming season led to the closure of Texas’ last remaining sugar mill in 2024 after 51 years in operation.
In the U.S. House, the legislation has been referred to the committees on Foreign Affairs, Ways and Means and Agriculture; in the Senate it has been read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.