“Under the 1944 Water Treaty, Mexico is obligated to deliver 1.75 million acre-feet over five years to the United States from the Rio Grande River. The United States in turn delivers 1.5 million acre-feet of water to Mexico from the Colorado River,” the USDA said.
However, “Mexico’s persistent shortfalls in deliveries have led to severe water shortages for Rio Grande Valley farmers and ranchers, devastating crops, costing jobs, and threatening the local economy,” it said.
Mexico will begin releasing 202,000 acre-feet of water to the United States, with deliveries scheduled to begin this week, according to the USDA.
Since Mexico had not supplied the agreed-upon water volumes during the previous five-year cycle, the country has agreed to repay the outstanding deficit.
The two nations have reviewed a series of actions to meet treaty obligations and are currently negotiating the matter, with the intention of finalizing a plan by Jan. 31, 2026, the USDA said.
“Farmers across South Texas have been reeling from the uncertainty caused by the lack of water. Now they can expect the resources promised to them, thanks to President Trump’s leadership. I thank Mexico for their willingness to abide by the treaty and return to good standing with their past obligations,” Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said.
“Mexico has delivered more water in the last year than in the previous four years combined. Although this is a step in the right direction, President Trump has been very clear: If Mexico continues to violate its commitments, the United States reserves the right and will impose 5 percent tariffs on Mexican products.”
The basin is experiencing “a severe water crisis demanding urgent attention,” it said, adding that water storage reservoirs, annual streamflow volumes, and aquifers have been “substantially depleted” over recent decades.
The study estimated that only 48 percent of the water directly consumed as a result of human activities is replenished by renewable sources. The remaining 52 percent of consumption has been unsustainable, leading to the depletion of aquifers, reservoirs, and river flows.
“The over-consumption of renewable water supplies is primarily due to irrigated agriculture, which accounts for 87 percent of direct water consumption in the basin,” the study says.
“At the same time, water shortages have contributed to the loss of 18 percent of farmland in the river’s headwaters in Colorado, 36 percent along the Rio Grande in New Mexico, and 49 percent in the Pecos River tributary in New Mexico and Texas.”
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum highlighted the ongoing drought plaguing her country but vowed to help resolve the treaty issue.
Producers in the Rio Grande Basin have been deprived of water they are legally owed for the past several years, he said. This has resulted in the loss of crops, industries, jobs, and livelihoods.
“[Mexico’s] willingness to come to the table speaks volumes about the improved relationship between Mexico and the United States, but sustained accountability will be necessary,” Miller said.
“Let me be clear: Texas farmers expect Mexico to fully meet its obligations—not just today, but for years to come. Water is the lifeblood of agriculture. President Trump understands that without water, there is no farming, no ranching, and no rural economy in the American Southwest.”
