McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — Mexico has made a unique offer to repay a portion of the water it owes the United States, but at least one South Texas leader is balking at the plan.
Mexico is offering to pay 125,000 acre-feet of water to the United States from flood overflows in Rio San Juan basin in the state of Tamaulipas, which is not part of a 1944 international water treaty between the two countries.
The treaty specifies from which tributaries Mexico can deliver water so it can be stored by the United States in its two South Texas reservoirs — Amistad and Falcon.
But the Rio San Juan empties into the Rio Grande south of these international reservoirs and the water cannot be captured and saved.
U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz, R-Texas, tells Border Report she opposes this proposal and believes Mexico should stick with the terms of the treaty.
“The Mexican government needs to abide by the treaty and they need to give us the water that they owe us. This proposal right now by the Mexican government we’re still looking into legally but what I want to do is make sure that the Mexican government is held accountable for the water that they owe us from the 1944 water treaty,” De La Cruz said recently.
Under the treaty, Mexico must pay the United States 1.75 million acre-feet of water every five years. The current cycle is in its last year and Mexico still owes over 1.32 million acre-feet of water.
(IBWC Graphic)
Mexico’s offer to release 125,000 acre-feet — roughly enough water to fill 62,500 Olympic-sized swimming pools — was announced last month.
Officials with the International Boundary and Water Commission told Border Report on Thursday it is still on the table.
The water would come from two Mexican reservoirs that capture water from the San Juan Basin in Tamaulipas — the El Cuchillo and Marte Gomez dams — which are in the southernmost portion of the Rio Grande watershed.
The Mexican dams are south of the Texas border towns of Roma and Rio Grande City, but that’s too far east and south for the U.S. to store the water and overflow typically ends up in the Gulf of Mexico.
Mexico says it’s better to take this water now while they have it.
Recent heavy rains have filled the Mexican reservoirs past capacity, and excess water will be wasted.
(IBWC Graphic)
As of Tuesday, El Cuchillo was at 104% capacity; Marte Gomez reservoir was at 123%, according to the latest data by the IBWC.
Contrarily, Falcon Reservoir on Tuesday was at only 12% capacity; Amistad Dam was at 21%, and follows a pattern of historic water lows in the facilities that have been reported for several months.
Earlier this year, Texas’ only sugar mill in Hidalgo County shut down, losing 500 jobs because there wasn’t enough water for farmers to grow the thirsty crops.
Hidalgo County has declared a state of emergency due to the water shortage. And several municipalities have enacted water restrictions for homeowners and businesses in efforts to concern resources.
In August, De La Cruz formed the South Texas Water Working Group with several other elected and local leaders to try to come up with long term solutions to the region’s water issues.
But in the meantime, she says she will continue to push the White House to pressure Mexico to pay the water it owes.
“Our farmers and ranchers are of great importance, not only to this community but to the entire nation. I will keep fighting the Mexican government until we get our water,” De La Cruz said.
Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.
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