Texas Border Business
AUSTIN – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) today released the following statement celebrating the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) agreement with Mexico to meet their water delivery obligations under the 1944 Water Treaty and the arrival of Mexico’s delivery to the U.S.:
“After many months of pressure from the Trump administration and myself, I am pleased that Mexico has finally agreed to deliver more water it owes under the 1944 Water Treaty and has started to make those disbursements to the United States this week,” said Sen. Cornyn. “Thanks to the hard work of President Trump and Secretary Rollins, farmers and ranchers in South Texas can finally begin to have some certainty on the water deliveries they need to ensure their crops and livestock can thrive, and I will continue working with the administration to ensure the United States receives the water we are owed.”
Background:
Sen. Cornyn has led the charge in Congress to boost South Texas’ water supply and ensure Mexico fulfills its treaty obligations to provide annual deliveries of water to South Texas farmers and ranchers. In addition to securing more than $280 million in emergency assistance for Rio Grande Valley farmers and producers affected by the water shortage, he led a request earlier this year to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio asking for renewed efforts to force Mexico to comply with the 1944 Water Treaty while also securing Secretary Rubio’s commitment to hold Mexico accountable for delays.
Last year, Sen. Cornyn sent a letter to NADBank urging for the restoration of their Water Infrastructure Fund, raised alarms after a Rio Grande sugarcane mill closed due to acute water shortages, cosponsored a resolution supporting diplomacy, and sent a letter to then-U.S. Secretary of State Blinken urging the Department to engage on Mexico’s violation of the intent of the treaty. Senator Cornyn also led a letter to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on State and Foreign Operations urging them to withhold designated funds from Mexico until they enter into an agreement with the U.S. to balance the deficit of the water deliveries, which the House Appropriations Committee included in their funding bill. The Senator also introduced legislation in November to hold the Mexican government accountable for not meeting its water delivery requirements.
Under the Treaty Relating to the Utilization of Waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande, Mexico is obligated to deliver an average of 350,000 acre-feet of water annually over a five-year cycle as its contribution to the Rio Grande’s water supply. However, Mexico has consistently delayed fulfilling its water obligation until the end of the five-year cycle, which hinders South Texas farmers’ ability to plan for and grow crops as well as ranchers’ ability to provide water to livestock.
