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U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz, R-McAllen, has sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken requesting the State Department meet with their Mexican counterparts to urge the country to release water it owes to the United States under a 1944 treaty.
“The Mexican government has a responsibility to uphold its end of this treaty,” De La Cruz said in a Monday news release. “American farmers and ranchers are suffering because of Mexico’s failure to deliver the promised water. I urge the Biden Administration to take action and hold Mexico accountable.”
The treaty requires Mexico to send an average of 350,000 feet of water to the U.S. each year.
“The current water scarcity and drought conditions in South Texas have created devastating consequences for farmers and residents living in the Rio Grande Valley,” De La Cruz said in the Aug. 4 letter. “Specifically, the need to increase water for crop usage is critical for the success of farmers working and living in the region.
“Lack of consistent rainfall has caused agricultural producers to deal with devastating crop losses, creating a situation that quickly needs to be resolved.”
In the letter, De La Cruz cites a “hotter and drier climate,” which she described as a “call of desperation” as South Texas farmers prepare to plant.
“This time constraint calls for immediate action to be taken, as the success of the season depends on the Mexican government releasing water to the Rio Grande during these next few weeks,” she said in the letter.
De La Cruz also said if the U.S. State Department doesn’t resolve the issue, it will be devastating for South Texas farmers.
“The United States must prioritize diplomatic engagement with Mexico to address this issue promptly and effectively — with real results,” she wrote.
The release of water from Mexico to the United States has long been an issue for the Rio Grande Valley.
Mexico is required to deliver 1.5 million acre-feet of water to the U.S. every five years from the Rio Grande and six tributaries in Mexico that feed the river.
In the last two cycles, which ended in October 2015 and October 2020, the country came close to not meeting its obligations under the treaty.
During the 2020 cycle, the country transferred water it had stored in the Amistad and Falcon international reservoirs just three days before the deadline.
As of March, which was two years and five months into the current cycle, Mexico had only delivered 336,411 acre-feet of water.
In the news release, De La Cruz said she has spoken with U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar and asked him to demand that Mexico fulfill its obligations on an annual basis. She also said she plans to take action in Congress, which she said has long been silent on enforcing the treaty.
“The United States must stand up for the water we’re owed,” De La Cruz said in the release. “We cannot allow Mexico to continue to violate this treaty and harm our farmers and ranchers.”
