WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States and Mexico have reached a new commitment to reinforce the 1944 Water Treaty, a move federal officials say will bring long-sought certainty to farmers, ranchers, and rural communities in South Texas that depend on steady water deliveries from the Rio Grande.
In a joint statement dated February 3, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said the agreement strengthens implementation of the decades-old treaty and establishes clearer expectations for water deliveries during the current five-year cycle.
The announcement follows a call last week between President Donald J. Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, during which both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to resolving longstanding water management disputes that have strained cross-border relations and affected agricultural producers on both sides of the border.
Under the negotiated outcome, Mexico committed to deliver a minimum of 350,000 acre-feet of water per year to the United States during the current cycle. Officials said the baseline is intended to stabilize planning for producers in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, where inconsistent deliveries in prior years disrupted planting decisions and local economies.
Mexico also agreed to a detailed plan to fully repay outstanding water debt accrued during the previous cycle, a deficit that has been a persistent source of tension between the two countries and among Texas water users.
Rubio said the agreement reflects coordinated work by the Department of State, the Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission to ensure Mexico meets its treaty obligations while putting safeguards in place to prevent future shortfalls. He said the deal strengthens water security for Texas communities and U.S. agriculture while advancing broader administration priorities.
Rollins said reliable water deliveries are essential to South Texas agriculture and credited the agreement to renewed engagement between the two governments focused on practical outcomes for producers.
As part of the deal, U.S. and Mexican officials will hold monthly meetings to monitor deliveries, address emerging issues, and prevent new deficits from developing. Federal agencies said they will remain closely involved as implementation moves forward to ensure commitments are met and treaty obligations are sustained.
The 1944 Water Treaty governs the sharing of water from the Rio Grande and Colorado River between the United States and Mexico and has long been a cornerstone of cross-border water management, particularly for agricultural regions dependent on predictable flows.
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