Texas Governor Abbott Approves Mexico’s San Juan River Water Offer Amid Rio Grande Valley Water Shortage

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has directed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to accept Mexico’s offer of water from the San Juan River in a clear attempt to alleviate the Rio Grande Valley’s water shortage. Abbott, citing Mexico’s noncompliance with their water-sharing commitments under the 1944 Water Treaty between the United States and Mexico, underlined the vital need of water for the survival of local businesses and agriculture in South Texas, according to the Governor’s office.

The details of Mexico’s proposal, which calls for 120,000 acre-feet of water, seem to be a stopgap measure for the more pressing problem of Mexico’s greater obligation under the Treaty, which amounts to 1.75 million acre-feet every five years. Because the Rio Grande Valley communities cannot afford to wait, Abbott said, Texas is prepared to accept the offer “pending TCEQ’s ultimate approval of the operational procedures.” The acceptance is not without controversy, though. The Office of the Texas Governor states that Texas disagrees with the various interpretations of whether water from the San Juan River can be included towards Mexico’s obligations.

Texas is now dealing with a predicted water shortfall, so this gesture seems timely. The state estimates that Mexico’s noncompliance with the treaty accord will result in a 1.3 million acre-feet shortage by October 2025. A fair division of resources from the Colorado and Rio Grande rivers among the neighboring nations is required by the 1944 Water Treaty, which has a broad scope. According to reports, Mexico’s current deficit is the biggest since the Treaty’s establishment.

Although the offer offers short-term respite, future supplies are uncertain due to the ongoing dispute over Mexico’s water responsibilities. Texas’s stance is different from that of the International Boundary and Water Commission. According to Governor Abbott’s declaration, the San Juan River is not one of the six tributaries that the Treaty requires water from.

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