Mexico and the US reach a new agreement over the waters of the Rio Grande

After 18 months of negotiations, a new measure of the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), which oversees the 1944 U.S.-Mexico water treaty, will provide Mexico with "tools and flexibility to deliver water earlier in the five-year cycle, according to a  statement by the IWBC. According to the Texas Tribune , this measure will help ensure more regular water from Mexico to the US and will help Mexico catch up with its scheduled water deliveries to the U.S.. The water deliveries to the U.S. will assist Rio Grande Valley farmers, who have been adversely affected by the lowest rainfall in 30 years, as well as Mexico, which is falling behind on its water deliveries to the U.S., also because of the drought, which is the most severe since 2011.  The proposed tools include better coordination on water conservation, re-use, alternative water sources and other measures.  

NPR has argued that this year, as a result of the current drought, the 1944 Treaty faces its biggest test in 80 years.. As of October 2024, approximately 20% (483,330 km²) of Mexico’s territory is experiencing drought conditions and 14% (335,564 km²) is abnormally dry. By contrast, as of November 5th, 2024, approximately 67% (467,526 km²) of Texas is experiencing drought conditions and 22% (151,994 km²) is abnormally dry.  

In July this year, The Water Diplomat  reported on the drought as well as on rising tensions between the with regard to the scheduled water releases. Since the 1944 treaty between the two countries, the sharing of the Rio Grande waters has been governed by quotas in the form of five-year cycles.  

It should be noted that the quotas were established in the first half of the 20th century, at a time when droughts were already occurring, but when the effects of climate change were not yet known. In the IBWC Minute, it is reported that during the current cycle, which began on October 25, 2020, Mexico has delivered a total of 524 million m³ of a total of 2.16 billion m³ scheduled.  

Currently, the U.S. Government is already consulting with Mexico to ensure the earliest possible delivery of water to the United States during the current rainy season.  Over the longer term, the two governments expect a Projects Work Group which has been established to develop water conservation measures for the benefit of both countries, as the two countries have done successfully in the Colorado River basin. In addition to provisions related to water deliveries, the Minute establishes a Rio Grande Environment Work Group to address environmental aspects in the international reach of the Rio Grande, and formalises the Lower Rio Grande Water Quality Initiative to address water quality concerns, especially salinity. 

In the current IBWC Minute, which has been approved and signed by the two governments on November 7, U.S. IBWC Commissioner Maria-Elena Giner states: “The last thirty years of managing over-stretched water resources in the Rio Grande basin have produced broad agreement that the status quo was not acceptable.  With the signing of this Minute, Mexico has tools for more regular water deliveries that can be applied right away. Our work will continue to bring predictability and reliability to water deliveries.  I want to thank Valley agricultural and municipal water users for our countless consultations and their advocacy for needed changes.”    

U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar comments that: “Beyond being the world’s number one trading partners and sharing enduring cultural and familial ties, the United States and Mexico share important natural resources in the Rio Grande (Rio Bravo) basin. This agreement is the result of the historic cooperation between our countries to resolve our shared challenges. The agreement outlines our joint commitment to responsibly and sustainably manage these important water resources in a way that better meets the needs of agricultural users, communities, and the natural environment on both sides of our shared border.”