U.S., Mexico reach long-sought after water shortage agreement under 1944 treaty
By Anthony Collins
LPR Editor
The United States and Mexico have reached a long-sought understanding under the 1944 Water Treaty that promises immediate relief for Texas farmers and ranchers while setting a path to repay years of overdue water deliveries from the Rio Grande.
Under the agreement announced today, Mexico will begin releasing 202,000 acre-feet of water to the United States starting the week of December 15, 2025, addressing obligations from the current five-year treaty cycle and helping repay deficits carried over from the previous cycle. Officials from both nations said negotiations are ongoing, with a comprehensive repayment plan expected to be finalized by January 31, 2026.
For producers in South Texas, the deal marks a critical turning point after years of water shortages that have devastated crops, strained rural economies, and cost jobs across the Rio Grande Valley.
The 1944 Water Treaty requires Mexico to deliver 1.75 million acre-feet of water every five years to the United States from the Rio Grande, while the U.S. provides 1.5 million acre-feet to Mexico from the Colorado River. Persistent shortfalls by Mexico in recent years have left American farmers without water they are legally owed, intensifying drought impacts and threatening the long-term viability of agriculture in the region.
“Water is the lifeblood of agriculture,” Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said in a statement. “For years, producers in the Rio Grande Basin have been shorted water they are legally owed, costing crops, jobs, industries, and livelihoods. This agreement is a step forward, but sustained accountability will be necessary.”
Miller praised President Donald Trump for what he described as firm leadership in enforcing the treaty. “Texas farmers expect Mexico to fully meet its obligations, not just today, but for years to come,” he said. “Without water, there is no farming, no ranching, and no rural economy in the American Southwest.”
U.S. officials credited direct presidential involvement for breaking the impasse. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins said the agreement restores certainty to farmers who have been “reeling from years of uncertainty caused by the lack of water.”
“President Trump continues to put American farmers first and is finally holding our international partners accountable,” Rollins said. She noted that Mexico has delivered more water in the past year than in the previous four years combined, calling the latest commitment “a step in the right direction.”
But she also issued a warning: if Mexico fails to comply, the United States “reserves the right and will impose 5 percent tariffs on Mexican products.”
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau echoed that message, calling the agreement “a tangible positive result for the American people, especially the people of Texas, who for years have been deprived of their fair share of water under a binding treaty.”
Landau said the State Department will continue working closely with the Department of Agriculture and Mexican counterparts to ensure full compliance going forward.
As Mexico ramps up deliveries, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said it stands ready to work with Congress, federal agencies, and producers to provide greater certainty for the upcoming crop season and improved predictability during periods of water variability.
A joint U.S.–Mexico communiqué reaffirmed both countries’ commitment to cooperative water management through the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), while acknowledging that each nation retains the right to act in its sovereign interest in the event of noncompliance.
For Texas farmers watching reservoirs run low and fields go dry, the agreement brings cautious optimism, and a clear message that the era of missed obligations may finally be ending.
