Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) have demanded Mexico “immediately address their failure to meet the minimum delivery obligations to the United States under the 1944 Water Treaty.”
The latest five-year cycle under the 1944 Water Treaty between the United States and Mexico closed on October 24, 2025, with Mexico failing to meet its minimum delivery obligations, which total 1.75 million acre-feet. Mexico is required to deliver a minimum of 350,000 acre-feet of water annually to the Rio Grande River, averaged over five-year cycles. Preliminary data indicates Mexico has a remaining delivery deficit of over 800,000 acre-feet of water—equivalent to roughly two and a half years of required deliveries. These figures remain provisional pending final accounting by the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC).
A Texas A&M University study estimated economic losses in the Rio Grande Valley at $994 million in 2023 alone.
The statement from the Governor’s office concludes, “Texas will work with the International Boundary and Water Commission, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and other federal partners to ensure water needs in the regions are met”
