The US Pushes Mexico to Live Up to Treaty

The US and Mexico are working to update a 1944 water treaty that is impacting growers in Texas. USA, Undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs, Luke Lindbergh is among those leading the US in negotiations on updates to the water treaty talks that have already produced the release of 202,000 acre feet of water by Mexico.

“We have two main issues at stand here. The first is getting a plan in place for Mexico to meet its future obligations. So every year, Mexico owes the United States about 350,000 acre feet of water, which they have not delivered on in the past.”

That is where the recent water release by Mexico serves as a starting point in wrapping up such delivery to us, farmers in Texas and the southwestern US,

“The second piece that we've been working closely on is actually having Mexico repay its outstanding water debt. So we calculate these water cycles in five year cycle form, and the last cycle just completed earlier this year. And so by the end of January, we anticipate that we will reach a final commitment on that second point, which is how Mexico plans to repay to erase that outstanding debt.”

Officials are looking for Mexico to have a final commitment and plan by January 31