U.S. Water News Online
HARLINGEN, Texas -- A long-standing Rio Grande water debt that pitted drought-stricken South Texas farmers against Mexico appeared resolved recently when Gov. Rick Perry announced the debt was paid in full.
"Our farmers, ranchers and cities will have 100 percent of the water they are entitled to, not just for the rest of this year, but for all of 2006," Perry said in a statement. "Now that the debt is paid, both countries must continue to work in good faith to meet the water demands of citizens on both sides of the Rio Grande for years to come."
A 1944 water-sharing treaty dictates that Mexico allow a certain amount of water from the Rio Grande and its Mexican tributaries to reach South Texas. In return, the United States releases Colorado River water to Mexico.
Mexico fell behind on its obligations in the 1990s, and at the height of a mutual drought owed the United States enough water to cover 1.5 million acres a foot deep. By 2002, some South Texas farmers were going under, seething as satellite photos showed lush green spots suggesting healthy Rio Grande irrigation in Mexico.
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said Texas representatives ultimately had to pressure Washington and travel to Mexico to bring attention to the issue.
"(It was) very, very, very tense," he said. "When you can't irrigate your crops it obviously has an impact on production. ... There was also the suspicion that water was not being released so farmers in Mexico could use it for their own crops -- that would then be sold in the United States."
Earlier this year, Perry announced an agreement calling for the debt to be eliminated by Sept. 30. It has now been officially eliminated. In March, Mexico transferred more than 210,000 acre feet of water and began making additional water available. Mexico also made "paper transfers" of water already in jointly controlled reservoirs.
A study commissioned by Texas agriculture officials estimated $1 billion in losses to South Texas due to farmers being unable to irrigate their crops.
Abundant rains during the past few years helped Mexico repay the debt without having to tap its irrigation stores, which bothers Mercedes irrigation manager Jo Jo White.
"This debt was basically paid off because of rainfall," White said. "They didn't actually release any water to pay this deficit from the interior reservoirs. We're not convinced that the bigger problem had been solved."
White manages one of 17 irrigation districts that along with a water supply company and 29 farmers sued seeking up to $500 million in damages from Mexico under the provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Nancie Marzulla, the Washington, D.C.-based attorney representing the Texans, said arbitration in that suit was set to begin in October, with former Attorney General Edwin Meese representing the Texans.
Carlos Marin, acting U.S. Commissioner of the International Boundary and Water Commission, a binational agency that oversees Rio Grande water usage, said the two nations were working on a plan to prevent future deficits.
He chuckled that three wet years now had him worried about Rio Grande floods.
"That's what normally happens," he said. "You go from a drought to a flood situation. It's just Mother Nature doing her thing.
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