The United States and Mexico reached an understanding where Mexico will meet its obligations under the 1944 Water Treaty. The current agreement “extends to the current cycle and the previous cycle’s water deficit,” the USDA explained.
“With today’s understanding, Mexico has agreed to release 202,000-acre feet of water to the United States with deliveries expected to begin the week of December 15, 2025,” the USDA said in a December 12 statement. “Timely repayment of the outstanding deficit from the previous water cycle is understood by Mexico. The United States and Mexico are in negotiations to finalize a plan by the end of January 2026.”
“President Trump’s direct involvement and forceful leadership has once again led to tangible positive results for the American people—this time, the people of Texas, who for years have been deprived of their fair share of water under a treaty with Mexico,” said U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau. “It has been a pleasure to work closely with Secretary Rollins and her team at the Department of Agriculture to obtain this important win, and together we will continue to engage with our neighbors in Mexico to make sure that the United States obtains the water due under the treaty.”
In April, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce announced that Mexico “committed to make an immediate transfer of water from international reservoirs and increase the U.S. share of the flow in six of Mexico’s Rio Grande tributaries through the end of the current five-year water cycle.”
The action was part of the United States and Mexico’s commitment to “develop a long-term plan to reliably meet treaty requirements while addressing outstanding water debts—including through additional monthly transfers and regular consultations on water deliveries that take into consideration the needs of Texas users,” Bruce added.
