Water Rights
South Texas farmer Brian Jones says years of missed water deliveries from Mexico have cut his planted acres in half, forcing tough planting decisions as a new agreement brings both hope and skepticism.
Following the threat of added tariffs, Mexico has agreed to send 202,000 acre-feet to Texas starting Dec. 15, but it’s unclear where this water will come from, as is how useful it will be to Texas growers.
EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers unveiled a revised rule on Monday aimed at clearer permitting and fewer regulatory surprises, such as narrowing which water features fall under federal oversight and confirming exclusions.
In the heart of California’s Central Valley, generations of farm families are facing a new kind of crisis: what farmers argue is a man-made drought. It’s mounting water regulations that could determine whether the most fertile farmland in the nation survives.
There are only two months left for Mexico to deliver almost a million acre-feet of water. While it might deliver some, the impacts on Texas growers are going to be tough.
EPA says it will release a proposed final WOTUS rule this summer for public comment, expecting the rule will be finalized before the end of 2025.
The plan would change the way the state deals with property acquisition and water rights permitting protests relative to water infrastructure projects.
Dozens of speakers told EPA and the Corps that ag has borne the brunt of unclear, inconsistent regulations for too long.
State-level commenters highlight the need for cooperative federalism and the importance of flexibility during EPA listening session.
U.S. officials and lawmakers have complained that Mexico’s failure to meet its obligations under the treaty is harming Texas farmers. Mexico has argued that it is under drought conditions that have strained the country’s water resources.
There is nothing new about Mexico being late on water deliveries, according to the 1944 treaty, and work on the problem runs deep.