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Texas Farmers Charge Water Payment Betrayal
By Thomas D. Segel
May 9, 2002

A drive through the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas would normally give you a panorama view of lush green fields and orchards alive with brightly growing citrus. However, this spring, with its excessive heat, strong winds, plus another year of a prolonged drought has painted a far different landscape.

Crops are lying wasted and dead in the fields. Dust from dry land forms a layer of dirty film every place it is carried by the continuing high winds. More than an inch and a half of moisture is drawn from the ground each day by the unseasonably high temperatures which reach in excess of 100 degrees.

All of this would be understood and accepted by Texas farmers in the normal course of their annual battle with the elements... but, not this year. This is the year of betrayal by both Mexico and the United States.

In a continuing battle over a long standing water treaty, these farmers claim they are receiving no relief from the serious drought conditions facing south Texas. They further claim Mexico is stealing water which is rightfully theirs. Added to these very serious concerns is their charge that the United States government has betrayed them.

Farmers say they could survive the drought, if Mexico would live up to the 1944 treaty, which divided up the waters of the Lower Rio Grande and Colorado rivers between the two countries. Under the treaty Mexico gets five times more water from the United States than it supplies to this country from its own river system.

Instead of meeting the requirements of the treaty, Mexico has dramatically expanded farming into the deserts of the state of Chihuahua, including a switch to more water intensive crops. According to Texas farming sources, instead of providing the promised water to the United States, Mexico has been using it to grow additional crops and flood markets in this country.

How has the United States responded to these serious charges and concerns? In talk after talk with Mexican officials, our State Department has bowed down and accepted the other county's explanation of how the water treaty should be interpreted.

They have even ignored the fact that Mexico only released two thirds of the 600,000 acre feet of water it promised under Minute order 307, signed by both Presidents Bush and Fox. At this time there is an estimated water debt to the United States of 1.5 million acre feet of water. To have a clearer understanding of this volume, and acre foot of water is 325,851 gallons, or enough water to cover an acre of land, one foot deep in water.

Farmers now charge that a congressional request for a Department of Agriculture (USDA) report documenting the economic damage incurred because of the Mexican water theft was so poorly written it was worthless. The USDA claimed there just wasn't enough data to do more. Said one farmer, "We can find the information in their report in any pasture full of Bulls." They further claim the information on economic impact is readily available, but the USDA choose to ignore the facts.

Rio Grande Valley farmers, who insist the water theft continues, are further enraged by a report filed by the International Boundary Water Commission (IBWA), which is supposed to be protecting United States interests. The report was supposed to analyze Mexico's water use. The IBWA, which is under the U.S. Department of State, has reportedly "gutted" its report because the bureaucrats were afraid of offending Mexico. Farmers charge the State Department tendencies not to rock the boat have left them high and dry. While most federal agencies are overlooking water treaty violations, farmers are claiming more than one billion dollars in economic damage has been done to our country.

All diplomatic and political efforts have failed to move the water issue. Mexico claims it is not in violation of the treaty. Saying it is not required to provide water when it too is in a drought condition, the situation remains unresolved. Mexico further claims it has five years, under the treaty, to pay back any water debt. So, "maybe next year". And while all these reports are being written and all the diplomats talk... Texas crops die in the fields.

The ultimate act of non violent protest is about to take place. Farmers in South Texas have decided they will blockade three of the international bridges which connect Mexico to the United States. This will mean huge congestion at the remaining bridges, which already experience long delays due to increased inspections brought on by the terrorist attacks of September 11th. The result of such a blockade could mean further economic damage to the region. It could also mean major losses to Mexican growers who must get perishable crops to market. However, Texas farmers feel this is the only remaining thing they can do to gain the serious attention of those powers in both counties which could resolve their crisis situation.