Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller has issued an executive order giving Texas farmers and ranchers the green light to tap into the Rio Grande for irrigation.
The recent heavy rains in Mexico have caused significant runoff from the reservoir Marte Gomez, and too much water is currently flowing into the Gulf of Mexico — wasted, according to a news release, which added that the executive order provides a timely solution for utilizing excess water, which would otherwise be lost.
Miller said water will now flow where needed most: to Texas communities, farmers, and ranchers along the Rio Grande Valley. During this critical time, the agriculture community will now have the means to continue serving as a vital component of the state’s diversified economy and to renew the state’s natural resources, according to the release.
“Enough is enough,” Miller said. “We’re done sitting around waiting for someone else to act. There is no reason the water overflow south of the Amistad and Falcon international reservoirs should go down the Rio San Juan to the Rio Grande and be wasted. The water belongs in the hands of those who need it most, not lost to the Gulf.”
The decision to authorize water use from the Rio Grande is part of Miller’s ongoing efforts to protect the state’s water supply, the release said, adding that this is especially important given the recent challenges with Mexico’s underdelivered water agreements through the 1944 Water Treaty.
“Our farmers and ranchers have needed water for far too long, and this is just another way we’re supporting them,” Miller said. “Texas should always take care of Texans.”
Related link: View the executive order
