Waters entering the Rio Grande below Fort Quitman, which is 60 miles downstream from El Paso, Texas are apportioned to the United States or Mexico by terms set out in the 1944 Water Treaty. Under those requirements, Mexico is expected to deliver to the U.S. a minimum of 350,000 acre-feet of water each year, on average, over a five-year cycle, totaling a minimum of 1,750,000 acre-feet over the five-year period. The deliveries are stored at the international reservoirs of Amistad and Falcon.
Present 5-Year Cycle Status (Beginning on October 25, 2025)
Below is the current weekly data sheet showing the status of Mexico’s Rio Grande Deliveries in acre-feet (AF) for the current cycle which began on October 25, 2025. This page will be updated weekly.
- Mexico delivered 884,861 acre-feet (1,091.465 million cubic meters) during the cycle spanning October 25, 2020 – October 24, 2025. Mexico concluded the previous cycle with a deficit of 865,139 acre-feet (1,067,140 thousand cubic meters) which must be repaid to the United States by the end of the water cycle concluding on October 24, 2030.
- Mexico must also deliver 1,750,000 acre-feet (an average of 350,000 acre-feet each year) over the course of this 2025-2030 cycle.
Joint Statement by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins: Securing Critical Water Resources for South Texas Agriculture (February 3, 2026) (External Link)
- Under the negotiated outcome, Mexico committed to deliver a minimum of 350,000 acre-feet of water per year to the United States during the current five-year cycle, providing stability for agricultural producers and rural communities in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Mexico has also committed to a detailed plan to fully repay all outstanding water debt accrued during the previous cycle.
- Additionally, both parties will hold monthly meetings to ensure timely, consistent deliveries and prevent future deficits. USDA, the Department of State, and other federal partners will continue to work closely as implementation moves forward.
Mexico-US Joint Communiqué on Water Distribution (December 12, 2025) (External Link)
- Mexico and the United States have reached an understanding on water management for the current cycle and the previous cycle’s water deficit under the 1944 Water Treaty.
- Both countries acknowledge the critical importance of water sharing obligations under the 1944 Treaty and their impact on our citizens, and reaffirm the need to increase engagement to improve timely management of water.
- Mexico intends to release 202,000 acre-feet of water to the United States with deliveries expected to commence the week of December 15, 2025.
- A series of actions to meet the treaty obligations have been reviewed, including timely repayment of the outstanding deficit from the previous water cycle, in accordance to the 1944 Water Treaty. The two governments are in negotiations and intend to finalize the plan by January 31, 2026.
- Both countries concur on the importance of continuing to work cooperatively within the framework of the 1944 Water Treaty and the CILA/IBWC. In the event of noncompliance, each country can act sovereignly, in accordance to its national interests, subject to its international treaty obligations.
Past 5-Year Cycle Results (October 25, 2020 to October 24, 2025)
Below is the current weekly data sheet showing the status of Mexico’s Rio Grande Deliveries in acre-feet (AF) for the previous cycle which began on October 25, 2020 and ended on October 24, 2025. Mexico concluded this cycle delivering 884,861 acre-feet, only a little more than half of the required 1,750,000 acre-feet of water owed over the cycle. Leaving a large deficit of 865,139 acre-feet owed to the United States.
Past 5-Year Cycle Results (October 25, 2020 to October 24, 2025)
Below is the current weekly data sheet showing the status of Mexico’s Rio Grande Deliveries in acre-feet (AF) for the previous cycle which began on October 25, 2020 and ended on October 24, 2025.