Texas border county extends water disaster declaration

EDINBURG, Texas (Border Report) — Hidalgo County Commissioners have extended a disaster declaration due to the drought and water scarcity in the Rio Grande Valley that a lack of water payments by Mexico is exacerbating.

Commissioners on Tuesday afternoon voted unanimously to indefinitely extend the order that Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez issued last week.

A lack of rain in the border region and a lack of water payments from Mexico have led to “exceptional drought conditions, which pose a threat of imminent disaster,” according to the agenda item voted by commissioners.

Mexico is bound by a 1944 international water treaty to pay the United States so much water during each five-year water cycle. However, four years into the current cycle, and Mexico has barely paid one year’s worth of water to the United States, according to data by the International Boundary and Water Commission, which oversees the Rio Grande.

A lack of water earlier this year caused a 51-year-old sugar mill in rural Hidalgo County to shut down, resulting in the loss of 500 area jobs. It was the only sugar mill in Texas and one of only three operating in the nation.

Citrus farmers fear its industry could be next hit as citrus crops require a lot of water.

“This declaration puts us in a position that we’ll be able to claim disaster kind of economic losses to those that qualify. And without it, no. This is a difficult situation that we’re in here. This is not a situation that we have too many wins. We’re dealing with trying to mitigate the losses,” Cortez said.

With the disaster declaration in effect, local water districts now will begin implementing their emergency policies.

Local officials stress that water to municipalities should not be affected, however, local homeowners could soon see significant lawn watering restrictions put in place.

“We have to take action to try to protect the water resources that we have but also to continue to invest in new ways to create water,” Hidalgo County Precinct 1 Commissioner David Fuentes said.

Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.