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By James Bickerton
News Reporter
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A Texas House Representative has called on Governor Greg Abbott to declare a "state of disaster" in response to water shortages in the Rio Grande Valley. The shortages are impacting business and agriculture, the state lawmaker has said.
The call came from Representative Terry Canales, a Democrat representing District 40 in southern Texas, in a letter sent to Abbott on Wednesday.
Water shortages pose another difficulty for Abbott who is already struggling to control the Texas-Mexico border against what he has termed an "invasion" of undocumented immigrants. His efforts have put him in direct conflict with the federal government, with the Supreme Court ruling in January that federal agents could remove razor wire placed along the border on Abbott's orders.
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In his letter to Abbott, Canales wrote: "Please declare a state of disaster in our region.
"The situation has reached a point of crisis, and I believe a declaration of emergency is essential to mobilize the necessary resources and support for our community."
Canales urged Abbott to call on the Biden administration to increase pressure on Mexico over water it is treaty-bound to provide the United States under a 1944 agreement. Under its terms, Mexico is expected to provide 1.75 million acre-feet of water per five-year cycle. However, according to the International Boundary and Water Commission, it has only sent around 382,000 acre-feet of water in the current cycle which ends in October 2025.
Canales said: "Lower Rio Grande Valley farmers are running out of vital irrigation water. Compounding this issue is the alarming delay by Mexico in fulfilling its obligations under the 1944 Water Treaty, exacerbating the water shortage for our local farmers.
"We must find a means of applying pressure on Mexico to comply with the treaty and release the water owed to the United States."
Newsweek has contacted Governor Greg Abbott, the Mexican Embassy to the United States in Washington D.C., and Rep. Terry Canales for comment by email.
In February, a sugar mill in nearby Santa Rosa shut down with the loss of 500 jobs in part due to a lack of water for growing sugar.
Speaking to Border Report, David Flores, assistant manager of the southern Texan city of Mission, said drought contingency plans were being considered.
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He said: "The water levels of both Amistad and Falcon reservoirs are very low—historically low.
"Coupled with that, we have historic growth here in the Rio Grande Valley. So when you add those two together, we are going to be forced to look at our drought contingency plan."
Mission is currently under Stage 2 water restrictions which limits water use in the city on certain days but only on a voluntary basis.
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