Absorption of water deficiency between the US and Mexico

After the thirty -year -old in a row without rain, the townspeople San -Francisco -da -Kanhos in the Northern Mexican state of Chihuahua are going to ask for God’s intervention.

On the shore of Lake Toronto, the reservoir behind the most important dam – the bells La Boquilla, the priest leads local farmers on horseback and their families in prayer, stony land under her feet when it was part of the lake before the water retreats to the present critically low.

Among those who bowed their heads, Rafael Betans, who voluntarily monitored La Boquilla for state water supply for 35 years.

“All this should be underwater,” he says, moving to the dry space of open white breeds.

“Last time the dam was full and caused a tiny overflow, it was 2017,” Mr. Betans recalls. “Since then, this has been declining year by year.

“Currently, we are 26.52 meters below high water, less than 14% of its power.”

Not surprisingly, the local community offers heaven in the rain. However, few expect to be released from the crippled drought and heat 42c (107.6f).

Now a long dispute with Texas over the deficit resource threatens to become ugly.

According to the terms of the water distribution agreement in 1944, Mexico must send 430 million cubic meters of water to the USA.

Water is sent with the help of a system of tributaries, into the common dams owned and governed by the International Commission on the Border and Water Supply (IBWC), which controls and regulates the joint location between two neighbors.

In return, the United States is sending its own much more distribution (almost 1.85 billion cubic meters per year) from the Colorado River to put the Mexican border cities of Tihuan and Mexical.

Mexico is in debt and does not have time to monitor the supply of water for most of the 21st century.

Following the pressure from the Republican legislators in Texas, the Trump administration warned Mexico that the water could be deprived of the Colorado River if it does not fulfill its obligations under an 81-year-old contract.

In April, on his truth, the US President Donald Trump accused Mexico of “theft” of water and threatens to grow “tariffs and perhaps even sanctions” until Mexico send Texas that he owes. However, it did not give a solid period when such revenge can occur.

For its part, Mexico President Clave Sheinbaum recognized Mexico’s deficiency, but applied a more conciliatory tone.

Since then, Mexico has transferred the initial 75 million cubic meters of water to the US through their total platinum, located along the border, but this is only a share of approximately 1.5 billion cubic meters of excellent Mexico debt.

Feelings in cross-border joint water can be dangerous: in September 2020, two Mexican people were killed in the fight with the national guard at the gate of the Slyuite La Bokila when the farmers tried to stop the water.

Among the sharp drought prevails the opinion in Chihuahua is that “you cannot take from what is not,” says local expert Rafael Betans.

But it does not help Brian Jones to water his crops.

Over the last three years, the fourth-generation farmer in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas he has been able to plant half his farm because he lacks watering water.

“We fought with Mexico because they did not live in their part of the deal,” he says. “Everything we ask for is what is right in accordance with the contract.”

Mr Jones also disputes the degree of problem in Chihuahua. He believes that in October 2022, the state received more than water to share, but released the US “exactly zero”, accusing its neighbors of “storing water and use it to grow the crop to compete with us.”

Farmers on the Mexican side read the agreement. They say it only binds them to the dispatch of water to the north, when Mexico can meet their own needs, and claim that the constant drought chihuahua means that there is no excess.

In addition to water deficiency, there are also arguments for agricultural efficiency.

Nutty trees and alfalfa are the two main crops in the Rio -khihuahua Valley, both of which require a lot of watering – an average of 250 liters need nut trees.

Traditionally, Mexican farmers just flooded their fields with water from the watering channel. Walking down the valley, one quickly sees the nut trees sitting in shallow pools, water flowing from the open pipe.

Texas complaint is obvious: practice wasteful and easily avoided more responsible and sustainable agricultural methods.

When Jaime Ramirez runs through his nut grove, the former mayor of San Francisco de Conchos shows me how his modern system of sprayers guarantees that his nut trees are properly watered all year long without waste a valuable resource.

“With the help of sprinklers, we use about 60% less than hiding the fields,” he says. The system also means that they can water the trees less often, which is especially useful if Rio Conchos are too low to provide local watering.

Mr. Ramirez easily admits that some of his neighbors are not so conscientious. As a former local mayor, he calls to understand.

Some did not take the Sprinkler method from the cost when setting it, he says. He tried to show other farmers that the ultimately it works cheaper, saving on energy and water.

But peasants in Texas also need to understand that Mr. Ramirez insists that their colleagues in Chihuahua face an existential threat.

“It is a desert region, and the rains have not occurred. If the rain does not come again this year, then the next year simply will not remain agriculture. All available water should be preserved as a drinking water for humans,” he warns.

Many in the north of Mexico believe that the water distribution agreement in 1944 is no longer suitable for its intended purpose. Mr. Ramirez believes that it may be sufficient for the conditions eight decades ago, but it was unable to adapt over time either to properly consider the population or the destruction of climate change.

Returning across the border, Texas farmer Brian Jones says the agreement has withstood the test time and still must be honored.

“This contract was signed when my grandfather was engaged in agriculture. It passed through my grandfather, my father, and now,” he says.

“Now we see how Mexico does not perform. Very angry to have a farm where I can only plant half the earth because I don’t have irrigation.”

Trump’s tougher position gave the local farmers “Pep to our step,” he adds.

Meanwhile, the drought has not just caused damage to agriculture in Chihuahua.

With the level of Lake Toronto so low, Mr. Betans says that the rest of the water is heated at a rare speed and creates a potential disaster for sea life that supports the tourist industry once.

The valley’s forecast was not this terrible, says Mr. Betans, he constantly carried out carefully recording the ups and downs of the lake. “Prayer for the rain is all we have,” he muses.

An additional report by Anzhalika Kasas.