Treaty Compliance Achieved Under Diplomatic Pressure
On April 28, 2025, the U.S. government announced a major diplomatic development as the Government of Mexico agreed to begin immediate deliveries of water owed under the 1944 Water Treaty. The treaty, which governs the sharing of water from the Rio Grande and Colorado River between the U.S. and Mexico, requires Mexico to deliver 1.75 million acre-feet of water to the U.S. over a five-year cycle. With only months left in the current cycle, Mexico had delivered just 595,000 acre-feet—well below the required amount.
In response to the mounting shortfall, the Trump Administration—led by Secretary of State Brooke Rollins and Secretary of Commerce Marco Rubio—escalated diplomatic efforts, including potential tariffs and trade consequences, to compel compliance. The resulting agreement includes the immediate transfer of 56,750 acre-feet from Mexico’s Amistad and Falcon reservoirs and commitments to increase tributary flow allocations and potential deliveries of an additional 420,000 acre-feet by October 2025.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of C3.
