Supreme Court rules for Texas in Rio Grande River lawsuit
The decree settles a decade-long fight over how Rio Grande water is measured and apportioned, with New Mexico required to deliver flows at Elephant Butte Reservoir.
- The U.S. Supreme Court approved a consent decree resolving a long-standing water rights dispute between Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado over Rio Grande River allocation. The agreement mandates that New Mexico and Colorado meet specific delivery obligations to ensure Texas receives its allocated share.
- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott initiated the legal battle in 2013, alleging that New Mexico unfairly siphoned water from the river in violation of the 1938 Rio Grande Compact, which all three states entered into to equitably apportion shared water resources.
- The division of water rests on authorized irrigable acreage, with approximately 57% in New Mexico and 43% in Texas. New Mexico must control groundwater pumping near Elephant Butte Reservoir to ensure compliance with flow measurements established by the compact commission.
- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton called the decision a "historic win for the people of Texas," and the Texas Legislature ratified the settlement into the Texas Water Code to protect farmers and families relying on daily Rio Grande water.
- The nearly 1,900-mile-long Rio Grande River originates in the San Juan Mountains and flows along 13 Texas border counties, yet due to massive agricultural reliance, only 20% of the water is estimated to reach the Gulf of America.
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Daily Journal
Supreme Court rules for Texas in Rio Grande River lawsuit
(The Center Square) - The U.S. Supreme Court has handed Texas a win in a lawsuit first brought by Gov. Greg Abbott when he was attorney general.
Texas Wins Big: Supreme Court Approves Rio Grande Water Pact
he U.S. Supreme Court has issued its final approval of the multi-state and federal settlement addressing longstanding issues surrounding the distribution of the waters of the Rio Grande between Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado (“Compacting States”). The post Texas Wins Big: Supreme Court Approves Rio Grande Water Pact appeared first on Texas Border Business.
US Supreme Court settles long-running water dispute over dwindling #RioGrande — The Associated Press
Click the link to read the article on the Associated Press website (Susan Montoya Bryan). Here’s an excerpt: May 27, 2026 In a brief order Tuesday, the court accepted the recommendation of a special master to move forward with agreements first proposed last year by New Mexico, Texas and Colorado. The settlement calls for reducing groundwater pumping along the dwindling river and retiring water rights from irrigated farmland in southern New Mexi…
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