US EditionWestern states seek to end long-running water dispute over dwindling Rio Grande
The settlement includes new water-sharing formulas and requires New Mexico to reduce groundwater depletion by 18,200 acre-feet annually to resolve a decade-long dispute.
- Judge D. Brooks Smith, special master has summoned parties to Philadelphia on September 30 to discuss settlement agreements involving New Mexico, Texas and Colorado over the Rio Grande.
- The dispute dates to a 2013 lawsuit after Texas alleged southern New Mexico groundwater pumping reduced water owed under the Rio Grande Compact, with Elephant Butte Reservoir under four percent capacity.
- The settlement package details new allocation formulas, requires New Mexico to reduce groundwater depletion, alters the Bureau of Reclamation's Rio Grande Project manual, and includes $65 million from the New Mexico Legislature to buy water rights retiring more than 14 square miles of farmland while compensating EBID.
- About 6 million people rely on the Rio Grande, and the agreements aim to provide long-term protection for El Paso farmers and the City of El Paso, restore irrigation systems in southern New Mexico and western Texas, and give New Mexico two years to adopt a management plan.
- Although the lawsuit may wind down, scientists project a 25 percent supply decline within 50 years, and experts note New Mexico lost over 70% of reservoir storage, increasing water challenges in the Desert Southwest.
76 Articles
76 Articles
'It's so dystopian. It's sad': The Rio Grande River is so dry that Texas, Colorado and New Mexico are squabbling over groundwater
A simmering feud over management of one of North America’s longest rivers reached a boiling point when the U.S. Supreme Court sent western states and the federal government back to the negotiating table last year. Now the battle over waters of the Rio Grande could be nearing resolution as New Mexico, Texas and Colorado announced fresh settlement proposals Friday designed to rein in groundwater pumping along the river in New Mexico and ensure eno…
New Mexico and Texas seek to end long-running water dispute over dwindling Rio Grande
The battle over the Rio Grande may be nearing a resolution now as New Mexico, Texas and Colorado announced proposed settlements Friday to reduce groundwater pumping along the dwindling river.
Settlement reached in Texas, New Mexico water dispute
In a statement, the El Paso Water Improvement District No. 1 said that the settlement will improve efficiency, conserve scarce water resources and ensure that water is available for the district’s farmers and the city.
Associated Press News
Western states seek to end long-running water dispute over dwindling Rio Grande
A feud over management of one of North America's longest rivers has been simmering in the courts for years. It reached a boil when the U.S.
‘It’s so dystopian. It’s sad’: The Rio Grande River is so dry that Texas, Colorado and New Mexico are squabbling over groundwater
A simmering feud over management of one of North America’s longest rivers reached a boiling point when the U.S. Supreme Court sent western states and the federal government back to the negotiating table last year. Now the battle over waters of the Rio Grande could be nearing resolution as New…
Settlement Signed in Texas v. New Mexico Rio Grande Case
By Martha Pskowski EL PASO-The Rio Grande flows over 1,800 miles from the mountains of southwestern Colorado to the Gulf of Mexico. A lawsuit filed in 2013 between Texas and New Mexico over Rio Grande water has taken as many twists and turns as the river itself.
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