Texas Water Relief: What $280M Means for Rio Grande Producers
If you’ve been trying to make a living along the Rio Grande these past few years, you don’t need a reminder of just how critical and scarce water has become. Whether you’re running cattle, growing hay, or managing a citrus grove, water is the one input you can’t do without. And when it doesn’t show up, neither do the profits.
That’s been the reality for many Texas producers thanks to a long-standing issue with Mexico falling short on its water delivery obligations under the 1944 Water Treaty. These aren’t small shortfalls either. Entire growing seasons have been impacted, and it’s not just the crops or the pastureland that suffers, it’s families, generational operations, and rural economies that take the hit.
Relief is Finally on the Table.
On April 10, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a $280 million aid package designed to support farmers and ranchers affected by these ongoing water shortages. It’s a lifeline, one that’s been a long time coming.
The Backstory
Under the treaty, Mexico is supposed to deliver a set amount of water to the U.S. over a five-year cycle. But in recent years, they’ve been behind, way behind. As a result, many Texas producers have had to fallow land, reduce herd sizes, or abandon crops altogether.
Some folks have gotten creative, digging deeper wells, trucking in water, or switching to less water-intensive operations. But there’s only so much you can do when your lifeline gets cut off at the source.
The $280M Relief Package
This funding will be administered through USDA’s Emergency Relief Program (ERP) and aims to help producers who’ve experienced crop losses or income disruptions due to the lack of irrigation water.
Key highlights:
Covers both crop and livestock losses tied directly to the Rio Grande water shortfalls.
Will provide financial assistance to help offset operating losses and input costs.
Specific eligibility details and application instructions are expected to be released soon through FSA offices.
This isn’t a fix to the treaty problem, but it is a step toward keeping good operations from going under in the meantime.
What You Can Do Now
If you think you might be eligible, don’t wait to act.
Contact your local FSA office and request to be notified when applications open. Don’t assume they’ll reach out to you first.
Gather your paperwork. This includes production records, crop insurance documents, and anything that shows income loss or water-related impacts.
While this relief won’t make you whole, it could be the difference between making it through another season or not.
