Fronteras

Mónica Ortiz Uribe

The Francisco I. Madero Dam in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua stands at the edge of one of the reservoirs that delivers water to Rio Grande upstream of the Conchos River.

Mexico has met its obligation under a 1944 water treaty with the United States three months behind schedule.
 
Under the treaty the United States should receive 1.7 million acre feet of water from Mexico over the course of five years. Mexico delivers the water from six tributaries into the Rio Grande.

In the last five-year cycle, which ended in October, Mexico fell behind on its deliveries due to drought and poor management. That caused outrage in south Texas where cities and farmers depend on Rio Grande water.

"I think everyone understands that it's not good for the U.S.-Mexico relationship to have debt hanging there for a long period of time," said Sally Spener, a spokeswoman for the U.S. sector of the International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC).

Mexico paid off the remaining 15 percent of its water debt in late January. The treaty allows Mexico to deliver any outstanding water debt from a previous cycle in the subsequent five years without penalty.

Spener said the USIBWC working with Mexico to maintain steady water deliveries in the current cycle.