Weekly Wave: New US-Mexico Agreement on Rio Grande Foreseen in Recent Wilson Center Article

On October 21, 2020, the Mexico Institute at the Wilson Center released the article “Deadline Looms for Transboundary U.S.-Mexico Water Management: Experts weigh in on the potential for conflict and cooperation.” The deadline in question was October 24, 2020, the date by which Mexico was to meet its Rio Grande water delivery obligation to the United States under the 1944 Treaty between the United States and Mexico regarding Utilization of Waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande. WRRC Director Sharon B. Megdal was one of seven expert contributors to the article, which contains their responses to a series of questions about transboundary water resources. Timed for release just before the important October 24 deadline, the article's first question focused on the Rio Grande conflict: “Without major releases of water before Oct. 24, Mexico will end a 2nd 5-year cycle of the US-Mexico Water Treaty with a water debt, a situation understood by most to be a violation of the treaty. What are the most likely outcomes for this current dispute?” Megdal’s short answer to this question relied on what she had heard from other experts, namely that Mexico was likely to meet its obligation.