Tamaulipas farmers oppose transferring water to U.S.

Tamaulipas farmers oppose transferring water to U.S. By STEVE TAYLOR Valley Morning Star AUSTIN — Thousands of angry Tamaulipas farmers will call on their federal government to block the transfer of water to the United States at a rally in Reynosa today.

The mass gathering, which could be the prelude to another blockade of an international bridge early next month, comes as Rio Grande Valley farmers return from a visit to Washington, D.C., where they called on the U.S. government to recognize Mexico’s violation of a water-sharing treaty.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs, who joined Valley farmers on the trip to Washington, said the White House would be sending officials to Mexico City later this week to discuss the long-running water dispute.

Oct. 2 is the deadline for Mexico to repay a 1.7 million acre-feet water debt owed to the United States under a 1944 treaty.

"We are angry and we are in fighting mood," said Enrique Zolezzi, a spokesman for the 11,200-member District 25 group of farmers in Matamoros.

"We do not see why our government should be releasing water to the United States because the water the United States wants is not governed by any international treaty. It is unmeasured water and it belongs to us."

Zolezzi said Tamaulipas farmers had been alarmed by claims made by Combs that there was more than enough off water to repay Mexico’s debt. Zolezzi said much of the water accumulating in the international Falcon and Amistad dams had come from rainfall and creeks and arroyos not covered by the 1944 U.S.-Mexico Water Treaty.

"This water should be coming to us," Zolezzi said. "Texas farmers are getting lots of government subsidies but we are not getting any help from our government. We only have one planting season all year, in January and February, and we need all the stored water for our growing season."

Zolezzi said up to 5,000 farmers would assemble in Rio Bravo early this morning before traveling to the Reynosa offices of the CILA, the Mexican equivalent of the International Boundary and Water Commission for a 10 a.m. rally.

Zolezzi said even more farmers would be assembling at a "strategic point," along the border on Oct. 9; the day nine farmers’ presidents from District 25 meet with Agriculture Secretary Javier Usabiaga in Mexico City. Zolezzi said he could not confirm whether the "strategic point" meant an international bridge.

District 25 farmers are still waiting to be paid damages for crop losses caused by drought. Zolezzi said the Mexican government owed Tamaulipas farmers $100 per acre for 2001 and $450 per acre for 2002.

"Our anger is directed at our federal government, not the people of Chihuahua or Texas," Zolezzi added. "The Mexican government is about to start working out the water debt but nobody is protecting us."

Sally Spener, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Section of the IBWC, said it sounded as though the Tamaulipas farmers were confusing the terms of the 1944 treaty, under which Mexico has to release an average of 350,000 acre-feet of water from the Rio Conchos Basin in Chihuahua to the Rio Grande each year.

Spener said she knew Tamaulipas farmers had been concerned last year that Mexico had agreed to assign all of the unmeasured tributary water to the United States. She said that was not Chihuahua water.

"Of the water that comes from the Rio Conchos Basin that arrives in the Rio Grande, two thirds of it belongs to Mexico and one third belongs to the United States. That’s water that would be stored for potential release downstream to Tamaulipas farmers," Spener said.

"The unmeasured water is water that arrives in the Rio Grande from unmeasured tributaries or water that falls. Under the 1944 treaty that water is shared 50-50 between the two countries."

In Washington, Combs and the Valley farmers met with Ruben Barrales, director of the White House Office for Intergovernmental Affairs, and officials from the National Security Council, State Department and the International Boundary and Water Commission.

"It was a very successful series of meetings," said Combs spokeswoman Beverly Boyd. "Susan was very pleased to report that the White House had contacted Secretary Berruga about a visit to Mexico arranged for this Friday and Saturday."

Enrique Berruga is an under secretary at the SRE, the Mexican foreign affairs ministry. Mexico blames a severe drought in Chihuahua for its water debt.

Ray Prewett, executive vice-president of Texas Citrus Mutual and a founder member of Texans for Treaty Compliance, said the Valley had sent a strong delegation to Washington and very strong message to the Bush administration.

"Our main focus was on the Oct. 2 deadline and treaty compliance," Prewett said.

"We want to see Mexico officially deemed to be in violation of the 1944 treaty after the Oct. 2 deadline. That has to be Step One. After that we can begin to look at some kind of penalties for Mexico."

After that we can begin to look at some kind of penalties for Mexico

Like what? Or to be more specific, What penalties could we levy that would actually be 1) Enforced on our end, and 2)Something that they couldn't just dismiss?

Stinking world courts have this fall in their jurisdiction.
A treaty is a treaty; 50/50 is as fair as fair is. Texas will get their water.

Besides all that...Who with a fair mind and heart wants to take anything from Mexican farmers that is rightfuly theirs? That idea should be reciprocal.

.......Zolezzi said. "Texas farmers are getting lots of government subsidies but we are not getting any help from our government. We only have one planting season all year, in January and February, and we need all the stored water for our growing season."

Well, why are you complaining in Washington, they? It sounds to me as if you should be taking your complaints to Mexico City. What's that? You say that El Presidente Fox won't listen to you?

This article from the Citrus newsletter of Dec 01 speaks to the same issue, just a year earlier. Note that the extension agent mentions that the Minute Agreement signed by the Presidents takes precedent over the un-guaged tributaries.

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