The availability of water for Rio Grande Valley residents and farmers has always been a top issue for Jim Darling.
The former mayor of McAllen is president of the Rio Grande Regional Water Authority. He always gives updates on the water levels at Falcon and Amistad dams when he reports to McAllen Economic Development Corporation.
So, when famed Mexico expert Duncan Wood spoke to the CEO Club at a breakfast event the McAllen Country Club recently, Darling used the Q&A portion of the event to return to one of his favorite subjects.
“Mexico has not met its treaty obligations in the delivery of water for almost seven years. They did so last time by giving us all the water in Falcon. We are now almost three years behind again. We are approaching almost 25 percent (capacity) in the reservoirs. At 20 percent, agriculture doesn’t get any allocations. We were at 21 percent about two years ago. I understand Monterrey has even a worse problem than we do. What can be done?” Darling asked Wood, who serves as vice president for strategy and new initiatives at the Wilson Center.
Here, in audio format, is Darling’s question in full and Wood’s response.
What can be done about Mexico’s water debt to the US, Darling asks Wood