'Exceptional drought' prompts disaster declaration in South Texas border county

McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) -- A disaster declaration has been issued for a deep South Texas border county, which is suffering from drought and a lack of water payments from Mexico.

Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez on Tuesday afternoon issued a disaster declaration because of “the prolonged period of exceptional drought conditions,” according to the one-page order.

Lack of rain in the region, coupled with low water payments to the Rio Grande from Mexico, has led to an ongoing drought, which he called “a threat of imminent disaster.”

Mexico has paid the United States just over a year's worth of water in this current 5-year cycle, under a 1944 international treaty, according to the International Boundary and Water Commission, which oversees payments.

Technically, Mexico won't be in debt until the cycle ends -- which will be in October 2025. However, U.S. IBWC Commissioner Maria-Elena Giner last week said at a meeting in the Rio Grande Valley that Mexico owes so much water that it is very unlikely that Mexico has enough time to pay back the water it owes.

In February, a 51-year-old sugar mill shut down in far eastern Hidalgo County, in the small farming town of Santa Rosa, due to a lack of water. Over 500 people lost their jobs.

And the border city of Mission is considering halting issuing building permits to new large subdivisions because of the water shortage.

The drought conditions "pose an imminent and continuous threat of widespread or severe damage, injury or loss of life or property and to public health, municipal water supplies and agricultural production," the Hidalgo County declaration says.

Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez issued a disaster declaration Tuesday due to the drought in the South Texas border county. (Sandra Sanchez/Border Report)

“We have been working diligently to assess the scope of the problem and how it is affecting the residents of Hidalgo County,” Cortez said. “This declaration is the first step in securing statewide aid to help us through what is predicted to be another dry summer.”

Texas state Rep. Terry Canales, a Democrat from Edinburg, has asked Gov. Greg Abbott to issue a disaster declaration for Hidalgo County due to the water situation.

Abbott on March 17 renewed a disaster declaration for Hidalgo County, and several other counties, due to the drought. The original declaration was issued in July 2022, and has been renewed every six months "due to exceptional drought conditions throughout the state of Texas," according to the declaration.

The latest declaration by Hidalgo County allows the border county access state funds and activates the county's emergency management plan, especially to prevent wildfires.

The declaration expires on April 16 and that is when Hidalgo County commissioners are slated to meet and expected to issue a 30-day order.

Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.