[Jonathan Hart]

For those who were interested in the water use/river conversations a few
weeks ago, here's tidbit of news regarding the Rio Grande:

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The Rio Grande no longer reaches the sea.  In fact, it falls almost a
hundred yards short, a telling illustration of the water crisis that
threatens the river and the cross-border region that depends on it
for survival.  Years of drought and a population explosion on both
sides of the U.S.-Mexico border have strained limited water supplies,
and the region has no real water policy, short of praying for regular
hurricanes.  Theoretically, Mexico is supposed to send about 350,000
acre-feet of water every year into the Rio Grande from its major
tributary, the Rio Conchos, while the U.S. is supposed to release 1.5
million acre-feet of water annually from the Colorado River into the
Rio Grande.  But Mexico is more than 1.5 million acre-feet in
arrears, much to the dismay of U.S. farmers.  Some believe Mexico is
hoarding the water for its own agriculture industry, but Mexico
claims there's simply no leftover water to be had.

straight to the source:  New York Times, Jim Yardley, 19 Apr 2002
<http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/19/national/19RIVE.html>