AUSTIN — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has issued a statement responding to the split decision of the Supreme Court of the United States that grants the federal government even more authority over States and halts the agreement between Texas, New Mexico and Colorado that would have secured vital water allotments for Texas farmers.
In 2013, Texas sued New Mexico to enforce the equitable apportionment of the waters of the Rio Grande as agreed upon in the 1938 Rio Grande Compact. After nearly 10 years, the States reached an agreement acceptable to all the States that would ensure Texas received a just water distribution.
In 2023, the Special Master appointed by SCOTUS supported the States’ agreement, saying, “It is difficult to envision a resolution to this matter that might be superior to the Consent Decree (that Texas seeks).”
