Supreme Court orders Rio Grande settlements into effect, ending decades of litigation

EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — A long-running legal fight over the Rio Grande is moving into a new phase after the U.S. Supreme Court ordered a set of settlement agreements into effect on Monday, ending nearly two decades of disputes over the river.

According to the El Paso County Water Improvement District Number One, the Supreme Court’s order, combined with last week’s entry of a settlement decree in the Rio Grande Compact litigation, will help the El Paso area govern future operations of the Rio Grande Project, which delivers water to area farmers and the City of El Paso.

The District said the agreements are the result of a years-long effort to ensure the rules for future Rio Grande operations in the El Paso area and southern New Mexico provide for the fair and equitable distribution and delivery of the river’s water among farmers and municipalities.

“Today’s Supreme Court action further strengthens the independence of the federal Rio Grande Project and the critical protection that independence provides to a secure water supply for El Paso farmers and the City of El Paso,” said Arthur Ivey, president of the District’s Board of Directors.

The District said the agreements approved on Monday are intended to increase the Rio Grande Project’s viability by providing mechanisms for New Mexico to reduce groundwater pumping to protect Rio Grande flows downstream of Caballo Reservoir and assure the District receives the water to which its farmers are entitled.

The agreements also continue, in perpetuity, the Operating Agreement that has been in place since 2008 as protection for the El Paso part of the project.

In addition, the District said the agreements aim to improve project conveyance efficiency, conserve scarce water resources, and ensure the District’s share of water from project storage is available for delivery to the District’s farmers and the City of El Paso.

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