El Paso water supply and Rio Grande access in focus as House panel meets in Lower Valley
The Texas House Committee on Natural Resources held a hearing in El Paso’s Lower Valley on Rio Grande water access, the Rio Grande Compact and ways to increase the state’s water supply. Lawmakers and residents discussed the region’s water challenges as new industries, including data centers, arrive, but no specific data center project was identified.
The Texas House Committee on Natural Resources met in El Paso for an unusual hearing outside Austin focused on Texas Commission on Environmental Quality oversight, Rio Grande water rights and strategies to expand the state’s water supply. State Rep. Mary Gonzalez said the region’s water availability will be increasingly important as new industries, including data centers, come to El Paso.
Residents and local speakers urged lawmakers to protect long-term water availability and consider impacts across the border region. The hearing also examined the Rio Grande Compact, which governs water allocations among Colorado, New Mexico and Texas; although a U.S. Supreme Court-approved settlement ended related litigation in May, questions remain about how water taken by New Mexico is allocated for use in Texas.