Rio Grande Water Rights (1900–present) Following the approval of the Rio Grande Project by federal lawmakers in 1905, the waters of the Rio Grande were to be divided between the states of New Mexico and Texas based on their respective amount of irrigable land. The project also accorded of water annually to Mexico in response to the country's demands. This was meant to put an end to the many years of disagreement concerning rights to the river's flow and the construction of a dam and reservoir at various location on the river between the agricultural interests of the Mesilla Valley and those of El Paso and Juárez. In the agreement provisions were made to construct Elephant Butte dam on public lands. This act was the first occurrence of congressionally directed allocation of an interstate river (although New Mexico would not achieve statehood till 1912). thumb|left|Bridge of the Americas from El Paso, US to Ciudad Juárez, Mexico (2016).
rio grande water rights (1900–present) following the approval of the rio grande project by federal lawmakers in 1905 the waters of the rio grande were to be divided between the states of new mexico and texas based on their respective amount of irrigable land the project also accorded of water annually to mexico in response to the country's demands this was meant to put an end to the many years of disagreement concerning rights to the river's flow and the construction of a dam and reservoir at various location on the river between the agricultural interests of the mesilla valley and those of el paso and juárez in the agreement provisions were made to construct elephant butte dam on public lands this act was the first occurrence of congressionally directed allocation of an interstate river (although new mexico would not achieve statehood till 1912) thumb|left|bridge of the americas from el paso us to ciudad juárez mexico (2016)