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Texas and New Mexico battle over water in Supreme Court

A lawsuit filed by the state of Texas over the waters of the Rio Grande is heading to the Supreme Court.

The Rio Grande has been the lifeblood of the valleys and civilizations it flowed through for more than 3,000 years. As cities and farms suck it dry and a warming climate makes it evaporate faster, the river's future has never been more uncertain.

A lawsuit filed by the state of Texas about ownership of water bodies in the Rio Grande is heading to the Supreme Court. The suit alleges that New Mexico, which allows farmers in southern parts of the region to pump groundwater in the river's watershed, is taking water that should belong to Texas under terms of the 1938 Rio Grande Compact. The report from the Supreme Court allowing the case to proceed can be viewed here. (New Mexico Political Report)

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