As concerns over water availability in the Rio Grande Valley rise, a senator is trying to convince the Texas Water Development Board to plan ahead.

“Water is life,” Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa said. “There are many farmers who have not been able to irrigate their fields due to a lack of water. We need to make sure we deal with the water issues and challenges we face."

On Dec. 19, Hinojosa, who represents parts of the Valley, wrote to water district leaders in the area to recommend that they request $100 million in funding be allocated from the Texas Water Development Board for canal lining projects in the Rio Grande Valley.

Hinojosa said there are about 3,500 miles of irrigation canals in the Valley, and that lining canals will help conserve 900,000-acre feet of water annually, and produce $270 million in annual savings for municipal and agricultural sectors. 

“We lose about 40 to 60 percent of water that goes through the canals right now because of seepage and evaporation,” Hinojosa said.

The Hidalgo Irrigation District No. 2 has about 21 miles of lined canals, but they are hoping to line more. They currently have about 54 miles of unlined canal.

The irrigation district provides water to six cities and farmers in those areas. 

General manager Anthony Stambaugh said the lack of water has affected their ability to provide upgrades and line more canals because less water means less revenue.

“It's really hard to set aside reserves to put it into an improvement like canal lining or piping,” Stambaugh said.

The allocation of the $100 million in funding is not guaranteed, so the senator is calling everyone to take time and submit public comment to the water development board to request the funds. 

“It is important that our farmers and ranchers and people who really care about water make their opinion known,” Hinojosa said.

The deadline to submit a comment is on Feb. 4, 2026. More information is available online.

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