For Eric Saenz, his citrus grove is more than that. It’s a way of life for him and his family.

“[I have] memories from back in the day when growing up running through the orchards, and that’s something that really affects you,” Saenz said.

Saenz said the grove near Edinburg has been in his family for 20 years. But years of drought have turned what used to be colorful rows of oranges and grapefruits into a dry environment.

“Without water there's no life, so we need that water,” Saenz said.

The soil at Saenz’s grove is so dry it’s more like cement, and the leaves have started to curl due to a lack of water.

Citrus growers across the Rio Grande Valley like Saenz rely on water from the Rio Grande to irrigate their fields. Low levels in the area's reservoirs restricted how much water they could use.  

Valley citrus growers said they’re feeling the pinch. One citrus grower told Channel 5 News he is selling about nine acres of his grove because he believes the dry spell will continue. 

Saenz said he and other citrus growers feel helpless.

“We really can’t do anything,” Saenz said. “We’re fading out. We’ve been asking for water and there’s no relief there.”

The impact of the low water levels is rippling far beyond Saenz’s rows of trees. Without work in the orchards, families that depend on farm jobs are also at a loss.

“I just had to let go of some of the workers,” Saenz said. “It hurts. It hurts us, and it hurts those families as well, so it just it doesn’t feel good.”

Mexico missed the Oct. 25 deadline to deliver its complete share of water to the United States as part of the terms of a 1944 water treaty between both countries. 

As part of that deal, Mexico must deliver 1,750,000 acre-feet of water to the U.S. every five years. 

RELATED STORY: Texas’ congressional delegation wants Trump to punish Mexico for missing key water deadline

Mexico ended the five-year cycle Friday with a debt of 925,000 acre-feet, according to the Texas Tribune.

The combined water levels at the reservoirs are at less than 27% capacity. Farmers said unless the area gets a lot of rain in the right place, they could face another year of dying groves and disappearing farms.

“I’m gonna fight this as long as I can, but if there’s no water, I can’t do anything,” Saenz said.

Watch the video above for the full story.