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The War for the Rio Grande
By Jack Herrera, Photographs by Jordan Vonderhaar
Texas Monthly (story supported by the Pulitzer Center)
When is a river no longer a river?
In the case of the Rio Grande, this isn’t some existential riddle. The Rio Grande is one of the most threatened rivers in the country—more imperiled than the Colorado, which tends to generate all the headlines.
The crisis is worse—significantly worse—than most realize. Roughly 15 million people depend on the Rio Grande for drinking water, and some of their taps could run dry as early as next year.
The river also fuels billions of dollars in agricultural production. For countless farmers, their way of life is at risk.
The U.S. and Mexico have clashed over the Rio Grande’s waters for decades, but tensions are more charged than ever. Blood has already been spilled, and the prospect of more-widespread violence—not to mention a mass-migration event—appears increasingly likely.
This is the story of a water crisis without precedent in American history.
September 2, 2026