Water… A vital resource for a person's daily life. Water is what our farmers use to grow their crops, water is what the energy industry uses to extract oil and gas from the earth, water is what we as consumers drink and depend on every day . Without water we could not live and function. In fact, water is so important that 70 years ago Texas and Mexico signed a treaty, in 1944, to ensure that both Texas and Mexico would always share water in the Rio Grande River. For decades this treaty has benefited both Texas and Mexico, however, recently tensions between the two powers have increased. The Texas-Mexico Water Treaty became a point of contention, and steps were taken to resolve the problems. In 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed to form a border between the United States and Mexico. This border was formed along the Rio Grande River. It wasn't until 1944 that the Texas-Mexico Water Treaty was signed describing how water would be shared between Texas and Mexico. The treaty explained how water was to be shared between the two sides based on the surplus of water in the river. The Rio Grande River is one of the largest in North America. It is 1,885 miles long and supports many farmers and consumers in both Texas and Mexico. For example, Texas is the largest producer of cotton and livestock in the United States. Texas produced 13.86 million cattle and calves in a five-year average for the United States. Texas also produced 5,800,000 bales of cotton for the United States. Cotton is used to make jeans, sheets, t-shirts, pillowcases and much more. Products such as livestock and cotton require water, and the Rio Grande River is a major contributor to the success of these products. Cattle and cotton......center of map......//www.wildearthguardians.org/site/PageServer?pagename=priorities_wild_rivers_riogrande#.UoBEjLzUAnM>."Rio Grande- Rio Bravo." WWF Global and Web. November 10, 2013. "Save Export Print Cite Cornyn, Cruz, Vela, Conaway Introduces Water Bill to Help Solve Texas Water Shortage and Engage Mexico in Treaty Compliance." State News Service. High Beam Research, June 10, 2013. Web. November 10, 2013. .Staples, Todd, and Carlos Rubinstein. Letter to Ambassador Anthony Wayne. September 10, 2013. Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Np, nd Web. November 10, 2013. .Vrazel, Julie. “AgLead XI visits RGV and empowers participants.” Texas Agriculture November 1, 2013: 12. Print.