"Vast Rio Grande a Source of Numerous Legal Battles"

"LAREDO — Many Texans who live along the border with Mexico share the legend of La Llorona, a repentant mother who is said to have drowned her children in the Rio Grande. And they pass on another myth: Once you drink the river-fed tap water here, you are bound to the region."

"Such tall tales are an ode to the 1,900-mile river that is known as the Rio Bravo to Mexicans, whose connections and ownership of the river is as strong as their neighbors to the north.

Researchers say the Rio Grande is one of the most studied and controversial bodies of water in North America. But with various levels of government in two countries making decisions that influence it, the Rio Grande has become the subject of interstate and international legal battles that have intensified during the continuing drought."

Julián Aguilar reports for the Texas Tribune December 15, 2013.

Source: Texas Tribune, 12/16/2013