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

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