Latest revision as of 08:56, 30 July 2014

Treaty between the United States of America and Mexico relating to the waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers, and of the Rio Grande (Rio Bravo) from Fort Quitman, Texas, to the Gulf of Mexico.^[1] The treaty changed the International Boundary Commission (established in 1889) o the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), which was given full responsibility for carrying out the treaty and ensuring both sides met obligations and maintained rights delineated within the treaty. The commission was explicitly assigned to conduct studies on the capacity for flood control and hydrolelectric power generation in the region of the Rio Grande (Rio Bravo) and Colorado rivers, and to make recommendations with regards to the joint management of Tijuana river.
The treaty also set allocation standards for the waters of the Rio Grande and Colorado river, and outlined an agreement for the joint construction of infrastructure along the Rio Grande's main channel, including international storage dams. It also includes agreements for the independent construction of several dams and diversions by both governments on the Colorado river. It outlined a payment plan by which Mexico could monetarily reimburse the United States for expenses incurred in constructing and maintaining infrastructure which benefits the water supplies of Mexico. The treaty established that neither government could be held responsible for damages caused to the other by flood discharges and other emergency water management, but both shall freely share information regarding such occurrences.

Case Studies Related to this Agreement

• The Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery and San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Programs
• Transboundary Dispute Resolution: U.S./Mexico Shared Aquifers
• Water Competition & Cooperation in the Las Vegas Valley

Articles linked to this Agreement

External Links

• Full Text of the Treaty — The full text for this and other documents are available at the website of the International Boundary Waters Commission website's treaty page

• Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database (TFDD) (2012). Oregon State University. 1944 US-Mexico Water Treaty — The Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database (TFDD) This website is used to aid in the assessment of the process of water conflict prevention and resolution. Over the years we have developed this Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database, a project of the Oregon State University Department of Geosciences, in collaboration with the Northwest Alliance for Computational Science and Engineering.

1. ^ Product of the Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database, Department of Geosciences, Oregon State University. Additional information about the TFDD can be found at: http://ocid.nacse.org/tfdd/tfdddocs/129ENG.pdf