A Salty Affair: An Analysis of U.S. – Mexico Water Diplomacy in the Colorado River
Geolocation: | 32° 37' 28.34", -115° 27' 8.1443" |
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Total Population | 281.333281,333,000 millionmillion |
Total Area | 35003,500 km² 1,351.35 mi² km2 |
Climate Descriptors | Arid/desert (Köppen B-type) |
Predominent Land Use Descriptors | agricultural- cropland and pasture, agricultural- confined livestock operations |
Important Uses of Water | Agriculture or Irrigation, Domestic/Urban Supply, Other Ecological Services |
Contents
Summary
During the 1960s Mexico and the United States clashed as a consequence of the salinity levels in the Colorado River. The conflict was triggered by the construction of the Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation Project, a 50-mile-long channel, completed in 1961 which was used to transport highly salinated waters into the Colorado River which began flowing into Mexico. The salinity concentration increased from 800 ppm to 2700 ppm. Mexico had no choice but to let those waters flow into the Gulf of California. Consequently, the shortage of water caused significant crop losses for Mexico, who accused the United States of breaching the 1944 Water Treaty between them. In response to these accusations the United States argued they had no obligation with respect to the quality of water but were willing to send fresh water. From the U.S. perspective this was a mere act of kindness and stressed it should not be interpreted as a precedent. The salinity concentration decreased and stabilized under Minute 242.
Natural, Historic, Economic, Regional, and Political Framework
Analysis, Synthesis, and Insight
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Key Questions
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Power and Politics: How does asymmetry of power influence water negotiations and how can the negative effects be mitigated?
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Transboundary Water Issues: What kinds of water treaties or agreements between countries can provide sufficient structure and stability to ensure enforceability but also be flexible and adaptable given future uncertainties?
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Tagged with: Salinity of the Colorado River; water conflicts between the U.S. and Mexico
References
FURNISH, DALE BECK, and JERRY R. LADMAN. 1975. The Colorado river salinity agreement of 1973 and the Mexicali valley. Natural Resources Journal 15 (1): 83-107 pp. 84 to 87
Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District. (2004). Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District. Retrieved May 14, 2017, from http://www.wmidd.org/history.html HUNDLEY NORRIS. Dividing the waters: A century of controversy between the United States and Mexico. Berkeley and Los Angeles: Univ. of California Press, 1966. pp. 172 to 175 DeMarsay, A. (1991). The Brownell task force and the Mexican Salinity Problem: A narrative Chronology of Events. Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum,1-19. Retrieved May 17, 2017, from http://www.coloradoriversalinity.org/docs/The%20Brownell%20Task%20Force%20and%20the%20Mexican%20Salinity%20Problem,%20A%20Narrative%20Chronology%20of%20Events.pdf Ibid. Hundley N., p.175 Utilization of Waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande. Retrieved from https://www.ibwc.gov/Treaties_Minutes/treaties.html Umoff, A. A. (2008). An Analysis of the 1944 U.S.-Mexico Water Treaty: Its Past, Present, and Future. Retrieved May 14, 2017, p.76 from http://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals%2Fenvirons32&div=6&id=&page= Treaties Between the U.S. and Mexico. Treaty of February 3, 1944. Retrieved May 14, 2017, from https://www.ibwc.gov/Treaties_Minutes/treaties.html Ibid. Hundley, N., p.177 Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District. (2004). Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District. Retrieved May 16, 2017, from http://www.wmidd.org/general.html Federal Constitution of Mexico. Retrieved May 16, 2017, from https://www.oas.org/juridico/mla/en/mex/en_mex-int-text-const.pdf Ibid. Hundley, N. p.176 Kneese, A. V. (1975). A theoretical Analysis of Minute 242. Natural Resources Journal,15, 135-140. Retrieved May 15, 2017, p.138 from http://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals%2Fnarj15&div=20&id=&page= Ibid. Hundley, N. p.177 Ibid. Hundley, N. p.177 to 178 Ibid. Hundley, N. p.179 Exteriores, S. D. Comision Internacional de Limites y Aguas entre Mexico y los Estados Unidos, Seccion Mexicana, Actas de la CILA MEX-EUA., Orden por Proyecto, Minuta 241 Retrieved May 16, 2017, from http://www.gob.mx/sre/acciones-y-programas/actas-de-la-cila-mex-eua Ibid. Exteriores, S. D., Minute 241 Ibid. Exteriores, S. D., Minute 241 Ibid. Furnish and Ladman pp.96 to 100 Ibid. Exteriores, S. D., Minute 241 Ibid. Exteriores, S. D., Minute 242 Udall, B. and J. Overpeck (2017), The twenty-first century Colorado River hot drought and implications for the future, Water Resour. Res., 53, 2404–2418, p. 2405 doi:10.1002/2016WR019638. Ibid. Udall, B. p. 2408 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2014). Climate Change 2014 Synthesis Report Summary for Policymakers . 2-31., p. 2 Retrieved from http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar5/syr/AR5_SYR_FINAL_SPM.pdf Ibid. IPCC Report Summary, p. 4 Ibid. Udall. B. p. 2408