## COLORADO RIVER

JOINT COOPERATIVE PROCESS

U.S.

- MEXICO

GOOD NEIGHBOR ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD

Carlos Marin, U.S. Commissioner International Boundary and Water Commission, United States and Mexico, United States Section June 18, 2008

# IBWC MISSION

The International Boundary and Water Commission, United States and Mexico, is responsible for applying the boundary and water treaties between the two countries and settling differences that arise in their application.Tijuana River Basin

Colorado River Basin

Rio Grande Basin **INTERNA**

**TIONAL R** **IVER BASINS** 

Pacific Ocean Gulf of Mexico

## 1944 WATER TREATY

– COLORADO RIVER

 U.S. to deliver to Mexico a volume of 1.5 million acre

-feet per year  Mexico diverts water at Morelos Dam  When there are surplus waters, U.S. to deliver to Mexico a total volume of up to 1.7 million acre

-feet per year  In extraordinary drought, Mexico reduced in proportion to U.S.

## MORELOS DAM

## 1944 WATER TREATY

– COLORADO RIVER

 Lakes Powell and Mead approx. 50% full due to several years of drought  Reclamation has adopted shortage guidelines for Lower Basin States  Potential future reductions to Mexico due to extraordinary drought  U.S. has always delivered required volume on Colorado River

## LAKE MEAD

1999 2006

## COLORADO RIVER INTERNATIONAL TASK FORCE

 Established by IBWC in 1995  Participation by IBWC, Reclamation, Conagua  Five Work Groups:  Sediment

– sediment removal and control projects  Salinity

– projects reduce salinity of deliveries to Mexico  Conveyance Capacity and Boundary Preservation

– proposals to improve conveyance capacity and restore the international boundary  Delta

– address ecosystem needs in the delta  All

-American Canal Lining

– options to reduce potential impact to Mexico of the project

## COLORADO RIVER DELTA

– MINUTE 306 (2000)

 IBWC agreement established a framework for cooperation on ecosystem of Colorado River Delta and limitrophe  Binational Advisory Group established  Advisory Group has proposed various restoration and conservation projects  Projects relate to improving flow regimes to benefit ecosystems, habitat improvement, native plants, and hydraulic modeling

## COLORADO RIVER DELTA

– MINUTE 306

**Colorado River often runs dry**  **at SIB** 

We llton

- Mohawk salinity canal

# ALL

-AMERICAN CANAL LINING

 Part of agreement among Basin States to reduce California’s water use to its 4.4 maf allotment  A parallel lined channel is being constructed for 23 miles  67,000 acre

-feet/year to be conserved; most water will go to San Diego County Water Authority  Lining paid for by State of California  Mexico opposed due to reduced seepage into the aquifer  Potential impact on Mexican wells  IBWC conducted extensive U.S.

- Mexico consultations on potential measures to reduce impacts to Mexico but agreement was not reached  Mexican entities litigated against the lining but lost  Construction began 2007, expected completion in 2010All

-American Canal **Calexico**

**Delta Colorado**  **Riv er**  **limitrophe**

Santa Clara Wetland

## STAKEHOLDER INTEREST IN U.S.

- MEXICO COOPERATION  U.S. Basin States prepared a white paper in 2007 expressing interest in a dialogue with Mexico about Colorado River issues  Proposed to bring together U.S. and Mexican water managers to discuss a variety of issues including conservation, new water sources, environmental issues, etc.  Water managers in both countries concerned about increasing demands, drought, potential shortages  Minutes 301 and 310 set precedent for state and local cooperation  IBWC Task Force has promoted cooperation since 1990s

# MINUTE 301 (1999)

 Framework for a feasibility study for a binational aqueduct to convey Colorado River water to urban areas of Baja California and California  Potential binational coastal desalination plants also considered  IBWC facilitated cooperation between San Diego County Water Authority, State of California, and Mexican federal and state agencies

# MINUTE 310 (2003)
 Provides for emergency delivery of a portion of Mexico’s allotment of Colorado River water through California conveyance system  Various U.S. entities cooperated:  San Diego County Water Authority  Metropolitan Water District of Southern California  Otay Water District 

###  Mexico pays all costs Connection at Otay Mesa

## COLORADO RIVER JOINT STATEMENT

 Joint Statement issued Aug. 13, 2007 by DOI and Mexico’s Ambassador  IBWC should be utilized to expedite discussions on Colorado River cooperation on the following issues:  continued needs of both nations for water for urban, agricultural and environmental purposes, the study of the hydrological system and potential impacts of climate change, including the effects of the ongoing historic Colorado River drought  environmental priorities, including Colorado River Delta habitat protection and enhancement (implementation of Min. 306)  opportunities for water conservation, storage, and supply augmentation such as seawater desalination and reuse, strategies aimed to ease variations in the Colorado River system  potential opportunities for more efficient Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico

## COLORADO RIVER JOINT COOPERATIVE PROCESS

 IBWC has established a Binational Core Group to consider cooperative efforts  U.S. Core Group is comprised of:  USIBWC  Bureau of Reclamation  California  Nevada  Arizona  Upper Basin States  Non

-Governmental Organizations

## COLORADO RIVER JOINT COOPERATIVE PROCESS

 Mexico’s Core Group is comprised of:  Mexican Section, IBWC  National Water Commission (Conagua)  Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources  Baja California  Sonora  Embassy of Mexico/Ministry of Foreign Relations  Non

-Governmental Organizations

## COLORADO RIVER JOINT COOPERATIVE PROCESS
 Each country has established its objectives for the cooperative process  Objectives relate to: Addressing current and future urban, agricultural, and environmental water needs  Management procedures for shortage conditions  Efficiency improvements  Water augmentation and storage options  Environment  Climate change, salinity, water exchanges, water system operations, etc.

## COLORADO RIVER JOINT COOPERATIVE PROCESS

 Each country has identified priorities for the cooperative process  U.S. Priorities:  Desalination  Wetlands protection  Water delivery to Tijuana through the Otay connection  Shortage management  Mexican Priorities:  Irrigation district improvements  Desalination of ocean water  Sediment removal from the Wellton

-Mohawk Drain  Hydraulic modeling related to the Colorado River Delta  Water delivery to Tijuana through the Otay connection

## COLORADO RIVER JOINT COOPERATIVE PROCESS
 Core Group has established four Work Groups, with broad participation from U.S. and Mexican stakeholders:  New Water Sources

– particular interest in binational desalination  Conservation

– especially irrigation conservation projects  System Operations

– seeking efficiencies in how the system operates  Environment

– preserve and restore the ecosystem 

###  Each Work Group to meet approx. once/month  Core Group to meet quarterlyINTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY AND WATER COMMISSION

UNITED STATES AND MEXICO UNITED STATES SECTION



### www.ibwc.gov (915) 832

-4100