IV 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 241 

Recognizing the importance of the United States International Boundary 

Water Commission (USIBWC) and its recent efforts to address trash, 

sediment, and water quality issues with their Mexican counterparts, 

Comisio ́n Internacional de Lı ́mites y Aguas (CILA), through a proposed 

minute. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 23, 2013 

Mr. VARGAS (for himself, Mr. PETERS of California, Mrs. DAVIS of California, 

Mr. CA ́RDENAS, and Mr. GRIJALVA) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the importance of the United States International Boundary Water Commission (USIBWC) and 

its recent efforts to address trash, sediment, and water 

quality issues with their Mexican counterparts, Comisio ́n 

Internacional de Lı ́mites y Aguas (CILA), through a 

proposed minute. 

Whereas the United States International Boundary Water 

Commission (USIBWC) traces its roots to the 1848 

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and was institutionalized 

through the Water Treaty of 1944; 

Whereas the USIBWC’s mission is to provide binational solutions to issues that arise during the application of United 


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•HRES 241 IH 

States–Mexico treaties regarding boundary demarcation, 

national ownership of waters, sanitation, water quality, 

and flood control in the border region; 

Whereas the USIBWC has authority provided by Article 3 of 

the 1944 Water Treaty to have ‘‘preferential attention to 

the solution of all border sanitation problems’’; 

Whereas the USIBWC continues to work productively with 

their Mexican counterparts, the Comisio ́n Internacional 

de Lı ́mites y Aguas (CILA); 

Whereas the USIBWC has the ability to implement the 

Water Treaty of 1944 through a minute to address current development on the border; 

Whereas stormwater flows continue to bring substantial 

amounts of sediment, trash, and other contaminants into 

the Tijuana Valley from sources in both the United 

States and Mexico causing water quality impairments, 

threatening life and property from flooding, degrading 

valuable riparian and estuarine habitats, and negatively 

impacting people on both sides of the international 

boundary; 

Whereas the San Diego field office of the USIBWC has been 

an active participant of the Tijuana River Valley Recovery Team which was formed in an effort to develop local 

solutions to sediment and trash depositions issues for the 

Tijuana River; 

Whereas sediment, trash, and other pollutants carried in 

stormwater runoff currently threaten the valley’s valuable 

ecological, recreational, and economic resources; 

Whereas on June 19, 2012, the USIBWC convened a binational meeting among stakeholders to hear presentations 

regarding trash, sediment, and water quality issues; 


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•HRES 241 IH 

Whereas USIBWC Commissioner Edward Drusina and CILA 

Commissioner Roberto Fernando Salmo ́n Castelo proposed developing a principal engineers joint report and 

subsequent minute to address trash, sediment, and water 

quality; 

Whereas both the United States and Mexico have developed 

a schematics for binational coordination, including a 

working group to analyze data and formulate recommendations; 

Whereas trash, sediment, and water quality solutions will be 

key to the sustainability of the Tijuana River, the Rio 

Grande, and Colorado River watersheds; 

Whereas support for the mission of the USIBWC is crucial 

to maintaining the valuable ecological, recreational, and 

economic resources along the United States border with 

Mexico; 

Whereas the USIBWC has jurisdiction over key watersheds 

along the border in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and 

Texas; 

Whereas the USIBWC works directly with local communities 

to conserve transboundary rivers in San Diego, California, Calexico, California, Nogales, Arizona, Douglas, 

Arizona, El Paso, Texas, and Laredo, Texas; 

Whereas the USIBWC is a key component of the United 

States strategy to partner with Mexico to provide a binational forum to administer the water-rights between the 

two nations; 

Whereas the United States and Mexico have the common goal 

of reducing pollutants at the source on both sides of the 

border; and 


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•HRES 241 IH 

Whereas the United States will continue to utilize existing 

mechanisms, such as the United States Environmental 

Protection Agency Border 2020 program, the Border Environmental Cooperation Commission and local public 

and private entities to address environmental concerns on 

the border: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) expresses its support for the proposed 

3 minute to address trash, sediment, and water quality 

4 between the United States and Mexico’s respective 

5 sections of the International Boundary and Water 

6 Commission; 

7 (2) commends the USIBWC, the Tijuana River 

8 Valley Recovery Team, and local environmental or9 ganizations for their leadership in addressing these 

10 issues; and 

11 (3) reaffirms its commitment to continue its 

12 partnerships with Mexico on protecting the 

13 transnational watersheds. 

Æ 


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