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Topic: Mexico

Overview April 24, 2014

Mexico

The Mexican Water Treaty of 1944 committed the U.S. to deliver 1.5 million acre-feet of water to Mexico on an annual basis, plus an additional 200,000 acre-feet under surplus conditions. The treaty is overseen by the International Boundary and Water Commission.

Colorado River water is delivered to Mexico at Morelos Dam, located 1.1 miles downstream from where the California-Baja California land boundary intersects the river. The river’s natural terminus is the Gulf of California in Mexico, but because of the dams and diversion facilities throughout the Colorado River Basin, natural flow rarely reaches the Gulf. Water diverted at Morelos Dam is primarily used to irrigate Mexicali Valley farmland, and also supplies the cities of Mexicali, Tecate and Tijuana.

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Aquafornia news May 12, 2025 Coronado Times

Imperial Beach asks for stronger federal action in sewage crisis; Coronado may follow

Imperial Beach leaders want the federal government to take stronger action in the ongoing Tijuana sewage crisis by accelerating its construction projects and pressuring Mexico with punitive action, if necessary. That pressure could include limiting border crossings and sales of potable water to Tijuana during county-declared public health threats. … Imperial Beach’s resolution asks Congress to expedite the rehabilitation and expansion of the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant (SBIWTP), a $600 million project overseen by the US International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC). It also suggests the federal government take punitive action against Mexico, if necessary. It notes that 90 percent of Tijuana’s imported water comes from the Colorado River, underscoring the city’s dependence on its 1944 United States-Mexico Water Treaty, and says Mexico has shown “persistent noncompliance” in the treaty terms, causing the ongoing wastewater pollution. 

Other U.S.-Mexico water news:

  • CBS8 (San Diego): Repair project may temporarily increase Tijuana Valley sewage flow
  • Times of San Diego: Residents: Prepare for stronger odors as cross-border wastewater work begins
  • Times of San Diego: Opinion: U.S and Mexico must collaborate to manage water supply amid climate change
  • Fox News: US one step closer to ‘100%’ deal with Mexico ending decades-long sewage crisis gripping vacation hotspot: EPA
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Aquafornia news May 9, 2025 Border Report

Mexico ‘not in full control of its water,’ ex IBWC commissioner says

Mexican diplomats say climate change has hindered them from settling a massive water debt to the United States, which is bringing economic hardship to South Texas farmers. But a former U.S. federal official on Thursday offered a different explanation. “One of the issues that we see is that domestic problems in Mexico are affecting what’s happening in the United States,” said Maria Elena Giner. “Water is owned by the (Mexican) government, yet they really don’t have good control of the reservoirs. The states are becoming much more active in opposing any water deliveries.” … Giner, who has followed Mexican politics since the Carlos Salinas de Gortari administration of 1988-1994, said Mexico has invested in developing agriculture but not in making water management more efficient.

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Aquafornia news May 7, 2025 Media Matters for America

Blog: Pollution from the Tijuana River is a complex, decades-old issue. For Fox News it’s simple: Mexico is to blame.

Every year, billions of gallons of sewage and toxic industrial waste flow down the Tijuana River, across the U.S.-Mexico border, and into the Pacific Ocean. It is a complex, decades-old, transjurisdictional issue that environmentalists and governments at the local, state, and federal level have been grappling with for years. Recently, entities on both sides of the border have made some progress, but experts agree that more has to be done to address the international pollution crisis. But viewers watching Fox News would have scant understanding of the complexity of this issue, the shared responsibility for its resolution, or the progress that has been made in both the U.S. and Mexico. According to Fox and new EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, the issue is simple: Mexico is to blame.

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Aquafornia news May 2, 2025 Escondido Times-Advocate (Calif.)

Opinion: The tide is finally turning on the Tijuana sewage crisis

Last week, I sat down with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin for a roundtable focused on a crisis that’s poisoned our coastlines for decades: the relentless dumping of toxic sewage from Mexico into Southern California’s waters. This wasn’t another meeting about more studies, more delays, or more bureaucratic finger-pointing. It was about one thing: action. I told Administrator Zeldin what so many San Diegans already know: this isn’t just an environmental disaster — it’s a national security threat. When our Navy SEALs — the elite warriors of our military — are forced to abandon training operations due to contaminated waters, we have crossed a line. When our families can’t enjoy our beaches without the risk of serious illness, something is fundamentally broken. The good news? Your voices are being heard.
–Written by Jim Desmond, member of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors.

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Aquafornia news April 30, 2025 Inside Climate News

EPA head pushes Mexico to address Tijuana River sewage in recent San Diego visit

Each day, the Tijuana River carries millions—and sometimes billions—of gallons of sewage across the U.S.-Mexico border into California, where it dumps into the ocean. This wave of waste frequently overwhelms wastewater treatment plants in both countries, fueling a public health and environmental crisis in nearby San Diego communities. The problem has gotten worse in recent years as budget-strapped infrastructure deteriorates and climate change fuels increasingly intense storms.  Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency’s administrator, Lee Zeldin, visited San Diego County to urge a “100 percent solution” from Mexico and the U.S. for ending the flow of untreated wastewater. He told reporters that a meeting with Mexico officials went well but stressed that the U.S. is “all out of patience.” 

Other U.S.-Mexico water news:

  • Financial Times: Mexico reaches deal with US in water dispute
  • E&E News by Politico: Mexico agrees to send water to Texas farmers after Trump tariff threat
  • BorderReport: Mexico, US reach deal on Rio Grande water sharing
  • Mexico News Daily: Mexico reaches agreement to send more water to southern US
  • FOX 5 (San Diego): Mexico’s wastewater plant repair slows sewage pollution in San Diego
  • Read more
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Aquafornia news April 29, 2025 The New York Times

Tuesday Top of the Scroll: Mexico to give U.S. more water from their shared rivers

Mexico has agreed to send water to the United States and temporarily channel more water to the country from their shared rivers, a concession that appeared to defuse a diplomatic crisis sparked by yearslong shortages that left Mexico behind on its treaty-bound contribution of water from the borderlands. … In a social media post, Mr. Trump accused Mexico of “stealing” water from Texas farmers by not meeting its obligations under a 1944 treaty that mediates the distribution of water from three rivers the two countries share: the Rio Grande, the Colorado and the Tijuana. In an agreement announced jointly by Mexico and the United States on Monday, Mexico will immediately transfer some of its water reserves and will give the country a larger share of the flow of water from the Rio Grande through October.

Other U.S.-Mexico water news:

  • UPI: Mexico agrees to transfer more water to U.S.
  • AP News: Mexico and US reach deal on Rio Grande water sharing
  • Reuters: Mexico will send more water to Texas to make up treaty shortfall, USDA says
  • U.S. Department of State: News release: Welcoming Mexico’s Water deliveries to the United States and steps to meet 1944 water treaty requirements
  • NBC 7 (San Diego): After nearly 5 years, Mexican wastewater treatment plant treating sewage again
  • KPBS (San Diego): San Diego County releases dashboard compiling on South County sewage
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Aquafornia news April 28, 2025 Coronado Times (Calif.)

It’s more than just sewage: 175 toxic chemicals found in water samples, scientist says

Turns out there’s a lot more than sewage polluting our rivers, oceans and air, according to scientists who study the cross-border sewage crisis. More than 175 toxic chemicals have been found in water samples collected from the Tijuana River Valley, according to Dr. Paula Stigler Granados, who spoke at the Coronado High School Stop the Sewage Health Forum on Wednesday. … She said that out of the 392 chemicals found in samples, 224 appear on a regulatory list, and 175 appear in the EPA Toxic Substance list. In addition, many of the chemicals are what scientists call an “emerging concern,” which means no one knows just how toxic they are yet. … This includes everything from pharmaceutical drugs like anesthetics to illegal drugs like cocaine and meth, according to a list shared at the meeting. 

Other U.S.-Mexico water news:

  • Reuters: Northern Mexico farmers fight drought amid water dispute with the US
  • Bloomberg.com: Opinion: The US water war with Mexico is just starting
  • Read more
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Aquafornia news April 25, 2025 KGTV (San Diego)

Mexico shares insight on meeting with EPA

The EPA’s visit to the South Bay to see the sewage crisis firsthand is something both the U.S. and Mexican governments are calling productive, vowing together to finally accelerate a plan to solve the problem affecting people for decades. … (Alicia) Bàrcena (the Mexican Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources) says Mexico has made an enormous effort on its part, stating that it has just finished construction on the San Antonio de Los Buenos wastewater treatment plant in Tijuana. She says that was a $38 million investment that will allow for more than 800 liters of wastewater to be treated per second. … Bàrcena also says Mexico will prioritize redirecting treated water from two plants in Tijuana to a dam to avoid its discharge into the Tijuana River.

Other Tijuana River news:

  • The San Diego Union-Tribune: Opinion: Zeldin takes diplomatic approach toward Mexico; locals want to hold big stick
  • ENRWest: EPA chief demands urgent action by Mexico to fix Tijuana sewage problems
  • Read more
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Aquafornia news April 24, 2025 E&E News by Politico

Zeldin: US, Mexico are working closely to end Tijuana River sewage crisis

The Trump administration and Mexican officials had a positive meeting Monday night on addressing sewage flowing into California and are developing plans to address the decades-old issue, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said Tuesday. Zeldin, speaking at the Marine Corps base in San Diego, said he had a 90-minute conversation with Mexican Environment Secretary Alicia Bárcena and both sides agreed to collaborate on steps to repair and upgrade an international sewage treatment plant that cleanses Mexican wastewater before it enters the United States. … Major infrastructure upgrades agreed on in 2018 and funded through the U.S.-Mexico trade agreement negotiated by Trump during his first term aren’t yet finished, allowing billions of gallons of raw sewage to reach the Tijuana River Valley and eventually the ocean.

Other Tijuana River news:

  • FOX5/KUSI (San Diego): EPA head discusses visit to San Diego on Tijuana River sewage crisis
  • NBC7 (San Diego): What are next steps for South Bay sewage crisis after EPA head’s visit?
  • KGTV (San Diego): Some Imperial Beach residents skeptical of EPA’s visit to Tijuana River Valley
  • Mexico News Daily: EPA demands Mexico act to end long-standing Tijuana River sewage crisis
  • The Hill: EPA head calls on Mexico to stop Tijuana sewage flow to California
  • Border Report: Environmental groups protest EPA administrator’s visit to border in California
  • Times of San Diego: Supervisor Desmond sends letter to State, Defense departments on sewage crisis
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Aquafornia news April 23, 2025 AP News

EPA chief demands that Mexico stop Tijuana sewage from flowing into California

The head of the Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday that Mexico must stop the flow of billions of gallons of sewage and toxic chemicals from Tijuana that has polluted the Pacific Ocean off neighboring Southern California, closing beaches and sickening Navy SEALs who train in the water. Lee Zeldin made the demand during an Earth Day trip to the California-Mexico border, where he toured a plant in San Diego County that treats the sewage as a secondary facility and flew along the frontier to see the Tijuana River. He also was scheduled to meet with SEALs. Zeldin said that in the next day or so, his agency will present Mexico a to-do list of projects to resolve the decades-long environmental crisis, but he stopped short of specifying how the Trump administration would hold Mexico accountable if it does not act.

Other U.S.-Mexico water news:

  • Los Angeles Times: EPA chief urges Mexico to help deliver ‘100% solution’ to clean up polluted Tijuana River
  • Fox News: EPA chief Zeldin launches talks with Mexico to end sewage hitting San Diego, Navy SEALs: ‘Out of patience’
  • San Diego Union-Tribune: ‘Mexico needs to fulfill its part:’ New head of EPA vows to pressure Mexico to hasten end to sewage crisis
  • E&E News by Politico: White House taps new head of US-Mexico water agency
  • KJZZ (Phoenix, Ariz.): After Trump administration denied Mexico water request, it pushes out top water official
  • SanDiegoRed: Governor Marina del Pilar reviews progress on San Antonio de los Buenos Wastewater Treatment Plant
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Aquafornia news April 22, 2025 The Washington Post

Tuesday Top of the Scroll: White House ousts top official in U.S.-Mexico water wars

The Trump administration on Monday demanded the resignation of the top federal official overseeing a dispute between the United States and Mexico over untreated sewage flowing across the border into California. Maria-Elena Giner, who leads the International Boundary and Water Commission, said in an interview Monday that White House officials asked her to resign by the end of the day and threatened to fire her otherwise. The commission plays a crucial role in navigating cross-border water conflicts, including the [Colorado River], ongoing sewage crisis facing coastal California communities and dwindling water deliveries to farmers in South Texas.

Other Mexico-U.S. water news:

  • San Diego Union-Tribune: Trump administration replaces commissioner overseeing management of sewage crisis
  • KGTV (San Diego): Maria-Elena Giner out as commissioner of US International Boundary and Water Commission
  • Coronado Times (Calif.): Trump administration replaces the commissioner leading sewage crisis repairs
  • NBC 7 (San Diego): EPA administrator visits San Diego to address Tijuana River sewage crisis
  • San Diego Union-Tribune: Opinion: Tijuana River sewage crisis is an Earth Day call to action
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Aquafornia news April 16, 2025 Mexico News Daily

Drought strains US-Mexico water treaty as Trump seeks sanctions

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum on Tuesday denied reports that Mexico had capitulated to U.S. demands for immediate water deliveries required by a 1944 treaty that allocates surface water along their shared border. One of the reports, published by the Mexican newspaper Reforma, stated that the Coahuila dam “La Amistad” had increased its extractions by 600%. Calling the published reports “false,” Sheinbaum said her administration is negotiating with northern states to send more water to the U.S. while recognizing that pervasive drought conditions have made it impossible to keep up with deliveries. “Talks are underway with the governors of Tamaulipas, Coahuila and Chihuahua to reach a joint agreement to determine how much water can be delivered … without affecting Mexican producers, while also complying with the 1944 treaty,” Sheinbaum said at her daily press conference.

Related articles:

  • Reuters: Mexico negotiating with its northern states to send more water to US, Sheinbaum says
  • The Latin Times (New York): Governors of three Mexican border states oppose delivery of water owed to the U.S.
  • Rio Grande Guardian (McAllen, Tex.): Video: Galeazzi: Agreement between the US and Mexico on water releases could not come at a more critical time
  • Mexico News Daily: Waterworld (or not): A look into Mexico’s water shortages
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Aquafornia news April 15, 2025 Times of San Diego

County offers guidance following surge in Tijuana River Valley sewage odors

Officials are monitoring reports from the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District of an overnight uptick in hydrogen sulfide readings in the Tijuana River Valley, creating odor issues in South County. The increase in odors in the last 24 hours “appears to be associated with reports from the (International Boundary and Water Commission) that sewage infrastructure work in Mexico has resulted in the release of up to 5 million gallons per night of sewage into the Tijuana River Valley,” according to the county. This flow comes in addition to “rogue sewage flows” being investigated by the IBWC with its partners in Mexico. The IBWC operates the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant and is tasked with collaborating with Mexico on border water issues.

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Aquafornia news April 14, 2025 Border Report

Mexico to make ‘immediate’ water payment to US as Trump threatens sanctions

Hours after President Donald Trump threatened Mexico with additional tariffs over a massive water debt, that country’s president publicly vowed to make a substantial payment soon. Under a 1944 treaty, Mexico must send 1.75 million acre-feet of water to the U.S. from the Rio Grande every five years, and the United States is to pay Mexico 1.5 million acre-feet of water annually via the Colorado River out West. The current five-year cycle ends in October and Mexico, so far, has paid only 512,604 acre-feet of water to the United States — about one-third of what it owes — according to the latest IBWC data published Friday. … On Friday morning, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo said her country doesn’t have enough water to give to the United States but will make payments.

Related articles:

  • The Hill: Mexico to send water to Texas amid Trump tariff threats
  • The Independent: Mexico to send water to desperate Texas farmers amid Trump’s tariff threats
  • The Wall Street Journal: Trump confronts Mexico over water shortage threatening Texas crops
  • The Wall Street Journal: Mexico’s Sheinbaum says water shortage won’t turn into new conflict with U.S.
  • Los Angeles Times: Inside the war over water brewing at the U.S.-Mexico border
  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news April 14, 2025 The Center Square

Raw sewage from Mexico sickening Navy SEALs, San Diego residents

San Diego officials say Mexico is continuing to release millions of gallons per day of raw sewage into the city’s waters despite its promises to end the flow that has sickened Navy SEALs and San Diego residents. “Mexico just dumped 6 million gallons of sewage into the Tijuana River — after promising they wouldn’t,” said San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond on X today (Apr. 11). “We are at the mercy of a foreign government that continues to pollute our waters — while we get stuck with the consequences.” Desmond also said Navy SEAL training is often being shifted farther north in San Diego from Coronado, where the training typically takes place, due to the high volume of waterborne illness caused by fecal and bacterial contamination.

Other Tijuana River Valley news:

  • The San Diego Union-Tribune: Editorial: EPA chief’s weighing in on sewage crisis is welcome. But there’s a twist.
  • Times of San Diego: Opinion: Coronado should use its clout to bring attention to the Tijuana River sewage crisis
  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news April 11, 2025 Reuters

Friday Top of the Scroll: Trump threatens sanctions, tariffs on Mexico in water dispute

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened Mexico with sanctions and tariffs in a dispute over water sharing between the two countries, accusing Mexico of breaking an 81-year-old treaty and “stealing the water from Texas Farmers.” Under the 1944 treaty, Mexico must send 1.75 million acre-feet of water to the U.S. from the Rio Grande through a network of interconnected dams and reservoirs every five years. … The treaty also requires that the U.S. deliver 1.5 million acre-feet of water annually to Mexico from the Colorado River, an obligation that the U.S. has largely fulfilled, although recent deliveries have been reduced due to severe drought, something the 1944 accord allows for. While Mexico sends far less water to the U.S., it has struggled to fulfill its end of the bargain due to a combination of factors including droughts, poor infrastructure and growing local demand.

Related articles:

  • Mexico News Daily: Mexico scrambles to boost US water deliveries ahead of next year’s USMCA treaty review
  • Newsweek: Donald Trump accuses Mexico of stealing water from Texas
  • TAG24: Trump threatens Mexico with “escalating consequences” over water dispute
  • Daily Kos: Blog: Water war with Mexico
  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news April 11, 2025 Coronado Times (Calif.)

Mexico’s sewage construction pushes more wastewater into Tijuana River

Mexico is diverting untreated wastewater into the Tijuana River as it works to repair its faulty sewage infrastructure. About five million gallons per day (MGD) have been diverted since April 8 as Mexico repairs a critical junction box that is a part of its International Collector project. The junction box must be dried so it can be rebuilt with reinforced concrete. On Wednesday, Mexico shut off the water supply to a portion of Tijuana for other projects, which eliminated the need to divert wastewater into the Tijuana River. Because of that, the average daily impact has been three million gallons per day, according to Maria-Elena Giner, commissioner for the U.S. section of the International Boundary and Water Commission. To help remove as much wastewater as possible from the river, Mexico is working to activate its PBCILA lift station, which is usually turned off during the dry season. It is expected to be operational by Sunday.

Other Tijuana River news:

  • FOX5/KUSI (San Diego): Millions of gallons of sewage now flowing into the Tijuana River — but why?
  • CBS 8 (San Diego): Mexico releases millions of gallons of wastewater into Tijuana River for critical repair project
  • San Diego Red: Water treatment plant in San Antonio de los Buenos transforms Tijuana’s environmental landscape
  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Publication March 4, 2024 Colorado River Basin Map

Layperson’s Guide to the Colorado River Basin
Updated 2024

Cover of Layperson's Guide to the Colorado River Basin

Learn the history and challenges facing the West’s most dramatic and developed river. 

The Layperson’s Guide to the Colorado River Basin introduces the 1,450-mile river that sustains 40 million people and millions of acres of farmland spanning seven states and parts of northern Mexico.

The 28-page primer explains how the river’s water is shared and managed as the Southwest transitions to a hotter and drier climate.

  • Read more
Western Water March 25, 2022 California Water Bundle WESTERN WATER-New EPA Regional Administrator Tackles Water Needs with a Wealth of Experience and $1 Billion in Federal Funding By Douglas E. Beeman

New EPA Regional Administrator Tackles Water Needs with a Wealth of Experience and $1 Billion in Federal Funding
WESTERN WATER Q&A: Martha Guzman says surge of federal dollars offers 'greatest opportunity' to address longstanding water needs, including for tribes & disadvantaged communities in EPA Region 9

EPA Region 9 Administrator Martha Guzman.Martha Guzman recalls those awful days working on water and other issues as a deputy legislative secretary for then-Gov. Jerry Brown. California was mired in a recession and the state’s finances were deep in the red. Parks were cut, schools were cut, programs were cut to try to balance a troubled state budget in what she remembers as “that terrible time.”

She now finds herself in a strikingly different position: As administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 9, she has a mandate to address water challenges across California, Nevada, Arizona and Hawaii and $1 billion to help pay for it. It is the kind of funding, she said, that is usually spread out over a decade. Guzman called it the “absolutely greatest opportunity.”

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Western Water August 27, 2021 Layperson's Guide to the Colorado River Delta Water-Starved Colorado River Delta Gets Another Shot of Life from the River’s Flows By Gary Pitzer

Water-Starved Colorado River Delta Gets Another Shot of Life from the River’s Flows
WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: Despite water shortages along the drought-stressed river, experimental flows resume in Mexico to revive trees and provide habitat for birds and wildlife

Water flowing into a Colorado River Delta restoration site in Mexico.Water is flowing once again to the Colorado River’s delta in Mexico, a vast region that was once a natural splendor before the iconic Western river was dammed and diverted at the turn of the last century, essentially turning the delta into a desert.

In 2012, the idea emerged that water could be intentionally sent down the river to inundate the delta floodplain and regenerate native cottonwood and willow trees, even in an overallocated river system. Ultimately, dedicated flows of river water were brokered under cooperative efforts by the U.S. and Mexican governments.

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Western Water March 14, 2019 Colorado River Basin Map Gary Pitzer

‘Mission-Oriented’ Colorado River Veteran Takes the Helm as the US Commissioner of IBWC
WESTERN WATER Q&A: Jayne Harkins’ duties include collaboration with Mexico on Colorado River supply, water quality issues

Jayne Harkins, the U.S. Commissioner of the International Boundary and Water Commission.For the bulk of her career, Jayne Harkins has devoted her energy to issues associated with the management of the Colorado River, both with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and with the Colorado River Commission of Nevada.

Now her career is taking a different direction. Harkins, 58, was appointed by President Trump last August to take the helm of the United States section of the U.S.-Mexico agency that oversees myriad water matters between the two countries as they seek to sustainably manage the supply and water quality of the Colorado River, including its once-thriving Delta in Mexico, and other rivers the two countries share. She is the first woman to be named the U.S. Commissioner of the International Boundary and Water Commission for either the United States or Mexico in the commission’s 129-year history.

  • Read more
Western Water June 15, 2018 Jenn Bowles Colorado River Basin Map Jennifer Bowles

Domino Effect: As Arizona Searches For a Unifying Voice, a Drought Plan for the Lower Colorado River Is Stalled
EDITOR'S NOTE: Finding solutions to the Colorado River — or any disputed river —may be the most important role anyone can play

Nowhere is the domino effect in Western water policy played out more than on the Colorado River, and specifically when it involves the Lower Basin states of California, Nevada and Arizona. We are seeing that play out now as the three states strive to forge a Drought Contingency Plan. Yet that plan can’t be finalized until Arizona finds a unifying voice between its major water players, an effort you can read more about in the latest in-depth article of Western Water.

Even then, there are some issues to resolve just within California.

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Western Water June 15, 2018 Colorado River Basin Map Gary Pitzer

As Colorado River Levels Drop, Pressure Grows On Arizona To Complete A Plan For Water Shortages
WESTERN WATER IN-DEPTH: A dispute over who speaks for Arizona has stalled work with California, Nevada on Drought Contingency Plan

Hoover Dam and Lake Mead

It’s high-stakes time in Arizona. The state that depends on the Colorado River to help supply its cities and farms — and is first in line to absorb a shortage — is seeking a unified plan for water supply management to join its Lower Basin neighbors, California and Nevada, in a coordinated plan to preserve water levels in Lake Mead before they run too low.

If the lake’s elevation falls below 1,075 feet above sea level, the secretary of the Interior would declare a shortage and Arizona’s deliveries of Colorado River water would be reduced by 320,000 acre-feet. Arizona says that’s enough to serve about 1 million households in one year.

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Publication March 27, 2017

Layperson’s Guide to the Colorado River Delta
Published 2017

The Colorado River Delta once spanned nearly 2 million acres and stretched from the northern tip of the Gulf of California in Mexico to Southern California’s Salton Sea. Today it’s one-tenth that size, yet still an important estuary, wildlife habitat and farming region even though Colorado River flows rarely reach the sea.

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Western Water Magazine November 16, 2016

Two Countries, One River: Crafting a New Agreement
Fall 2016

This issue of Western Water examines the ongoing effort between the United States and Mexico to develop a new agreement to the 1944 Treaty that will continue the binational cooperation on constructing Colorado River infrastructure, storing water in Lake Mead and providing instream flows for the Colorado River Delta.

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Western Water Excerpt November 10, 2016 Jenn Bowles

Two Countries, One River: Crafting a New Agreement
Fall 2016

As vital as the Colorado River is to the United States and Mexico, so is the ongoing process by which the two countries develop unique agreements to better manage the river and balance future competing needs.

The prospect is challenging. The river is over allocated as urban areas and farmers seek to stretch every drop of their respective supplies. Since a historic treaty between the two countries was signed in 1944, the United States and Mexico have periodically added a series of arrangements to the treaty called minutes that aim to strengthen the binational ties while addressing important water supply, water quality and environmental concerns.

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Video May 21, 2014

Two Sides of a River (60-minute DVD)

California’s little-known New River has been called one of North America’s most polluted. A closer look reveals the New River is full of ironic twists: its pollution has long defied cleanup, yet even in its degraded condition, the river is important to the border economies of Mexicali and the Imperial Valley and a lifeline that helps sustain the fragile Salton Sea ecosystem. Now, after decades of inertia on its pollution problems, the New River has emerged as an important test of binational cooperation on border water issues. These issues were profiled in the 2004 PBS documentary Two Sides of a River.

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Video May 21, 2014

Two Sides of a River (60-minute DVD Spanish)

$25.00

Spanish version of the 60-minute 2004 PBS documentary Two Sides of a River. DVD

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Maps & Posters May 20, 2014

Colorado River Basin Map
Redesigned in 2017

Redesigned in 2017, this beautiful map depicts the seven Western states that share the Colorado River with Mexico. The Colorado River supplies water to nearly 40 million people in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and Mexico. Text on this beautiful, 24×36-inch map, which is suitable for framing, explains the river’s apportionment, history and the need to adapt its management for urban growth and expected climate change impacts.

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Aquapedia background February 11, 2014 Colorado River Basin Map

Salton Sea

As part of the historic Colorado River Delta, the Salton Sea regularly filled and dried for thousands of years due to its elevation of 237 feet below sea level.

The most recent version of the Salton Sea was formed in 1905 when the Colorado River broke through a series of dikes and flooded the seabed for two years, creating California’s largest inland body of water. The Salton Sea, which is saltier than the Pacific Ocean, includes 130 miles of shoreline and is larger than Lake Tahoe. 

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Aquapedia background February 11, 2014

Colorado River Water and Mexico

The Mexican Water Treaty of 1944 committed the U.S. to deliver 1.5 million acre-feet of water to Mexico on an annual basis, plus an additional 200,000 acre-feet under surplus conditions. The treaty is overseen by the International Boundary and Water Commission.

Colorado River water is delivered to Mexico at Morelos Dam, located 1.1 miles downstream from where the California-Baja California land boundary intersects the river between the town of Los Algodones in northwestern Mexico and Yuma County, Ariz.

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Aquapedia background February 11, 2014

Colorado River Delta (in Mexico)

The Colorado River Delta is located at the natural terminus of the Colorado River at the Gulf of California, just south of the U.S.-Mexico border. The desert ecosystem was formed by silt flushed downstream from the Colorado and fresh and brackish water mixing at the Gulf.

The Colorado River Delta once covered 9,650 square miles but has shrunk to less than 1 percent of its original size due to human-made water diversions.

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Western Water Magazine November 1, 2013

An Era of New Partnerships on the Colorado River
November/December 2013

This printed issue of Western Water examines how the various stakeholders have begun working together to meet the planning challenges for the Colorado River Basin, including agreements with Mexico, increased use of conservation and water marketing, and the goal of accomplishing binational environmental restoration and water-sharing programs.

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Western Water Magazine November 1, 2012

A Call to Action? The Colorado River Basin Supply and Demand Study
November/December 2012

This printed issue of Western Water examines the Colorado River Basin Water Supply and Demand Study and what its finding might mean for the future of the lifeblood of the Southwest.

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Western Water Magazine November 1, 2009

The Colorado River: Building a Sustainable Future
November/December 2009

This printed issue of Western Water explores some of the major challenges facing Colorado River stakeholders: preparing for climate change, forging U.S.-Mexico water supply solutions and dealing with continued growth in the basins states. Much of the content for this issue of Western Water came from the in-depth panel discussions at the September 2009 Colorado River Symposium.

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Western Water Magazine September 1, 2008

Just Add Water? Restoring the Colorado River Delta
September/October 2008

This printed copy of Western Water examines the Colorado River Delta, its ecological significance and the lengths to which international, state and local efforts are targeted and achieving environmental restoration while recognizing the needs of the entire river’s many users.

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