INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY AND WATER COMISSION COMMISSION UNITED STATES SECTION COMISIÓN INTERNACIONAL DE LÍMITES Y AGUAS Water Management Along the U.S.-Mexico Border The Role of the International Boundary and Water Commission Jayne Harkins, P.E. Commissioner International Boundary and Water Commission Two Nations One Water April 25, 2019
TWO NATIONS ONE WATER 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. Excellence through teamwork.
TWO NATIONS ONE WATER Colorado River Tijuana River Rio Grande
TWO NATIONS ONE WATER 228 USIBWC employees working boundary-wide
TIJUANA RIVER u Under the 1944 Water Treaty: ► Plans for equitable distribution of water between the two countries ► Plans for storage and flood control ► Under Article 3- prioritize uses and agree to give preferential attention to the solution of border sanitation problems
TIJUANA RIVER u South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant- 25 MGD, treats sewage from Tijuana, BC Flood Control Project u Tijuana River Flood Control Project International WWTP u Minute 320 Work Groups ► Sediment ► Solid waste ► Water quality
TIJUANA RIVER
COLORADO RIVER u 1944 Water Treaty ► Water Allocation-1.5 million acre-feet allotted to Mexico ► Construction of diversion and storage infrastructure by the U.S. and Mexico ► Flood control ► Water Accounting- gaging stations to keep a complete record of the water delivered to Mexico
MAIN AREAS IN SOUTHERN CA AND AZ THAT IBWC PLAYS A ROLE u 1944 Treaty, other areas: ► Water delivery/allocation ► Water quality monitoring- salinity, toxic substances ► Sanitation issues in Mexicali/Calexico, Nogales Az/Son u IBWC Binational Technical Workgroups: ► Ecosystem enhancement ► Habitat monitoring in response to water operations ► Conservation strategies in response to drought ► New Water Sources
MORELOS DIVERSION DAM
COLORADO RIVER u Water management strategies to address supply ► Conservation ► Shared reductions ► Environmental and social component
COLORADO RIVER Binational technical work groups: Canal lining and repair of irrigation Ø Projects system in Mexico Ø Flow Variability Ø Minute Oversight Group Ø All-American Canal Turnout Ø Environment Ø Hydrology Ø Salinity Ø Desalination
RIO GRANDE Ø Convention of 1906 § Applies to the allocation of water of El Paso-Juarez the Rio Grande to Mexico at the Convention of 1906 Acequia Madre (El Paso-Juarez) International Dams Ø 1944 Water Treaty § Allocation of water to the United 1944 States and Mexico from Fort Water Quitman, Texas to the Gulf of Treaty Mexico
PROJECTS Canalization and Rectification Ft. Quitman Gage Fabens Las Cruces Caballo El Paso Hatch Ciudad Juarez Ø Canalization Project - 105 river miles from Percha Dam, NM to El Paso, Texas Ø Rectification Project – 83 river miles from El Paso to Ft. Quitman, Texas Ø Mission – Water Deliveries and Flood Control Maintain river channel and levees § O&M of five sediment control dams § O&M of American Dam and International Dam § O&M of gaging stations § Environmental Restoration Activities §
CONVENTION OF 1906 - Overview Distribution between Mexico and the Ø US of the waters of the Rio Grande in El Paso-Juarez U.S. to deliver 60 kaf/year Ø In case of extraordinary drought, Ø water deliveries to both countries are United States reduced by the same percentage § Given present project storage conditions at Elephant Butte and American Canal Caballo reservoirs, proportional Mexico reductions are anticipated this year. § Wait and see how snow- melt/runoff will improve allocation projections. § Allocation committee will provide American Dam initial allocation in April with monthly updates thereafter.
CONVENTION OF 1906 2019 Irrigation Season Ø Release date from Caballo – May 31 st Historical Annual Deliveries to Mexico Ø EP#1, EBID, and Mexico all start (1939 to present) during the 1 st week of June Ø Monthly binational meetings 60,000acre-feet between US Section and Mexican Section of the IBWC, Reclamation, CONAGUA, EP#1, EBID Ø Discuss Basin hydrologic conditions. § Present/Forecasted Project § Storage Conditions Allocation § Delivery schedules § O&M activities §
REGIONAL PRIORITIES Address River Sediment Issue Ø Estimated 450,000 – 490,000 cubic yards of silt enters the Canalization reach annually (Tetra Tech report 2015). Ø Historically, removed less than 200,000 cubic yards annually. Ø High Priority for the Agency § Better management of internal sediment removal efforts. § Working with stakeholders on sediment deposition sites. § Developing SOW to contract desilting efforts when funding exists. Tetra Tech report identified nine problem locations.
1944 WATER TREATY RIO GRANDE WATER ALLOCATION u To Mexico: u To the United States: ► All waters of the Rio Grande ► All of the waters reaching the main channel from the San Juan, Alamo of the Rio Grande from the Pecos and Rivers, Devils Rivers, Goodenough Spring, Alamito, Terlingua, San Felipe and Pinto Creeks ► One-half of the Rio Grande ► One-half of the flow below the lowest below the lowest major international reservoir international reservoir ► Two-thirds of the flow reaching ► One-third of the flow from the Conchos, the main channel of the Rio San Diego, San Rodrigo, Escondido, Salado, Grande from the Conchos, San and Las Vacas Arroyo (shall not be less Diego, San Rodrigo, Escondido, than 350,000 acre-feet as an annual Salado, and the Las Vacas average in cycles of five years) Arroyo ► One-half of all other flows not otherwise ► One-half of all other flows not allotted otherwise allotted by the Treaty
5 YEAR CYCLE Luis L. Leon Dam on the Rio Conchos View of spillway
INTERNATIONAL STORAGE DAMS AMISTAD DAM FALCON DAM
STREAM GAGING AND WATER QUALITY STATIONS u 56 gaging stations in the Rio Grande basin ► Flow data is posted on the USIBWC website u 67 water quality stations ► Conventional parameters, bacteria, metals ► Monthly and quarterly sampling ► Dual IBWC/Texas monitoring program
TRANSBOUNDARY AQUIFER ASSESSMENT PROGRAM- NM and TX UNITED STATES – MEXICO TRANSBOUNDARY AQUIFER ASSESSMENT PROGRAM UPDATED JOINT WORK PLAN April 1, 2010 References cited: Creel, B.J., Hawley, J.W., Kennedy, J.F., u and Granados-Olivas, A., 2006, Groundwater resources of the New Mexico- Texas-Chihuahua border region: New Mexico Journal of Science, v. 44. p. 11-29. Hawley, J.W., and Kennedy, J.F., 2004, u Creation of a digital hydrogeologic framework model of the Mesilla Basin and southern Jornada del Muerto Basin
TRANSBOUNDARY AQUIFER ASSESSMENT PROGRAM- AZ
SUMMARY u IBWC’s role: u Current topics: ► Water Accounting ► Environmental enhancement ► Flood control ► Sediment removal ► Sanitation issues ► Transboundary issues (trash, sediment, health) ► Water quality ► Transboundary resources ► Facilitate the discussions with (drought, groundwater) the Mexican Section of the IBWC
TWO NATIONS ONE WATER Thank You Photo: Rio Grande downstream of Presidio, Texas
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