The Foreign Ministry reports that Minute 323, the “Extension of Cooperative Measures and Adoption of a Binational Water Scarcity Contingency Plan in the Colorado River Basin,” entered into force today. The binational agreement gives certainty to the two countries’ use of the water and allows Mexico to plan its management of the water from the Colorado River as per the 1944 Water Treaty. The agreement will be in force until 2026.
The International Boundary and Water Commission between Mexico and the United States negotiated the agreement with the participation of federal and state officials from both countries, and taking into account the recommendations of the working groups comprised of water users, scientists, academics and non-governmental organizations.
The agreement demonstrates the commitment of both countries to strengthen their cooperation in efficiently managing their shared resources and water supply, in developing the region and in environmental conservation.
The signing ceremony in Santa Fe, New Mexico was led by IBWC Commissioners Roberto Salmón Castelo and Edward Drusina, and was attended by Mexico’s Director General for North America, Mauricio Ibarra Ponce de Leon; by U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt; Hillary Quam, Border Affairs Coordinator, Office of Mexican Affairs at the U.S. State Department; and Thomas Buschatzke, Director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources.