Water Management Along the U.S.-Mexico Border The Role of the - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY AND WATER COMISSION COMMISSION UNITED STATES SECTION COMISIN INTERNACIONAL DE LMITES Y AGUAS Water Management Along the U.S.-Mexico Border The Role of the International Boundary and Water Commission Jayne Harkins,
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.
u Under the 1944 Water
u South Bay International
u Tijuana River Flood
u Minute 320 Work Groups
International WWTP Flood Control Project
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
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
u Water management strategies
to address supply ►Conservation ►Shared reductions ►Environmental and social component
Canal lining and repair of irrigation system in Mexico Binational technical work groups: Ø Projects Ø Flow Variability Ø Minute Oversight Group Ø All-American Canal Turnout Ø Environment Ø Hydrology Ø Salinity Ø Desalination
El Paso-Juarez Convention of 1906 1944 Water Treaty International Dams
Ø Convention of 1906
§ Applies to the allocation of water of the Rio Grande to Mexico at the Acequia Madre (El Paso-Juarez)
Ø 1944 Water Treaty
§ Allocation of water to the United States and Mexico from Fort Quitman, Texas to the Gulf of Mexico
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
Caballo Hatch Las Cruces El Paso Ciudad Juarez Fabens
Gage
Ø
Distribution between Mexico and the US of the waters of the Rio Grande in El Paso-Juarez
Ø
U.S. to deliver 60 kaf/year
Ø
In case of extraordinary drought, water deliveries to both countries are reduced by the same percentage § Given present project storage conditions at Elephant Butte and Caballo reservoirs, proportional reductions are anticipated this year. § Wait and see how snow- melt/runoff will improve allocation projections. § Allocation committee will provide initial allocation in April with monthly updates thereafter.
American Dam United States Mexico
American Canal
Ø Release date from Caballo – May
31st
Ø EP#1, EBID, and Mexico all start
during the 1st week of June
Ø Monthly binational meetings
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 Historical Annual Deliveries to Mexico (1939 to present)
60,000acre-feet
Ø Estimated 450,000 – 490,000 cubic yards
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.
u To Mexico:
►All waters of the Rio Grande from the San Juan, Alamo Rivers, ►One-half of the Rio Grande below the lowest major international reservoir ►Two-thirds of the flow reaching the main channel of the Rio Grande from the Conchos, San Diego, San Rodrigo, Escondido, Salado, and the Las Vacas Arroyo ►One-half of all other flows not
u To the United States:
►All of the waters reaching the main channel
Devils Rivers, Goodenough Spring, Alamito, Terlingua, San Felipe and Pinto Creeks ►One-half of the flow below the lowest international reservoir ►One-third of the flow from the Conchos, San Diego, San Rodrigo, Escondido, Salado, and Las Vacas Arroyo (shall not be less than 350,000 acre-feet as an annual average in cycles of five years) ►One-half of all other flows not otherwise allotted
Luis L. Leon Dam on the Rio Conchos View of spillway
AMISTAD DAM FALCON DAM
u 56 gaging stations in the
u 67 water quality stations
UNITED STATES – MEXICO TRANSBOUNDARY AQUIFER ASSESSMENT PROGRAM UPDATED JOINT WORK PLAN April 1, 2010 References cited:
u
Creel, B.J., Hawley, J.W., Kennedy, J.F., 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.
u
Hawley, J.W., and Kennedy, J.F., 2004, Creation of a digital hydrogeologic framework model of the Mesilla Basin and southern Jornada del Muerto Basin
u IBWC’s role:
u Current topics:
Thank You Photo: Rio Grande downstream