Brown Bag Webinar — Binational Cooperation in the Colorado River Basin: United States and Mexico
Date: Tuesday, September 14
Time: 12:00 - 1:15 PM (AZ time)
Speakers:
Amy Witherall, Binational Program Manager, Lower Colorado Basin Region,
Bureau of Reclamation
Sean Schrag-Toso, Binational Program Analyst, Lower Colorado Basin Region,
Bureau of Reclamation
The Colorado River is shared between the United States and Mexico pursuant to the 1944 Mexican Water Treaty (Treaty), which addresses both operational issues and water volume allocation of the river between the two countries. The Treaty also provides a mechanism for adoption of binational agreements to address issues that arise during treaty implementation. These implementing agreements are known as “Minutes” to the 1944 Treaty, and are negotiated under the authority and direction of the US Department of State and the US Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission IBWC) and their counterparts in Mexico.
Through a binational cooperative process that began in 2007, Reclamation has been working in partnership with the seven Colorado River Basin States, IBWC, non-governmental organizations, and the Republic of Mexico to develop binational approaches to address water conservation, binational responses to historic drought, and environmental enhancement along the Colorado River in the border region. This presentation will provide an overview of the partnerships and negotiations that led to the adoption of Minute 323 to the Treaty, which provides operational certainty for water users in both the United States and Mexico by extending proactive, cooperative reservoir management strategies previously agreed to in 2012 through “Minute 319.”
