In accordance with the August 13, 2007 Joint Statement of the United States and Mexico related to the Colorado River, a Binational Core Group has been created to address joint cooperative actions for the use of Colorado River waters in both countries. The group was convened March 11 in Phoenix, Arizona by the International Boundary and Water Commission, United States and Mexico. 

The objective of the joint cooperative process is to establish, under the auspices of the Commission, an international group of representatives of federal, state, and expert nongovernment organization stakeholders from the United States and Mexico to explore, identify, and ultimately implement water conservation, shortage management, augmentation and environmental initiatives with binational benefits in the areas of environmental, agricultural and urban water use. All joint cooperative projects and measures must be consistent with the 1944 Water Treaty, which allots a portion of the waters of the Colorado River to Mexico. 

The Binational Core Group established four work groups to pursue cooperative actions in four broad areas: 1) conservation, 2) new water sources, 3) environmental issues, and 4) system operations. 

“The U.S. Section of the Commission is very interested in promoting cooperation in the region among interests from the United States and Mexico. Through this group, we will be able to consider joint projects to benefit water users in both countries,” said U.S. Commissioner Carlos Marin. 

Mexican Commissioner Arturo Herrera added, “Considering the cooperative relationship that prevails among Colorado River stakeholders, both in Mexico and the U.S., the measures adopted in this meeting strengthen binational efforts, which will allow for the identification and implementation of joint measures to assure the sustainable management of the waters of the Colorado River. This sustainability optimizes water supply for environmental, urban and agricultural uses to counteract variations in the basin due to climate change or operation of the basin’s infrastructure itself.”

The August 2007 Joint Statement expressed the interest of authorities from both countries in reinforcing bilateral cooperation regarding issues related to the lower portion of the Colorado River through a process coordinated by the International Boundary and Water Commission. Formation of the Binational Core Group is an important step in that process. 

The International Boundary and Water Commission is a treaty-based bilateral organization responsible for applying the boundary and water treaties between the United States and Mexico and settling differences that arise in their application.

Contact:
Sally Spener
915-832-4175