"Reconnecting the People with the River"

History was made--or rather, revised--on Tuesday, November 27, 2012, when officials from the United States and Mexico signed an ambiguously-named pact:  Minute 319.  However, the significance of the pact is unambiguous in that it marks a historic renewal of cooperation on management strategies of the Colorado River delta between the two neighboring countries.

Signing of Minute 319.  Courtesy YourWestValley (AP Photo).

Colorado River Delta.  Courtesy National Geographic.

In 1944, the US and Mexico negotiated the Utilization of Waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande Treaty through the International Water and Boundary Commission. This agreement guaranteed 1.5 million acre feet (maf) of the Colorado River's flows to Mexico each year.  However, due to intense damming (particularly Glen Canyon Dam) and decreased flows, the Colorado River began to halt about seventy-five miles before it's original drainage point in the Sea of Cortez.  As a result, Mexico's once vibrant delta has morphed into an almost completely dry mudflat over the last seventy years.  The livelihood of the Cocopah Indians native to the region was threatened and much biodiversity was lost.  Now, Minute 319 seeks to undo some of this damage.

Water news website Circle of Blue describes the three central tenants of the agreement.  Firstly, "it brings Mexico into existing U.S. water-management agreements for sharing shortages and surpluses" by allowing them to store water in Lake Mead during dry periods under the premise that their 1.5 maf allocation will be restricted if total lake levels drop below 1,075 feet.  This is the first time that Mexico's allotment of 1.5maf may be limited since the signing of the 1944 Treaty.  Secondly, "it allows U.S. states to pay for irrigation improvements across the border and reap some of the water savings."  Basically, the US will invest ten million dollars into repairing inefficient irrigation infrastructure in Mexico and will receive 100,000 acre feet of Mexico's water allotment over a period of five years in return, an agreement that will provide extensive benefits to both countries.  Finally, "it allocates water for the restoration of the Colorado River delta." All three of these aspects are crucial to delta management, especially considering the consistently increasing use of the river compared with the decreasing average water supply.

USBR Data.  Courtesy HuffPost Blog

In addition to the above facets of Minute 319, the US will also release a "one-time only burst of water" that will essentially mimic what was once a normal spring flow for the Colorado River delta.  While it is highly unlikely that the delta will ever be restored to its original size, this strategy will provide a jump-start for the area that will hopefully lead to the creation of a functional, resilient ecosystem.

This revolutionary agreement holds the power to influence both US and Mexican citizens' perceptions of the importance of conserving this unique land area.  In an article on The World (Public Radio International), Francisco Zamora, director of the Sonoran Institute's Colorado River Delta Program, described the agreement as "kind of reconnecting the people with the river."  For his organization, whose major goal is to "enhance, restore, and maintain the Colorado River Delta ecosystem for people and the environment," the signing of Minute 319 marks a large leap in the right direction for Colorado River management policy.