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<br />IS1G
<br />
<br />Salinity at International Boundary
<br />
<br />The President of Mexico stated in 1971
<br />that the salinity of Colorado River water
<br />delivered to Mexico pursuant to the 1944
<br />Mexican Water Treaty is the single most im-
<br />portant issue between the United States and
<br />Mexico, The International Boundary and
<br />Water Commission and the Department of
<br />the Interior are working with the Committee
<br />of Fourteen on this issue. The committee is
<br />made up of two representatives from each of
<br />the seven Colorado River Basin States. The
<br />Board's Chief Engineer and the Director of
<br />the Dep~rtm~nt of Water Resources repre-
<br />sent CalifornIa on the committee.
<br />Minute No. 218 of the International
<br />Boundary and Water Commission provides
<br />that, at Mexico's request, the highly saline
<br />pump drainage discharge from the Well ton-
<br />Mohawk Project in Arizona will be diverted
<br />around Morelos Dam; and that, should water
<br />be bypassed when Mexican delivery orders
<br />are at the treaty minimum of 900 cubic feet
<br />per second, the flow of the river at Morelos
<br />diversion dam will be not less than 900 cfs.
<br />
<br />The bypass channel, constructed by the
<br />l!nited States, officially commenced opera-
<br />tion on November 16, 1965. Minute No, 218
<br />would be effective for five years and would
<br />terminate on November 15, 1970. The
<br />United States and Mexico, on November 16,
<br />1970, agreed to extend the Minute 218 for one
<br />year, with the understanding that the exten-
<br />sion could be superseded by a new agree-
<br />ment, Negotiations continued through 1971
<br />on a new agreement concerning the salinity
<br />problem, but agreement was not reached.
<br />Therefore, on November 16, 1971, the two
<br />countries again extended Minute No. 218 for
<br />one more year. As before, the extension may
<br />be superseded by a new agreement.
<br />A "Report on Sixth Year's Operations for
<br />Solution of the Colorado River Salinity Prob-
<br />lem Under Minute No. 218," dated De-
<br />cember 7, 1971, was prepared by the
<br />International Boundary and Water Commis-
<br />sion for the Committee of Fourteen. Table 9
<br />summarizes some of the information con-
<br />tained in the report.
<br />
<br />Tabl. 9
<br />OPERATION OF MINUTE NO, 218
<br />(1965 to 1971)
<br />
<br />1964 Ca/end~r
<br />Yt'ar
<br />(Yc.ll'r Prc-vious
<br />to Agrccmt'nr)
<br />
<br />1st Yt'ar
<br />/1-/6-65
<br />to
<br />11-15-&5
<br />
<br />lnd Year
<br />/1-16-66
<br />to
<br />11-15-67
<br />
<br />Jrd Year
<br />1/-16-67
<br />to
<br />/1-/5-68
<br />
<br />4th Year
<br />1/-16-68
<br />to
<br />/1-15-69
<br />
<br />5th Yt"Br
<br />J }.}6-69
<br />to
<br />/1-15-70
<br />
<br />6th }c-ar
<br />1/-16-70
<br />ro
<br />1/-15-71
<br />
<br />Wellton-Mohawk Drainage
<br />Discharge, Ac. Ft. ........... .....................
<br />Salt Load. Tons .................... .......
<br />Divened Around Morclos [)"am, .A.~.:.F.t:..::::::
<br />
<br />ByA~~sF?~.~.i.~~..~.~~.i.~~.~.~.~~~: Order,
<br />Makeup from Storage Release. A~:..F~.............
<br />A v(:~lr:ily..~f..R:i~~~..Di~~~;;d.by..M~~i.~.~..
<br />at Northerly Boundary, PPM- .................... 1,310 1,230 1,210 1,190 1,180 1,140 1,160
<br />
<br />.Excludes Water Di'lened Around Morelos Dam, both water bypassed under Minute No. 218 and water voluntarily bypassed by Mexico.
<br />
<br />181,150 216,100 211,200 219,800 218,lOO 219,500 215,900
<br />1,252,000 1,399,000 1,324,000 1,317,000 1,227,000 1,130,000 1,081,000
<br /> 100,800 99,000 103,900 103,600 129,700 103,200
<br /> 54,400 58,300 52,600 53,500 53,900 55,100
<br /> 15,000 35,000 47,300 49,900 53,900 JI,3OO
<br />
<br />29
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