WSP12531

• File Number: 8282.400
• Description: Colorado River Operations and Accounting - Deliveries to Mexico
• State: CO
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 12/1/2001
• Author: Good Neighbor Environmental Board
• Title: Fifth Report of the Good Neighbor Environmental Board to the President and Congress of the United States - 12-01-01
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

001484

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NEXT STEPS

. MOVE FORWARD ON CONSERVING
ECOSYSTEMS.

. Sup~n water ~ plans chat Pro:1de sufficient ,Vater Bows for ~e
conservation ~nd restoration of streams, rivers, Wres and wetlands as
riparian ecosystems. Implement the 2000. Joint Declaration .
between the Department oflmenor and SEMARNAT as a step fur-
w:W in this proCess.

. STRENGTHEN BINATIONAL GROUNDWATER
RESEARCH. .
Devdop a binatiomil program to assess theavaiIahilicY and qUaliry of:,
groundwatee in the hoedee region. Sueb a program could provide a
scientifi~ foundation for further: ~peracioJ.1 to address many of the
pressing natural ~ource ~d envirorunental chalJ~ges in the border
region. .These challenges i~cl~de providing for safe, sustainable sup-
plies of watet and ;",essing the suscepribiliry. of aquifers ro contami-
nation.

, . FOSTER STRATEGIC PLANNING.

.,
Develop a joint drought management an4 sUfrainable water _ man~
agetnent plan fur the region.

. . INVEST IN INFRASTRUCTURE.

.' . .
Support continue? j~~ment in water supply, wastewater ~[-
mont, resource recovery, and recycling and solid waste disposal infTa-
stn.lctU1'e [0 p'r<?Vide a save water supply. prorect publichealth, and.
: improve w.ater quality.

.. ADDRESS NON-POINT SOURCES OF WATER ..
POLLUTION. .

D~op and impl~~[ proven ~~ and .wa~ ~ement strate-
gies, to ~t non-point sources of water ~Uution along the border.
Use practiCes that aooount fur narural fearures sueh as geology and
~ils. as well as anthropogenjc features, chat is. tile drains and irrigation.

. LOOK GLOBALLY FOR MODELS OF SUCCESS.

~wch pote1uial blueprintS for water management practices nom
other water deficient" areas of the wo:rld for possi~le ~plication to
the US-Mexico Border region.

. LINK WATER ISSUES WITH HEALTH ISSUES.

Implement a process to integrate public health ~nd water resources
issues. The p~ocess should include a binational program for system.;

Fifth Report of IIJe Good Neighhor Illiirotirn!JJlal Board

~

.,

atic monitoring of surface and grounawater for warer-bome
parhogensi 'viruscs'.sd~ trace e1eme~lts. and pesticides. Bottom
sediments and fish tissues shoUld be included in the process and
.examined fur sdeeied trace elements, orgariOchlorine pesticides, and
o~er cofl.1pounds.

In summary, we must suengthen the good work already undee.
. way. The US. and Mexico can ~o longee affoed to sej>asatdy plan
and execute: watee We and allocation fur shared bordee watecshc:ds. '
With Some border -cities predicted to run short in as little as five
. Years, thece is an Wgenr need ro undertake watet manageltlellt plan- .
ning as soon as possible. Strong. binational cooperation based on
mutual rcspect is a critical dement to forging new joint management
plans in the border region. A high prioriry muSt be placal on eoosys-
tern functio"ning. on maintaining the value of rural co~uiUties in
both the U.S. and Mexico, and on stakeholder involvement in water
management planning. Borck:i region-wide efforts such as continu-
ing to move rowaro a watecshed approaeh, including devdopinent of
a borderpregion water plan, are essential ingredients of any longer-
term solurion. The Good Neighbor Environmenr:tl Board called for
. such an "approach - in - its - last repore, the Founh Rep?rt [0 the
Presi?ent and. Congress. It applauds progress s.lnce .mat rime and
reiterates its call.

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