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Continued from page 9 institutions respond to water shortages and environmental preservation needs in a time of increasing competition for water for food production and munici- pal and industrial use? Developments like the YDP recommendations and private initiatives on both sides of the border give reason for optimism, but strong binational commitments will be needed to fulfill their promise. Most of the environmental values in the Colorado system, such as the Cienega de Santa Clara, are currently supporfed by system inefficiencies, Culp noted. As the belts tighten on water resource management, as we try to put more people onto the same `pie,' there's a real risk that those resources are going to be lost," he warned. The risks of not finding solutions could have powerful regional repercus- sions, said McKeith. Depleting the Mexicali aquifer by lining the All - American Canal could have serious economic and social consequences for both countries, she warned. "We're talking about really big impacts to the agricultural community of the Mexicali Valley, which supports a lot of farmworkers who otherwise would be coming across the border looking for work," she said. But there is disagreement on the institutional framework within which border water issues can be resolved. Some believe the best approach lies in using existing relationships such as the IBWC, but others question whether diplomatic institutions can act quickly enough or include all stakeholder interests. What roles will litigation or private relationships play? "The reality is that ... our institu- tions don't seem to serve us all that well as far as creating partnerships, helping [the U.S. and Mexico] bond together," said Frahm. Snow is a believer that litigation can be avoided and that existing institutional arrangements between the U.S. and Mexico can address and resolve bina- tional water issues. "What I think is inevitable is that there will be greater and continuing regional partnerships across the border. The dialogue between the U.S. and Mexico with respect to the Colorado River will always have to work through the treaty mechanisms [that] have been established between our two countries because the way governments bond is through their formal structures," he said. Culp said interests on both sides of the border may need to change the way they look at border issues. "If we want to avoid a future of conflict, I think we need to frame the issues, particularly binational issues, in a broader context that will allow us to avoid zero -sum outcomes with regard to water manage- ment. There are interests on both sides of the border that can be served through a collaborative approach to river management," he said. But if that approach is to be successful, stakeholders must commit to follow through on reaching solutions, he said. But McKeith said litigation some- times is necessary to get the attention of parties focused on a problem they've been ignoring. "The fact that litigation has been filed does not preclude people from actually sitting down and looking at the physical alternatives to the [All - American Canal] lining that, in fact, might reduce the economic and environ- mental impacts on the Mexican side," she said. Hentschke thinks litigation is a poor way to resolve border issues like the All- American Canal. "In litigation, you have winners and losers," he noted. Litigation won't end the need for a diplomatic solution to the canal - lining dispute, he predicted. Culp thinks the five -year drought on the Colorado River system that began in 2000 may be just a preview of the condi- tions that could be routine for Colorado River managers and stakeholders in 20 to 25 years. If so, that will increase com- petition among users as well as pressure to find creative solutions to manage the resource for all its many users. - The Rio Hardy is an important tributary I WINTER 2005-2006 • RIVER REPORT • COLORADO RIVER PROJECT • 11