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<br />A3106
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<br />CO:-iGRESSW:-IAL RECORD-APPE:-iDIX
<br />
<br />N O\'E'IBER 7
<br />
<br />treaty Lo on~ of th~ mOIl! Import'U:l! that our
<br />country bu Ilgnetl Ilnee Its Independence
<br />and Jlth.. mlM't tmportant 0: 1\;1 klnd In the
<br />entire world.
<br />The National IITlgatlon CommlBlllon Is
<br />prepa.:rJng II voluminous rep'.lrt aD the trl!:aty
<br />which It will present to tbe Seuate omcl"l:"
<br />at th"o~nlngorth"fleKt period Gr"",,,,,:onl.
<br />'rhls report wlll contain all Ihe data. u.lcu_
<br />!aUOllS, elc.. ,,'hleh lIer\'l'd lU a b~'15 for the
<br />trt''lty. It will contain. moreovu. a detlliled
<br />IIludy. r""at the le<:hnlcal point or view, ct
<br />each of clausu, of each ot Ihe phra5ml, aud
<br />"\'en of Ihe wc.rdl of the> trealy. with the
<br />InlerpretaUon which the N"Uonaj Irrigation
<br />ConUnlMlOn omclally gll'es to them.
<br />But With the hope that yeu nlay r"""I\'",
<br />In due time this report nDv.' In preparaU<>"
<br />and In lIttentlon to your kJnd In"ltatlon. I
<br />]19Ve- come- 10 make ll. brief .."~Itlon ot the
<br />tr..ntywlth th..ClbJ.....tofcl!'rlfylnr.m...ny..r
<br />Jt.& concepu Imd or comm..ntlng on the ob-
<br />M"nall"n~ Which hll,'e been nlad.. llbout It
<br />to dale- by the prellll. from Ul.. point of View
<br />ot IheNallonallrrlgatlon C<.>mmlp-I<lon.
<br />This up03ltlon I<hould be begun by a
<br />I)rlt! descrlptloQ of the HID Orande-. ColoradO.
<br />flnd TIJuana Hl"US.
<br />I. THIE..,O\:.......OX IRIO .....V(II
<br />It rlUII In the United. Stat" and runs
<br />through ....Id country to the lIOuth UfltJl
<br />reachlnRCludadJuare:l:.....herelt lsconvened
<br />Into a boundary~t'1o'een Ihe two countrlell
<br />for ."me 2.000 kllomete" (1.200 miles) to It..
<br />outlet Into Ihe Gulf of lIfellJCo.
<br />The Intern.tlon.1 Water Treatl' of 1906.
<br />signed by the United StM" and by our
<br />country. dlltrlbuted the willen of the Rio
<br />Grande up tl) the pl"ce called: Fort QUltm"n.
<br />where the JUlll"e'': Valley termlnatea. The
<br />pre""nt treaty. ther..rore. Is only occupied
<br />WlIh the Rio Grande. from Fott Qultman to
<br />the Gulf.
<br />From Fort Qul:man to the Gulf ct Mcs]co
<br />the ImpoundlnR basin or th~ RID Orand~ In
<br />Ih~ Unll~d SUtl'S l~ 150.526 squllre kllom..t...a
<br />158119 square mUes. and In MeSIC(! :l1I.177
<br />..qua..e kllom~t~n (61.536 squ:\re miles).
<br />H there W..re no ~ or the ".~tet. eltller In
<br />M~xlc..n tl'rrltory or AnU'rICll.', tl'rrltory.
<br />there would reach the- Rio Grande SA an an_
<br />nual a,'uRge. from F<,)rt QultmaIl to the
<br />Gulf:
<br />
<br /> ~IUlj..n~ Thm.l'
<br /> o(""bie rer""nt ""noi'o(
<br /> wtl..n .......-(....1
<br /> - -
<br />.. I'r~,"wl'~'nt"e
<br /> 1'"'I~,1 .<.1.'<<< :l,~~ ~ (2.t:tl)
<br />" J'r"H,..lln~ ('dll>
<br /> ~I",l,". ..n.n_n. &..l~ '"' U.711!
<br /> -
<br /> ",,'sl._......_._ ~. ....,0 Ii.') (7. I.~,
<br />
<br />The re-jClmen 01 the RIO Grande. In spIte
<br />of the URms that a~ conatnrC'ted on IU
<br />8uh"dlarlu. both AmeriCAn and M..slco. Is
<br />to thl& date ,.ery lrr..gular. On numerous
<br />occaSions each yellr the tlow at the r:vtr \I
<br />80 r..<Iuc..d that It Is not eno\lgh to uurly
<br />Ih.. n('t'ds of 1n1.lItlon on both blinks. 011
<br />the other hll.l.d. on other OCClltilon~ gTe..t
<br />t100ds pass through the r1\'er. 01 short dUra_
<br />lion. ....hl~h ..\""" serious ]nundaUons or Ihe
<br />he-rderms: 1a!:d.. a.nd prlnc:~:llly of Mex:can
<br />lalul8.
<br />
<br />I!, nn catOl-Al:'O I.I\"U:
<br />It rlses m Ihe United Stat.., and Its bas;n
<br />Includes p.n 01 ....ven American Salles. It
<br />J;j :l."730 kllom..ttTs 11.696 mlles) long. ot
<br />\\"hkh aboul 30 IH) m:;e~1 aene a" the inter.
<br />national bQtlnda:y be~"'<<n :Ue"leo and Ihe
<br />United Stll~"". a"d the IA~t 150 tllomete"a
<br />(100 mllUI n:e totaHy 'Il"lthln Mexl.an terrl.
<br />tor)'. It hu nClIL.lbsldlll..le-, 0: a-'1j' kind In
<br />Mexican terrlto:y, !'" total rur.crr pt;;.ctfda
<br />Ir'-"l\ !h~ lroltnl SLaH"S.
<br />Belcre stcraet d"lll.< '\\"tr~ COl1!i'IU<':Ie-d 10
<br />rc~tll.lte Iti cu'::-rfl>t. lt$ ~:.>w ",,'ilS h;gl;ly lJ"teg-
<br />
<br />ular. Ita curr..I)t fluctuated from a few lll<:n
<br />per&"",,ond. ....hlch-allowed It to be crOlSZed on
<br />loot. practlcally without WeltIng the aboe~.
<br />to Impo.lng nooda of 6.800 cubiC m~ters per
<br />aecond l2tlJ.OOO ~t"fond feetl. 'the averll.!ie
<br />annual runon: of the Colorado River 1& nll_
<br />mat..d Bt 22.000.000.000 cubic metet'8 07.1335._
<br />000 acre-feet I. bUt thla annual tuootl. wllh-
<br />outllamf. hl!.l:i nL.letua!l"d rrom 7.000.000,000
<br />(5.675(l(1{lllrre-rffl) to 28.000.000.000 cUbic
<br />.nle:.... (22,700.000a.rl"-r..et).
<br />Th1a \'el'"f IrregulAr now of the rl't"er dem_
<br />onstr<<tea the neceMlty or Btorlng 114 ....a!ell'
<br />so ~hat they may be used for Irrigation. In
<br />Ihe Cnlle<! Statea th..re are nUmeroua ade_
<br />quate sites lor c..rrylngout !hls swrage. In
<br />our country, as tll~ rl,'er la alread;' In 114
<br />deltaIc :l:one. ther.. la none.
<br />IH. nu; TWt).\~.. BlVD
<br />The T'lJwmll RI\'tr I. :orme<l b, tv..o prln_
<br />clp,,1 nlbut....le,,; till" Las f>...Im,iS nlHr Which
<br />rls"" In Mexico and th.. A]amar Rh'rr whIch
<br />r!slng In the UnIted Stues. croa~s the In_
<br />ternational Iln.. 10 enter Meslco .nd Jom
<br />With Ihe Las p..lm"" RI"er s(,me 6 tlloml"IN11
<br />(4 mllt:'ll! 10 the south or TIJullna. Both
<br />rl""rs tOtJ"ethu form the TIJuana RIVU.
<br />which rUN! toward the nOrlhNtst. "Kaln
<br />croso;lnll the Int"rnallonal line at TIJuana to
<br />enter Aml"rlCan territory and empty Into
<br />the p"clnc three kllomet~rs north ot the
<br />frontl..r.
<br />On the l.u Palmas Rlv... Ollr country lias
<br />constructed the Rodriguez Dam and UM'S .1I
<br />ot Itawatera. TIt.-re are dama on tl1e varloua
<br />American tr]butarl.... of the Alamllr RIVer.
<br />The Impounding basIn of the TiJuana
<br />River is;
<br />
<br /> ~q".re (in1~:.
<br /> ~i;,..
<br /> Ale!""
<br />Inth_ t.nlledS',,,,,.__._ 1.21tl (l7!'1
<br />ln~l"!oo..._.,u.__.m.:::::::: ~. ~,"I (1,;,W;)
<br /> TOlal.h........._......____ (.(JQ (I..11',
<br />
<br />Its run-ot!" II e"'en mor.- Irregular than that
<br />aftheoth..rlnterllaIlOllaltl,ers.llncethe
<br />cue hu oceurr..d In WhiCh the '11Ju"-n,,-
<br />Rlv.;'r be"am~ completclr dT). for a conUIlU_
<br />OUt petlod of "/ years. and (m the oth"r hand.
<br />on other occasions It 1111A c"rrled flooda of "1'
<br />to 2.000 cubic meters perlle'COnd (70.000 sec-
<br />ond-teet.. 1Is IInnual ,,,,erag.. run-ot!' haa
<br />been estlmnted lit BOrne 20.00;>,001) cUb,c
<br />meters (le,:!OOaer..-rt'et..
<br />
<br />:,'.Ilts'l"O.,c...r:-:-=n_1"->
<br />The treatles or 18'18 and of ]853 bet'J.."..n
<br />the UnllC'd Statu nnd M~xlco. with Tnpect
<br />to the u.... or thelt ("urrcnu. onl\' consld..:ed
<br />the na"lgatlon or the Rio Grande .nd Colo.
<br />rauo Rivers.
<br />TheaCtl".. U!>e or the w.ters of these rivers
<br />for IrrlllatlOn onl)' bl'gal1 at the rommen~_
<br />ment of the prea..nt .enturr.
<br />M th..~e Us.... were Illcrell5C(\ llr:d AS both
<br />COunlrles cOlUltructed trrtg.llun work!,-. the
<br />,,'ater commenced to become IlllIum.len! and
<br />Ih.. nel'd or reaching an agTeeOlent bet....een
<br />Ihe 1,",0 counales for the better u..e or !.he
<br />waters ot these tlVeu becam.. apparcl't.
<br />In 1927 Ihe United State aod :I."'xlro
<br />f,greed 10 ho!d COl\versauons ler stud,.:ni: the
<br />problem or the International rivers. .In 1\11'1
<br />the first of th.... con\"enallons w""" held. ]t
<br />ha\'Ir:1l' been de-clded to gather the ne.:.....ary
<br />technical data on the three rl""rs. In 1923.
<br />wllh thls d.ta o:-olll!'Cted by mllted COmmu;_
<br />sloros. conte:-..ncp.s '1o'en held rclPHdmg the
<br />dlStrlbUtlon ot the ....awn or the Colorado
<br />and RIO Gr"nde. but .lIS there w"'" not su:!..
<br />Clent dalA aboul th.. TiJuana Rt,..,"r .nd u
<br />thl.. current htla relall\...ly small l:nport<lnre.
<br />It wu d<l(:lded tQ po6tpone Ita Btudy U<H';
<br />later.
<br />The conter..:lcl",! of 1!l29 r,,-!led bec:1;:se th~
<br />t"'o del..;;atlcl1ll were nOt sbl.. to reach i.u
<br />"i"reen,ent. I~ IS UHelesth,g to no:e th;.t.
<br />
<br />Ihe Amerlc~n dcl.-g:\tlon m...de a proposlUon
<br />which In summary WWl e-qUi\'"ltnt to the tol_
<br />10....lllg:
<br />1. That at the waters ....h~ch rcached th..
<br />Rio Gr....nde. there should be asa-Igned In the
<br />Drst pla"e to the United Otal" the volume
<br />\...hlch had ~n In Wle In TUM of 1188 mil_
<br />Uon cubiC meters 1963,OCO acre-reet). and to
<br />MezleO ...hAt It had been Wing from th..
<br />prlnclpal curr..nt. or 70.000.000 cubIc meten
<br />156.700 acre-leet l. and the re.~t would be
<br />dlv:ded equally betw'een the two .oUntrles.
<br />Tllla WlU! equlv.lent to ......lgnlng f.oll1 the
<br />M~slc"n trlbUWU"le" 935.000.000 cubic met.....
<br />j798.500....cre.f""tl to Ihe UnIted States.
<br />2 In tlle CII.8Il 01 the Colondo River. to as.
<br />S!g~ to M"xICO the maslmum ,.olume that
<br />It had USl'd untll then; that la. before the
<br />eOIUIrUct!On of Boulder Dam. a ...olume ...hlch
<br />....1LlI ....timAted at 925.000.000 cubic meters
<br />t7W.OOO acre_fe..IJ.
<br />The Meslcan delegation prop08ed that t.he
<br />'1o'at"r~ of the Rio Grande ahould be dlvldcd
<br />In hD.]f helwcen the t...o countries. w'hleh "'&8
<br />equlv.lent to .Il&slgnlng to the United Slat..~
<br />426.000,000 cubiC metera (3'15.35(1 acre-leet)
<br />of ""at..r from the MeAlclin trlbutarlell. alnce
<br />the latl..r carried mot.- wat"r to the Rt.,
<br />Grande- than the American trlbular!l';!I. In
<br />the cue 01 the Colorado River the M.'slcan
<br />delega.tlon ar,ked that ther.. be tumlshed sum_
<br />elent walu to ltdga.ta the 600.000 he-ctaree
<br />(1.482.600 acre~l. ....hlch were COll.llldered Il.II
<br />Irrlgableen the Meltican "Ide.
<br />After the ta.ilure or Ihe .bo"" conterenCes.
<br />It WIlS not until 1943 whpn It "'A.II pOMlble to
<br />again comm..nce n..gotlaUona by engineers
<br />and Inw}'era of the two countrlea. which cul-
<br />mlnaud wllh the ~Ignature 01 the pr"""llt
<br />!nternllUonal water treaty, In Ihe n..t part
<br />ot19H
<br />v. aIGm:rIC~"'CE or THE 't1I.UTY IN '!'HE c...ar: e,
<br />. nu aIO GS"Knl':
<br />I am going to read t.he fundamental ar-
<br />tlele or the treaty In the CASe or the RIO
<br />Grande:
<br />"A.1". 4 The ....81era of the Rle Orande
<br />(BrAVO) betl';een Fort Qultman. Tex.. and
<br />the Gulf or Mnlco lII"e.!'.!lgnNlto the t....o
<br />countrl.... In the follOWing manner;
<br />"A. To MeltlCo:
<br />"(a 1 The tot....1 ot the .....tera that re"ch the
<br />principal rurrent or the Rio Grande rrom Ihe
<br />Sail Juan and Alamo RI"ers. Inl"ludlng tho:-
<br />relurn water procee-dmg Horn t.he lands tllnt
<br />th""e two r'\"ers Irrigate.
<br />'(bl Half 01 th~run-ol'ffrom the principal
<br />ba~ln of the- RIO Grande ~low the IQ\\"er
<br />main Internl\tlonal Itorase dam, '1o'henever
<br />oald run_olt l.s not llMlgned expr....sly In tll]s
<br />Ireaty to one of the two countt:le..
<br />"lc) A third part of the Water ""hleb
<br />r..aches the prInCIpal current or the RIO
<br />Grllnde ptOCl"edlng from the Conchos. San
<br />DiegO. San RudrlllO. E>lcomlidtJ. S"iI...ltJ. ..ud
<br />Arroyo de Las VllC'M RI\'en. ....hi.h third part
<br />ehllll not be Ie.... In total. on IIn "VtraG'e alld
<br />In cy<,les of nVe con~('uli"e )'f'ars. than
<br />431.721.000 cubIc meter. 1350.000 .cre-reet)
<br />anl1llill1y. The United State.. Will not ac.
<br />quire nny tight by the U~e ot the wall'ra of
<br />the trlbmltrles mentioned: In thlS c1auo.e In
<br />eu('s. <'f the 431.721.000 .UbIC meto:-n
<br />13Ml.0CKl llere-Ieell mentioned. esc""pt the
<br />lI;1:ht cot uslng tt,e thIrd pnrt or the run-o:'!
<br />....hlCh !ea.hes the RIO Grar.de from laid
<br />trlbUlarlea. Itlthough It e:o:ceeds the \'alume
<br />named.
<br />"Cdl Hal! of .ny other run-c,:! In the prin_
<br />cipal bUln ot the Rio Grande. no! assigned
<br />espeCially In thb..rllcle.an<l hAir 01 thecon.
<br />trlbutlons or all Ihe trtbtotarles not meltS.
<br />u,'rd_whlo:-h lire IhOll(! not named In Ihl"
<br />.rUcl.- bctwrcn Fon <;i\lllman and the lo..er
<br />n.llln lnternlltlonnl d~m.
<br />"f" c:u;esof elttrao:dlnary drought or serl_
<br />oti8ace:d..nt 10 the hydral..lU. systems 01 tt.e
<br />measuad Mexican Irlbutaneo ,'.-hICh may
<br />lU-Bke It dl:llcu~t tor Meslco to al:O\\' to pau
<br />the 4:n.j:ll.OCO cLb!c mete.s 1350.000 acre.
<br />teet) anneal:;,' "'hlch a:-e aas:sned tQ we
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