WSP04312

• File Number: 8278.400
• Description: Colorado River-Colorado River Basin Water Quality/Salinity-Title I-Mexican Treaty and Minute 242
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 3/25/1944
• Title: Mexican Treaty-The Department of State Bulletin-Vol X-No 248-Publication 2089
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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is to receive from each of these works. Articles
6 and 7 authorize the Commission to study, investi-
gat~, and prepal:e plans for flood-control works and
for international hydroelectric plants on the Rio,
Grande. Articles 8. and 9 charge the Commission,
subject to the approvaJ'of the Governments, with
,the preparation of rules and regulations for the
storage, conveyance, and delivery of the waters
of the Rio Grande, including the assignment to'
each country of capacities in the reservoirs. The
Commission also is entrusted with the keeping of
records of the 'waters belonging to each country arid
of all uses, diversions, andlosses of these waters,
"Part III, which is divided into six artIcles, pre-
scribes tile rules that are to govern the allocation
and delivery to Mexi.co of a portion of the waters of
the Colorado River. By article 10 the United
States guarantees to Mexico a minimum quantity
of 1,500,000 acre-feet of water each year, this water
to be delivered in accordalice with schedules to be
furnished in advance by the Mexican section of the
Commission. Beyond this minimum quantity the
United States will allocate to Mexico, whenever the
United States section decides there is a surplus of
water, nn additional quantity up to a total, includ-
ing the 1,500,000 acre-fcet, of not more than 1,700,-
000 acre-feet per year. Mexico may use any other
waters that arrive at I)er points of diversion but
cnn acquire no right to any qunntity beyond tile
1,500,000 acre-feet. These quantities, which may
, be made up of any waters of the Colorado River
from any and all sources, whether direct river flows,
return flow, or seepage, will be delivered by the
United States in the boundary portion of the Colo-
rado River, 'ex~ept that until 198.0 Mexico may'
receive 500,000 acre-feet',mnually, and after that
year 375,000 ncre-feet annually through the All-
American Canal as part of the guaranteed quantity.
By another provision the United States will under-
take, if the Mexican diversion dam is located en-
tirely in Mexico, to deliver up to 25,000 acre-feet,
out of the total allocation, at the Sonora land
boundary near San Luis.
"In order to facilitat.> the delivery and diversion
of ' Mexico's allocation, Mexico, as provided in arti-
cle 12, is to build at its expense, within 5 yenrs from
the date the treaty enters into force, a'main diver.
sion structure in the Colorado River below the
upper boundary line. If this dam is built in the

DEPA,RTMENT OF STAT!: BULLETIN

limitrophe section of the river, its plans and con-
struction must be approved by the Commission.
, ,Wherever it is built, there shall be constructed at
the same time, at Mexico's expense, the works
which, in '-the opinion of the Commission, may be
necessary to protect lands in the United States
against damage from floods and seepage which
might result from the construction, operation, and
maintenance of this dam. The United States, as
provided in article 12, is to build a regulating dam,
known as Dl}vis Dam, at a point between Boulder
Dam and Parker Dam, and is to use It portion of
the capacity of this dani and reservoir to make pos-
sible the regulation, at the boundary, of water al-
lotted to MexiCo. ,Furthermore" the Commission
is to make all neceSsary measurements of water
flows, and the data obtained as to deliveries and
flows are, to be periodically compiled and ex-
c)mnged between .the two sections, Article 12 pro-
vides also that the United States, through its
s~tion of- the Commission, is to acquire or. con-
struct and permanently own, 'operate, and main.
tain the works required for the delivery of Colo-
rado Riv~r wat.ers to -Mexican diversion points on
the land boundary, Article 13 provides that the
Commission shall study, investigate, and prepare
,plans for flood control on the Lower Colorado_
Articl~ 14 provides that Mexico is to pay an equi-
'table part of the construction, maintenance, and
"operating costs of Iinp~nal Dam and the Imperial '
'Dam"Pilo~ Knob section, :of the All-American
Canal,.and is to pay all of stich costs of works used
entirely by Mexico. Article 15, reluting to' the
annual schedules of deliveries to Mexico of Colo-
rado River waters, provides that Mexico, in ad-
vance of each calendar year, is to supply two sched-
ules, one to deal with. the water to be delivered in
the C,!lorado River and the other to dcal with the
wqter to be delivered through the AIl-Americ~n
Canal. These schedules are subject,to certain lim-
itations, especially in regard to rates of flow atdif.
ferent times of the year, in order to provide assur-
,anee that the United States, in the period ~f ulti.
mate development, will obtain' credit for practi-
cally all of the flows thut will be expected in the
river as the result of United States uses and opera-
tions, ' .
"Part IV, consisting solely of article 16, places
upon the COIllIl!ission the duty of making investi-