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<br />'l.'here is no water quality requireMent in the l1exican 1'1ater <br /> <br />. 'l'reaty. However, in 1961 the Government of Hexico protested that <br />the water being delivered to Hexico under the 1944 Water Treaty was <br />-.:! <br /> <br />so saline as to be unacceptable under that treaty and contaminated <br /> <br />contrary to international law. The cause of the sudden increase <br /> <br />in salinity was the initiation of a well drainage system to the <br /> <br />Wellton-Hohawk Irrigation and Drainage District of Arizona. ~~ile <br /> <br />the United States did not admit to a violation of the Treaty or <br /> <br />international law, it sought at once to reduce the salinity of the <br /> <br />water used by Mexico, and urged that the two governments seek a <br /> <br />practical (as distinguished from juridical) solution that would <br /> <br />Imeet the needs of <br />I In 1965, the <br />r <br /> <br />both countries. <br /> <br />International Boundary and Water Commission, with <br /> <br />~ <br />;the assistance of intensive studies made by both Governments, suc- <br />I <br /> <br />ceed~d in concluding an agreement designed to provide a possible <br /> <br /> <br />means of a practical solution. Since the agreement, Minute No. <br /> <br /> <br />218, was limited to five years and both Governments reserved their <br /> <br />/\/'~ C' '. <br />legal rights, its concept ~i~h~alleviation of the immediate diffi- <br /> <br />culty in which the two countries found themselves, and experj~en- <br /> <br />tation over the term of the agreement with measures that migh1!. <br /> <br />eventually remove the problem altogether. <br />Under the 1965 agreement the United States constructed an <br /> <br />--, <br />extension of the Wellton-Hohawk drainage channel to "permit discharge" <br /> <br />of Hellton-Hohawk drainage either above or belm1 Hexico' s di,version <br />The w., -I, ~ <br />point, as }lexico might request. Th~~ ~~G di~~~arged below would be <br /> <br />wasted to the Gulf of California. Hith the extension channel in <br /> <br />, operation, the United States was to pump selectively the Hellton- <br />Nohawk drainage wells, the salinity of which ,varies widely, in <br /> <br />10 <br /> <br />" <br /> <br />. . <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />':0. _ _, -"'''...... <br /> <br />~ <br />