U.S. and Mexico reach Colorado River deal

Audio By Carbonatix

(The Center Square) - Mexico agreed to make water use cuts to their Colorado River allocations for the next two years.

The agreement comes from recent negotiations between Mexico and the U.S. The deal adds to the conservation efforts set to be made by three U.S. states amid region-wide drought and decades-long overuse of the river.

“Given scarcity conditions faced by the Colorado River, additional measures are needed to preserve the basin’s sustainability to benefit all users,” Adriana Reséndez, commissioner of the Mexican Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) said in a statement. “We will continue monitoring the evolution of basin conditions and working with interested parties to seek the best solutions during scarcity.”

Mexico has agreed to reduce water use by 500,000 acre-feet between 2027 and 2028. The annual allocation to Mexico has historically been 1.5 million acre-feet.

The decision comes after three U.S. states – Arizona, California and Nevada – were told by the U.S. Department of Interior to reduce water use over the next two years by a combined 2.5 million acre-feet in a recent Record of Decision. 

The state of Nevada has since sued the federal government over the decision. 

Nevada’s lead negotiator and general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, John Entsminger, told The Center Square the reductions posed, “a lot of health and human safety concerns.”

The U.S.-Mexico deal, called Minute 334, was released late last week and covers four main topics.

The first is the annual 250,000 acre-feet water cut over the next two years, which could include further reductions in a planned 2028 meeting between the two countries. If trends reverse and the Colorado River’s reservoirs begin to fill higher, water cuts for Mexico could be reduced.

The agreement also starts the Salinity Pilot Program, which increases regulations around how salty the water that arrives in Mexico is. Because the water is used largely for agriculture, it grows in salinity along its journey to Mexico, according to the IBWC. Under the new program, this will be more closely monitored to prevent over salination.

Minute 334 will also allocate $5.6 million to an environmental conservation fund, Raise the River. From decades of overused Colorado River water, the Colorado River Delta in Mexico has lost its ecosystem and largely become a vast mudded area. The conservation fund goes towards the effort to reinvigorate the land along the river.

The deal also gives Mexico the right to expand its Colorado River water reserve by up to 1.5 million acre-feet over the next two years.

“This Minute makes sure water is shared fairly among our users and protects the health of the Colorado River during these difficult times,” Chad McIntosh, commissioner of the U.S. Section of the IBWC said in a statement on the agreement. “Both countries deserve a lot of credit for agreeing to these water reductions and other measures.”

The U.S.-Mexico agreement is valid through Dec. 31, 2028.