By admin 
Officials from the United States and Mexico announced Wednesday a Colorado River water-sharing deal for next two years as the basin continues to be overstressed by prolonged drought.
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The short-term deal, , calls for Mexico to cut 250,000 acre-feet, or more than 100,000 Olympic swimming pools’ worth of water, in both 2027 and 2028. It also establishes an environmental work group and a pilot program to manage the salinity of Colorado River water as it reaches Mexico.
“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 International Boundary and Water Commission, said in a news release. “Both countries deserve a lot of credit for agreeing to these water reductions and other measures.”
The announcement comes after other big Colorado River news this summer. In late August, the federal government announced its near-term management plan for two immense reservoirs, lakes Mead and Powell, and water cuts for three states, Arizona, California and Nevada.
The downstream states will cut their water use by 1.25 million acre-feet in total in each year, 2027 and 2028. (One acre-foot roughly equals the annual water use of two to four households.)
The seven basin states spent three years trying to agree on a river management proposal in negotiations that have so far failed. Nevada sued in federal court to block the federal plan in late August.
The seven-state negotiations operated separately from the U.S.-Mexico talks. Under the new international plan, Mexico’s share of the Colorado River could decrease or increase based on forecasts for upstream reservoir conditions at Lake Mead, on the Arizona-Nevada border. The United States normally sends 1.5 million acre-feet of water to Mexico each year based on a 1944 treaty.
Under the deal, Mexico can also add up to 1.5 million acre-feet of Colorado River water to its water reserve through Dec. 31, 2028.
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The provisions for salinity control and environmental monitoring are both important for Mexico.
“We will continue monitoring the evolution of basin conditions and working with interested parties to seek the best solutions during scarcity,” Adriana Reséndez, the Commissioner of the Mexican Section of the IBWC, said.
The Colorado River’s water has been used over and over, passing through croplands, high-salinity zones and more, on its way to Mexico and the Pacific Ocean. High-salinity water can damage crops, destroy household pipes and plug city water systems. In the United States, salinity damage ranges between $500 million and $750 million per year, according to the Bureau of Reclamation.
The Minute 334 salinity pilot program will evaluate and track salt levels during the 2027 and 2028 water deliveries and assess methods for managing salinity.
Both governments also plan to cooperate on managing the Colorado River Delta in Mexico, where the river once nurtured forests and wetlands before it met the Pacific Ocean. For decades, upstream water users have sucked up nearly every drop leaving a dry, brown expanse.
The governments and nonprofit groups in the Raise the River partnership have spent years trying to build habitats and restore the landscape under an international agreement set to expire this year. Under Minute 334, the environmental work group and its efforts will continue with $5.6 million in total funding from the two governments and nongovernmental organizations.
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