International Boundary and Water Commission facts for kids
 |
|
| Abbreviation |
|
|---|---|
| Formation | March 1, 1889 |
| Legal status | Active |
| Headquarters | El Paso, Texas, U.S. Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico |
|
Official languages
|
English and Spanish |
|
Commissioner (US section)
|
Maria-Elena Giner |
|
Commissioner (Mexican section)
|
Adriana Reséndez Maldonado |
The International Boundary and Water Commission (Spanish: Comisión Internacional de Límites y Aguas) is a special team created by the United States and Mexico. It started in 1889 to help manage the border between the two countries. Its main job is to make sure the rules for the international boundary are followed, especially when rivers like the Rio Grande change their path.
This organization was first called the International Boundary Commission. Its name changed in 1944 to the International Boundary and Water Commission. The IBWC has two parts: one for the U.S. and one for Mexico. Their main offices are in El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, which are cities right next to each other on the border. The U.S. part works with the United States Department of State, and the Mexican part works with their Foreign Relations Department.
Contents
What the IBWC Does
The IBWC has many important tasks to keep the border running smoothly. Here are some of its main responsibilities:
- Sharing Water: They manage how the water from the Rio Grande and Colorado River is shared fairly between the two countries.
- Controlling Floods: They build and maintain levees and other projects to protect lands along the rivers from floods.
- Building Dams: They work together to build and operate international dams and reservoirs on the Rio Grande. These dams help store water and can even create hydroelectric energy.
- Keeping Water Clean: They help solve problems with water quality and sanitation along the border.
- Marking the Border: They make sure the Rio Grande and Colorado River stay the official international boundary. They also mark the land boundary with monuments.
The U.S. and Mexican leaders (called commissioners) meet often, usually every week. They are in touch almost every day. Each country's section has its own engineers, legal experts, and other staff to help with their work.
How the Border Was Set Up
The border between the U.S. and Mexico has a long history. It was first set by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, which drew the line from El Paso to the Gulf of Mexico. Later, the Gadsden Purchase Treaty in 1853 moved parts of the border further south in New Mexico and Arizona.
In the early days, temporary groups were formed to survey and mark the border on the ground. But as towns grew along the rivers, problems came up. Rivers sometimes change their path, moving land from one side to the other. To deal with this, the two countries agreed on rules in 1884.
Creating the Boundary Commission
In 1889, the U.S. and Mexico created the International Boundary Commission (IBC). This was the first version of the IBWC. Its job was to apply the 1884 rules and solve problems when rivers changed the border. Later, in 1905, another agreement called the Banco Convention made sure the Rio Grande and Colorado River would always be the border, even if they shifted.
Sharing Rio Grande Water
The 1906 Boundary Waters Convention focused on sharing the Rio Grande's water. It gave Mexico a certain amount of water each year from the Rio Grande, especially for farming near Ciudad Juárez. To help with this, the U.S. built the Elephant Butte Dike in its territory.
In 1933, the two governments agreed to straighten and stabilize a 249-kilometer (155-mile) section of the Rio Grande through the El Paso–Juárez Valley. This was called the Rio Grande Rectification Project. During this project, some land parcels were swapped between the countries so that each nation ended up giving an equal amount of land to the other.
The 1944 Water Treaty
A very important agreement was the Treaty relating to the utilization of waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande in 1944. This treaty set out how the waters of the Rio Grande (from Fort Quitman to the Gulf of Mexico) and the Colorado River would be shared.
For the Rio Grande, Mexico receives:
- All water from its own rivers like the San Juan and Alamo that flow into the Rio Grande.
- Two-thirds of the water from certain Mexican rivers (like the Rio Conchos) that flow into the Rio Grande.
- Half of all other water flows in the main channel downstream from Fort Quitman.
The United States receives:
- All water from its own rivers and springs (like the Pecos and Devils Rivers) that flow into the Rio Grande.
- One-third of the water from the six Mexican rivers mentioned above. This amount must be at least 350,000 acre-feet per year on average over five years.
- Half of all other water flows in the main channel downstream from Fort Quitman.
The 1944 treaty also said that both countries would work together to build and operate dams on the Rio Grande. These dams help store and manage the river's flow so both countries can use their share of water.
For the Colorado River, Mexico is guaranteed to receive a large amount of water each year (1.5 million acre-feet). The treaty also made the IBWC (which was renamed from the IBC) responsible for making sure all parts of this treaty are followed.
Solving Border Problems
The IBWC has also helped solve other important issues:
- Salinity of the Colorado River: In 1973, they found a way to reduce the saltiness of the Colorado River water flowing into Mexico, which was a big problem for Mexican farmers.
- Border Sanitation: In 1979, they came up with plans to solve sanitation problems along the border.
The Chamizal Dispute
The Chamizal Convention in 1963 solved a nearly 100-year-old border problem near El Paso and Ciudad Juárez. The Rio Grande had shifted, moving about 630 acres of land from Mexico to the U.S. The convention moved a 7-kilometer (4.4-mile) section of the Rio Grande channel. This transferred a net amount of 437.18 acres back to Mexico. U.S. President Lyndon Johnson and Mexican President Adolfo López Mateos met in 1964 to celebrate this solution.
Keeping the Border Clear
The 1970 Boundary Treaty helped solve all remaining border differences. It made sure the Rio Grande and Colorado River would continue to be the international boundary. This treaty set up ways to deal with future changes in the river's path, so that neither country loses land if the river shifts. It also led to some land swaps, like Mexico giving 823 acres to the U.S. for flood control, and the U.S. giving 2177 acres to Mexico, including the town of Rio Rico, Texas. The last of these land transfers happened in 1977.
More recently, in 2009, the U.S. gave six islands in the Rio Grande to Mexico, and Mexico gave three islands and two cuts to the U.S. These transfers were part of the 1970 treaty.
Dams
The IBWC helps operate important dams along the border. One example is the American Dam where Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico meet.
See also
- International Boundary Wastewater Treatment Plant developed by the IBWC
- U.S.-Mexico border for more details on treaties overseen by the IBWC
- Colorado River Compact
- Falcon International Reservoir
- Amistad Reservoir
- New River (California)
