International Boundary and Water Commission facts for kids
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| Abbreviation |
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|---|---|
| Formation | March 1, 1889 |
| Legal status | Active |
| Headquarters | El Paso, Texas, U.S. Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico |
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Official languages
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English and Spanish |
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Commissioner (US section)
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William Charles “Chad” McIntosh |
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Commissioner (Mexican section)
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Adriana Reséndez Maldonado |
The International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC, Spanish: Comisión Internacional de Límites y Aguas, CILA) is an important group created by the United States and Mexico. It was formed in 1889 to help manage their shared border. Its main job is to figure out where the border is, especially when rivers like the Rio Grande change their path. This helps make sure both countries know exactly where their land ends and the other's begins.
The organization was first called the International Boundary Commission. It got its current name in 1944 under a special agreement called the Treaty relating to the Utilization of Waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande. The IBWC has two parts: a U.S. section and a Mexican section. Their main offices are in the nearby cities of El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. The U.S. part works with the United States Department of State, and the Mexican part works with the Secretariat of Foreign Relations of Mexico.
Contents
What the IBWC Does
The IBWC has many important jobs that help both the U.S. and Mexico. These include:
- Sharing Water: They make sure both countries get their fair share of water from the Rio Grande and Colorado River.
- Managing Rivers: They help control and save water from the Rio Grande. They do this by building and running international dams and reservoirs together. These dams can also create hydroelectric energy.
- Flood Protection: They build levees and floodways to protect lands along the rivers from floods.
- Water Quality: They work to solve problems with dirty water and sanitation along the border.
- Border Upkeep: They make sure the Rio Grande and Colorado River stay as the international boundary.
- Marking the Border: They help mark the land boundary between the two countries.
The U.S. and Mexican leaders of the IBWC meet often, usually every week. They are also in touch almost every day. Each country's section has its own team of engineers, a secretary, and legal helpers.
How the Border and Water Treaties Work
Over the years, the U.S. and Mexico have signed many agreements, called treaties, to manage their border and shared water. The IBWC helps carry out these important rules.
Early Border Agreements
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed in 1848. It set the first international boundary between El Paso–Ciudad Juárez and the Gulf of Mexico. Later, the Gadsden Purchase Treaty in 1853 moved the border further south in New Mexico and Arizona. This helped the U.S. build a railroad to the west coast.
After these treaties, temporary groups were formed to survey and mark the border with monuments. As towns grew along the rivers, the rivers sometimes changed course. This caused confusion about whose land was whose. To fix this, the two governments agreed on rules in the 1884 Border Convention.
Creating the IBWC
In 1889, the 1889 Border Convention officially created the International Boundary Commission (IBC). This was the first version of the IBWC. Its job was to use the 1884 rules to solve problems when rivers moved the border. A later agreement in 1905, called the Banco Convention, made sure the Rio Grande and Colorado River would always remain the boundary, even if they changed course.
Sharing River Water
The 1906 Boundary Waters Convention decided how the Rio Grande's water would be shared above Fort Quitman, Texas. This agreement gave Mexico a certain amount of water each year. To help deliver this water, the U.S. built the Elephant Butte Dike.
Straightening the Rio Grande
The 1933 Border Convention led to the Rio Grande Rectification Project. This project straightened and made the river boundary more stable through the El Paso–Juárez Valley. It also helped control floods. During this project, some land was swapped between the two countries, but in the end, each nation gave up and received the same amount of land.
The 1944 Water Treaty
The Water Treaty of 1944 is a very important agreement. It decided 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 the San Juan and Alamo Rivers that flows into the Rio Grande.
- Two-thirds of the water from six specific Mexican rivers that flow into the Rio Grande.
- Half of all other water flows in the Rio Grande downstream from Fort Quitman.
The United States receives:
- All water from the Pecos and Devils Rivers, Goodenough Spring, and four specific creeks 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 Rio Grande downstream from Fort Quitman.
This treaty also said that both governments would work together to build and run dams on the Rio Grande. These dams help store and control the river's flow so both countries can use their water wisely.
For the Colorado River, Mexico receives:
- A guaranteed amount of 1,500,000 acre-feet of water each year.
- Any other water that reaches Mexico's water points under certain conditions.
The 1944 treaty also made the IBWC responsible for solving border sanitation problems. It also gave the IBWC the job of studying and reporting on new hydroelectric power plants and flood control projects that might be needed.
In 1973, the two countries agreed to solve the problem of salty Colorado River water flowing into Mexico. The IBWC also made recommendations for solving border sanitation problems in 1979, which were approved by both governments.
Solving the Chamizal Dispute
The Chamizal Convention of 1963 solved a border problem that had lasted almost 100 years near El Paso and Ciudad Juárez. This problem, called the Chamizal Dispute, involved about 630 acres of land that had moved from one side of the Rio Grande to the other when the river changed its path. The convention allowed the IBWC to move about 7 kilometers (4.4 miles) of the Rio Grande's channel. This transferred about 437 acres of land from the U.S. side to the Mexican side.
The 1970 Boundary Treaty
The 1970 Boundary Treaty solved all remaining border disagreements. It also made sure the Rio Grande and Colorado River would continue to be the international boundary. This treaty set up ways to keep the Rio Grande as the border, even if its path changes in the future.
This treaty also involved some land swaps. About 823 acres of Mexican land were given to the U.S. to build flood-control channels. In return, the U.S. gave about 2,177 acres to Mexico. These areas included five parcels near Presidio, the Horcon Tract (which had the small town of Rio Rico, Texas), and Beaver Island near Roma, 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, totaling about 107 acres. At the same time, Mexico gave three islands and two small land cuts to the U.S., totaling about 63 acres. This was the first time a specific part of the 1970 Boundary Treaty was used for land transfers.
Dams
The IBWC helps manage important dams along the border. One example is the American Dam, located where Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico meet.
See also
- International Boundary Wastewater Treatment Plant
- U.S.-Mexico border
- Colorado River Compact
- Falcon International Reservoir
- Amistad Reservoir
