The Colorado River

Colorado River

The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...

 dispute is a long-running dispute between the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

.

Background

In 1884 the International Boundary and Water Commission

International Boundary and Water Commission

The International Boundary and Water Commission is an international body created in 1889 by the United States and Mexico to administer the many boundary and water-rights treaties and agreements between the two nations....

 was founded between Mexico and the United States as an entity to, among other things, oversee the flow of water from the United States to Mexico. The IBaWC negotiated the 1944 United States-Mexico Treaty for Utilization of Water of the Colorado and Tijuana River

Tijuana River

The Tijuana River is an intermittent river, 120 mi long, on the Pacific coast of northern Baja California in Mexico and southern California in the United States.-Location:...

s and of the Rio Grande allotted to Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

 a guaranteed annual quantity of water from these sources. However the treaty did not provide for the level of quality which became a problem with rapid development in the southern United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 in the late 1950s. The United States began diverting significant
amounts of water from the Colorado River for the new developed areas. Mexico protested and entered into negotiations with the United States. In 1974 an international agreement resulted in interpreting the 1944 treaty as guaranteeing Mexico the same quality of water as that being used in the United States.

Acts Passed to Preserve the River

• The 1974 Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act was passed to deal with salinity and water quality.
• The 1973 Endangered Species Act was passed to protect endangered fish.
• The 1992 Grand Canyon Protection Act was passed to recognise the recreational value of the Colorado River to Grand Canyon
  Grand Canyon
  The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, the 15th national park in the United States...
  
   National Park.

California water agencies agreement 2002

In 2002, the water agencies of Southern California

Southern California

Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...

 agreed to move millions of gallons from the river, which was originally used desert farmer and divert it towards the fast-growing urban San Diego.

Plans to end the river dispute 2003

In 2003 four Southern California water agencies that have failed to reach a key Colorado River water-sharing pact were studying a proposal, from Government Aides including Gray Davis that addressed the deals main stumbling blocks. Davis proposed that the state Department of Water Resources would explore a billion-dollar plan to shrink the size of the sea and restore it to health., and if the plan is feasible, farm runoff that would otherwise have flown into the sea could be desalinated and sent to San Diego County. He also proposed that farmers would pay a $1 surcharge for every acre-foot (about 325,000 gallons) of Colorado River water they use over the next 35 years. Urban users, who use less river water, would pay a $3 fee per acre-foot ($2.50/megalitre). The millions generated would cover the cost of new wetland habitats as well as air quality and Salton Sea mitigation associated with the water transfer to San Diego.