The Colorado River is the lifeblood of SW USA.
B. McPherson
A new agreement between the US and Mexico is giving environmentalists new hope for the Colorado River. Currently five states and Mexico draw water from the river and where once a mighty river flowed to the Gulf of California(Sea of Cortes). In bad years no water reaches the delta.
The new agreement on water usage is the first real change since a treaty was signed in 1944. Since then populations have increased on both sides of the border. While demands on the rivers have increased exponentially, the area remains parched with years long droughts commonplace.
“ The treaty grants Mexico 1.5 million acre-feet of river water each year — enough to supply about 3 million homes — making it the lifeblood of Tijuana and other cities in northwest Mexico.” Salt Lake Tribune
This is good news for the delta. Both countries have agreed to release 5 000 acre feet to water the critical and important desert wetlands. Historically the delta covered nearly 2 million acres of productive wetlands and supported people and a wide variety of animals and plants. Water has not reached the sea since 1998.
This binational agreement will be reviewed in 2019.
A new agreement between the US and Mexico is giving environmentalists new hope for the Colorado River. Currently five states and Mexico draw water from the river and where once a mighty river flowed to the Gulf of California(Sea of Cortes). In bad years no water reaches the delta.
The new agreement on water usage is the first real change since a treaty was signed in 1944. Since then populations have increased on both sides of the border. While demands on the rivers have increased exponentially, the area remains parched with years long droughts commonplace.
“ The treaty grants Mexico 1.5 million acre-feet of river water each year — enough to supply about 3 million homes — making it the lifeblood of Tijuana and other cities in northwest Mexico.” Salt Lake Tribune
This is good news for the delta. Both countries have agreed to release 5 000 acre feet to water the critical and important desert wetlands. Historically the delta covered nearly 2 million acres of productive wetlands and supported people and a wide variety of animals and plants. Water has not reached the sea since 1998.
This binational agreement will be reviewed in 2019.
RSS Feed
