Minute 319 of the International Boundary and Water Commission between the US and Mexico: Colorado River binational water management implications

On 20 November 2012, Minute 319 of the International Boundary and Water Commission was signed by the commissioners of Mexico and the United States. It establishes measures for binational water management until 2017.This agreement aims to combine the efforts of officials of the two countries to find cooperative mechanisms that address water shortage in the Colorado River basin. The agreement mostly refers to the storage of Mexican water by the Hoover Dam in the United States, which, under the rule of the 1944 Water Treaty, should be suitably managed by the two countries, in view of predicted climate change impacts such as extreme drought and the consequent reduction of water availability at the basin level. This article addresses some likely implications for the signing countries regarding the implementation of measures established in the minute.