Minute 319: a cooperative approach to Mexico–US hydro-relations on the Colorado River

Abstract

Minute 319 is the most recent amendment to the 1944 treaty governing the Colorado River, shared between Mexico and the United States. The amendment was adopted, in part, as a continuing response to the 2010 Mexicali earthquake, which severely damaged Mexican irrigation infrastructure, as well as ongoing objectives to address dwindling water supplies in the basin. By implementing measures to share both shortages and surpluses, and by facilitating long-term collaborative efforts that engender interdependencies, the amendment commits the parties to cooperate and may serve as a model for other regions sharing limited transboundary freshwater resources.