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US Says Mexico Still
Violating Water Treaty
10-3-2

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- The United States on Wednesday accused Mexico of continuing to violate the terms of a 58-year-old water sharing treaty and called on its southern neighbor to deliver the more than 488 billion gallons (1.8 billion cubic meters) it owes.
 
Deputy State Department spokesman Phillip Reeker made the accusation on the deadline of the most recent five-year accounting cycle for the 1944 treaty under which the two countries are supposed to share water from the Rio Grande, Colorado and Tijuana rivers.
 
"Over the past 10 years, the government of Mexico has not delivered sufficient volumes of water from the six Mexico tributaries to the Rio Grande to ensure compliance with its obligations under this treatment and related agreements," he said.
 
"We're taking this opportunity again to urge Mexico to address the outstanding water deficit ... and to adopt a regulatory framework to ensure that the treaty obligations are afforded the highest priority.
 
"We think that meaningful and rapid steps by Mexico toward these ends are essential to maintain a viable framework for managing our trans-boundary waters."
 
Reeker's comments followed the introduction of a bill in the U.S. Congress noting that Mexico was in violation of the treaty and demanding that action be taken to rectify the situation.
 
The treaty gives Mexico the right to 1.8 billion cubic meters (475 billion gallons) of Colorado River water flowing out of the United States. It guarantees the United States rights to 432 million cubic meters (114 billion gallons) of water from the Rio Grande, which forms much of the border between the two countries.
 
In June, U.S. and Mexican officials announced that they had agreed on a schedule under which Mexico would pay back Rio Grande River water it owes.
 
Under the June agreement, Mexico was to have released 110 million cubic meters (29 billion gallons), or about six percent of the total owed, that it held in reserve at its Falcon dam.
 
It was not clear Wednesday whether Mexico had followed through on that pledge.
 
 
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