Open Data Commons Attribution License

ibwc-water-data

Established in 1889, the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) has responsibility for applying the boundary and water treaties between the United States and Mexico and settling differences that may arise in their application.  The IBWC is an international body composed of the United States Section and the Mexican Section, each headed by an Engineer-Commissioner appointed by his/her respective president.  Each Section is administered independently of the other.  The United States Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC) is a federal government agency and is headquartered in El Paso, Texas. 

international-boundary-and-water-commission

International Boundary and Water Commission

The U.S. Section operates and maintains 14 gaging stations on the main channel of the Rio Grande. The U.S. Section operates and maintains twelve gaging stations on the measured tributaries in its country. In addition, the United States Section operates several gaging stations on United States diversion and return flow channels. The Mexican Section operates and maintains four gaging stations on the main channel of the Rio Grande and eight gaging stations located on measured tributaries in Mexico. The Mexican Section operates and maintains gaging stations located on diversion and return flow channels in Mexico. Each section of the IBWC gages the spring inflows from its side to the river downstream of the International Amistad Dam on the Rio Grande. Also, the United States Section operates 13 gaging stations for flood warning and operation of the flood regulation storage in the International Amistad and Falcon Reservoirs on the Rio Grande. The data forms the basis for joint accounting by the two sections of the waters belonging to each country. The national ownership of waters has been determined since 1953. The Water Accounting Division also oversees the operation of ten gaging stations on the Lower Colorado River in association with deliveries of water to Mexico pursuant to the 1944 Water Treaty.  