711.1216M/2272
Memorandum by Mr. Charles A. Timm of the Division of the American Republics to the Adviser on Political Relations (Duggan)
Mr. Duggan: In our conferences with Judge Stone, Mr. Tipton, and Mr. Debler something like a consensus has been reached on the following points:
- 1)
- The United States is to deliver to Mexico each year at designated points on or near the international boundary, with distribution through the year as required by Mexico, an aggregate amount of water equal to 10 per cent of the diversions for that year from the Colorado River for use in Arizona, California, and Nevada of waters divertible from the Colorado River at or above Imperial Dam.
- 2)
- Mexico is to have the right to use in any one year a maximum of 2,000,000 a.f. of surface waters of the Colorado River arriving at the international boundary including deliveries specified in (1) above. The United States agrees to make available each year a minimum of 1,250,000 a.f.
We are now in the process of attempting to draft in more elaborate and specific terms the details of the above principles with particular reference to points of delivery and types of water to be chargeable to Mexico. Under present conditions demand water under Section I would amount to about 450,000 a.f. The additional assured water would be available for Mexico but would not be delivered on demand. This demand water could easily be used to firm up all of the remainder of the 1,250,000 a.f. and perhaps considerably more.
In defining water chargeable to Mexico, it is proposed to except certain winter and flood flows.
As to procedure, we shall attempt to agree upon a fairly definite formula and then meet with Commissioner Page39 some time Wednesday.
Bon voyage!40
- John C. Page, Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation.↩
- For documents concerning Duggan’s trip with Vice President Wallace, see vol. v. pp. 55 ff.↩