Sometimes when we think of water resources, we assume that a particular state has control over its own supplies such as groundwater and river diversions. But what if a state must share water resources with other states and even other countries? In a time of severe drought as the Southwestern United States is currently facing, how states and nations share limited water resources becomes more complicated and contentious. In this two-part series, I will discuss how treaties and Texas’s negotiations between New Mexico and the country of Mexico have strained both relations and the limits of a scarce resource that each party needs. Let’s first discuss the challenges between Mexico and Texas. Continue reading
Author Archives: Jeff Simonetti
Reliable Water Resources vs. Environmental Concerns: A Court Battle over the Santa Ana Sucker
A safe and reliable water supply is of the utmost importance to any growing community. In Southern California, a continued water supply is critically important because the region relies on imported water to support the population. However, the need to provide a reliable water supply is at odds with the need to protect critical habitat for the Santa Ana sucker, an endangered fish that calls the rivers and streams of Southern California home. In late July, a group of Southern California water districts filed arguments to overturn a 2012 court ruling that the districts believe will hurt their ability to provide customers with an adequate water supply. Continue reading