THE INSTITUTIONAL SETTING FOR UPPER SANTA CRUZ WATERSHED BINATIONAL GROUNDWATER ASSESSMENT

Residents, businesses, and agriculture on both sides of the transboundary Upper Santa Cruz River Basin depend on groundwater to meet their water demands. Groundwater’s invisibility makes characterization of aquifer conditions particularly important. Disagreement about groundwater conditions is likely to lead to different perspectives on any eventual dialogues on cross-border groundwater management. This presentation will explain the institutional setting for Upper Santa Cruz River Basin binational groundwater assessment. The U.S.-Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program (TAAP) team has focused on expanding shared knowledge and understanding of aquifer conditions. Since 2009, the Cooperative Framework adopted by the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) has facilitated binational study of the transboundary Santa Cruz aquifer. These efforts have involved federal agencies and universities from both sides of the border. Governance asymmetries across the United States-Mexico border will be discussed. The basic elements of the Cooperative Framework can serve as a model for others engaged in or interested in engaging in transborder technical studies.