^V/,: 
 
 
Bancroft Lib 
 
 rary 
 
 TREATY SERIES, No. 455 
 
 CONVENTION 
 
 BETWEEN THE 
 
 UNITED STATES AND MEXICO 
 
 Equitable Distribution of the Waters 
 of the Rio Grande 
 
 SIGNED AT WASHINGTON. MAY 21. 1906 
 
 RATIFICATION ADVISED BY THE SENATE. JUNE 26. 1906 
 
 RATIFIED BY THE PRESIDENT. DECEMBER 26. 1906 
 
 RATIFIED BY MEXICO. JANUARY 5. 1907 
 
 RATIFICATIONS EXCHANGED AT WASHINGTON. JANUARY 16. 1907 
 
 PROCLAIMED. JANUARY 16. 1907 
 
 O.STrr^t^^s,^!-, l3c(-|9o<=5Ci?«osere\0 
 
 WASHINGTON 
 
 GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 
 
 1919 
 

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 Bancroft Library 
 
 Br THE President of the United States of America. 
 
 A PROCLAMATION. 
 
 Whereas a Convention between the United States of America and 
 the United States of Mexico, providing for the equitable distribution 
 of the waters of the Rio Grande for irrigation purposes, and to remove 
 all causes of controversy between them in respect thereto, was con- 
 cluded and signed by their respective Plenipotentiaries at Washington 
 on the twenty-first day of May, one thousand nine hundred and six, 
 the original of which Convention, being in the English and Spanish 
 languages, is word for word as follows: 
 
 The United States of America 
 and the United States of Mexico 
 being desirous to j)rovide for the 
 equitable distribution of the wa- 
 ters of the Rio Grande for irriga- 
 tion purposes, and to remove all 
 causes of controversy between 
 them in respect thereto, and being 
 moved by considerations of inter- 
 national comity, have resolved to 
 conclude a Convention for these 
 purposes and have named as their 
 Plenipotentiaries : 
 
 The President of the United 
 States of America, Elihu Root, 
 Secretary of State of the United 
 States; and 
 
 The President of the United 
 States of Mexico, His Excellency 
 Senor Don Joaquin D. Casasus, 
 Ambassador Extraordinary and 
 Plenipotentiary of the United 
 States of Mexico at Washington; 
 who, after having exhibited their 
 respective full powers, which 
 were found to be in good and due 
 form, have agreed upon the fol- 
 lowing articles: 
 
 142090—19 
 
 Los Estados Unidos de America 
 y los Estados Unidos Mexicanos 
 deseosos de ponerse de acuerdo en 
 la equitativa distribucion de las 
 aguas del Rio Grande para fines 
 de irrigacion, y de alejar todas las 
 causas de discusion entre ellos a 
 ese respecto, y obrando j)or con- 
 sideraciones de cortesia interna- 
 cional, han resuelto celebrar una 
 Convencion con este proposito y 
 han nombrado sus Plenipotencia- 
 rios, a saber: 
 
 El Presidente de los Estados 
 Unidos de America, al Seiior Elihu 
 Root, Secretario de Estado de los 
 Estados Unidos; y 
 
 El Presidente de los Estados 
 Unidos Mexicanos, a Su Excelen- 
 cia el Senor Don Joaquin D. Ca- 
 sasus, Embajador Extraordinario 
 y Plenipotenciario de los Estados 
 Unidos Mexicanos en Washington; 
 quienes, despues de presentar sus 
 plenos poderes respectivos, que se 
 encontraron en buena y debida 
 forma, han convenido en losarti- 
 culos siguientes: 
 
 (3) 
 
Article I. 
 
 Articulo I. 
 
 After the completion of the 
 proposed storage cfam near Engle, 
 New Mexico, and the distributing 
 system auxiliary thereto, and as 
 soon as water shall be available 
 in said system for the purpose, the 
 United States shall deliver to Mex- 
 ico a total of 60,000 acre-feet of 
 water annually, in the bed of the 
 Rio Grande at the point where the 
 head works of the Acequia Madre, 
 known as the Old Mexican Canal, 
 now exist above the city of Juarez, 
 Mexico. 
 
 Una vez que se hayan termi- 
 nado la proyectada presa cerca de 
 Engle, Nueva Mexico, y el sistema 
 auxiliar de distribucion al ef ecto, j 
 tan luego como haya agua disponi- 
 ble para el objeto en dicho sistema, 
 los Estados Unidos entregaran a 
 Mexico un total de 60,000 acres 
 pies de agua anualmente, en el 
 lecho del Rio Grande y en el punto 
 en donde se encuentran ahora las 
 obras principales de la Acequia 
 Madre, conocida con el nombre de 
 viejo canal mexicano, arriba de 
 Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. 
 
 Article II. 
 
 Articulo II. 
 
 The delivery of the said amount 
 of water shall be assured by the 
 United States and shall be distrib- 
 uted through the year in the same 
 proportions as the water supply 
 proposed to be furnished from the 
 said irrigation system to lands in 
 the United States in the vicinity of 
 El Paso, Texas, according to the 
 following schedule, as nearly as 
 may be possible: 
 
 Los Estados Unidos aseguraran 
 la entrega de dicha cantidad de 
 agua y la distribuiran durante el 
 ano en las mismas proporciones que 
 la cantidad de agua que se proyec- 
 ta proporcionar del expresado sis- 
 tema de irrigacion a los terrenos 
 de los Estados Unidos en las cer- 
 canlas de El Paso, Texas, de con- 
 formidad, y tan aproximadamente 
 como sea posible, con la siguiente 
 lista: 
 
 January 
 
 February 
 
 March 
 
 April 
 
 May 
 
 June 
 
 July 
 
 August 
 
 September , 
 
 October 
 
 November 
 
 December 
 
 Totalfor the year 
 
 Acre feet 
 
 per 
 month. 
 
 
 
 1,090 
 
 5,460 
 
 12,000 
 
 12,000 
 
 12,000 
 
 8,180 
 
 4,370 
 
 3,270 
 
 1,090 
 
 540 
 
 
 
 60,000 
 acre-feet 
 
 Corresponding 
 
 cubic feet of 
 
 water. 
 
 47, 
 237, 
 522, 
 522, 
 522, 
 356, 
 190, 
 142, 
 
 47 
 
 
 480,400 
 837,600 
 720,000 
 720,000 
 720,000 
 320,800 
 357,200 
 441,200 
 480,400 
 522,400 
 
 
 
 2,613,600,000 
 cubic feet 
 
 
 Acres pies 
 por mes. 
 
 Pies ctibicos de 
 agua corre- 
 spondientes. 
 
 
 
 
 1,090 
 
 5,460 
 
 12,000 
 
 12,000 
 
 12,000 
 
 8,180 
 
 4,370 
 
 3,270 
 
 1,090 
 
 540 
 
 
 
 
 
 Febrero 
 
 47,480,400 
 
 Marzo 
 
 237,837,600 
 
 Abril 
 
 622,720,000 
 522,720,000 
 522, 720, 000 
 
 Mayo 
 
 
 Julio 
 
 356,320,800 
 190,357,200 
 142,441,200 
 
 Agosto 
 
 
 Octubre .... 
 
 47,480,400 
 
 23,522,400 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Totalenelafio.. 
 
 60,000 
 acres pies 
 
 2,613,600 000 
 pies cubicos 
 
In case, however, of extraordi- 
 nary drought or serious accident 
 to the irrigation system in the 
 United States, the amount deliv- 
 ered to the Mexican Canal shall 
 be diminished in the same propor- 
 tion as the water delivered to 
 lands under said irrigation system 
 in the United States. 
 
 f^ancroit Liixm^ 
 
 Article III. 
 
 The said delivery shall be made 
 without cost to Mexico, and the 
 United States agrees to pay the 
 whole cost of storing the said 
 quantity of water to be delivered 
 to Mexico, of conveying the same 
 to the international line, of 
 measuring the said water, and of 
 delivering it in the river bed 
 above the head of the Mexican 
 Canal. It is understood that the 
 United States assumes no obliga- 
 tion beyond the delivering of the 
 water in the bed of the river 
 above the head of the Mexican 
 Canal. 
 
 Article IV. 
 
 The delivery of water as herein 
 provided is not to be construed as 
 a recognition by the United States 
 of any claim on the part of Mexico 
 to the said waters; and it is 
 agreed that in consideration of 
 such delivery of water, Mexico 
 waives any and all claims to the 
 waters of the Rio Grande for any 
 purpose whatever between the 
 head of the present Mexican Canal 
 and Fort Quitman, Texas, and 
 also declares fully settled and dis- 
 posed of, and hereby waives, all 
 claims heretofore asserted or ex- 
 isting, or that may hereafter 
 arise, or be asserted, against the 
 United States on account of any 
 damages alleged to have been sus- 
 tained by the owners of land in 
 Mexico, by reason of the diversion 
 by citizens of the United States of 
 waters of the Rio Grande. 
 
 En caso, sin embargo, de extra- 
 ordinaria sequia 6 de serio acci- 
 dente en el sistema de irrigacioa 
 en los Estados Unidos, se dismi- 
 nuira la cantidad de agua que 
 deb a entregarse al canal mexi- 
 cano, en la misma proporcion que 
 la que se entregue a las tierras 
 sujetas a dicho sistema de irriga- 
 cion en los Estados Unidos. 
 
 Articulo III. 
 
 La expresada entrega se har^ 
 sin gasto alguno para Mexico, y 
 los Estados Unidos convienen en 
 pagar el total costo del deposit© 
 de la mencionada cantidad de 
 agua que debe darse a Mexico, de 
 la conducion de la misma hasta la 
 linea internacional, de la medi- 
 cion de dicha a^ua y de su entrega 
 en el lecho del rio, arriba de la 
 boca del Canal Mexicano. Queda 
 entendido que los Estados Unidos 
 no asumen otra obligacion que la 
 de entregar el agua en el lecho del 
 rio, arriba de la boca del Canal 
 Mexicano. 
 
 Articulo IV. 
 
 La entrega del agua, como aqui 
 se establece, no se considerara 
 como un reconocimiento por los 
 Estados Unidos de ningun derecho 
 por parte de Mexico a dichas 
 aguas; y se conviene que, en con- 
 sideracion a dicho abastecimiento 
 de agua, Mexico retira cualquiera 
 y todas las reclamaciones, sea cual 
 mere su objeto, a las aguas del 
 Rio Grande entre la boca del 
 actual Canal Mexicano y Fort 
 Quitman, Texas, y declara tam- 
 bien completamente arregladas y 
 extinguidas todas las reclama- 
 ciones hasta hoy presentadas, 
 existentes 6 que puedan despues 
 suscitarse 6 presentarse contra los 
 Estados Unidos a causa de cuales- 
 quiera danos que los propietarios 
 de tierras en Mexico aleguen 
 haber sufrido con motivo de las 
 desviacion de aguas del Rio 
 Grande efectuada por ciudadanos 
 de los Estados Unidos. 
 
Article V. 
 
 Articulo V. 
 
 The United States, in entering 
 into this treaty, does not thereby 
 concede, expressljr or by implica- 
 tion, any legal basis for any claims 
 heretofore asserted or which may 
 be hereafter asserted by reason of 
 any losses incurred by the owners 
 of land in Mexico due or alleged 
 to be due to the diversion of the 
 waters of the Rio Grande within 
 the United States; nor does the 
 United States in any way concede 
 the establishment of any general 
 principle or precedent by the con- 
 cluding of this treaty. The under- 
 standing of both parties is that 
 the arrangement contemplated by 
 this treaty extends only to the 
 portion of the Rio Grande which 
 forms the international boundary, 
 from the head of the Mexican 
 Canal down to Fort Quitman, 
 Texas, and in no other case. 
 
 Article VI, 
 
 Los Estados Unidos, al celebrar 
 este tratado, no otorgan con 61, 
 explicit a ni implicitamente, nin- 
 gun fundamento legal para recla- 
 maciones que en lo futuro se ale- 
 guen, 6 puedan alegarse, proce- 
 dentes de cualesquiera perdidas 
 sufridas por los propietarios de 
 tierras en Mexico, or a se deb a 6 se 
 alegue deberse, a la desviacion de 
 las aguas del Rio Grande dentro 
 de los Estados Unidos; ni convie- 
 nen los Estados Unidos de nin- 
 guna manera en el establecimien- 
 to de ningun principio general 6 
 
 Erecedente a causa de la cele- 
 racion de este tratado. Quedan 
 entendidas las dos Alt as Partes 
 Contratantes que el arreglo que 
 se proyecta con este tratado solo 
 se extiende a la porcion del Rio 
 Grande que forma el limite inter- 
 nacional, desde la boca del Canal 
 Mexicano hasta Fort Quitman, 
 Texas, y a ningun otro caso. 
 
 Articulo VI. 
 
 The present Convention shall 
 be ratified by both contracting 
 parties in accordance with their 
 constitutional procedure, and the 
 ratifications shall be exchanged at 
 Washington as soon as possible. 
 
 In witness whereof, the respect- 
 ive Plenipotentiaries have signed 
 the Convention both in the Eng- 
 lish and Spanish languages and 
 have thereunto affixed their seals. 
 
 Done in duplicate at the City of 
 Washington, this 21st day of May, 
 one thousand nine hundred and 
 six. 
 
 La presente Convencion serl 
 ratificada por Ambas Partes Con- 
 tratantes de acuerdo con las for^ 
 malidades constitucionales de 
 cada una de ellas, y se canjearan 
 las ratificaciones en Washington 
 tan luego como fuere posible. 
 
 En fe de lo cual, los respectivos 
 Plenipotenciarios han firm ado la 
 presente Convencion, tan to en 
 mgles como en castellano, y han 
 puesto en ella sus sellos. 
 
 Hecho en dos originales en la 
 Ciudad de Washington, el 21 de 
 Mayo, de mil novecientos seis. 
 
 Elihu Root [seal.] 
 
 Joaquin D Casasus [seal.] 
 
 And whereas the said Convention has been duly ratified on both 
 parts, and the ratifications of the two governments were exchanged in 
 the City of Washington, on the sixteenth day of January, one thou- 
 sand nine hundred and seven; 
 
Now, therefore, be it known that I, Theodore Koosevelt, President 
 of the United States of America, have caused the said Convention 
 to be made pubhc, to the end that the same and every article and 
 clause thereof may be observed and fulfilled with good faith by the 
 United States and the citizens thereof. 
 
 In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the 
 seal of the United States of America to be affixed. 
 
 Done at the City of Washington, this sixteenth day of January, in 
 the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and seven, 
 [seal.] and of the Independence of the United States of America 
 the one hundred and thirty-first. 
 
 Theodore Koosevelt 
 By the President : 
 Elihu Root 
 
 Secretary of State, 
 
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