^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 Digitized by the Internet Archive in ,2007 with funding from IVIicrosoft Corporation http://www.archive.org/details/convbetwunitmexiOOunitrich 15571 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, o s^$^ i.->^i H*»v A '« *, v^'tH^ ,-^-s--«:»-,