Social, Political, and Institutional Setting: Water Management Problems of the Rio Grande

Douglas, Aaron J.

doi:10.1061/(asce)0733-9496(2009)135:6(493)

Cited by 13 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…On both sides of the border, rapidly-growing urban centers and their economic activities compete with rainfed and irrigated agriculture, ranching, and natural ecosystems for obtaining water resources on extensive open lands [11,12]. To meet these demands, aquifer overexploitation has led to declines in regional groundwater levels [13,14], while water shortages in transboundary rivers, such as the Rio Grande and Colorado River, have led to both international disputes [7,15,16] and examples of cooperation [17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Land and water use changes in the US–Mexico border region, 1992–2011

Bohn

Vivoni

Mascaro

et al. 2018

Environ. Res. Lett.

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The linkages between land and water use are often neglected when considering resource management. Here, we examined regional changes in land and water use along the US-Mexico border in the decades following the North American Free Trade Agreement, using bi-national land cover maps from 1992-2011, a process-based hydrology and irrigation model driven with long-term meteorological data, and agricultural production and urban water demand statistics. During the study period, land and water use in the region partially re-oriented around the needs of US cities, leading to crop to urban conversions and water savings in the US, while agricultural and urban expansion in Mexico resulted in local aquifer exploitation and reduced river flows. We identified that land uses with lower rates of water consumption (urban in US and agriculture in Mexico) expanded more than those with higher demands (irrigated agriculture in US and urban in Mexico) due to the water scarcity in the region. This resulted in divergent trends in the US and Mexico that in aggregate has led to an unsustainable trajectory in land and water resources.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Land and water use changes in the US–Mexico border region, 1992–2011

Bohn

Vivoni

Mascaro

et al. 2018

Environ. Res. Lett.

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“…in northern Mexico and decrease illegal immigration into the United States (Douglas, 2009). Maquiladoras typically import goods, mostly from the United States, which are then processed quickly and brought back to the United States for more processing or sale (Gruben, 2001;Douglas, 2009).…”

Section: Ongoing Challenges Facing the Lrgv 49mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Maquiladoras typically import goods, mostly from the United States, which are then processed quickly and brought back to the United States for more processing or sale (Gruben, 2001;Douglas, 2009). The number of maquiladoras has risen significantly since NAFTA, and there has been corresponding growth in communities of northern Mexico and particularly in the LRGV (Chang and Davila, 2007;Douglas, 2009).…”

Section: Ongoing Challenges Facing the Lrgv 49mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is a major threat to native aquatic ecosystems (Owens and others, 2005) because it grows rapidly, blocks sunlight in the water column, depletes oxygen, and causes massive die-offs of native plant and animal species. Waterways choked with hydrilla are not suitable for fishing, boating, and swimming and can cause mechanical and systemmaintenance problems during water treatment, hydroelectric power generation, and water delivery (Grodowitz and others, 2000;Owens and others, 2005;Douglas, 2009). It was first reported in the LRGV in 1990 near Brownsville, Tex., and now occurs beyond Falcon Reservoir (Owens and others, 2005), with some attempts at biological control (Grodowitz and others, 2000), but not in the STRC.…”

Section: Hydrillamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Particularly stress tolerant, saltcedar can be highly invasive in riparian corridors of dry-country streams and other waterways, and it often forms dense monocultures that alter and decrease flows in areas that have already been altered by dams, water diversions, etc. (Glenn and Nagler, 2005;Douglas, 2009). In the LRGV, it is established along the Rio Grande, canals, and resacas and has spread into upland areas around stock ponds and culverts.…”

Section: Saltcedarmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An international borderland of concern: Conservation of biodiversity in the Lower Rio Grande Valley

Leslie¹

2016

Scientific Investigations Report

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Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Oklahoma State UniversityFront cover. Photographs of Amazilia yucatanensis (buff-bellied hummingbird), Falco femoralis septentrionalis (northern aplomado falcon), and Leopardus pardalis albescens (northern ocelot). Used with permission and modified from ©Larry Ditto Nature Photography. For more information on the USGS-the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment-visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1-888-ASK-USGS. Back cover. Photograph of Aythya americana (redheads).For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod/.Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also may contain copyrighted materials as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items must be secured from the copyright owner. AbstractThe Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) of southern Texas is located on the United States-Mexico borderland and represents a 240-kilometer (150-mile) linear stretch that ends at the Gulf of Mexico. The LRGV represents a unique transition between temperate and tropical conditions and,

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Process‐based characterization of evapotranspiration sources over the North American monsoon region

Bohn

Vivoni

2016

Water Resources Research

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Evapotranspiration (ET) is a poorly constrained flux in the North American monsoon (NAM) region, leading to potential errors in land-atmosphere feedbacks. We quantified the spatiotemporal variations of ET using the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model, modified to account for soil evaporation (E soil ), irrigated agriculture, and the variability of land surface properties derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer during 2000-2012. Simulated ET patterns were compared to field observations at 59 eddy covariance towers, water balance estimates in nine basins, and six available gridded ET products. The modified VIC model performed well at eddy covariance towers representing the natural and agricultural land covers in the region. Simulations revealed that major sources of ET were forested mountain areas during the summer season and irrigated croplands at peak times of growth in the winter and summer, accounting for 22% and 9% of the annual ET, respectively. Over the NAM region, E soil was the largest component (60%) of annual ET, followed by plant transpiration (T, 32%) and evaporation of canopy interception (8%). E soil and T displayed different relationships with P in natural land covers, with E soil tending to peak earlier than T by up to 1 month, while only a weak correlation between ET and P was found in irrigated croplands. Based on the model performance, the VIC-based estimates are the most realistic to date for this region. Furthermore, spatiotemporal patterns reveal new information on the magnitudes, locations, and timing of ET in the North American monsoon region with implications on land-atmosphere feedbacks. Key Points:ET and its partitioning vary dramatically in space and time in the North American monsoon (NAM) region Major ET sources in the NAM region are mountain forests and irrigated agriculture ET estimates from the VIC model were compared with a range of observations and other products and found to be of good quality and superior to other products Supporting Information:Supporting Information S1

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Social, Political, and Institutional Setting: Water Management Problems of the Rio Grande

Cited by 13 publications

References 13 publications

Land and water use changes in the US–Mexico border region, 1992–2011

Land and water use changes in the US–Mexico border region, 1992–2011

An international borderland of concern: Conservation of biodiversity in the Lower Rio Grande Valley

Process‐based characterization of evapotranspiration sources over the North American monsoon region

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