International Groundwater Law and the US-Mexico Border Region

Maria E. Milanes, J.S.D. (2013), University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, is an international water lawyer. She has worked with scientific and technical experts before the International Court of Justice, in the Pulp Mills on the River Uruguay (Argentina v. Uruguay).

• Acknowledgements1 Introduction2 Groundwater along the US-Mexico Border1 Introduction2 Defining International Transboundary Groundwater and Aquifers3 Types of Aquifers and Their Implications for International Law4 Case Studies of Groundwater Use along the US-Mexico Border5 Conclusion3 Challenges and Issues in the Management of Groundwater: the Case of the US-Mexico Border Region1 Introduction2 Challenges and Problems in the Management of Groundwater3 International Water Disputes along the US-Mexico Border4 Conclusion4 The International Legal Regime of International Groundwater and Aquifers1 Introduction2 Customary International Law and International Groundwater3 International Legal Instruments4 State Practice5 Conclusion5 History and Current International Water Legal Framework of the United States-Mexico Border1 Introduction2 International Legal Framework in the United States-Mexico Border3 New Perspectives on the International Legal Framework for the United States-Mexico Border4 Conclusion6 Domestic Legal and Institutional Framework at the US-Mexico Border1 Introduction2 Domestic Binational Efforts and Agreements3 The United States4 Mexico5 Conclusion7 The US-Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Act, 2006. Cooperation between US and Mexico, Achievements and Efforts in the Mesilla Aquifer Basin1 Introduction2 Transboundary Groundwater along the US-Mexico Border Region with Special Reference to the Mesilla Aquifer3 Transboundary Groundwater Issues along the US-Mexico Border Region4 United States-Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Act, 20065 The Joint Report of the Principal Engineers Regarding the Joint Cooperative Process United States-Mexico for the Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program6 TAAP Implementation and Achievements on the Mesilla Basin/Conejos-Médanos7 Efforts and Cooperation8 Further Efforts9 Conclusion8 Water Transfer Mechanisms and Regulations: the Role of Water Banking1 Introduction2 Mechanisms to Transfer Water3 Institutional Framework for Water Markets and Banking4 Current Water Transfer Regulations in the US-Mexico Border Region5 Water Banking Trends along the US-Mexico Border6 Conclusion9 A New International Legal and Institutional Framework to Allocate Groundwater in the US-Mexico Border Region1 Introduction2 Reasons for a New International Legal Framework along the US-Mexico Border Region3 Theoretical Basis for a Legal Framework4 New International Legal and Institutional Framework to Allocate Groundwater and Groundwater in Conjunctive Use with Surface Water along the US-Mexico Border5 Legal and Institutional Framework for Minute 20136 Current Approach to Regulate Groundwater Along the US-Mexico Border7 Conclusion10 Conclusion and RecommendationsAppendix 1: United States-Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment ActAppendix 2: Joint Report of the Principal Engineers Regarding the Joint Cooperative Process United States-Mexico for the Transboundary Aquifer Assessment ProgramAppendix 3: Proposed Conjunctive Use Regulation 2013Appendix 4: Proposed Fossil Aquifers Regulation 2013Index