Proposed White House Press Statement

Document: Proposed White House Press Statement, January, 1965?, page 1Jan ? 1965 PROPOSED WHITE HOUSE PRESS STATEMENT The United States and Mexico have today approved an agreement reached between the Commissioners of the International Boundary and Water Commission, United States and Mexico, upon measures to be undertaken to reach a permanent and effective solution to the salinity problem on the lower Colorado River. This agreement fulfills the objective, first announced by Presidents Kennedy and Lopez Mateos in their Joint Communique of June 30, 1962 and reaffirmed with President Lopez Mateos in the Joint Communique of February 22, 1964. The solution agreed upon follows in general a proposal of the Colorado River Basin States. It involves the construction of an extension to the present drainage channel of the Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District in Arizona which would permit the discharge of that District's drainage to a point below Morelos Dam, Mexico's main diversion point on the Colorado River. The agreement has been discussed with the Colorado River Basin States and with their Senators and Representatives in Congress. These consultations indicated a general consensus that the agreement was fair to all interests concerned and should be implemented promptly. I have therefore instructed the Secretaries of State and Interior to take the necessary steps to carry out the agreement. Whatever appropriations are necessary will be requested promptly from the Congress. I am pleased that we have been able to resolve this problem with Mexico through friendly negotiations. Like the Chamizal Treaty with Mexico and the Columbia River Treaty with our northern neighbor, Canada,Epson Perfection 4870 Photo, 400 dpi, 24 bit, 1,752,271 byte