Many communities along the U.S.-Mexico border have limited surface water supply and rely on transboundary aquifers for industry, agriculture, and drinking water; however, information on water needs, water quality, and the extent and functioning of these aquifers is incomplete.
The Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program (TAAP), established through a binational agreement between the United States and Mexico, provides a framework under which the two countries jointly study shared aquifers to improve our understanding of these critical groundwater resources.
► Learn more at the Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program (TAAP) Website
Major population centers within the project study area include:
- El Paso, Texas,
- Las Cruces, New Mexico,
- Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua,
- Nogales, Arizona, and
- Nogales, Sonora.
Recognizing the need to systematically assess priority transboundary aquifers along the U.S.-Mexico border, the 109th Congress of the United States enacted the “United States-Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Act” in 2006 as Public Law 109-448. This law was followed by binational negotiations that led to the 2009 signing of the “Joint Report of the Principal Engineers Regarding the Joint Cooperative Process United States-Mexico for the Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program.“ This document, which was signed by US and Mexican Principal Engineers serving on the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), established the authority and framework under which personnel in the United States and Mexico could jointly study shared aquifers.
Objectives of the Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program (TAAP) include:
- Develop binational information and shared databases on groundwater quantity and quality;
- Identify and delineate transboundary aquifers of importance;
- Develop binational criteria for determination of priority transboundary aquifers;
- Assess the extent, availability, and movement of water in transboundary aquifers and the interaction with surface water;
- Develop and improve groundwater-flow information for binational aquifers to facilitate water-resource assessment and planning;
- Analyze trends in groundwater quality, including salinity and nutrients;
- Apply new data, models, and information to evaluate strategies to protect water quality and enhance supplies; and
- Provide useful information to decision makers, including assessments of groundwater management institutions and policies.
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program (TAAP)
- Overview
Many communities along the U.S.-Mexico border have limited surface water supply and rely on transboundary aquifers for industry, agriculture, and drinking water; however, information on water needs, water quality, and the extent and functioning of these aquifers is incomplete.
The Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program (TAAP), established through a binational agreement between the United States and Mexico, provides a framework under which the two countries jointly study shared aquifers to improve our understanding of these critical groundwater resources.
► Learn more at the Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program (TAAP) Website
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.IBWC Principal Engineers Antonio Rascón (right) and John Merino (left), sign the “Joint Report of the Principal Engineers Regarding the Joint Cooperative Process United States-Mexico for the Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program”, August 19, 2009. Major population centers within the project study area include:
- El Paso, Texas,
- Las Cruces, New Mexico,
- Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua,
- Nogales, Arizona, and
- Nogales, Sonora.
Recognizing the need to systematically assess priority transboundary aquifers along the U.S.-Mexico border, the 109th Congress of the United States enacted the “United States-Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Act” in 2006 as Public Law 109-448. This law was followed by binational negotiations that led to the 2009 signing of the “Joint Report of the Principal Engineers Regarding the Joint Cooperative Process United States-Mexico for the Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program.“ This document, which was signed by US and Mexican Principal Engineers serving on the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), established the authority and framework under which personnel in the United States and Mexico could jointly study shared aquifers.
Objectives of the Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program (TAAP) include:
- Develop binational information and shared databases on groundwater quantity and quality;
- Identify and delineate transboundary aquifers of importance;
- Develop binational criteria for determination of priority transboundary aquifers;
- Assess the extent, availability, and movement of water in transboundary aquifers and the interaction with surface water;
- Develop and improve groundwater-flow information for binational aquifers to facilitate water-resource assessment and planning;
- Analyze trends in groundwater quality, including salinity and nutrients;
- Apply new data, models, and information to evaluate strategies to protect water quality and enhance supplies; and
- Provide useful information to decision makers, including assessments of groundwater management institutions and policies.
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program (TAAP)
Transboundary aquifers are an essential source of water for United States – Mexico border communities. Declining water levels, deteriorating water quality, and increasing use of groundwater resources on both sides of the border raise concerns about the long-term availability of this supply.The U.S. – Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Act (Public Law 109-448) of 2006 was enacted to conduct... - Data
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