The International Watersheds Initiative

The Treaty continues to be a model for managing shared resources and a tribute to the enduring friendship between the United States and Canada.” — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice 2 The International Watersheds Initiative Recently, the IJC has stepped up its The IWI has already demonstrated its engagement with the IWI boards, with utility and value, and the initiative is expanded dialogue on IW [...] Introduction IJC and the 21st Century (IJC, 1997), In response to the charge from the two produced at the request of the two governments, the IJC worked to develop governments to advise them on “how the watershed concept, taking into At the request of the governments of Canada and the United States, the IJC the Commission itself might best assist account the views of a broad array of the parties t [...] The report highlighted to study hydrological processes in the positive conditions and trends, basin; merging data from Canada and particularly in the upper reaches, the U. S. to develop a seamless, harmo- but also spotlighted problems in the nized set of watershed boundaries and more densely populated downstream watershed stream networks; and prepa- areas and emerging issues of concern. [...] It has to build watershed capabilities through Board of Control and the Souris River initiated a project with IWI funding to improved understanding of the hydrology aspects of the former International develop an information bulletin describing and hydraulics of the system and broader Souris-Red Rivers Engineering Board, the hydrology, water quality and water engagement with local stakeholders. [...] In April 2008, the two boards indicated to the Commission their support for a proposed merger and the expansion of their mandate to include water quality issues in Rainy and Namakan lakes and Lake of the Woods, while noting that a number of questions and issues would first need to be addressed.