Two Valleys, Two Nations - One River

By Denise Moreno Ducheny

The Imperial-Mexicali Valley Region

When Don Juan Bautista de Anza first encountered the Colorado Desert in 1774 as he sought a route from Sonora, Mexico to the California Coast, his expedition found the area unforgivingly harsh and desolate. He did not know where to look for scarce watering holes although he was fortunate to encounter the region during the winter months when the climate was its most tolerant.

Few Spaniards settled in the region during the colonial period, nor did many Mexicans choose to settle in the area after Mexico won its independence from Spain in 1821. In 1848, following the US-Mexican war, a political line was drawn which crossed the desert.

The region remained empty until the early 20th Century when US businessmen and engineers designed ways to harnass the life-giving waters of the Colorado River and channel them for use in agriculture. Their first attempt was foiled by the strength of the River itself that broke through the makeshift canals and dams in 1905, flooding into the dry lake bed of the former Lake Cahuilla, creating the body of water we now know as the Salton Sea. But they did not give up and today approximately 1 million acres of land are cultivated in the Imperial and Mexicali Valleys.

Currently, Mexicali, a city of nearly one million people serves as the center of this primarily agricultural region. The peoples of two nations live side by side bound together by their mutual dependence on the last portion of the Colorado River as it flows finally into the Sea of Cortez.

The 2000 Census found over 142,000 people living in Imperial County # nearly double the number found there in 1970. In the same period of years Mexicali has also nearly doubled to approximately 800,000 inhabitants, as it has also increasingly become a manufacturing center with the arrival of maquiladora industries.

The two valleys share an ecosystem that includes the Colorado River Delta and an internationally recognized Biosphere Reserve in the Upper Gulf of California. They share air and water quality issues that must be resolved despite differences in political structures and economic bases. They share a workforce, with many residents living on one side of the international political boundary and working on the other. They share a need for greater educational services for growing populations and the changing economies.

The challenge of creating and maintaining a sustainable economy in the area and improving the quality of life for all residents is one which will be best accomplished by joint and co-operative efforts of the two valleys. This requires considerable understanding by each culture of the other, of each nation's unique governmental structures, and of the socio-economic needs of each society.

As a member of the California State Legislature during the 1990s representing portions of the border region, I frequently found myself exchanging basic information with Mexican colleagues regarding our government structures. To propose solutions to mutual problems, for instance, we needed to know what level of government (state, local, or federal) had jurisdiction over a given issues, and at the border, it is often all three. We needed to take the time to become personally acquainted so we would have the ability to comfortably call on each other as issues of mutual concern arose. We cannot afford to meet only in times of crisis and not take the time to have meetings that lead to forward looking planning efforts. Each needs to be aware of the other society's needs and aspirations to seek workable solutions to joint problems.

Denise Moreno Ducheny