Colorado River progress flows from cooperative spirit

• The Colorado River creates some of the most majestic places on our planet.
• The current drought in the Colorado River Basin is the most severe in more than a century.
• We believe innovative and improved partnerships are the best approach to addressing Colorado River challenges.

The Colorado River is an extraordinary river whose currents flow not just in one direction, but in many directions across landscapes and borders, meeting many needs and demands.

Last month, the Colorado River began to flow once again toward the Gulf of California as part of an unprecedented agreement to improve the riparian environment of the river and the Colorado River Delta. But even more important than the riparian-area restoration and scientific studies that will result from this effort is that the action is part of a new and historic agreement between Mexico and the United States. This partnership — crafted under a 1944 treaty — demonstrates what can be achieved when neighbors work together.

The Colorado River creates some of the most majestic places on our planet as it flows from the Rocky Mountains across the red soils from which it is named to the Sea of Cortez, as the Gulf of California is known in Mexico. But the Colorado River is also a working resource — the lifeblood of communities, agriculture, industry and recreation in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico.

We are learning hard lessons about the limits and variability of the Colorado. While we are getting some relief this year, the current drought in the Colorado River Basin is the most severe in more than a century of record-keeping and one of the very worst in more than 1,000 years. Looking ahead, we see overwhelming scientific evidence that the Earth's warming trend is likely to deepen and prolong future droughts. How will we manage an even further limited shared resource?

We believe innovative and improved partnerships between the United States and Mexico are the best approach to addressing these challenges. In 2012, we completed years of negotiations with the signing of "Minute 319", a binational agreement that will guide management of the Colorado River Basin through 2017. We also formally committed to negotiate future accords.

Minute 319 was crafted on the principle of joint investments and balanced benefits: conserving, storing and sharing water in good and in bad times for the benefit of both nations. It is the only known example of an international water agreement that includes dedicated environmental river flows. For the first time, a simulated small flood will flow across our common border for the next two months to benefit environmental resources in the Colorado River Delta.

Minute 319 is a powerful symbol of the spirit of cooperation between our countries and one of the many achievements we hope to secure in the coming years. Through these wide-ranging and creative initiatives, the U.S.-Mexico partnership grows stronger for the benefit of both countries.

Sally Jewell is U.S. secretary of the Interior. Juan José Guerra Abud is Mexico's secretary of Environment and Natural Resources.