ABSTRACT
The boundaries of natural resources, watersheds in particular, frequently do not coincide with political boundaries. Furthermore, the distribution of water resources among political subdivisions is rarely equal or unanimously agreed on. This can lead to conflict at both the interstate and international levels. A mechanism for resolving these types of conflicts at the interstate level in the United States is interstate compacts. At the international level, nations that share water resources often agree to allocation and joint administration of these resources through treaties between the national governments. The border waters of Texas are subject to both compacts and international treaties. Examination of the Texas experience provides evidence of both the difficulties of achieving agreement on water resource issues in the first place and subsequently administering those agreements in light of changing circumstances.
