“Hydrological Cycle Management to Reduce the
Effects of Drought in the Rio Grande Basin”
By : Sergio Soto-Priante
Mexico
March 2010
Bravo River Basin (Mexican side)
Presa La Amistad
Presa Luis L León
Presa Francisco I Madero
Presa Venustiano Carranza
Presa La Boquilla
Presa Falcón
Presa San Gabriel
Presa Marte R Gómez
Presa El Cuchillo
2
2
Main data of the basin
Bravo River Basin (Mexican Side)
DR 009
Length* (km):
Area (km2):
DR 090
DR 006
DR 005
DR 004
DR 050
2,018
379,552
Average annual
rainfall (mm):
414
Number of
tributaries **:
21
Gauged affluents:
6
Number of Dams:
16
Number of Irrigation
Dams:
12
International Dams:
2
DR 103
DR 026
DR 025
Irrigated Surface :
* Length of the river as border with the U.S.A.
** Includes the rivers Álamos and San Juan
999,597 ha
3
Diagram of the Bravo River
Surface by Irrigations District
Code
Irrigation District
State
Surface (Hectares)
004
005
006
Don Martin
Delicias
Palestina
Nuevo Leon
Chihuahua
Coahuila
29,605
86,036
12,964
009
Valle de Juarez
Chihuahua
24,492
025
Bajo Rio Bravo
Tamaulipas
248,001
026
Bajo Rio Bravo San Juan
Tamaulipas
86,102
031
Las Lajas
Nuevo Leon
3,693
042
Buenaventura
Chihuahua
7,718
050
Acuña-Falcon
Tamaulipas
12,904
089
El Carmen
Chihuahua
20,805
090
Bajo Rio Conchos
Chihuahua
13,313
103
Rio Florido
Chihuahua
Total Irrigation Districts
Total
State
Irrigation
units
4,513
National
TOTAL SURFACE IN THE BASIN
8,964
554,597
Surface (Hectares)
445,000
999,597
5
Hydrologic Features
Availability
Mm3
Allocation
Mm3
Transfers
to USA
Mm3
Total
Surface Water
6,857
4,821
431.7
5,252
Groundwater
5,167
4,370
0
4,370
TOTAL
12,024
431.7
9,622
9,191
6
Monthly normal precipitation in the Rio Bravo Basin
7
Climate and hydrological influence
Subregion
Cuencas Cerradas del Norte
Conchos
Alto Bravo
Medio Bravo
San Juan
Bajo Bravo
Average
Temperature
Annual Average
(°C)
17.2
17.7
18.4
20.5
20.8
23.4
19.7
Evaporation Annual
Average
(mm)
2,101
2,268
2,386
2,130
1,812
1,769
2,078
8
1933
1936
1939
1942
1945
1948
1951
1954
1957
1960
1963
1966
1969
1972
1975
1978
1981
1984
1987
1990
1993
1996
1999
2002
2005
2008
Percentage of storage in major dams in the Río Bravo Basin
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
9
Overdrafted aquifers in the Rio Bravo Basin
Code
Aquifer
Relation
withdrawal / recharge
0507
Monclova
3.60
0510
Saltillo-Ramos Arizpe
1.27
0511
Región Manzanera-Zapaliname
1.26
0801
Ascension
1.45
0803
Baja Babicora
1.48
0804
Buenaventura
1.56
0805
Cuauhtemoc
1.66
0806
Casas Grandes
1.11
0807
El Sauz-Encinillas
1.11
0821
Flores Magon-Villa Ahumada
1.13
0830
Chihuahua-Sacramento
1.90
0831
Meoqui-Delicias
1.56
0832
Jimenez-Camargo
1.43
0835
Tabaloapa-Aldama
1.19
1908
Campo Mina
1.47
10
Water use in the Rio Bravo Basin
11
THE PAST – Mitigation Approach
• Financial support by the Mexican Secretary of Agriculture
• Financial support for the conservation of irrigation infrastructure
• Distribution of water in tanker trucks for municipal, agricultural and
livestock use.
• Construction of dams, dikes, wells, etc.
• Drilling and rehabilitation of wells
• Supply and installation of pumping equipment
• Construction of new drinking water lines
• Creation of jobs for temporary farm labor
 Campaigns to stimulate rain.
12
THE PRESENT – Adaptation Approach
What we are looking for?
• Achieve sustainable water use in the basin
• Mitigate the effects of drought
• Ensure the needs of water for cities and users
• Be able to meet the commitments of the 1944 Treaty.
13
Objetives
• Reduce demand of water for agriculture and increase the
supply of water, in order to balance the basin.
• Increase production, land and earth productivity, regional
employment, and the income of agriculture water users.
• Achieve sustainability and balance between different
uses of water.
• Comply with water transfers to the United States,
according to the terms of the International Treaty of 1944.
14
Guidelines to reduce water demand in agriculture
1. Modernization of the water distribution network.
2. Real time irrigation forecasts.
3. Technical improvement of the irrigation systems.
4. Better sow and harvest practices.
5. Introduction of low water demand crops.
6. Separation of low productive lands and new urban lands.
7. “Rain harvest”.
8. Healthy dam administration.
15
Guidelines to increase water offer
1. Integrated Water Management in the Basin.
2. Exchange of treated waste water for fresh surface water.
3. Make the most of under utilized spring water.
4. Repurchase of water rights and resizing overallocated
irrigation districts and units.
5. Cancellation of unused water rights.
16
Programs implemented (2002 – 2007)
Program of Sustainable Water Use in the Rio Bravo
Basin:
Was designed taking into account the water needs of communities and
irrigation users, and additionally the need to comply with the provisions of
the International Treaty of 1944.
Program of Adaptation of Water Use Rights and Resizing
Irrigation Districts and Units (PADUA)
Operates through the allocation of economic support with the objective that
civil associations of irrigation users (WUA) or producers involved in the
program, voluntarily surrender the volume of water defined in their allocation
rights.
17
Results from the Upper Bravo River Basin (Conchos River Basin )
Irrigation District
005 Delicias, Chih.
090 Bajo Río Conchos, Chih.
103 Río Florido, Chih.
TOTAL
Investment
(millions of
pesos)
1,112.0
133.3
73.7
1,319*
Annual
volume
saved
(Mm3)
173.9
4.4
6.4
184.7
Productivity (Kg/m3)
20012002
20062007
0.62
0.61
0.78
1.38
0.94
0.86
Increase
(%)
122.6
54.1
10.2
111.3
Bravo River Basin (Mexican Side)(Average)
DR 009
DR 090
DR 006
DR 005
DR 050
DR 004
DR 103
DR 026
DR 025
* Dollars aprox.= 105 million
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THE FUTURE
• Expand Strategy to others irrigation districts.
- Irrigation District N 025 (Lower Rio Bravo) surface: 248,000 ha
-Expected water savings by 2012: 500 Mm3
- Expected water savings in agriculture in the long term:
2,000 Mm3
• Savings in urban water (Aqueduct Falcon-Matamoros).
• Improved ground water management
• Exchange of treated water from the cities, for fresh water
from agriculture.
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Conclusions:
1. The best policy against drought is prevention.
2. To cope with the effects of future droughts and climate
change it is highly desirable to induce a "cultural change"
among stakeholders.
3. The negotiations with the farmers are easier on a “winwin” basis.
4. Trust between the parties can only be built after the first
results (the authority had to make the "first move").
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Conclusions:
5. Water savings and increased productivity are directly related
to the amount of investment. (although it is very useful to
identify where the greatest results are obtained with lower
investment).
6. Significant savings can be made by changing some
agricultural practices.
7. The experiences can be applied in other basins that suffer
drought and/or which are threatened by the effects of
climate change. In Mexico: Lerma, Nazas, Yaqui, Mayo,
Mexicali, etc.
8. It is desirable to have an external evaluation of the impact.
9. Balance and sustainability are possible.
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“Hydrological Cycle Management to Reduce the
Effects of Drought in the Rio Grande Basin”
By : Sergio Soto-Priante
Mexico
March 2010