CONAGUA Advances Irrigation Modernization

Mexico’s National Water Commission (CONAGUA) has reported progress on the National Water Plan and irrigation modernization initiatives aimed at improving water efficiency in agriculture. The agency highlighted advancements in key irrigation districts, infrastructure upgrades, and the adoption of new technologies that aim to optimize water use, increase productivity, and strengthen water security.

Efraín Morales, Director, CONAGUA, announced a 24% advancement in the modernization of irrigation districts 003 Tula, 100 Alfajayucan, and 112 Ajacuba. Meanwhile, District 001, which supplies the state of Aguascalientes, has reached 76% physical progress in sections 16, 18, and 19. This positions it to become the first fully modernized irrigation district in the country, according to CONAGUA’s local office in Aguascalientes.

Morales clarified that claims suggesting water is being diverted from other users to supply the Solís Aqueduct, located in the Bajio region, are false. The water for this project will come from savings generated by the modernization of Irrigation District 011, which will provide up to 120 million m3, as agreed with local producers, he noted. 

Additionally, the Solís-León Aqueduct program includes complementary works across 10 municipalities in Guanajuato. In Acámbaro, for example, more than 6,000|ha of cropland will be modernized, reducing water consumption and improving farmers’ productivity. Morales also noted that plans include the piping of canals to prevent contamination of natural waterways and the strengthening of potable water distribution networks.

The official emphasized that the project does not involve extracting water from the Solís Dam, countering misinformation campaigns. On the contrary, he said, modernization efforts will help recharge aquifers and improve the hydrological balance across all federal entities within the basin. Morales added that CONAGUA has intensified its regulation and monitoring of water concessions to combat illegal extraction and so-called water markets.

Morales explained that the agency is reviewing 536,000 active water concession titles, analyzing their use, volume, validity, and ownership. “During this process, irregularities have been detected, such as nonexistent locations or agricultural concessions being used for the sale of water tankers, particularly in the state of Puebla,” he said during President Sheinbaum’s morning press conference on Nov. 5.

Producers in Hidalgo highlighted the benefits of adopting technologies such as multi-gate irrigation systems. They reported that water use has been cut by half compared to traditional irrigation methods. “The multi-gate systems have given us great results because they reduced irrigation time and saved both water and energy,” they said.

According to the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, multi-gate irrigation involves using portable pipes to distribute water through adjustable gates along furrows or ditches, minimizing infiltration losses and increasing efficiency by delivering water directly to the crops.

At the national level, the modernization plan covers 18 irrigation districts across more than 200,000ha. The goal is to recover 2.8 billion m3 water, equivalent to four times Mexico City’s annual consumption, benefiting 225,000 irrigation users with an investment of more than MX$63 billion between 2025 and 2030.

For 2025, CONAGUA’s national targets include 520km of canal piping, rehabilitation, and lining; 6,000ha of parcel-level modernization or land leveling; the rehabilitation of 139 wells with photovoltaic systems; the construction of 11 pumping plants; 41 measurement structures; 8 diversion dams; and 1,936 gates.