Thanks to a generous rainy season, Mexico’s most important dams are at a combined 48% of capacity.
According to the National Water Commission’s Technical Operations Committee, 80 of the nation’s top 210 dams were at less than 50% capacity, 27 were at 100% capacity, 44 others were at 75% or above and 59 were found to be between 50-75% full as of July 14.
The Cutzamala System — the large-scale water transfer system that supplies greater Mexico City — held 457.8 million cubic meters of water as of July 21, or 58.5% of capacity, up from 56.4% a week earlier.
Total volume at the Cutzamala’s top reservoirs — Valle de Bravo, El Bosque and Villa Victoria — has doubled since last summer, when an extended drought prompted media reports about a potential Day Zero in Mexico City.
Lake Chapala, the primary source of water for the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area, saw its surface level rise 30 centimeters through the first week of July and is currently at 54.63% of its capacity — a 14.6 percentage-point improvement over July 21, 2024.
Despite this week’s positive data, the committee cautioned that current water volumes are still 2.19 billion cubic meters below the historic average for July of 62.04 billion cubic meters. That’s a deficit of 4%.
Rainy season replenishes Guanajuato’s water supply
Another top beneficiary of the wet summer is the state of Guanajuato, where volume at its eight biggest dams nearly doubled since July 2024, reaching 71.6% capacity as of July 18.
According to state water agency officials, total volume at these eight reservoirs was at 1.261 billion cubic meters, up from 1.207 billion one week earlier. In 2024, their volume barely surpassed 700 million cubic meters, or approximately 29% of capacity.
Four of the eight dams were operating at 100% capacity: three in Guanajuato city — La Mata, La Soledad and La Esperanza — and the El Palote in León.
Another three — the Allende Dam in San Miguel de Allende, La Golondrina in Pénjamo and the El Realito in San Luis de La Paz — were above 80%.
However, the much-needed precipitation has not come without its problems.
Guanajuato struggled with flooding after record rainfall in May, while Mexico City experienced severe flooding in early June.
With reports from La Jornada, Milenio and Zona Franca
I used to live in Arizona, and most people collected water for future use, to water their plants, wash their cars, and other things. I just don’t get why the Mexican government don’t mandate water collection or at least make all new builds with them in their building plans. I know everyone has them on their roof top, but I’m talking extra ones for all buildings in the country. They are always running out of water. Makes no sense.
As I watch the Rio Laja near us flow strong and stronger, it is very pleasing that the Allende reservoir may soon be full, so that any extra can go down to Lake Chapala, which has been so reduced.
Water conservation and reuse may be the most important environmental issue in Mexico. Clearly, a truly national, comprehensive effort over a couple of decades is needed. I wish the ConAgua officials all the luck in the world
Presa Allende is presently at 102% of capacity and they are releasing water downstream.