The drought in Chihuahua is significantly impacting reservoir volumes: the state’s 10 dams are recording an average of just 17.1%, the lowest level in the last three years. Several municipalities that depend on surface water are already reporting shortages of drinking water, such as Camargo and San Francisco de Conchos. In other regions, fishing has ceased to be profitable, and sectors such as agriculture, livestock, and the economy in general are experiencing considerable losses.
The lack of rainfall has prevented dams from achieving sufficient recharge. Although a milder rainy season is expected in 2025, it will not be enough to recover significant volumes in the reservoirs.
The dams are at critical levels, impeding the development of primary activities. In the case of livestock, cattle are scattered across the dry fields, victims of starvation, as the cost of their upkeep has skyrocketed and small-scale farmers lack the resources to provide food.
El Granero Dam
In the case of the Luis Laureano León Dam, known as El Granero, residents who still have some livestock take them to the reservoir in the hope that they can drink water and feed on the scarce grass that grows there. However, the food is insufficient, and this is reflected in the animals’ physical condition, which is visibly malnourished. “It’s very dry; we need rain,” said Domingo Ríos, one of the area’s residents. Faced with the lack of options, some choose to slaughter their animals for consumption, as there is no market to sell them.
According to the daily report of the Technical Subdirectorate of the National Water Commission, the El Granero Dam currently registers a volume of 49.1%. In the same period in 2024, this reservoir was at 78.9% capacity, and in 2023, it reached 93.5%. That is, in recent years, it has lost more than 44% of its capacity.
La Boquilla, the largest dam in the state, with a total capacity of 2,846.7 million cubic meters (MM³), currently stores only 406,237 MMM³, which represents just 14.2% of its capacity. For the first time in 30 years of productive cycles in the Central-South region, the use of surface water for agricultural irrigation was not authorized, a situation that directly impacts the production of vegetables, fruits, and plants.
La Boquilla Dam
The president of the Chihuahua State Agricultural Council, Arturo González, indicated that there is still hope for a good rainy season, which would improve the outlook for primary activities. In the South-Central region, more than 100,000 hectares were left without irrigation.
The dam located in San Francisco de Conchos was an essential source of water for several municipalities in the region. Its runoff flowed through the Conchos River to reach El Granero, but today, both dams are dying. Although local fishermen cry out for help, the drought persists. In several towns, residents have had to migrate in search of sustenance, as is the case in El Granero, El Toro in Valle de Zaragoza, and some communities near La Boquilla, where drinking water supply problems are already occurring.
Another important dam in the region is the Francisco I. Madero dam, also known as Las Vírgenes, fed by the San Pedro River. Its runoff also flows into El Granero, but currently only 38,430 Mm³ of a total capacity of 333,318 Mm³, or just 11.53%. This dam has even been completely emptied, and its facilities have been used for concerts.
La Boquilla Dam Curtain
The emptiest dams in the state are Las Lajas, in the municipality of Buenaventura, which reports a volume of 5,699 Mm³, equivalent to 6.84% of the total; El Tintero, in the municipality of Namiquipa, with 9.20%; and Abraham González, in the municipality of Guerrero, with 12.01%.
The two dams supplied by the Florido River, which is now practically nonexistent, are San Gabriel and Pico del Águila, with levels of 18.87% and 56.25%, respectively. In this region, walnut-growing activity has disappeared due to the lack of water, causing massive tree felling. The river’s ecosystem has also deteriorated, causing the disappearance of numerous endemic species.
The remaining two dams are located in the municipality of Chihuahua. El Rejón, which is currently used primarily for recreational purposes, reports a storage capacity of 20.56%, while the Chihuahua Dam is at 40.47%, of which only a small portion is being extracted for urban public use.
According to the forecasts of the meteorologist from the State Coordination of Civil Protection, the La Niña and El Niño phenomena will favor a greater probability of rain in June, although they will remain within average parameters.
Source: oem
