Chihuahua legislators urge CONAGUA to open Francisco I. Madero dam

The Permanent Congress of the State of Chihuahua approved a proposal by deputy Arturo Zubía Fernández urging the National Water Commission (CONAGUA) to open the Francisco I. Madero (Las Vírgenes) dam immediately and to review and reduce the water extraction from the La Boquilla dam.

Official data show La Boquilla operating at only 24.2 % of its storage capacity (689.24 hm³), while Francisco I. Madero holds 61.3 % (56.74 hm³). Deputies warn that, if current extraction rates continue, La Boquilla could fall below 14 % by the end of the 2026 agricultural cycle, jeopardising regional water security and limiting future agricultural prospects amid a prolonged drought. The request seeks a rational redistribution of withdrawals, not a suspension of water supply, to preserve a strategic reserve for upcoming cycles.