Chile's Canal Maule Association urges farmers to regularize water rights

The Asociación Canal Maule (ACM) called on Chilean farmers to complete the regularisation of their water‑use rights before the current legal deadline of April 2027, warning that administrative processing can take years. ACM highlighted that a pending Senate bill could extend the deadline to 2032, but it remains unapproved. The association, led by General Manager Gonzalo Araya, is assisting its members in filing, perfecting, and cadastrating their water‑right dossiers, a pioneering move under Article 1 transitory of Law 21.435 that grants perpetual water‑right recognition.

ACM noted that over 28,000 water‑right cases are pending nationwide at the Dirección General de Aguas (DGA), with the Maule region ranking highest in the backlog. The group launched a communication campaign urging irrigators to act promptly to secure legal certainty, protect agricultural productivity and adapt to increasing water scarcity and climate instability.