Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico to decrease in 2027

Baja California and Sonora are set to receive a reduction of 308.4 million cubic meters of water from the Colorado River in 2027. This reduction was detailed in Minute 334 of the International Boundary and Water Commission (CILA), signed on September 2.

Víctor Daniel Amador Barragán, the Secretary for Water Management, Sanitation, and Protection in Baja California, stated that the decrease is due to hydric stress within the basin, noting that water levels in Lake Powell and Lake Mead remain very low. If the drought conditions worsen, a similar reduction could be applied in 2028.

The current agreement does not include economic compensation for farmers, as the reduction is a response to basin-wide water stress rather than a planned fallow period for lands. However, officials noted that if weather phenomena such as ‘El Niño’ result in higher rainfall or snowpack levels above 1,152 feet, binational meetings may be held to adjust water allocations to increase supply for both Mexico and the United States.