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El Cuchillo dam faces potential water release to settle Mexico-US debt
The El Cuchillo dam in Nuevo León may undergo a new water release before the end of October to help Mexico meet its international water obligations to the United States. Rosario Sánchez, director of the Permanent Forum on Binational Waters, warned that the San Juan River basin has been used for two years to help cover the water deficit owed under the 1944 International Water Treaty.
Mexico faces a significant deficit, with the current debt approaching 300 million cubic meters. Sánchez described the situation as ‘unpayable’ in current conditions due to accumulated deficits from previous cycles and low hydrological contributions. Under the treaty, Mexico is required to deliver an average of approximately 431.7 million cubic meters of water annually to the U.S. over five-year periods.
This potential extraction adds pressure to Monterrey’s water security, as El Cuchillo is a strategic source for the metropolitan area. Separately, a domestic controversy persists regarding a 1996 agreement to transfer surplus water from El Cuchillo to the Marte R. Gómez dam in Tamaulipas. Conagua is expected to decide by October 31 whether this transfer will proceed based on current storage levels.
Entities
Comisión Nacional del Agua · El Cuchillo Dam · Marte R. Gómez Dam · Raúl Quiroga Álvarez · Rosario Sánchez
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The 1944 treaty requires Mexico to deliver 2,158.6 million cubic meters of water every five years. www.elporvenir.mx
- [○ 1 SOURCE] El Cuchillo currently stores 688 million cubic meters of water. www.hoytamaulipas.net
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The San Juan River basin has been used for two years to help meet international water obligations. www.elporvenir.mx
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Conagua will decide by October 31 whether to proceed with water transfers to the Marte R. Gómez dam. www.hoytamaulipas.net
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The El Cuchillo dam may face a new water release before the end of October. www.elporvenir.mx
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Under a 1996 agreement, water in El Cuchillo above 514 million cubic meters belongs to Tamaulipas. www.hoytamaulipas.net