THE U.S./MEXICO WATER DISPUTE: IMPACTS OF INCREASED IRRIGATION IN CHIHUAHUA, MEXICO

The U.S./Mexico Water Dispute: Impacts of Increased Irrigation in Chihuahua, Mexico. C. Parr Rosson, III, Texas A&M University, Aaron Hobbs, Texas A&M University, and Flynn Adcock, Texas A&M University. Mexico accumulated a water debt of 1.5 million acre feet to the United States while increasing its use of irrigation water by fourteen percent in Chihuahua. This paper documents recent trends in irrigated production of major crops grown in Chihuahua, estimates irrigation water use in Chihuahua, and offers policy alternatives. Irrigated crop production in Chihuahua increased 236 percent since 1980, from 1.0 million metric tons (mmt) to 3.5 mmt in 2001. Irrigated harvested area increased 44 percent over the same period from 554,613 acres to 797,627 acres while estimated irrigation water use increased from 2.0 maf to 3.5 maf. Key words: U.S.-Mexico water dispute, irrigation water use, 1944 U.S.-Mexico Water Treaty, NAFTA, Chihuahua crop production, estimated irrigation requirements