Todos Por El Agua

The state of water resources in San Miguel de Allende

Can you imagine a future without clean and abundant water? As San Miguel de Allende’s springs dry up and the groundwater level drops, this could be its future. Years of deforestation, over-grazing, gravel mining and erosion have reduced the soil’s ability to absorb and retain rainwater, negatively affecting surface water quality and quantity and the natural recharge of the groundwater. At the same time, the pumping of water from the aquifer for agriculture is three times greater than its natural recharge; at this rate of extraction, the diminishing groundwater resources are unlikely to provide sufficient water in the future.

In addition, as the groundwater level drops the concentration of naturally occurring salts and minerals is increasing. Studies show that the fluoride levels in the groundwater in certain areas of San Miguel de Allende are above the acceptable concentration.  

Download the results of our study! (English)

Map of the Upper Rio Laja Watershed

Geographic Context

The Municipality of San  Miguel de Allende is located in the central highlands of Mexico in the state of Guanajuato. It has a population of approximately 150,000 and with an area of 1 600 km2, it covers 20% of the 7,000 km2 Upper Rio Laja Watershed. The Laja River is one of the primary tributaries to the Lerma-Chapala river system, which is ranked as a globally outstanding freshwater ecoregion by the World Wildlife Fund and is the primary water source for Guadalajara, Mexico’s second largest city.

Todos por el Agua: The vision of a shared solution in San Miguel de Allende

Todos por el Agua promotes collaboration between us, the water users, and rural communities in order to improve and protect San Miguel de Allende’s surface- and groundwater. A farmer may be able to sell their corn or vegetables, but they do not benefit if they practice responsible agriculture that conserves soil, water and natural ecosystems. Water has an irreplaceable value for our lives, but its protection does not have a value in traditional markets. Can we find a way to support the responsible management of San Miguel’s landscape?  

Ensuring a more sustainable future for San Miguel de Allende requires that all its citizens share the costs, benefits, and risks of water use and conservation through a system of Payment for Environmental Services.  Currently, the labor and money required for the proper management of soils and other natural resources are too costly for our small farmers and rural communities. Todos por el Agua is a public and transparent system for collaboration in which local water users pay farmers and other landowners in the upper watershed to protect and restore their land to promote the retention and infiltration of water and the biodiversity of native ecosystems. At the same time, Todos por el Agua is promoting a “culture” of water conservation that will reduce water use and facilitate a clear connection between water users and their rural neighbors.

Organizational Structure of Todos por el Agua

Salvemos al Río Laja, A.C. (S.R.L.), is a tax-exempt nonprofit that manages Todos por el Agua under guidance from a voluntary Technical Council and the boards of  Salvemos al Río Laja and Ecosystem Sciences Foundation.

Beneficiaries (direct and indirect) of the program

1. Water users of San Miguel de Allende. (150 000 residents).
2. Rural inhabitants and small landowners of San Miguel de Allende who are “Watershed Service Providers.”
3. Municipal water providers in San Miguel de Allende.
4. Nonprofit social and environmental groups.
5. Federal, state and municipal government agencies.
 

Download the operational structure