Background on the Relevance of Mexico’s Dam System
Mexico’s dam system plays a crucial role in managing water resources, especially during periods of drought. With a total of 210 major dams, the country’s water storage capacity is vital for agriculture, industry, and domestic use. The Comisión Nacional del Agua (CONAGUA) closely monitors these dams to ensure efficient water management and distribution.
Water Storage Improvement in Major Dams
As of June 30, 2025, Mexico’s major dams have shown a significant increase in water storage compared to the same period last year. According to CONAGUA, the total volume stored in these dams reached 56,903 million cubic meters (45% of full capacity), marking an increase of 11,167 million cubic meters from the 45,736 million cubic meters (35%) recorded at the end of June 2024.
Dams with Highest Storage Levels
The improvement is also evident in the number of dams classified under the highest storage categories. In 2025, 19 dams have surpassed 100% of their capacity with a combined storage of 2,228 million cubic meters. In contrast, only five dams were in this range last year, with a total of 36 million cubic meters.
Dams with Storage Between 75% and 100%
Dams with storage levels between 75% and 100% have also seen considerable improvement. This year, there are 31 dams in this range with a volume of 9,003 million cubic meters. In 2024, there were only 14 dams in this category with a much smaller volume of 4,648 million cubic meters. This represents an increase of 10 dams and a volume growth of 4,355 million cubic meters, equating to a positive variation of over 93%.
Dams with Storage Between 50% and 75%
Dams with storage levels between 50% and 75% have also experienced a relevant increase. In June 2024, there were 33 dams with a total volume of 9,007.3 million cubic meters. In 2025, there are 63 dams with a storage of 15,678 million cubic meters. The difference in the number of dams is 30 more, and the volume has grown by 6,283 million cubic meters, representing an increase of over 40%.
Persistent Critical Dam Levels
Despite this recovery, a substantial number of dams still face critical storage levels.
- Low Storage Dams: 97 dams report water storage below 50% with a total volume of 23,711 million cubic meters. This represents an improvement compared to the previous year when 158 dams were below this threshold, accumulating 25,374 million cubic meters.
