Farmers in the Mexicali Valley face a deepening water crisis that threatens to derail winter crops early next year following a double hit of international cutbacks and federal reallocations, regional agricultural leaders warned. Rubén Camacho Ledón, president of the Permanent Agrarian Congress (CAP), said local growers will bear the brunt of reduced flows from the Colorado River under Minute 334 of the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC/CILA). Under the agreement, Mexico is ceding 308 million cubic meters (308 million m3) of its annual Colorado River quota during 2027 and 2028 due to a 25-year drought across the river basin, La Voz newspaper reported. … The strain will peak in January and February, when irrigation schedules for alfalfa, wheat, and cotton overlap simultaneously.

Other Colorado River management news:

• Lake Powell Chronicle (Miami, Ariz.): A tale of two basins: Rio Verde foothills bought its way out of a water crisis. Can rural Arizona do the same?
• In the Center Lane: Blog: Water-based philanthropy: a drop in the bucket?