The controversial Zapotillo dam on the Verde River in northeastern Jalisco, frequently promoted as the “answer” to metro Guadalajara’s water shortage woes, will be completed by May, according to the National Water Commission (Conagua).
Work restarted on the dam in September 2022 after legal issues had shut down construction for more than a decade. The federal government earmarked $US110 million in its 2024 budget to ensure the project was finished this year.
Conagua’s claim that the dam will be operational by the summer does not necessarily mean Guadalajara will be seeing any additional water any time soon.The complementary infrastructure required to pump three cubic meters a second from Zapotillo to the La Red-Calderón-El Salto dam complex - from where the H2O will continue its journey to Guadalajara - is incomplete.
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