Laguna Project

irrigation project, Mexico

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June 30, 2026

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The Laguna District is an agricultural region in northern Mexico, spanning parts of Coahuila and Durango. It encompasses approximately 312,000 acres of land that can be irrigated. This area, once used only for grazing, was divided into communal lands called ejidos in 1936 under President Lázaro Cárdenas's agrarian reform program. Irrigation for the district is supplied by the Nazas and Aguanaval rivers. Cotton production initially surged but later declined due to severe drought. The major cities within the district are Torreón and Gómez Palacio. The Nazas River, a key water source for the district, has its flow controlled by dams built as part of land redistribution efforts.12

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Mexico
Agriculture
The Laguna Project near Torreón was the country’s first attempt at providing water to the arid North, and huge cooperative ejidos were formed to farm cotton using modern mechanized methods. This was followed by the Las Delicias Project near Chihuahua, which also featured cotton but later…
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The Laguna Project near Torreón was the country’s first attempt at providing water to the arid North, and huge cooperative ejidos were formed to farm cotton using modern mechanized methods. This was followed by the Las Delicias Project near Chihuahua, which also featured cotton but later…
Read More