The intense rains recorded last week in Tamaulipas transformed the state’s water situation, causing a significant rebound in most dams. In a matter of days, the reservoirs’ levels rose from moderate to more encouraging figures, led by the Vicente Guerrero reservoir, which reached 63 percent of its capacity, guaranteeing a water supply for Ciudad Victoria and surrounding municipalities.
The Vicente Guerrero reservoir became the main indicator of the rains’ impact, capturing millions of cubic meters of water that entered through the tributaries of the Guayalejo and Purificación rivers after the continuous downpours that hit the center of the state.
The recovery was so rapid that technicians described the phenomenon as one of the most notable surges in recent years.
Some dams are at or above 100 percent capacity, such as the Marte R. Gómez dam, which is at 100 percent capacity, as are the Emilio Portes Gil and Pedro José Méndez dams.
The lagoon system in southern Tamaulipas is in a similar situation, with excess water exceeding 130 percent, which has raised alerts about possible overflows in the municipalities of Tampico, Madero, and Altamira.
The Emilio Portes Gil and República Española dams were reported to be even above their normal levels, with percentages exceeding 100 percent, forcing the initiation of controlled release maneuvers to avoid impacts in low-lying areas. Runoff came from the highland mountains where the rains were particularly intense.
In the far north, the situation also showed slight improvements, although insufficient. The La Amistad and Falcón international dams have barely increased by a few percentage points and remain in critical condition, at 25% and 12% full, respectively. Experts warn that much longer-lasting rainfall is needed to reverse the drought in the Rio Grande basin.
For its part, the Las Blancas Dam barely achieved a marginal increase, remaining around 35 percent.
State and federal authorities maintain constant monitoring of all bodies of water and consider the recent rains to represent temporary relief, but also a reminder of the need to strengthen hydraulic infrastructure to utilize every drop of water and prevent waste.
Source: Noticias de Tampico
