Even countries with similar water stress levels show greater cost of abstracting water: Spain and Turkey charge four times the Mexican rates. In the case of Chihuahua the lion’s share of irrigation is done through underwater sources. Based on the Mexican Constitution’s Article 27 and the National Water Law of 1992, Mexico transferred the management of many irrigation systems to local user groups (i.e. farmers) (Garrido and Calatrava, 2009).