Springs of the Duero river basin, Michoacan: Operation, quality and quantity

The Duero river basin is located northwest of the state of Michoacán, with an area of 2531.3 km2. A diagnosis of the current situation of its operation, quality and quantity of water from its springs was performed. A total of 52 were identified, of which 49 were afored, yielding a cumulative expenditure of 8.526 m3/s. The waters are mainly exploited for agricultural, urban consumption, aquaculture and recreation. The annual volume of water generated by the springs is 268 876 Mm3, which more than meets the needs of the region. The chemical quality of the springs is excellent for the different uses but not the bacteriological quality. In terms of its condition and operation, only 27 [%] of them has serious problems of efficient management, which threatens its sustainability.