Juan Carlos Inzunza García
April 30th, 2015
Final Letter
Dear Guillermo Padres,
I am Juan Carlos Inzunza Garcia, proudly Hermosillenses. Currently, I am
studying at the University of Arizona, and previously I studied in the Monterrey Institute
of Technology and Higher Education. I am truly concerned about the water conflict in
Hermosillo, in the state, and about the rivalry that has been created between Obregon’s
people and Hermosillo’s citizens since the proposal of the Sonora SI project. I am in the
middle of the disagreement; I think I am the perfect example of someone living both
sides of the conflict. My nuclear family lives in Hermosillo, including me, while my
extended lives in Obregon. My dad and uncles have lands in the Yaqui Valley; we are
considered a farmer family. My family and me comprehend that people in Hermosillo
needs water. I lived without a cistern for just 20 days, and I suffered each one them;
living without water is a hard situation for anybody. By the other side, I know that the
Yaqui Valley needs enormous amounts of water each day to sustain the crops. The
agriculture in the Yaqui Valley is one of the economic pillars of my family; thanks to
farming in Obregon I am here today, at the University of Arizona.
Sonora is an abundant state, rich in natural resources. Sonora it is
characterized for its beautiful sea, agricultural valleys, animal husbandry, mines and
now, it is gaining distinction in the automotive and aeronautics industries. However, as
you know, the majority of the state is passing through a drought period since the mid-
90s. As a way to solve this conflict, you planned the construction of the Independence
aqueduct. Is a great project, sending water from El Novillo, a dam with a large amount
of water, to Hermosillo, a city that needs water to continue growing. Nonetheless, there
is a conflict with the water rights of El Novillo. Yaquis had the power over this water
before the federal government gave you and your people the rights to use this water for
human consumption. El Novillo receives its water from the Yaqui River, which is part of
the Yaquis’ territory; supposedly Yaquis has sovereignty over this land, but it does not
seem that way anymore. Now their future is at risk because they may end up without
water. Yaquis live from farming, and the water supply for their land is not protected
anymore. Concerned about this situation I want to suggest you to modernize the actual
water system of the Yaqui tribe. For example, thousand of gallons can be safe by
changing the land channels in the Yaqui valley with concrete channels. Furthermore,
the most important thing you should do is to use El Novillo strictly for human consume;
you should not permit the use of this water for agriculture or animal husbandry in the
coast of Hermosillo.
I genuinely want to tell you about an idea I have been thinking since the moment
I started involving more in this controversy. I suggest you to be a smart governor, and
think forward. New water extraction projects need to be developed in order to protect
Sonora’s future. We, sonorenses, need to learn from the mistakes of our past and take
care of water; 30 years ago people never imagined that Hermosillo was going to stay
without water, and observed what happened. Sonora needs to continue searching new
ways to obtain water because as years pass water will be more valuable in the entire
world. El Novillo is the first step for a brighter future in Hermosillo and Sonora. I am
proud that the government was able to find a short-term solution for the water conflict in
Hermosillo, but now is time to think in the long run. People may argue that is not
possible to finish the water of el Novillo, but we are living in an era in which climate
change is happening so rapidly, that I can firmly say “I am terrified”. For example, we
are experiencing longer droughts periods in the northwest of Mexico and Southwest of
the United States. Winters in the Northeast of the United States are getting colder and
longer. Hurricanes are impacting more severely the coasts of our country each year,
and many other natural phenomena are changing. Fortunately, we are at the right
moment to make decisions and avoid some consequences of the global climate change.
Sonora is a state that has a great potential in water extraction, thanks to our precious
seashores. Creating desalinations factories around the distinct shores of Sonora will
create a more sustainable future for Sonora, because we will able to maintain the
distinct
industries in Sonora, and there will be water for the human consume. From
desalinations factories new economic frontiers will open, Sonora could sell water to near
states like Arizona, Chihuahua, and New Mexico. They are many paths we, sonorenses,
can take in order to make a better future, so I am requesting you to reflect a moment
about these proposals, and start creating the best Sonora ever. I know we have the
potential to be the best state of Mexico and the world. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Juan Carlos Inzunza García