U.S. – Mexico Binational Center’s Collaborative Researcher, Dr. Rogelio Vazquez Gonzalez, Selected as PI to Evaluate Alternatives for Rocky Point’s Water Supply

Sept. 28, 2007

The Municipality of Rocky Point (Puerto Peñasco), Sonora,Mexico is searching for alternatives to meet the future water supply needs of the region.  With a recent boom in Sonora tourism, the Municipality convened an Advisory Committee to help identify solutions.  As a result, the Municipality signed a General Agreement for Collaboration with the Center for Scientific Investigation and Superior Education of Ensenada (CICESE) to begin looking at the possibility of desalinization.  Binational Center collaborative researcher, Dr. Rogelio Vazquez Gonzalez, head of the Department for Applied Geophysics at CICESE, has been selected as the Principal Investigator of this project. 

The Municipality initiated meetings between CICESE and the diverse stakeholders involved.  At these meetings, agreements were established within the areas of desalination, integrated water management, aquaculture, and ecosystem management. Dr. Vazquez Gonzalez’s team began the project in September 2007.  An evaluation will be completed that considers economic, technical and legal aspects of the entire project.  The evaluation consists of the following four phases:

  • Phase One: Analysis of available technologies, applicable rules, site location, and technical criteria
  • Phase Two: Selection of desalinization technology
  • Phase Three: Evaluation of potential site location
  • Phase Four: Development of an environmental impact statement and public relations campaign

On September 27-28, 2007, the governors of the ten states that form the border between Mexico and the United States attended the 25th Annual Governors Conference held in Rocky Point. The journal Leisure and Business, edited by the Municipality, dedicated an edition to this event. Dr. Vazquez Gonzalez presented a brief version of the project proposal, published in this edition, which was also included in the materials given to the conference participants.   

Dr. Vazquez Gonzalez is one of the eleven U.S.-Mexico Binational Center Mexican collaborators working toward environmental solutions on both sides of the border.