Farmers in the Mexicali Valley permanently face problems in the management of water from the Colorado River. The salinity of this river, the sediment swept along in its current from the United States, and the competition from subterranean streams seeping out of the All-American Canal represent management challenges for irrigators. The situation is even more complex than this because the irrigation area is located in a highly seismic zone. This study explores the management capacities of farm users to deal with these limitations on regional development, and the social and economic wellbeing of the inhabitants. It deals with cross-border issues that have a local impact on the efficiency, equity and sustainability of water use. An institutional analysis is carried out that makes it possible to characterize areas of conflict arising from the common use of a hydraulic resource.