Charco Bendito Collaborative Watershed Project
Charco Bendito, meaning “Blessed Pool,” is an innovative, first-of-its-kind watershed collaboration addressing shared water challenges in the Municipality of Tlajomulco de Zuniga, Jalisco Mexico, a part of the Lerma Santiago watershed in and around Guadalajara, Mexico.
The project involves seven BIER members and two non-BIER members working collaboratively to conserve 355 hectares as a goal. To date, progress has been made with 125 restored hectares of important land to improve the quality and quantity of water in the region. Key activities include planting native vegetation to increase groundwater levels and reduce soil loss, improving water infrastructure, and increasing awareness about the importance of water to healthy communities.
Competitors coming together in a local shared market to collaborate on water is groundbreaking.
Who’s championing the Charco Bendito project?
The five-year project has been designed and implemented by a team of individuals from BIER member local beverage operations in the Guadalajara area with technical support from Red Bio Terra and public relations support from Bardo Communications. This team works with local stakeholders to realize the project’s goals. Championing the project includes:
- ABInBev – locally as Modelo
- Bacardi – locally as Tequila Patron
- Beam Suntory – locally as Casa Sauza
- Brown-Forman – locally as Casa Herradura
- Diageo
- Keurig Dr Pepper – locally as Peñafiel
- Pernod Ricard
- Grupo Bimbo (Non-BIER)
- Mars (Non-BIER)
Why did BIER select the Lerma-Santiago Basin?
- Encloses five states: Queretaro, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Jalisco, and the State of Mexico.
- Provides water for 8 of the 35 most populated cities (Mexico, Guadalajara, Léon, Zapopan, Aguascalientes, Queretaro, Morelia and Toluca).
- Considered critical to the socio-economic development of the country.
- At least 9 BIER member companies have operations within the watershed, as well as sourcing agricultural inputs and other raw materials from within the region.
THE PROJECT IS ESTIMATED TO INCREASE WATER INFILTRATION BY MORE THAN 4 MILLION M³ AND PROVIDE ACCESS TO WATER FOR MORE THAN 1,000 PEOPLE BY THE END OF THE YEAR 2028
BIER companies collaborating on Charco Bendito are keenly aware of the water crisis; as such, we are working meticulously and proactively to propagate a water-secure future in the watersheds we operate in. Objectives of the Charco Bendito project include:
Learnings – So Far!
Realizing that local stakeholders are critical for successful outcomes of water stewardship projects, BIER members have engaged with the local community since the beginning of the project.
Municipal President from Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, Salvador Zamora Zamora, comments, “The local community is key to the success of this project, which is of great importance because it improves water conditions in an area of high cultural and ethnic significance. This project is unprecedented and we acknowledge, and thank this group of companies for sharing a common vision.”
Engage with the Charco Bendito Project
- Visit the Charco Bendito website
- Follow Charco Bendito on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn
- Listen to the Charco Bendito Podcast “Conversando el agua” on Spotify
- View Charco Bendito on YouTube
- Read: A corporate water strategy manifesto: We can and will do better
- See how Charco Bendito aligns with BIER’s principles of World Class Water Stewardship
