ABSTRACT
The Limarí province-which comprises nearly the entire Limarí River basin (Fig. 12.1)—is one of three provinces in the region of Coquimbo. This part of the country is relevant for the purpose of this chapter because a) the region corresponds to the semi-arid realm, and hence, irrigation water is scarce; and b) the basin contains the so-called “Paloma System” that consists of three interconnected reservoirs allowing water storage for irrigation during 5 or 6(dry) yr, and its administration has been recently transferred from the state to private irrigators.
