Agua Dulce Airport

Economic reasons and obsolescence. The closure was not due to a specific event like an accident or military conversion, but rather a gradual abandonment. This is common for small, private or municipal airstrips in remote areas that become too costly to maintain, especially if the primary economic activities they supported (such as logging, mining, or specific agricultural operations) declined or found alternative transportation methods via improved road networks.

The site is abandoned and in a state of disrepair. Satellite imagery clearly shows the faint outline of the former dirt/gravel runway, but it is unmaintained, heavily weathered, and significantly overgrown with grass and shrubs, making it completely unusable for any aviation purposes. The surrounding land appears to be used for agriculture or forestry, and the airport infrastructure has been reclaimed by nature.

Agua Dulce Airport was a small, rural airstrip serving the municipality of Madera, a key region for the timber and logging industry in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains. It handled general aviation traffic, not commercial airlines. Its primary roles included: logistical support for local industries (transporting personnel, equipment parts, and surveyors), serving large private ranches (haciendas), providing access for air ambulance and medical evacuation services in a remote mountainous area, and supporting private and charter flights. It served as a vital transportation link for a region where ground travel can be slow and difficult.

There are no known official plans, discussions, or prospects for reopening Agua Dulce Airport. The cost of rehabilitating the runway and any potential facilities to meet modern safety and regulatory standards would be substantial. Given the likely decline in the specific economic need that led to its creation, a reopening is considered highly unlikely.